Industrial robots have a large family, and as an industry, they also have many relatives and friends. If you want to work in the robotics industry, which entrance can you enter through? The industrial robot industry chain consists of three links: upstream, midstream, and downstream, which work together to promote the development and application of industrial robots.
1. Upstream: Core components and software systems
The upstream stage mainly provides the core components and software systems required for industrial robots, which are the highest technical barrier in the industrial chain.
Core components: including reducers, servo systems (including servo motors and servo drives), controllers, etc. These components directly determine the performance, reliability, and load capacity of the robot. For example, the reducer is called the "joint" of the robot, the servo system is the "muscle", and the controller is the "brain".
Software system: covering operating system, motion control software, programming software, etc., providing the basic operation and customized functions for robots.
Cost proportion: Core components account for 60% -75% of the overall cost, with reducers, servo systems, and controllers accounting for 35%, 25%, and 15%, respectively.
2. Midstream: Manufacturing of Robot Bodies
The midstream stage is responsible for assembling upstream components into a complete robot body, and involves system integration and testing verification.
Body manufacturing: including mechanical structure design, sensor integration, and software development, covering various types of robots such as Cartesian coordinate, spherical coordinate, and joint coordinate.
Technical characteristics: The technical difficulty of the midstream stage is relatively low, with a large number of market participants and fierce competition.
Cost proportion: The manufacturing cost of the main body accounts for about 25% of the total machine cost.
3. Downstream: System Integration and Application
The downstream process integrates the robot body with peripheral devices and software through system integration, forming an automated solution that covers the terminal application field.
System integration: Design intelligent solutions based on customer needs, involving processes such as welding, spraying, handling, and assembly.
Application areas: Widely used in industries such as automotive manufacturing, electronics and electrical engineering, food manufacturing, metal processing, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Cost proportion: The system integration cost accounts for less than 10% of the total machine cost.
Industry entrance
1. Start by understanding the core technology of industrial robots. For example, the design and control of robotic arms, sensor technology, machine vision, etc. These are the foundations of industrial robots, and mastering these technologies can help you find entry points in the research, design, or maintenance of industrial robots.
2. Pay attention to the application fields of industrial robots. Different industries have different demands for industrial robots, such as automobile manufacturing, electronic assembly, food processing, etc. Understanding the needs of these application areas can help you position yourself in the industry chain, whether to focus on robot solutions for a specific industry or provide general industrial robot products.
3. The upstream and downstream industrial chain of industrial robots. Upstream includes component suppliers such as motors, reducers, sensors, etc; The downstream involves system integrators and end-users. You can choose to join the upstream component research and production, or become a downstream system integrator to provide customized robot solutions for customers.
Entering the industrial robot industry can start from multiple entry points, and the key is to find one's own positioning and make wise choices based on one's own advantages and industry trends.