If Hollywood has taught us anything, it’s that robots aren’t capable of thinking for themselves. You give them a directive and, generally, they’ll act on that directive until they’re shut down, given new instructions or they malfunction. While this is great for repetitive, predictable tasks, it’s not well-suited to the uncertain, always shifting needs of the factory floor.
Where a robot can pick up a pallet and place it on a truck, an industrial manipulator offers a wider range of options. Take a look at TDA Buddy’s hydraulic manipulators, for example. Like a robot, they can lift a pallet and place it on a truck. However, they also offer their operator the ability to lift non-palleted objects, rotate them in 3 dimensional space, inspect them to ensure quality and position them optimally for the shipping process. This is where the versatility of industrial manipulators is best illustrated.
Industrial manipulators are versatile because humans are versatile
Robots act on directives, humans act on information. When information changes, humans adapt to the situation and change course. Robots, on the other hand, continue moving forward. As a result, if a product slips or breaks while being lifted by a robot, the robot will continue lifting. This can cause further damage to the product or, worse yet, injure one of your employees.
Industrial manipulators are designed to take advantage of the power of machines and the intellect of human operators. By leveraging the strengths of both robots and people, manipulators provide you with the best of both worlds: the raw efficiency of a robot and the adaptability of a human being.
At TDA Buddy, we’ve been building custom manipulator systems and end effector tooling for over thirty years. As the industry’s leading designer, builder and developer of manipulator systems, we’ve provided thousands of systems to manufacturers around the world. With TDA Buddy, you can count on dealing with a company that will work with you to honestly and effectively address your manufacturing needs. Contact us today to learn about our wide range of products and, more importantly, how those products can help you improve your manufacturing processes.
