Material-handling robots a competitive alternative in a slow economy

摘要

The term "material handling" covers a lot of ground in the world of robotics: tiny workpieces that people can't handle very well, if at all; large, heavy parts like engine blocks and wheels; bulky items like bags and boxes; delicate and expensive electronic components; medical equipment. The list is extensive. Robotic material-handling applications range from tending injection-molding machines and machine tools, to reorienting parts between processes, to packaging and palletizing. 2001 was a tough year for the robotics industry (robot orders were down 30 percent from 2000), but material-handling and arc-welding robots suffered less of a decline than others, and material handling of products greater than 10 pounds was the largest application area for robotics in the first half.