Six-axis industrial robot
Industrial articulated robot- Traits
- Wide payload and speed range (a few kg to over 2 t); usually needs fencing or safety sensors
- Uses
- Welding, painting, machine tending, palletising, handling
02
Robot types and the value chain
A customer's “robot” may mean a fixed industrial arm, a cobot or a mobile platform in a warehouse. Confirm the task first: a process motion at a station, assembly alongside people, or moving materials. Only then talk about models.
- Name typical uses for 8 robot types
- Tell an AGV from an AMR
- Explain where your company sits in the chain
Why robots come in different shapes
Each robot type is a mechanical structure that trades off speed, payload, accuracy, work envelope and cost. Broadly, there are three families:
- Serial: joints linked one after another, like a human arm. Six-axis arms and SCARA robots belong here. They have large work envelopes and flexible poses, but errors accumulate joint by joint, and a load at the tool becomes a large torque at the base joints, which is why high-payload robots are big and heavy.
- Parallel: several arms connect to one tool platform at once, like several people carrying a table. The delta robot is the classic example. All motors sit on the fixed base and the moving parts are light, so it is extremely fast; the trade-off is a small work envelope and payload.
- Cartesian: motion along straight X, Y and Z rails. Simple, stiff, easy to build with long spans, and cheap, but it can only translate, so flexibility is limited.
Mobile robots take a different path: rather than precise motion at a fixed position, they make the position itself movable. Put an arm on a mobile base and you get a mobile manipulator.
Eight common robot types
The first five are “arms that do process work”; the last three are “machines that move”. The schematics below share one style and highlight each type's structure; search the English names in the References to find real photos.
Collaborative robot
Cobot- Traits
- Power and force limited, can share space with people; payload typically 3–30 kg, capped speed
- Uses
- Small-batch assembly, inspection, machine tending, labs
SCARA robot
Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm- Traits
- Fast in the horizontal plane, stiff vertically; repeatability often ±0.01–0.02 mm
- Uses
- 3C electronics assembly, insertion, dispensing, small-part sorting
Delta robot
Parallel robot (“spider”)- Traits
- Ceiling-mounted, very fast, small payload (typically ≤ 3–8 kg), flat cylindrical work zone
- Uses
- High-speed pick-and-place on food, pharma and personal-care lines
Cartesian / gantry robot
Linear X/Y/Z axes- Traits
- Straight-line motion, simple structure, long spans, low cost, limited flexibility
- Uses
- Gantry machine tending, long-span handling, dispensing
AGV / AMR mobile robot
Automated Guided Vehicle / Autonomous Mobile Robot- Traits
- Moves and navigates; does no process work such as welding. Key specs: load, navigation, battery life
- Uses
- Warehousing, line-side logistics, tote and pallet transport
Mobile manipulator
AMR + cobot- Traits
- Mobile base + cobot arm + vision; needs vision re-localisation at each stop
- Uses
- Semiconductor cassette handling, multi-machine tending, inspection sampling
Humanoid / specialty robot
Humanoid, inspection, hazardous-duty- Traits
- High interest and fast iteration, but limited proof in volume production; define the scope as a pilot
- Uses
- Pilot handling, inspection, hazardous environments, demos and R&D
How is an AGV different from an AMR?
An AGV follows a fixed route (magnetic tape, QR codes, reflectors) and stops when something blocks the way; changing the route means new installation work. An AMR uses laser or vision SLAM to map and navigate on its own, drives around obstacles and re-plans its path. It is more flexible to deploy and usually costs more. When a customer says “AGV” they sometimes mean an AMR, so ask how it navigates and what the floor is like.
Comparison table
| Type | Key traits | Typical uses | Sales watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial arm | Wide payload and speed range; covers most 3D process work | Welding, painting, tending, palletising | Guarding (fences, light curtains) must be in the quote |
| Cobot | Shares space with people; capped speed and payload | Small-batch assembly, inspection, labs | Not a “cheap all-purpose industrial arm”; still needs a risk assessment |
| SCARA | Fast, precise planar pick-and-place | 3C assembly, insertion, dispensing | Not suited to large reorientations or 3D welding paths |
| Delta | Very fast, small payload, ceiling-mounted | Food and pharma picking and packing | Needs vision and conveyor tracking |
| Cartesian / gantry | Linear motion, long spans, low cost | Machine tending, long-span handling | Lots of custom design; lead time depends on the structure |
| AGV / AMR | Navigation and transport, no process work | Warehousing, line-side logistics | Don't confuse a mobile platform with a process arm |
| Mobile manipulator | Mobility + arm + vision | Multi-machine tending, cassette handling | Accuracy depends on vision re-localisation; test with sample parts |
| Humanoid / specialty | Pilots or special tasks | Inspection, hazardous duty, R&D | Define ROI and maturity in a separate pilot scope |
▶See them in action: robot types
Different product lines, different sales plays
“Selling robots” means very different things for industrial arms, cobots, AMRs, service robots and components: customers, channels and sales cycles all differ. Work out which one you sell, then apply the methods in later chapters.
| Product line | Main customers | Sales model | Sales cycle | Key selling points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial robots | End-user factories, integrators | Project sales, mostly delivered through integrators | Months | Reliability, cycle time, local service |
| Cobots | SMEs, integrators, research and education | Mainly through distributors, with application kits (palletising, welding, tending) for fast deployment | Weeks to months | Ease of use, fast deployment, working alongside people, plug-and-play grippers and vision |
| SCARA / delta | 3C, food and pharma machine builders | Often built into machines by OEMs as a component | Months | Speed, accuracy, price |
| Mobile robots (AMR) | Warehouses, factory logistics | Project sales: site survey, simulation, fleet software | Months | Flexible deployment, fleet management, WMS/MES integration |
| Service robots | Malls, hotels, buildings, restaurants | Distributor channels, plus rental or RaaS (Robots as a Service) | Short | Price, upkeep, battery life, service network |
| Humanoids / embodied AI | Research institutes, carmakers, pilot customers | Pilots, joint development, data-collection projects | Varies | Proven use cases, developer ecosystem |
| Core components | Robot makers, machine builders | Design-in plus annual supply agreements | Six months to over a year | Specs, consistency, lead time, cost (see Chapter 08) |
The value chain and what each role can commit to
A robot maker (OEM) mainly supplies the arm and controller, often delivering a “bare robot” and commissioning it. Reducers, servo motors, grippers and vision cameras come from component suppliers. A system integrator (SI) handles tooling, vision and line integration, and often takes on turnkey projects. The end user is buying an outcome: cycle time, yield and fewer operators.
ComponentsReducers · servos · control chips · grippers · vision
supply
Robot OEMArm + controller · bare robot
supply
System integrator (SI)Tooling · vision · integration · safety · turnkey
deliver
End userBuys cycle time · yield · productivity
Some robot makers sell directly to end users, bypassing the SI, or deliver “robot + standard workstation” subsystems. The further right you go, the closer the promise is to an outcome, and the bigger the liability.
The test: will the customer's acceptance test check whether the arm moves, or how many parts the whole line makes per minute? If it's the latter and you only sell the robot, don't say “We can do turnkey”. Using the precise English name for each type in emails cuts down on “what exactly do you sell?” back-and-forth.
| Role | Sells | Can commit to | Be careful with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robot OEM | Arm and controller | Robot performance specs, commissioning | Line cycle time, yield |
| Component supplier | Reducers, servos, grippers, vision | Torque, life, interfaces, lead time | Whole-robot accuracy, application results |
| System integrator | Turnkey cells or subsystems | Acceptance criteria written in the contract | Processes not yet proven with sample parts |
| End user | (the buyer) | The decision chain often includes production, process, equipment engineering, EHS and purchasing | |
Know the main brands
Before comparing competitors, know who the customer might compare you with. This table is for brand awareness only; check current official datasheets for model comparisons.
| Category | Common brands (examples) |
|---|---|
| Industrial arms · international | FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa (often called the “Big Four”), plus Kawasaki, Nachi, Epson, Stäubli and others |
| Industrial arms · China | Estun, Inovance, EFORT, Siasun and others |
| Cobots | Universal Robots, FANUC CRX, ABB GoFa, Doosan; from China, JAKA, AUBO, Elite Robots, Dobot and others |
| SCARA / delta | Epson, Yamaha, Omron, Inovance and others |
Key points
- Type first, specs second; get the type wrong and everything after it is wrong.
- AGVs/AMRs move things, arms do process work; mobile manipulators do both.
- The closer a promise is to a line-level outcome, the more it needs a contract and an SI behind it.
Exercises
- Draw where your company's products sit in the value chain.
- List 10 phrases customers use and the matching spec terms.
- Read the product-line page of a major robot maker's website.