Gantry robots, also known as Cartesian robots, are almost ubiquitous in the automation world, but are not yet considered true robots. This is changing due to their simple design, low cost, high scalability, and a wide variety of control software and motor solutions.
Advantages of gantry systems:
Gantry robots can utilize the entire cubic work area, which is equivalent to 96% of its space and size. Cartesian robots have three axes. Like their namesake and more well-known giant cousins, gantry cranes, they are usually suspended from a beam with an X-axis or X/Y-axis in a rigid structure. The coordinates of the three axes are usually defined as X, Y, and Z. Each axis is arranged at right angles to allow three degrees of freedom of movement. Another feature of gantry robots is that they have supports at both ends or a second element is added. Unlike arm robots, gantry robots can be easily scaled to larger proportions in three axes. Gantry robots are particularly suitable for applications where the requirements for additional directions are minimal or preparation can be done before the robot picks up the part.
Both Cartesian and gantry robots have rectangular or cubic work areas, unlike articulated robots, which, like the joints of a human arm, have limits on each movement and a specific range of motion. Their specifications are expressed in degrees of motion over a wide sweep arc, with graphs of positive and negative degrees of motion rotating around the center of their base and the supports for each axis. Interestingly, the workspace itself must often adapt to these unusual work areas, rather than the robot adapting to the workspace.
Due to their rugged and lightweight construction, Cartesian/gantry robots have a high degree of accuracy and repeatability. Due to their simple construction, gantry robots are intuitive to program and easy to visualize when evaluating new automation processes. Most gantry robots are configurable. From the wide range of motor and gearbox options to components and materials, these robots are able to meet the challenges of wet, hazardous, and dirty environments.
Cartesian coordinate robots are relatively simple in design and easy to operate, making them attractive in the manufacturing industry. Downtime and maintenance costs are reduced due to the ease of replacing individual axes. In addition, the entire system can be disassembled into its individual components for multiple single-axis applications. Best of all, these systems are more cost-effective than other more complex robots.
Gantry System Applications:
Gantry robots are ideal for working at height, with all axes located above the work area. Gantry robots can be used to grip and position a variety of end effectors, such as:
Assembly
Dispensing and filling
Clamping and screw tightening
Flying cutters
Camera positioning and scanning
Laser and water jet cutting
General automation
Indexing and sorting
Inspection
Loading and unloading
Material handling
Packaging, palletizing and unitization
Pick and place systems
Printing and mapping
Product lifts, small delivery vehicles and elevators
Spraying
Theatrical automation
Video production
Welding
Cartesian gantry robots are often overlooked, but they are an integral part of the modern automation industry and should always be considered in new automation systems due to their flexibility, efficiency and ease of implementation.