Application
Machine Tending
Machine tending robots load and unload raw stock and finished parts from a production machine, running unattended cycles. It applies across CNC, molding, stamping, and other automated equipment.
A tending robot picks a blank or workpiece from an infeed location, places it in the machine's fixture or chuck, waits for the process to finish, then removes the finished part and starts the next cycle.
Cycle time usually needs to match or beat the machine's own process time so the robot is not the bottleneck. Gripper design and quick-change tooling let one cell handle multiple part families.
Guarding and interlocks between the robot and the machine door are central to the safety case, since the robot arm and the machine's own moving elements share the same workspace at different points in the cycle.
Related applications
Common questions
- What robots are used for machine tending?
- Machine Tending suits 6 axis industrial, collaborative robots. Examples include universal robots ur10e, fanuc m 20id 25, doosan m1013.
- What payload and reach does machine tending need?
- Payload is typically 5 to 50 kg with reach around 1200 to 2000 mm.
- What matters most for machine tending?
- Quick-change gripper or tool changer. Cell guarding with door interlocks. Cycle time matched to the tended machine. Protection from coolant, chips, or dust.