Manipulators are widely used in the machinery manufacturing industry and are developing rapidly. At present, it is mainly used for automatic removal of products on injection molding auxiliary machines, loading and unloading of machine tools, horizontal forging presses, as well as spot welding, painting and other operations. It can complete the specified operations according to the pre-specified operating procedures. The development trend of manipulators is to vigorously develop manipulators with some kind of intelligence. It has a certain sensing ability, and can feedback changes in external conditions and make corresponding changes. If there is a slight deviation in the position, it can be corrected and detected by itself, focusing on the study of visual and tactile functions.
In recent years, with the continuous development of the automation industry, the manipulator will also grow up. In the next few years, its development trend is as follows:
1. The performance of industrial manipulators is constantly improving (high speed, high precision, high reliability, easy operation and maintenance).
2. The mechanical structure is developing towards modularization and reconfiguration. For example, the servo motor, reducer, and detection system in the joint module are integrated into three parts: the joint module and the connecting rod module are recombined to construct the complete manipulator; foreign modular assembly manipulator products have been on the market.
3. The industrial manipulator control system develops in the direction of PC-based open controller, which is convenient for standardization and networking; the device integration is improved, the control cabinet is becoming smaller and smaller, and the modular structure is adopted: greatly improving the reliability and ease of use of the system. Operability and maintainability.
4. The role of sensors is becoming more and more important. In addition to the traditional position, speed, acceleration and other sensors, the assembly and welding manipulators also use vision, force sense and other sensors, while the remote control manipulator uses vision, sound, force, touch and so on. The sensor fusion technology is used for environmental modeling and decision control; the multi-sensor fusion configuration technology has been maturely applied in the production system.
5. The role of virtual reality technology in manipulators has been developed from simulation and rehearsal to process control, such as making the operator of the remote control manipulator feel in the remote working environment to operate the manipulator.
6. The development feature of contemporary remote control manipulator systems is not the pursuit of a fully autonomous system, but the human-computer interaction control between the operator and the manipulator, that is, the remote control plus the partial autonomous system constitutes a complete monitoring and remote control operating system, so that the intelligent manipulator can enter the laboratory. practical stage.
So China, as a major manufacturing country, must have the application of manipulators in order to realize the automation of manufacturing. Who will shoulder the heavy responsibility to accomplish this great mission? Foreign brand manipulators have reached an advanced level in technology and workmanship, but we cannot blindly rely on foreign brands. We must always adhere to independent innovation and make our democratic brand stronger and bigger.
The broad market prospect of manipulators brings changes to industrial manufacturing and production, not only the modern production technology used by manipulators, but also the accompanying modern management model has greatly changed the vigor, vitality and market competitiveness of enterprises. The application of manipulators is a good opportunity for enterprises to adjust the industrial structure, upgrade and transform.