Pick & Place

Pick and place robots have become commonplace in today’s manufacturing environment. Typically relegated to simple, repetitive, and monotonous tasks that robots naturally excel at, pick and place robots bring a number of benefits for manufacturers.

Pick and place robots are usually mounted on a stable stand, strategically positioned to reach their entire work envelope. Advanced vision systems enable them to grasp and move objects on a conveyor belt, which can be used in a variety of different ways.

What is Pick and Place Robots Used For?

Pick and place robots are used in many ways, depending on the product being handled and the manufacturer’s need for automation. There are four main ways that pick and place robots are used:

Assembly

Pick and place robots, during assembly processes, grab an incoming part from a conveyor belt and then place this part onto another workpiece, which is then typically carried away by another conveyor belt.

Packaging

Similar to assembly processes, a pick and place robot grabs a part on an incoming conveyor belt and, rather than assemble the part, the robot places it in a packaging container at a high speed.

Bin Picking

Pick and place robots equipped with advanced vision systems can grab a part out of a bin, sometimes even when parts are randomly mixed together in a bin, and place this part on a conveyor for production.

Inspection

Vision systems can monitor products moving on an incoming conveyor belt and detect defective products, and then a pick and place robot can remove the defective product before it reaches the final phases of production.

While pick and place robots are used in a number of different ways, the four types of applications listed above are some of the most common in today’s manufacturing facilities.

In general, a picking robot is a high-speed, light payload and may use a three, four, or 6 axis manipulator.

The outer pack or bulk pack will then proceed to a palletizer for creating a load for transportation purposes.