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More and more manufacturing sites are now running their production processes around robots and automation equipment. Robots and automation equipment take on the repetitive, physically demanding work, while operators manage the overall facility through the factory control system. This shift has freed operators to focus on higher-value tasks such as quality inspection and process improvement.
Watching a robot operate reliably for long stretches, even in conditions people would struggle to work in, it’s natural to wonder how that kind of performance is achieved. To understand the principle behind it, it helps to first look at the role of the key components inside the robot.
In this article, we’ll look at the representative robots and automation equipment that make up manufacturing automation, and examine the industrial reducer, a component that has a major impact on the drive performance of automation equipment.
Robots and Automation Equipment That Make Up Manufacturing Automation
Production sites use a wide range of automation equipment depending on the nature and purpose of the work. Broadly speaking, this equipment falls into two categories: robots that carry out manufacturing processes, and logistics transfer equipment that moves materials and parts. The multi-joint robot is the most representative type of manufacturing robot, and depending on the application, it’s further divided into large industrial robots and collaborative robots.
Large industrial multi-joint robots are built with a structure similar to a human arm and perform repetitive tasks such as welding, assembly, and loading. They play an important role in boosting productivity and worker safety, particularly in processes that involve heavy parts or work that would be difficult for people to perform.
Collaborative robots, by contrast, are multi-joint robots designed to work alongside people in the same space. They mainly assist operators with tasks such as assembling small parts and performing inspections. Compared with conventional industrial robots, they’re smaller and relatively easy to install, which lets them adapt more flexibly to changes in the production environment.
Logistics transfer equipment automatically moves materials and parts around the production floor. AGVs and AMRs are the most common examples. An AGV uses sensors to follow magnetic tape or QR codes installed on the floor, moving along a preset route, which makes it well suited to environments where the traffic flow stays consistent.
An AMR builds on the AGV with autonomous navigation. It uses cameras and sensors to recognize its surroundings and calculates the optimal route based on a built-in map. Because it can reroute in real time when it detects an obstacle, it proves especially useful in environments where the production line changes frequently and workers and equipment move around together.
Robots and automation equipment have become key drivers of operational efficiency on the production floor, and as AI and sensor technology continue to advance, they’re expected to evolve toward even greater autonomy and a wider range of capabilities.
What Does It Take to Build a Stable Manufacturing Automation Environment? The Reducer Matters
For an automation system to run reliably, this kind of equipment needs to maintain consistent drive performance even during long hours of operation. The key component that directly affects that drive performance is the industrial reducer.
A reducer is a core drive-unit component that converts a motor’s high-speed rotation into the torque a robot needs. This conversion is what allows the equipment to generate the right amount of force and speed for the task at hand, and it’s also what keeps the equipment’s motion and posture stable.
There’s another reason the reducer matters so much: it’s a component that directly absorbs repeated loads and outside impact. Automation robots repeatedly lift and move materials, and that process places continuous stress on the reducer. If it doesn’t have enough durability, the gears can wear down or break, which can destabilize the equipment’s operation and ultimately affect the efficiency of the entire manufacturing automation line.
At the same time, growing demand for smaller, higher-performing equipment is shifting the direction of reducer design as well. Because a robot or automation equipment’s drive unit has to accommodate many components together, space is often tight, and that’s pushing reducers toward smaller, lighter designs that make better use of internal space. In short, a reducer for automation equipment needs to deliver sufficient torque output, high durability, and efficient use of internal space all at once.
The BSR Series: Meeting Space Efficiency and Durability Together
Bonsystems’ BSR series is a cycloidal reducer developed with the range of conditions required by manufacturing automation equipment in mind. BSR is designed to deliver high torque even in a slim profile. It can secure the drive performance you need within the same installation space, while giving more freedom in how surrounding components are arranged, which improves overall design flexibility. The internal space this frees up can also be used for wiring, sensors, control components, and other elements, helping raise the overall efficiency of the system design.
The BSR series achieves both high torque output and durability through its pinless cycloidal structure. Because this structure spreads load broadly across the gear engagement, it can transmit power reliably even in environments with repeated shock loads.
Conventional cycloidal reducers rely on pin components, which can add complexity to the overall part structure. To address this, the BSR 070 and 080 models use a pinless design that removes the pin components and simplifies the structure. This reduces the part count, makes assembly easier, and cuts down on assembly variation between units, helping ensure consistent quality.
In these ways, the BSR series is a reduction solution that balances high torque, design flexibility, durability, and productivity. Since a manufacturing automation environment is often built once and run for a long time afterward, maintaining consistent performance matters a great deal, and that starts with selecting an industrial reducer suited to the equipment’s application and requirements as early as the design stage.
Bonsystems continues to develop drive-unit components for robots and automation equipment, and we draw on our accumulated technical expertise and field experience to propose drive-unit solutions optimized for each customer’s development environment. If you’re reviewing a reducer for your automation equipment, or wondering whether BSR could be a fit for a robot you’re developing, please reach out to us through our website.
FAQ
Q. What kinds of robots and automation equipment are used in manufacturing automation environments?
Production sites use a variety of robots and equipment depending on the purpose of the work and the nature of the process. Large multi-joint robots are used for high-load, repetitive tasks or processes that would be difficult for people to perform, while collaborative robots are applied to assist with tasks in close proximity to workers. AGVs and AMRs, meanwhile, handle the transport of parts and materials: AGVs are well suited to fixed-route movement, while AMRs are mainly used in environments where the production process changes frequently.
Q. What role does the industrial reducer play inside a robot?
A robot’s movement comes from several components working together, including the motor, reducer, and control system. The motor generates rotational power, and the reducer converts that power into the torque the robot needs for its work. The reducer’s performance has a direct effect on the robot’s movement and operational stability, making it a key factor in determining the robot’s overall drive performance.
Q. Why does reducer durability matter in manufacturing automation equipment?
Automation equipment repeats the same task over long periods, so its drive components need performance that can back that up. The reducer in particular directly absorbs the loads and outside impact generated during operation, so it needs enough durability to maintain performance even under high loads. If a reducer’s durability isn’t sufficient, it can shorten gear life and disrupt the continuity of the production process.
Q. Why does reducer size matter in automation equipment design?
Manufacturing sites increasingly need smaller equipment so they can fit more machines into limited installation space and raise production efficiency. Because a range of elements are packed inside automation equipment, the space a reducer takes up affects the overall exterior design as well. That’s why a reducer that can deliver the necessary force in a compact size makes better use of internal space and gives designers a real advantage.
Q. What advantages does the pinless structure in the BSR series offer?
The pinless structure used in the BSR 070 and 080 series removes the pin components found in conventional cycloidal reducers while preserving their core performance. This reduces both the part count and the assembly steps involved, helping improve production efficiency. It also cuts down on the variation that can occur during assembly, which helps keep product quality consistent.
