The world of robotics is in a golden age and the fields of industrial robotics and automation are reaping the benefits. In particular, the advent of the cobot fulfills the dream of humans and robots working side by side. In this article, we’ll take a look at the Top 5 collaborative robots currently on the market.
ABB YuMi® IRB 14000 
The Swiss-Swedish team at ABB has established their company as a leader in industrial robotics. The IRB 14000 cobot, known as YuMi, is a top of the line cobot. ABB designed the YuMi to manage processes that require lots of small and detailed parts in short cycles. ABB boasts that his 7-axis robot is the safest cobot on the market, eliminating the need for cages and safety barriers. The YuMi features camera-based part location as well as easy material feeding and extremely agile “hands.”
Kuka LBR iisy and LBR iiwa
Kuka is ready for Industry 4.0 with their cobots LBR iisy and LBR iiwa. These two machines are in different payload categories, but keep the human at the center of the production process. With Kuka’s line of integrated sensors, delicate tasks can be delegated entirely to the machines. Bump sensing allows the machines to slow down when human contact is detected, providing superior safety and operational reliability. The LBRs can perform tasks from automotive transmission assembly, to pick and place tasks, and even handling flexible and off-balance parts.
FANUC Cobots
Used in everything from cheese production to automotive assembly, FANUC’s robotic arms are among some of the most beloved in the industry. Lauded for their reliability, easy programming and maintenance, and their long life-cycles, FANUC robots are trusted by such industry giants as Audi and Ford. Among their entire fleet of impressive machines, however, are some of the best collaborative robots available. Living up to the FANUC standard, the fleet of cobots tout great speed, reliability and reach. With six models of cobots to choose from, customers can select from a range of 4-35 kg and 550 mm reach to a whopping 1812 mm reach. These robots can also obtain speeds of up to 1500 mm/s.
Universal Robots UR10
Universal Robots is always looking to the future, and every robot they design has your company in mind. The UR10 is the perfect example of this company’s mission, allowing for superior customization, intuitive programming, and fast setup. The UR10 can handle a payload of up to 10 kg with a maximum reach of 1300 mm. The brilliantly simple design boasts a minimal footprint of only 190 mm and a relatively low mass of just over 33 kg. Combine that with an almost inexhaustible list of add-ons, and it’s no wonder this cobot is ideal for small and large businesses alike.
Omron TM Series
Omron, one of Europe’s top robotics manufacturers, is no late bloomer in this blossoming field. The TM Series offers safety, power, reach, and speed with four unique models. Operating at distances of up to 1300 mm and speeds of up to 1.4 m/s, there is no bad choice in this lineup. Omron takes the pressure off of programming and offers fast changeover to work with high or low volume productions. The TM Series requires no programming yet comes with intelligent vision processing capable of everything from barcode reading to object positioning and pattern recognition. Omron has created the perfect human-robot collaborative design ideal for a variety of applications including machine tending, soldering, and unloading.
Written by: B.A. Durham
