The main differences between a seven axis injection molding machine manipulator and a regular three or five axis servo manipulator are their degrees of freedom (i.e. the number of axes), flexibility, complexity, and application range.
1. Degrees of Freedom (Axis): A seven axis robotic arm has more motion axes than a three-axis or five axis robotic arm. This enables the seven axis robotic arm to achieve more complex motion trajectories, mimic the movements of human arms, and provide higher operational flexibility and accuracy. Extra axes are typically used to increase the wrist's rotational ability or enable the robotic arm to operate in a compact space.
2. Flexibility: Due to the additional movement dimensions provided by the extra axes, the seven axis robotic arm can adjust its posture without changing the position of the end effector, which is particularly useful when fine positioning or bypassing obstacles is required.
3. Complexity: As the number of axes increases, the design and control of robotic arms also become more complex. The seven axis system requires a more advanced control system to coordinate the synchronous motion of each axis, and programming and debugging will also be more difficult.
4. Application scope: For the injection molding industry, a seven axis robotic arm can better adapt to complex demolding processes, such as handling products with complex shapes or multi cavity molds. In addition, it can also perform auxiliary tasks such as part inspection, assembly, etc. without the need to reposition the product.
5. Programming difficulty: Due to its high degree of freedom, programming for a seven axis robotic arm may be more complex, requiring consideration of more variables to ensure smooth and efficient movements.
6. Cost: Generally speaking, the cost of a seven axis robotic arm is higher than that of a three-axis or five axis servo robotic arm, due to the cost increase caused by more hardware components and more complex software control systems.
In summary, the choice of which type of robotic arm to use depends on specific application requirements, budget constraints, and requirements for automation level. If the task requires high flexibility and precision, then a seven axis robotic arm may be a better choice; For simpler tasks, a three-axis or five axis servo robotic arm may already be sufficient.