Polar/Spherical Robots

Polar/Spherical robots are robot configurations with a combined linear joint and two rotary joints, with an arm connected to a robotic base and a twisting joint. Also known as spherical robots, the axes create a spherical work envelope and a polar coordinate system. They are well-known in the history of robotics. This is because the first industrial robot, Unimate, was a spherical robot created back in the 1950s.

Even with only three axes, this type of robot significantly increased production over manual and human labor. Enough so, that the automotive and industrial manufacturers sought them out. The rush to purchase this new robotic technology started the industrial robot revolution and was the precursor of six-axis robots and many other advancements in industrial robotics.

Today, polar/spherical robots have been supplanted by other types of industrial robots. The most common are SCARA robots and the ubiquitous industrial robotic arm. The SCARA performs closest to the polar robots and offers greater speed, however, conventional robotic arms tend to scale to larger payloads and offer greater articulation. Both new systems offer the same capabilities, as the software to control them has advanced greatly since the advent of the first polar/spherical systems to make programming faster and easier than the ‘Unimate’ style machines.

Polar robots have been used for a variety of industrial automation applications including:

• Machine tool tending
• Spot welding automation cells
• Assembly operations
• Casting and material handling automation applications
• Diecast process tending
• Gas welding applications
• Arc welding automation
• Painting systems and paint line tending applications

While there are a number of polar robots still in the field, wear and tear can eventually take its toll, so it’s best to consider moving to other types of robotic systems, like the aforementioned SCARA, articulated arms, or even delta-style robots for replacement.

If you’re looking to have your polar/spherical robot system serviced by our 24/7 customer support department or would like to understand what options are available for replacing this style of the robot, contact Midwest Engineered Systems today to speak with our highly trained application engineers. Trust our decades of robotic automation system experience to develop a robotic automation system that increases productivity and efficiency!