Robotics & Automation Vocabulary: 100 Key English Terms
Robotics and automation engineers work with English every day: robot and PLC manuals, alarm lists, safety standards, data sheets and project specifications are mostly written in it, and so is much of the software on teach pendants and HMIs. Knowing the core words for robot components, sensors and actuators, control, PLCs, motion, programming, safety and maintenance helps you read documentation quickly, commission systems with international suppliers and explain a fault clearly.
100 terms
10 topics
35 core terms
200 example sentences
Read, understand, keep going
No account needed. Read the meaning, see where the term is used, then study the examples. Click any word in the lesson for help. You can also select a word and press Alt + Enter.
Robot Types and Components
industrial robot
noun
Meaning
A programmable machine, usually an arm with several axes, that does production tasks such as welding, painting, handling or assembly on its own and with high repeatability.
Where you use it
The standard term in factories, manuals and safety standards such as ISO 10218. People often just say 'the robot' and name it by its task: the welding robot, the palletizing robot. Robots are installed, programmed, integrated into a cell and put into production.
Examples
We're adding two industrial robots to the welding line next quarter.
Most industrial robots in our plant are six-axis arms from two different brands.
Usage note
Stress the first syllable: ROH-bot. Turkish speakers often stress the last syllable, as in Turkish.
The moving mechanical part of a robot, made of links connected by joints, that brings the tool at its end into position. Technical texts also call it the manipulator.
Where you use it
Used in everyday talk, sales material and training. Manuals and standards prefer 'manipulator' and treat the arm separately from the controller and the teach pendant. Common verbs: mount, move, extend, retract and stop the arm.
Examples
The robot arm is floor-mounted, but we could hang it upside down from the ceiling to save space.
Before you enter the cell, make sure the robot arm has stopped and the brakes are on.
Common phrases
six-axis robot arm · mount the robot arm · arm and controller · lightweight robot arm
The tool fixed to the end of a robot arm that does the actual work, for example a gripper, a welding torch, a spray gun or a screwdriver.
Where you use it
Common in engineering documents, quotes and design reviews. People also say EOAT (end-of-arm tooling) or simply 'the tool'. You design, mount, change and calibrate an end effector, and its weight counts toward the robot's payload.
Examples
The end effector weighs 6 kg, so with the part we're close to the robot's payload limit.
We use a tool changer so one robot can switch between two end effectors.
Common phrases
design an end effector · mount the end effector · tool changer · end-of-arm tooling
A type of end effector that picks up, holds and releases parts, usually with two or three fingers or jaws that open and close. It is driven by compressed air or an electric motor.
Where you use it
One of the most common words in handling applications. A gripper opens, closes, grips and releases; you talk about gripper fingers, gripping force and stroke. Types include pneumatic, electric, parallel and angular grippers.
Examples
The gripper didn't close fully, so the robot dropped the part on the conveyor.
We need custom gripper fingers for the new housing; the old ones are too short.
Common phrases
pneumatic gripper · electric gripper · gripper fingers · gripping force · open the gripper
A connection between two parts of a robot arm that allows movement. A revolute joint rotates and a prismatic joint slides in a straight line; each joint is usually one axis.
Where you use it
Used in kinematics, programming and specifications. Joint angles, joint limits, joint speed and joint coordinates are common phrases. In programming, a 'joint move' means each axis goes directly to its target angle instead of following a straight line.
Examples
Jog the robot in joint mode until the wrist is clear of the fixture.
The joint limits are set in the controller, so the arm can't damage its own cables.
The maximum weight a robot can carry at its flange while keeping its rated speed and accuracy. It includes the gripper or tool as well as the part.
Where you use it
One of the first numbers checked when choosing a robot: a 10 kg payload robot. Engineers also look at the load diagram, because the allowed weight drops as the center of gravity moves away from the flange. Wrong payload data in the controller causes poor motion and false collision alarms.
Examples
With the new gripper we're at 9 kg, so a 10 kg payload is too tight.
Did you enter the payload data for the new tool in the controller?
Common phrases
rated payload · payload capacity · payload data · exceed the payload · load diagram
The maximum distance a robot arm can extend from the center of its base, usually given in millimeters to the wrist. It sets how large an area the robot can work in.
Where you use it
Listed next to payload in every robot data sheet: a 10 kg robot with 1,400 mm reach. As a verb it is used for points: the robot can or can't reach a position. Engineers check reach in simulation before ordering a robot.
Examples
The robot can't reach the far corner of the pallet; we need a model with more reach.
Check the reach in simulation before we confirm the layout.
Common phrases
maximum reach · long-reach robot · reach a point · out of reach · payload and reach
A robot designed to work safely close to people, often without a fence, because it limits its force and speed and stops when it detects contact.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to cobot (KOH-bot). Cobots are popular for machine tending, screwdriving and packaging, especially in smaller plants. Engineers stress that the application, not only the robot, must be collaborative: a cobot carrying a sharp part still needs a risk assessment.
Examples
We put a collaborative robot on the CNC machine so the operator can load trays right next to it.
Even with a collaborative robot, the knife on the gripper made a fence necessary.
Common phrases
collaborative application · cobot arm · collaborative workspace · deploy a cobot
A gripper that holds parts by suction, using suction cups or a foam pad and a vacuum made by an ejector or a pump. It works well on flat, smooth surfaces such as boxes, sheets and glass.
Where you use it
Very common in packaging, palletizing and sheet handling. Engineers talk about suction cups, the vacuum level, vacuum switches that confirm the grip and blow-off to release the part quickly. Leaks and worn cups are frequent causes of dropped parts.
Examples
The vacuum gripper can't hold the cardboard boxes because the surface is too porous.
Add a vacuum switch to the vacuum gripper so the robot knows the part has really been picked.
A robot arm with a series of rotary joints, usually six, arranged like a human arm with a shoulder, elbow and wrist. It is the most common type of industrial robot.
Where you use it
Used in catalogs, quotes and classifications of robot types, next to SCARA, delta and Cartesian robots. In conversation people simply say 'a six-axis robot'. Articulated robots are flexible and used for welding, painting, handling and machine tending.
Examples
For welding car bodies we use articulated robots, because they can reach around the part.
An articulated robot needs more floor space than a SCARA for the same task.
Common phrases
six-axis articulated robot · articulated arm · shoulder, elbow and wrist · floor-mounted robot
A fast robot, usually with four axes, whose arm moves in a horizontal plane and has a vertical axis at the end. SCARA stands for Selective Compliance Assembly (or Articulated) Robot Arm.
Where you use it
Pronounced SKAH-ruh. Popular for small-parts assembly, electronics, screwdriving and fast pick and place on a flat surface. It is stiff vertically but slightly flexible sideways, which helps when inserting parts into holes.
Examples
The SCARA robot inserts the pins into the connector housing in under a second.
We can't use a SCARA robot here because the part has to be tilted.
A robot that moves along straight X, Y and Z axes mounted on an overhead frame. It can cover a large working area and carry heavy loads.
Where you use it
Used for machine loading, palletizing and handling long or heavy parts. Gantry robots are a type of Cartesian (linear) robot. Engineers talk about the gantry frame, linear axes, belt or rack-and-pinion drives and stroke length.
Examples
A gantry robot loads three CNC lathes from above, so the floor stays free for the operators.
The gantry robot's Y axis is 6 meters long and runs on a rack and pinion.
Common phrases
Cartesian robot · linear axis · gantry frame · overhead gantry · rack and pinion
A device that detects a physical quantity or an event, such as position, distance, force, temperature or the presence of a part, and turns it into a signal a controller can read.
Where you use it
Used all the time in design, wiring and troubleshooting. A sensor detects, senses, measures or triggers; it can be dirty, misaligned or faulty. Common types are proximity, photoelectric, pressure and temperature sensors.
Examples
The part-present sensor isn't switching, so the robot is waiting for a signal that never comes.
Clean the sensor lens before you adjust anything; oil mist often causes false signals.
Common phrases
sensor signal · sensor fault · the sensor detects · adjust the sensor · part-present sensor
A component that turns energy, such as electricity, compressed air or hydraulic oil, into movement. Motors and pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders are typical actuators.
Where you use it
A general word in design documents and lectures; on the shop floor people usually name the actual part, such as the motor or the cylinder. Sensors and actuators often appear together: sensors are the inputs and actuators the outputs of a control system.
Examples
Each actuator on the machine is driven by its own output on the PLC.
We replaced the pneumatic actuator with an electric one to get better position control.
Common phrases
linear actuator · pneumatic actuator · electric actuator · sensors and actuators · drive an actuator
An electric motor with a built-in position sensor, usually an encoder, so that a drive can control its position, speed and torque very precisely. Robot joints are normally moved by servo motors.
Where you use it
Used in machine design, commissioning and maintenance. A servo motor always works with a servo drive (also called a servo amplifier), and people talk about servo tuning, servo axes and servo faults. Shop-floor English often shortens it to 'servo'.
Examples
The servo motor on axis 3 is overheating, so check the brake and the load.
We chose a servo motor instead of a stepper because we need closed-loop position control.
A sensor mounted on a motor or shaft that measures rotation and sends position and speed information to the drive or controller.
Where you use it
Common in motion control and maintenance. Incremental encoders count pulses from a reference point; absolute encoders know their position even after power off. You talk about encoder resolution, counts or pulses and encoder faults.
Examples
After we replaced the encoder, we had to calibrate the axis again.
An absolute encoder keeps its position, so the machine doesn't need homing after a power cut.
A sensor that detects an object near it without touching it. Inductive types detect metal; capacitive types also detect plastic, wood or liquids.
Where you use it
Found on almost every machine, often just called a prox or prox switch. Engineers mention the sensing distance, the PNP or NPN output and the LED that lights when the sensor switches. It confirms parts, cylinder positions and machine home points.
Examples
The proximity sensor on the clamp is too far from the target, so it only switches now and then.
Use an inductive proximity sensor there; the part is steel.
A mechanical switch that is pressed by a moving part when it reaches a certain position, for example the end of its travel, and then sends an on/off signal.
Where you use it
Used to detect end positions, door positions and overtravel. It has an actuator such as a roller lever or a plunger, and normally open (NO) or normally closed (NC) contacts. In motion systems, hardware limit switches back up the software limits.
Examples
The carriage hit the limit switch and the axis stopped with an overtravel alarm.
Replace the roller on the limit switch; it's completely worn.
Common phrases
end-of-travel limit switch · hit the limit switch · roller lever · overtravel limit
An actuator in which compressed air pushes a piston to produce straight-line movement, used for clamping, pushing, lifting and many other simple motions in machines.
Where you use it
Very common in automation because it is cheap and fast. A cylinder extends and retracts; it can be single-acting or double-acting, and magnetic sensors on the body confirm when it is fully out or in. Shop-floor English often just says 'the cylinder'.
Examples
The pneumatic cylinder isn't fully extending; check the air pressure and the flow control valve.
Each fixture has two pneumatic cylinders that clamp the part before welding.
Usage note
In Turkish workshops 'piston' often means the whole cylinder. In English the piston is only the moving part inside; call the whole unit a cylinder.
Common phrases
double-acting cylinder · extend the cylinder · cylinder stroke · cylinder sensor · air pressure
An electric motor that turns in small fixed steps, often 1.8° each, so it can be positioned by counting pulses, usually without a position sensor.
Where you use it
Used in small machines, 3D printers, labelers and positioning tables because it is cheap and simple. Engineers talk about steps per revolution, microstepping and losing steps when the load is too high. Also called a stepping motor or just a stepper.
Examples
The stepper motor lost steps when we increased the speed, so the label ended up in the wrong place.
A stepper motor is enough for this adjustment axis; it only moves a few times a day.
A sensor that uses a beam of light, usually infrared or red, to detect when an object is present, absent or passing. Common types are through-beam, retro-reflective and diffuse.
Where you use it
Used on conveyors, packaging lines and doors. People often call it a photo eye. You align, adjust or teach the sensor and set it to light-on or dark-on; shiny or transparent parts may need a special type.
Examples
The photoelectric sensor at the end of the conveyor counts the boxes going into the palletizer.
A diffuse photoelectric sensor can't see the clear bottles; use a model made for transparent objects.
Common phrases
through-beam sensor · retro-reflective sensor · photo eye · align the sensor · the beam is blocked
A valve that is opened or switched by an electric coil to control the flow of air or liquid. In pneumatics it sends air to one side of a cylinder or the other.
Where you use it
Valves are described by ports and positions: a 5/2 valve has five ports and two positions and may have spring return or two coils. Valves are often mounted on a valve terminal (valve island). Common faults are a burnt coil or a stuck spool.
Examples
The solenoid valve gets the signal, but the cylinder doesn't move; the coil may be burnt.
We use a 5/2 solenoid valve with spring return for the clamp.
Usage note
Many Turkish speakers say and write 'selenoid', but the English spelling is solenoid, pronounced SOH-luh-noid.
An electronic device that controls the speed of an AC motor by changing the frequency and voltage it supplies to the motor.
Where you use it
Very common on conveyors, pumps and fans. Usually called a VFD, an inverter or simply a drive (AC drive). Engineers set ramp times, speed references and motor data, and the drive reports faults such as overcurrent or overvoltage.
Examples
The variable frequency drive tripped on overcurrent when the conveyor jammed.
Increase the ramp time on the variable frequency drive so the boxes don't fall over when the belt starts.
Common phrases
VFD fault · ramp time · speed reference · AC drive · drive parameters
The device or program that makes control decisions: it reads measurements, compares them with what is wanted and sends commands to motors or other actuators.
Where you use it
Context decides the meaning: a robot controller (the cabinet with the drives and main computer that runs the arm), a motion controller, a temperature controller or a PID controller. Engineers say the controller runs the program, sends commands, raises an alarm or goes into a fault state.
Examples
The robot controller needs a 400 V three-phase supply.
The temperature controller keeps the oven at 180 degrees.
Information about the actual output of a system, such as the measured position or speed, that is sent back to the controller so it can correct any difference from the target.
Where you use it
A key idea in control engineering. You talk about position, speed and force feedback, a feedback signal, a feedback device (such as an encoder) and loss of feedback, which usually causes a fault. In everyday office English it also means comments on someone's work.
Examples
The drive stopped with a 'feedback lost' error after someone pulled the encoder cable.
Without feedback, the controller has no way of knowing if the cylinder actually reached the end.
Usage note
Feedback is uncountable: say 'some feedback' or 'a feedback signal', not 'a feedback' or 'feedbacks'.
Common phrases
position feedback · feedback signal · feedback loop · feedback device · loss of feedback
Control in which the actual output is measured and fed back, so the controller keeps correcting its command until the output matches the target.
Where you use it
Used in lectures, specifications and design discussions, often as an adjective: a closed-loop system, closed-loop speed control. Servo axes, temperature control and robot joints are closed-loop. The opposite is open-loop control.
Examples
With closed-loop control, the conveyor keeps the same speed even when the load changes.
The stepper runs open loop, but the servo axis uses closed-loop control with an encoder.
Common phrases
closed-loop system · closed-loop position control · close the loop · control loop
The target value a control system tries to reach and hold, such as a temperature of 60 °C, a speed of 1,500 rpm or a pressure of 6 bar.
Where you use it
Used in process and machine control, on HMIs and in PID tuning. You enter, change, raise or lower a setpoint, and compare it with the actual value or process variable. It is often shortened to SP and is also written 'set point'.
Examples
The oven is at 172 degrees but the setpoint is 180, so it's still heating.
Operators can only change the setpoint within the limits we set on the HMI.
Common phrases
temperature setpoint · change the setpoint · setpoint and actual value · speed setpoint
A common feedback control method that calculates its output from three terms: proportional (the present error), integral (the error built up over time) and derivative (how fast the error is changing).
Where you use it
Found in temperature, pressure, flow, speed and position control, in PLCs, drives and stand-alone controllers. Engineers talk about P, I and D gains, a PID loop, PID tuning and a PID block in the PLC. Said letter by letter: P-I-D.
Examples
The tank level uses PID control, but the integral gain is too high and it keeps oscillating.
We added a PID control block in the PLC for the extruder temperature.
Control without feedback: the controller sends a command but does not measure the result, so it cannot correct errors caused by load changes or disturbances.
Where you use it
Used to describe simple systems such as a timer-controlled pump, a conveyor running at a fixed frequency or a stepper motor without an encoder. Engineers choose it when it is cheap and good enough, and say that a system 'runs open loop'.
Examples
The dosing pump uses open-loop control, so if the hose gets blocked, nobody notices.
Open-loop control was fine until the load on the conveyor started to vary.
Common phrases
open-loop system · run open loop · open-loop stepper drive · open-loop speed control
The measured value of the quantity being controlled, such as the actual temperature, pressure or level, which the controller compares with the setpoint.
Where you use it
Common in process automation, PID controllers and trend screens. Usually shortened to PV, as in 'SP 80, PV 78'. The difference between the setpoint and the process variable is the error. Machine builders often say 'actual value' instead.
Examples
Put the setpoint and the process variable on the same trend so we can see how fast it responds.
The process variable is stuck at 0 °C; the temperature sensor is probably disconnected.
Common phrases
setpoint and process variable · PV value · trend the process variable · actual value
To adjust the parameters of a controller, such as PID gains or servo settings, so that the system responds quickly and smoothly without oscillating.
Where you use it
Used in commissioning and optimization. You tune a loop, a drive or an axis, and the result is well tuned or poorly tuned. Many drives have auto-tuning; engineers then fine-tune by hand while watching a trend or a scope trace.
Examples
We need to tune the temperature loop again; it overshoots by 8 degrees.
After auto-tuning, I fine-tuned the servo gains to stop the vibration at the end of the move.
Common phrases
tune the loop · auto-tuning · fine-tune · well tuned · tuning parameters
The amount by which a controlled value goes past its setpoint before settling, for example a temperature rising to 85 °C when the target is 80 °C. It is often given as a percentage.
Where you use it
Used as a noun and a verb in tuning and testing: the axis overshoots the target, there's 10% overshoot. Engineers reduce overshoot by changing the gains or the acceleration. Related words are oscillation, settling time and undershoot.
Examples
The axis overshoots by half a millimeter and then comes back, which scratches the part.
Lower the proportional gain to reduce the overshoot.
Common phrases
reduce overshoot · percent overshoot · overshoot the target · settling time
Short for programmable logic controller: a rugged industrial computer that reads inputs from sensors and switches, runs a control program and drives outputs such as motors, valves and lamps.
Where you use it
The heart of most machines and lines, said letter by letter: P-L-C. You program, download to, go online with, monitor and back up a PLC. Engineers often name it by brand and family, for example a Siemens S7-1500 or an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix.
Examples
The PLC sends a start signal to the robot when the fixture is clamped.
Always back up the PLC program before you download any changes.
Usage note
In PLC work, 'download' means sending the program from your laptop to the PLC, and 'upload' means reading it back from the PLC. Turkish speakers sometimes mix these up.
Common phrases
program a PLC · PLC program · safety PLC · go online with the PLC · PLC rack
Short for human-machine interface: the touch screen or panel operators use to see a machine's status, start and stop it, change settings and read alarms.
Where you use it
Said letter by letter: H-M-I. Automation engineers design HMI screens, link them to PLC tags and set up user levels. Operators talk about what the HMI shows: 'the HMI says door open'. On larger sites, many HMI functions are combined in a SCADA system.
Examples
Add a button on the HMI so operators can send the robot home.
The HMI shows the alarm, but it doesn't tell you which sensor caused it.
Common phrases
HMI screen · HMI panel · design an HMI · on the HMI · HMI alarm page
Short for inputs and outputs: the signals a controller receives from sensors and buttons, and the signals it sends to valves, motors, lamps and other devices.
Where you use it
Pronounced 'eye-oh'. Engineers talk about digital and analog I/O, I/O modules or cards, remote I/O, I/O lists and the I/O check during commissioning. It is used as a noun: 'we're short of I/O on this panel'.
Examples
We did the I/O check yesterday; every sensor and valve on the machine is wired correctly.
The robot and the PLC exchange I/O signals over PROFINET.
Common phrases
digital I/O · remote I/O · I/O module · I/O list · I/O check
A graphical PLC programming language that looks like an electrical relay diagram, with contacts and coils placed on horizontal lines called rungs between two vertical rails.
Where you use it
The most widely used PLC language, especially in North America and for machine control. Its official IEC 61131-3 name is Ladder Diagram (LD). Engineers say 'in ladder' and talk about rungs, contacts, coils and latches; people with an electrical background find it easy to read.
Examples
The interlock is on rung 12 of the ladder logic; the door switch is in series with the start button.
Write the sequence in ladder logic so the maintenance team can follow it.
Common phrases
in ladder · ladder rung · ladder diagram · write ladder logic · contacts and coils
An electrically operated switch: a small current through its coil opens or closes contacts that switch another, often larger or separate, circuit.
Where you use it
Found in every control cabinet, often to let a PLC output switch a load or to separate voltages. You talk about the coil, NO and NC contacts, relay outputs and interface relays. Safety relays are special relays that monitor E-stops and guard doors.
Examples
The PLC output drives a relay, and the relay switches the 230 V lamp.
The safety relay won't reset until both E-stop channels are closed.
A signal that can take any value within a range, such as 4–20 mA or 0–10 V, used to represent quantities like pressure, temperature or speed.
Where you use it
Used with transmitters, analog input and output cards and drives. Engineers scale the raw value into engineering units, check for wire breaks (a current below 4 mA) and talk about resolution and noise. The opposite is a digital (on/off) signal.
Examples
The pressure transmitter sends a 4–20 mA analog signal to the PLC.
If the analog signal drops below 4 mA, show a wire-break alarm on the HMI.
Usage note
American English spells it analog; British English often uses analogue. Both appear in manuals.
Common phrases
4–20 mA signal · analog input · analog output · scale the analog value · signal noise
The repeating loop a PLC runs: it reads all inputs, executes the program from top to bottom, then updates the outputs. The time one loop takes is the scan time.
Where you use it
Important for understanding PLC behavior and timing. Scan times are usually a few milliseconds, and long code or heavy communication makes them longer. Very short signals can be missed between scans, so fast inputs may need interrupts or high-speed counters.
Examples
The pulse is shorter than one scan cycle, so the PLC sometimes misses it.
After we added the new logging code, the scan cycle went from 4 ms to 11 ms.
Common phrases
scan time · PLC scan · per scan · watchdog time · first scan
A named variable in a PLC, HMI or SCADA system that holds a value such as an input, a setpoint or a motor status, for example Conveyor1_Running.
Where you use it
Used every day by automation programmers. You create, name, map and monitor tags, and HMI objects are linked to PLC tags. Good tag names and a clean tag list make programs much easier to maintain. Older systems use addresses instead, such as I0.0 or N7:0.
Examples
Link the button on the HMI to the tag Robot_Start in the PLC.
Can you add the new tags to the tag list and send it to the SCADA team?
Usage note
In lockout/tagout, a tag is the warning label hung on a lock; in PLC work it is a variable. The context shows which one is meant.
Common phrases
tag name · tag list · PLC tag · monitor a tag · tag database
A reusable piece of PLC code with its own inputs, outputs and memory, used to control one type of device, such as a motor, valve or conveyor, many times in a program.
Where you use it
A key part of IEC 61131-3 programming, often shortened to FB. You create and call a function block, and each call has its own instance data. Function Block Diagram (FBD) is also the name of a graphical PLC language.
Examples
We wrote one function block for all the conveyor motors, so a fix in one place updates all of them.
The valve function block has inputs for the open and close commands and outputs for the alarms.
Common phrases
call a function block · function block instance · instance data · FB library · Function Block Diagram
A text-based PLC programming language defined in IEC 61131-3 that looks similar to Pascal, with IF, CASE and FOR statements. It suits calculations, data handling and complex logic.
Where you use it
Shortened to ST; Siemens calls its version SCL. It is popular with engineers who have a software background and in large modern projects. Teams often combine languages: ladder for simple I/O logic, structured text for algorithms.
Examples
The recipe calculations are written in structured text because they'd be messy in ladder.
If you know C or Python, structured text will feel familiar.
Common phrases
write in structured text · ST code · SCL block · IEC 61131-3 languages
The use of machines, control systems and software to run a process with little or no human work, for example on a production line or in a warehouse.
Where you use it
A broad word used by engineers, managers and suppliers. You talk about industrial, factory, process and warehouse automation, an automation project, an automation engineer or the level of automation. The verb is automate: 'we automated the packing line'.
Examples
Automation cut our labor costs, but we still need operators to load the parts.
The customer wants a quote for the automation of the whole end-of-line packaging area.
Usage note
Say automation, not 'automatization', and use the verb automate, not 'automatize'. The Turkish 'otomatize etmek' often leads to this mistake.
The time a machine, robot or station needs to complete one full cycle of its task, for example from picking one part to being ready to pick the next.
Where you use it
One of the most discussed numbers in automation projects. Customers ask for a cycle time, engineers try to reduce or meet it, and simulation is used to estimate it. It is given in seconds: 'we're at 14.2 seconds, the target is 12'.
Examples
We cut the cycle time by two seconds by moving the gripper while the conveyor indexes.
The customer's cycle time target is 30 seconds per part.
Usage note
Cycle time is not the same as takt time. Takt time is the pace that customer demand requires; cycle time is how long the process actually takes.
Common phrases
reduce cycle time · meet the cycle time · cycle time target · robot cycle time · cycle time analysis
A series of machines, stations and workers arranged in order, where a product moves from one step to the next until it is finished.
Where you use it
Used every day in factories, often shortened to 'the line'. A line starts up, runs, stops or goes down; people talk about line speed, line stoppages and the start or end of the line. 'Assembly line' is the usual word when products are put together from parts.
Examples
The whole production line stopped because one sensor at station 4 failed.
We're installing a second production line for the new model.
Common phrases
line speed · the line is down · end of line · assembly line · run the line
A machine that moves products or materials from one place to another on a moving belt, chain or rollers, along a line or between stations.
Where you use it
Everywhere in factories and warehouses. Common types are belt, roller, chain and modular conveyors. A conveyor runs, stops, indexes, jams or backs up; robots often pick from or place onto a conveyor, sometimes while it moves (conveyor tracking).
Examples
Boxes keep jamming at the end of the conveyor where it turns 90 degrees.
The robot picks parts from the moving conveyor with the help of the vision system.
Usage note
Pronounced kun-VAY-er, with the stress on the second syllable. The word ends in -or, not -er.
Common phrases
belt conveyor · roller conveyor · conveyor jam · conveyor tracking · conveyor speed
A closed working area with one or more robots and the equipment around them, such as fixtures, conveyors and safety guarding, that performs a task as one unit.
Where you use it
Used by integrators, project managers and maintenance teams. You design, build, install and commission a cell; people say work cell, welding cell or palletizing cell and talk about entering the cell and the cell layout. Turnkey cells are delivered ready to run.
Examples
The robot cell will be ready for the factory acceptance test next Tuesday.
We moved the robot cell closer to the press to shorten the transfer.
Common phrases
welding cell · cell layout · enter the cell · turnkey robot cell · work cell
A device that holds a part in an exact, repeatable position while a robot or machine works on it, for example during welding, machining or assembly.
Where you use it
Used in tooling design and production. A fixture has locating pins, clamps and sensors that confirm the part is present. You load, clamp and unload a part. Strictly, a jig also guides a tool, but in daily use the two words are often mixed.
Examples
The fixture didn't clamp because the part wasn't sitting on the locating pins.
We need two fixtures on a turntable so the operator can load one while the robot welds the other.
Usage note
In everyday English a fixture can also be a sports match or a fitting in a building, such as a light fixture.
Common phrases
welding fixture · load the fixture · clamp the part · locating pin · fixture design
Short for supervisory control and data acquisition: software that collects data from PLCs and devices across a plant, shows it on screens and lets operators monitor and control the process.
Where you use it
Said as a word: SKAY-duh (or SKAH-duh). Used in factories, water plants and energy systems. SCADA handles trends, alarms, reports and historian data, while the PLCs do the real-time control. Engineers talk about SCADA screens, the SCADA server and SCADA integration.
Examples
The night shift saw the pump alarm on SCADA and called maintenance.
We need to add the new line's energy data to the SCADA reports.
Common phrases
SCADA system · SCADA screen · SCADA server · SCADA integration · historian
A digital industrial network that connects controllers with field devices such as sensors, drives, valve terminals and remote I/O, replacing many separate wires.
Where you use it
Classic fieldbuses include PROFIBUS, Modbus RTU, CANopen and DeviceNet; newer systems use industrial Ethernet such as PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT. Engineers configure nodes and addresses and diagnose bus faults, such as a device dropping out.
Examples
The drives are connected to the PLC over a fieldbus, so we only need one cable per cabinet.
There's a fieldbus fault: node 12, the valve island, has dropped out.
The stage of a project when a new machine or system is installed, tested, adjusted and started up until it works as specified and can be handed over to production.
Where you use it
Used by integrators, site engineers and project managers. You commission a line, go to site for commissioning and finish it before the site acceptance test (SAT). Virtual commissioning means testing the PLC program against a simulation before the real machine exists.
Examples
Commissioning on site took three weeks, one more than planned, because the conveyors arrived late.
I'm flying to Izmir on Monday for the commissioning of the palletizing cell.
Usage note
In general business English, commission also means a sales fee (komisyon). On a project, commissioning always means getting the system working.
Common phrases
on-site commissioning · virtual commissioning · commissioning engineer · commission a machine · site acceptance test
The amount of product a machine, line or system produces in a given time, for example 1,200 parts per hour or 40 picks per minute.
Where you use it
Used in project specifications, line planning and performance reports. You increase, improve or limit throughput; the slowest station is the bottleneck that limits the whole line. It is closely linked to cycle time and uptime.
Examples
Adding a second robot doubled the throughput of the packing station.
The labeler is the bottleneck; it limits throughput to 50 boxes a minute.
Common phrases
increase throughput · parts per hour · line throughput · bottleneck · throughput target
The idea of a connected, data-driven factory where machines, sensors and software share information through networks and the cloud to make production smarter and more flexible.
Where you use it
The term started in Germany around 2011 and is now used worldwide in strategy documents, conferences and sales talks. It covers IIoT, digital twins, data analytics and predictive maintenance. It is sometimes used loosely, so ask what a project actually includes.
Examples
As part of our Industry 4.0 project, every machine now sends its status to a central dashboard.
The customer wants an Industry 4.0 solution, but what they really need is reliable downtime data.
Usage note
Read it aloud as 'Industry four point oh' or 'Industry four point zero'.
Common phrases
Industry 4.0 project · smart factory · IIoT · digital twin · connected machines
The number of independent ways a robot or a body can move. A typical industrial arm has six, enough to place its tool at a chosen position and orientation within its workspace.
Where you use it
Often written DOF or DoF and used with a number before a noun: a 6-DOF arm, a 7-DOF cobot. It appears in data sheets, lectures and design discussions. In industry people often say 'axes' with almost the same meaning: a six-axis robot.
Examples
A SCARA robot has only four degrees of freedom, but that's enough for most assembly tasks on a flat table.
The seventh degree of freedom lets the arm reach around obstacles.
Usage note
The singular is 'one degree of freedom'. Also say 'a six-axis robot', not 'a six axes robot': a noun used before another noun stays singular.
Common phrases
six degrees of freedom · 6-DOF arm · redundant degree of freedom · number of degrees of freedom
One controlled direction of motion, either a rotation or a straight-line movement, driven by its own motor. Also a line in a coordinate system, such as the X, Y or Z axis.
Where you use it
Used constantly with robots, CNC machines and motion control. Robot axes are numbered from the base: axis 1 (A1 or J1) up to axis 6. You move, jog and home an axis, and talk about external or additional axes such as a linear track.
Examples
Axis 4 is close to its limit, so rotate the part a little before the robot picks it.
We added a seventh axis, a floor track, so one robot can serve both machines.
Usage note
The plural is axes, pronounced AK-seez (/ˈæksiːz/). The plural of axe (the tool) is spelled the same but pronounced AK-siz.
Common phrases
six-axis robot · external axis · axis limit · jog an axis · rotary axis
The full three-dimensional space a robot can reach with its wrist or tool, shown in the data sheet as side and top views of the reachable area.
Where you use it
Used when planning a cell layout and safety distances. Also called the working range or workspace. Engineers check that all points are inside the work envelope and restrict it with software zones or mechanical stops.
Examples
The second pallet station is at the edge of the work envelope, so the robot reaches it only at an awkward angle.
We limited the work envelope in software so the arm can never swing toward the walkway.
Common phrases
robot work envelope · inside the work envelope · limit the work envelope · working range
The reference point at the working tip of the robot's tool, such as the tip of a welding wire or the center between gripper fingers. The robot moves and positions this point.
Where you use it
Almost always called the TCP. Programmers define, teach, measure or calibrate the TCP, and a wrong TCP makes the robot rotate around the wrong point. When a tool is bent after a crash, the TCP has to be checked again.
Examples
After the crash the torch was bent, so we had to teach the tool center point again.
Set the tool center point between the gripper fingers, not at the flange.
Usage note
In robotics TCP means tool center point; in networking it means Transmission Control Protocol. British English spells it tool centre point.
A set of X, Y and Z axes with a fixed origin, used to describe positions and orientations. Robots use several frames, such as world, base, tool and user frames.
Where you use it
Used in robot programming and training. People also say coordinate system or just frame: 'jog in the tool frame', 'teach a user frame on the fixture'. Brands use different names for the frame on the workpiece, such as user frame, base or work object.
Examples
If you teach the points in a user coordinate frame, you only have to re-teach the frame when the fixture moves.
Switch the coordinate frame to tool so the gripper moves along its own Z axis.
Common phrases
world frame · tool frame · user frame · base frame · teach a frame
How closely a robot returns to the same taught point again and again. Data sheets give it as a small value, for example ±0.03 mm.
Where you use it
A key number when choosing robots for precise tasks like assembly or dispensing. Robots are usually much better in repeatability than in absolute accuracy, so points taught on the real part are more reliable than points calculated only in CAD.
Examples
The robot's repeatability is ±0.02 mm, which is fine for inserting the pins.
Poor repeatability after the crash told us that something in the gearbox was damaged.
Common phrases
position repeatability · high repeatability · repeatability of ±0.05 mm · repeatability test
How close a robot gets to a commanded position that was not taught on the robot, for example a point calculated from a CAD model. Also called absolute accuracy.
Where you use it
Important for offline programming, measuring and machining with robots. Engineers improve accuracy with calibration, better TCP data and compensation software. In specifications, keep accuracy and repeatability separate.
Examples
Offline programs need good accuracy; otherwise every point has to be touched up on the real robot.
After the calibration, the robot's absolute accuracy improved from 1 mm to 0.3 mm.
Usage note
Turkish 'hassasiyet' is used for both accuracy and repeatability. In English these are two different specifications, so check which one a data sheet means.
The study of motion without looking at the forces that cause it. In robotics, it describes how the joint angles relate to the position and orientation of the tool.
Where you use it
Used in university courses, robot design and software. Forward kinematics calculates where the tool is from the joint angles; inverse kinematics finds the joint angles for a desired tool pose. The kinematic model uses link lengths and offsets, often written as DH parameters.
Examples
The robot's kinematics are defined in the controller, so you only work with tool positions.
Our custom gantry needed its own kinematics model in the motion controller.
Usage note
As the name of a subject, kinematics takes a singular verb ('kinematics is...'). When it means a particular robot's model, 'the robot's kinematics are...' is also common.
The path a robot or axis follows together with its timing, meaning where it is and how fast it moves at each moment between the start and the end.
Where you use it
Used in motion planning, simulation and controller software. Engineers plan, generate, optimize and smooth trajectories. Strictly, a path is only the geometry, while a trajectory adds speed and acceleration; in everyday talk the two words are often mixed.
Examples
The trajectory planner slows the robot down before the tight corner.
In simulation the trajectory passed too close to the fence, so we added a waypoint.
The calculation of the joint angles a robot needs so that its tool reaches a given position and orientation. One target can have several solutions, or none at all.
Where you use it
Used in robotics courses, motion planning and ROS software, often shortened to IK: an IK solver, IK solutions. Industrial controllers do it automatically, but the choice between solutions (the robot configuration, such as elbow up or elbow down) still matters to programmers.
Examples
The inverse kinematics solver found no solution, so the point is out of reach.
In our ROS project, we tested three inverse kinematics plugins for the seven-axis arm.
A robot pose in which two or more axes line up, so the arm loses a degree of freedom and some joints would have to turn extremely fast to follow a straight path.
Where you use it
A common cause of errors during linear moves. On six-axis robots, the wrist singularity happens when axes 4 and 6 line up, with axis 5 near zero. Programmers avoid singularities or keep paths away from them, and the controller gives a singularity alarm.
Examples
The robot stopped with a singularity alarm because axis 5 was almost straight.
Tilt the tool by a few degrees to keep the path away from the singularity.
Common phrases
wrist singularity · near a singularity · avoid singularities · singularity alarm
The handheld control unit, with a screen, keys and an emergency stop button, that is connected to the robot controller and used to move, program and monitor the robot.
Where you use it
Every robot programmer uses one daily. People say 'on the pendant' or just 'the pendant': you jog, teach points and acknowledge alarms on the pendant. Brands give it their own names, such as FlexPendant, smartPAD or iPendant.
Examples
The message on the teach pendant says the gripper air pressure is too low.
I taught all the points with the teach pendant, but I'll clean up the program offline.
Common phrases
on the teach pendant · pendant cable · pendant screen · hold the pendant
To move a robot or machine axis by hand in small steps or at low speed, usually by holding keys on the teach pendant, to position it or check a movement.
Where you use it
Used every day by robot and CNC operators. You jog the robot in joint, world or tool mode, jog an axis, or jog slowly or in increments. Also used as a noun: jog mode, jog speed, jog keys.
Examples
Jog the robot slowly toward the part and stop about 5 mm above it.
I jogged axis 1 back to zero before switching off the controller.
Usage note
Outside work, jog means to run slowly for exercise. The g doubles in other forms: jogged, jogging.
Common phrases
jog the robot · jog mode · jog speed · jog in tool frame · incremental jog
In robotics, to move the robot to a position and save that position in the program, so the robot can return to it automatically later.
Where you use it
The basic action of programming a robot on site. You teach a point, position or frame, and you re-teach or touch up a point when the part changes. Related phrases: teach mode, teach-in programming, a taught point. The past tense is taught.
Examples
Teach the pick position with the part in the fixture, not from the drawing.
We had to teach all the weld points again after we moved the jig.
Common phrases
teach a point · re-teach · teach mode · touch up a point · teach-in programming
A safe, known starting position that a robot or machine returns to before starting a cycle, after a stop or before being switched off.
Where you use it
Used in programs, HMIs and procedures. The robot goes home, is sent home or is 'at home', and PLCs often wait for an 'at home' signal before starting. For machine axes, homing (or referencing) also means finding the zero position after power-up.
Examples
The cycle won't start because the robot isn't in its home position.
Always send the robot to the home position before you switch the controller off.
Common phrases
return to home position · at home · home signal · homing sequence · send the robot home
A point the robot passes through on its way to a target, used to shape the path and keep the arm away from obstacles. It is not a position where work is done.
Where you use it
Common in cobot software, mobile robot navigation and drone route planning. In robot programs, waypoints are often passed without stopping, with the robot rounding the corner (blending). Some brands call them via points or approach points.
Examples
Add a waypoint above the fixture so the gripper doesn't drag the part across the clamps.
The AMR follows a list of waypoints between the warehouse and the assembly area.
Common phrases
add a waypoint · via point · approach point · blend radius · list of waypoints
A robot motion in which the tool center point travels in a straight line from its current position to the target, at a programmed speed.
Where you use it
One of the basic motion instructions, named MoveL, LIN or L depending on the brand. It is used for approaches and for welding and gluing paths. The other basic type is the joint move (MoveJ, PTP or J), which is faster but does not follow a straight line.
Examples
Use a linear move for the last 50 mm so the gripper goes straight down onto the part.
The linear move failed because the path went through a singularity.
Common phrases
linear motion · joint move · MoveL instruction · linear speed · circular move
A task in which a robot picks up an item in one place and puts it down in another, for example from a conveyor into a box. It is one of the most common robot applications.
Where you use it
Used as a noun and, with hyphens, as an adjective: a pick-and-place robot, a pick-and-place application. Engineers talk about picks per minute, pick positions and place positions. Delta and SCARA robots are typical for fast pick and place.
Examples
The new line has four pick and place stations that load trays from the conveyor.
For simple pick-and-place jobs, a SCARA robot is usually faster than a six-axis arm.
Common phrases
pick-and-place robot · picks per minute · pick position · place position · pick-and-place application
Writing and testing robot programs on a computer using a 3D simulation of the robot and its cell, instead of teaching points on the real robot with the pendant.
Where you use it
Shortened to OLP. Integrators use it to check reach, cycle time and collisions before the cell is built, and to prepare new programs without stopping production. Points usually need touching up on site, because the model never matches reality exactly.
Examples
We did the whole welding program with offline programming, then touched up a few points on site.
Offline programming showed that the robot would hit the column in the planned layout.
A percentage setting on a robot or CNC controller that scales all programmed speeds, for example running a new program at 10% before going up to 100%.
Where you use it
Used every day during testing and start-up. You lower, raise or set the override, often just called 'the override': 'run it at 25% override'. Testing a new program at low override gives you time to stop the robot if something is wrong.
Examples
Run the new program at 10% speed override until we're sure there are no collisions.
Someone left the speed override at 50%, so the cycle time looked terrible.
Common phrases
set the override · run at low override · 100% override · feed override · override keys
Short for Robot Operating System: a free, open-source set of software libraries and tools for building robot applications. Despite its name, it is not an operating system; it runs on one, mainly Linux.
Where you use it
Widely used in research, universities, mobile robots and startups; current projects use ROS 2. People talk about nodes, topics, messages, packages and launch files, and say they 'write a ROS node'. Usually said like 'ross' or spelled out R-O-S.
Examples
Our mobile robot runs ROS 2, and the navigation stack handles mapping and path planning.
I wrote a ROS node that reads the LiDAR data and publishes the obstacles.
A red mushroom-shaped button on a yellow background, or the function behind it, that stops a machine as quickly and safely as possible in a dangerous situation.
Where you use it
Usually called E-stop. You press or hit the E-stop, then release it (twist or pull) and reset the system before restarting. Engineers talk about E-stop circuits, stop categories and testing every E-stop during commissioning. It must never be used as a normal stop button.
Examples
The operator hit the emergency stop when the part fell off the conveyor.
We tested every emergency stop on the line before the handover.
Usage note
Do not translate the Turkish 'acil stop' as 'urgent stop'. The English term is emergency stop or simply E-stop.
Common phrases
press the E-stop · E-stop button · reset the emergency stop · emergency stop circuit · stop category
A structured review of a machine or task that identifies hazards, estimates how likely and how serious harm could be, and decides which safety measures are needed.
Where you use it
Required by machinery law in Europe and many other regions before a machine or robot cell is put into service; ISO 12100 describes the method. You carry out, update and sign off a risk assessment, and integrators usually write it together with the customer's safety team.
Examples
The risk assessment showed that the operator could reach the robot through the loading window.
We have to update the risk assessment because we changed the gripper.
Common phrases
carry out a risk assessment · update the risk assessment · risk assessment report · residual risk
Physical barriers such as fences, covers and doors that keep people out of the dangerous area of a machine or robot cell while it is running.
Where you use it
Used in risk assessments, safety audits and cell design. A single barrier is a guard: fixed guards are bolted on, while movable guards such as doors are monitored by interlock switches. People talk about perimeter guarding, missing guards and removing guards for maintenance.
Examples
The guarding on the back side is too low; someone could reach over it into the cell.
Never run the machine with the guarding removed.
Common phrases
perimeter guarding · fixed guard · safety guarding · remove the guard · guard door
A safety procedure in which a machine's energy sources are switched off, locked with a personal padlock and tagged, so nobody can restart it during maintenance.
Where you use it
Usually called LOTO (LOH-toh). It covers electricity and also stored energy such as compressed air, hydraulic pressure and gravity. You lock out the machine, apply your lock and tag, and verify zero energy before you start work.
Examples
Follow the lockout/tagout procedure before you change the gripper fingers.
During lockout/tagout, each technician puts their own lock on the main switch.
Common phrases
lockout/tagout procedure · lock out the machine · LOTO point · verify zero energy · personal padlock
Something that could cause injury or damage, such as a moving robot arm, a pinch point, a hot surface, high voltage or stored air pressure.
Where you use it
A basic word in safety documents. You identify, assess, eliminate and reduce hazards; common phrases are crushing hazard, electrical hazard and hazard zone.
Examples
The gap between the robot and the column is a crushing hazard.
List every hazard you find in the cell, even small ones like sharp edges on the fence.
Usage note
In everyday Turkish, 'tehlike' and 'risk' are often used for the same thing, but in safety English they differ: the hazard is the source of harm, the risk is how likely and how serious the harm is.
Common phrases
crushing hazard · identify hazards · electrical hazard · hazard zone · eliminate the hazard
A safety device with a transmitter and a receiver that create a row of invisible light beams. When a person breaks the beams, the machine is stopped.
Where you use it
Used at loading stations and openings where a fixed guard is not practical. People say the light curtain trips or is interrupted, and talk about resolution (finger or hand protection), muting for passing pallets and the safety distance to the hazard.
Examples
The robot stops every time the operator reaches through the light curtain to load a part.
The light curtain is too close to the press; the safety distance has to be recalculated.
Common phrases
safety light curtain · break the beams · muting · safety distance · the light curtain tripped
A safety or control function that prevents a machine from running unless certain conditions are met, for example a door switch that stops the robot when the guard door opens.
Where you use it
Used for both safety devices and program logic. Guard doors have interlock switches, sometimes with guard locking; in the PLC, interlocks stop a cylinder moving while a clamp is open. Bypassing a safety interlock is a serious safety violation.
Examples
Someone had taped over the door interlock, so the robot kept running with the door open.
Add an interlock in the PLC so the conveyor can't start while the lift is up.
Common phrases
door interlock · interlock switch · bypass an interlock · guard locking · safety interlock
A three-position switch on the teach pendant that must be held in the middle position to let the robot move in manual mode. Releasing it or squeezing it hard stops the robot.
Where you use it
Also called an enabling device, deadman switch or enable button. Trainers repeat it often: 'hold the enabling switch, then jog'. The third (panic) position exists because people tend to squeeze their hand when they are frightened.
Examples
The robot won't jog unless you hold the enabling switch in the middle position.
He squeezed the enabling switch all the way when the arm moved toward him, and it stopped at once.
Common phrases
hold the enabling switch · three-position enabling device · release the switch · deadman switch
A stop triggered automatically by a safeguard, such as an opened guard door, a light curtain or a cobot sensing contact. Unlike an emergency stop, it is part of normal safeguarding and usually allows a quick restart.
Where you use it
Common with cobots and in safety documentation. A robot goes into a protective stop, or a safeguard triggers one; you find the cause, make sure it is safe and resume. Frequent protective stops in production usually mean the application or speed settings need work.
Examples
The cobot went into a protective stop when the operator's elbow touched it.
Opening the guard door triggers a protective stop, and the cell restarts once the door is closed and reset.
Common phrases
trigger a protective stop · safeguard stop · resume the program · stop category
A function in the robot controller that compares expected and actual motor torques and stops the robot quickly if it hits something unexpected.
Where you use it
Standard on most modern robots and essential on cobots. Engineers set its sensitivity: too high causes false stops, too low allows damage. It protects the robot and tooling, but on industrial robots it does not replace guarding for people.
Examples
Collision detection stopped the robot before the gripper was damaged.
Collision detection keeps triggering on the fast moves; the payload data is probably wrong.
To find the cause of a problem in a machine or system step by step and fix it, for example by checking signals, alarms, wiring and settings.
Where you use it
One of the most used verbs for maintenance and commissioning engineers. You troubleshoot a fault, an issue or a machine, and manuals have troubleshooting sections and tables. The noun is troubleshooting: 'two hours of troubleshooting'.
Examples
I spent the morning troubleshooting the gripper; in the end it was a loose air fitting.
Can you help me troubleshoot the communication fault between the PLC and the robot?
Usage note
The past tense is usually troubleshot ('we troubleshot the drive'), although troubleshooted is also heard.
Planned maintenance done at fixed intervals, such as every 5,000 hours or once a year, to keep equipment in good condition and prevent breakdowns.
Where you use it
Often shortened to PM. Robot makers give a PM schedule in the manual: greasing gearboxes, replacing batteries, checking cables and brakes. You schedule, carry out and record PM; it is the opposite of reactive maintenance, which fixes things after they fail.
Examples
The robots are due for preventive maintenance next week, so we'll swap the encoder batteries then.
Preventive maintenance takes time, but much less than an unplanned stop on the line.
The time a machine or line is not producing because of a breakdown, maintenance, a product changeover or missing material.
Where you use it
One of the main numbers managers watch. People talk about planned and unplanned downtime, reducing or minimizing downtime and the cost of downtime per hour. Downtime is often logged with a reason code on the HMI or in the MES.
Examples
Last month we had 14 hours of unplanned downtime on the welding line.
We'll change the gearbox during the weekend shutdown to avoid downtime.
Usage note
Downtime is usually uncountable: say 'a lot of downtime', not 'many downtimes'. For one event, say 'a stoppage' or 'a breakdown'.
An abnormal condition in a machine or system that stops it from working correctly, for example a broken wire, a failed sensor or an overloaded motor.
Where you use it
Used everywhere in maintenance and on HMIs. A machine has, shows or goes into a fault; you find, clear, reset and log faults. Drives and robots give fault codes. A fault usually stops the machine, while a warning only informs.
Examples
Drive 3 is showing a fault code; look it up in the manual before you reset it.
The fault came back after the reset, so it's not just a one-off glitch.
Common phrases
fault code · clear a fault · reset the fault · intermittent fault · fault finding
A message, light or sound from a control system that tells the operator something is wrong or needs attention, often with a number and a short text.
Where you use it
Used on HMIs, robot pendants and SCADA systems. An alarm is raised, comes up or is active; operators acknowledge (ACK) and then reset or clear it. Engineers keep an alarm list and an alarm history to help troubleshooting.
Examples
The robot stopped with a collision alarm; acknowledge it and check the gripper before restarting.
Check the alarm history; the same air pressure alarm came up three times last night.
Common phrases
acknowledge an alarm · alarm list · alarm history · reset the alarm · active alarm
To adjust or measure a robot, sensor or instrument against a known reference so that its readings or positions are correct.
Where you use it
Used for robots (zero positions, TCP, user frames), cameras, force sensors and measuring instruments. You calibrate something regularly, after a crash or after replacing a part. The noun is calibration, as in calibration certificate or calibration routine.
Examples
We need to calibrate the camera again; the robot is picking 2 mm off center.
After replacing the motor on axis 2, calibrate the axis before running any program.
Common phrases
calibrate the camera · calibration routine · calibration certificate · zero-point calibration · recalibrate
Adding grease or oil to gears, bearings and other moving parts to reduce friction and wear and to make them last longer.
Where you use it
Part of every preventive maintenance plan. Manuals give the lubrication intervals and the grease type and amount for each gearbox. You lubricate, grease or re-grease a part and check for leaks. Using the wrong grease can damage robot gearboxes.
Examples
According to the manual, the lubrication interval for the axis 1 gearbox is 20,000 hours.
Poor lubrication on the linear guide caused the noise we heard.
Common phrases
lubrication interval · grease the gearbox · automatic lubrication · lubrication point · lubrication schedule
A replacement part kept in stock so that a broken or worn component, such as a motor, a sensor, a gripper finger or a fuse, can be changed quickly.
Where you use it
Used in maintenance planning, purchasing and project handover. Suppliers provide a recommended spare parts list; critical spares are parts whose failure would stop production. People often just say 'spares': 'do we have a spare?'.
Examples
We don't have a spare part for the axis 5 motor, so the line will be down for three days.
Please send the recommended spare parts list with the quotation.
Common phrases
recommended spare parts list · critical spares · keep in stock · order a spare part · spare parts inventory
Maintenance planned from real condition data, such as vibration, temperature or motor current, so a part is serviced shortly before it is likely to fail.
Where you use it
Often called PdM and closely linked to condition monitoring, IIoT and Industry 4.0. Engineers collect data, set thresholds, watch trends and use analytics or machine learning to predict failures.
Examples
Predictive maintenance showed rising vibration on the axis 2 gearbox, so we replaced it during the planned shutdown.
Our predictive maintenance system monitors the motor current on every robot.
The use of cameras, lighting and image processing software so that machines can inspect parts, read codes, measure or locate objects and guide robots.
Where you use it
Common in quality inspection and robot guidance (vision-guided robots). People say 'the vision system' or just 'vision': 'vision found the part', 'vision failed'. Getting the lighting right is often the hardest part. Both 2D and 3D vision are used.
Examples
Machine vision checks every label before the box leaves the line.
The parts arrive in random positions, so we need machine vision to guide the robot.
Common phrases
machine vision system · vision-guided robot · vision inspection · camera calibration · 2D vision
Short for light detection and ranging: a sensor that measures distances by sending laser pulses and timing their reflections, building a picture of the surroundings.
Where you use it
Pronounced LIE-dar. Mobile robots use 2D LiDAR for navigation and obstacle detection, while 3D LiDAR is used for mapping and autonomous vehicles. Safety laser scanners are certified devices of this kind that protect people. Also written lidar or LIDAR.
Examples
The LiDAR on the AMR can't see the glass wall, so we added reflective tape.
Each automated forklift has a LiDAR at the front that scans 270 degrees.
Common phrases
2D LiDAR · 3D LiDAR · LiDAR scan · safety laser scanner · point cloud
Short for automated guided vehicle: a driverless vehicle that carries materials along fixed routes marked by magnetic tape, wires, QR codes or reflectors.
Where you use it
Used in factories and warehouses to move pallets, carts and parts between stations. AGVs follow their route and stop when something blocks the path; changing a route usually means changing the floor markers. Fleet management software sends them jobs.
Examples
The AGV stops whenever someone leaves a pallet on the tape line.
We use three AGVs to take finished parts from the press to the warehouse.
Usage note
AGV and AMR are often confused. An AGV follows fixed routes; an AMR plans its own route and drives around obstacles.
Common phrases
AGV route · AGV fleet · magnetic tape guidance · charging station · fleet management
Short for autonomous mobile robot: a robot that moves materials using maps and sensors such as LiDAR and cameras, choosing its own route and driving around obstacles.
Where you use it
Increasingly used in intralogistics, hospitals and factories, because it can be deployed without marking the floor. Engineers map the site, define zones and stations and connect the AMR fleet to warehouse or MES software. Some AMRs carry a cobot on top for mobile picking.
Examples
The AMR found a way around the forklift and still reached the line on time.
Before deploying the AMRs, we drove one around the plant to build the map.
Common phrases
AMR fleet · deploy AMRs · map the site · mobile manipulator · charging station
Short for simultaneous localization and mapping: the method a mobile robot uses to build a map of an unknown area while working out its own position on that map.
Where you use it
Said as the word 'slam'. Used in mobile robotics, drones, autonomous vehicles and augmented reality. People talk about LiDAR SLAM, visual SLAM, SLAM algorithms and loop closure. Long corridors and empty halls with few features make SLAM harder.
Examples
The robot uses SLAM to map the warehouse during its first run.
Visual SLAM struggled in the dark aisle, so we switched to LiDAR.
Common phrases
LiDAR SLAM · visual SLAM · SLAM algorithm · loop closure · build a map
Finding a route from a start point to a goal that avoids obstacles and meets limits such as the shortest distance, the shortest time or a safe clearance.
Where you use it
Used for mobile robots, drones and robot arms. Common algorithms include A* (said 'A-star'), Dijkstra and RRT. Engineers separate global planning (the whole route on the map) from local planning (reacting to obstacles nearby).
Examples
Path planning takes too long on the large map, so the robot waits a few seconds before it moves.
We use a path planning algorithm to move the arm around the fixture without collisions.
Common phrases
path planning algorithm · global path · local planner · motion planning · plan a path
The ability of a robot to detect objects or people in its way with its sensors and change its path or speed so that it does not hit them.
Where you use it
A key feature of AMRs, drones and service robots and a frequent topic in demos and specifications. Engineers set the safety fields, the minimum distance and how the robot reacts: slow down, stop or go around. AGVs usually just stop.
Examples
Obstacle avoidance worked well until someone left a low trolley that the LiDAR couldn't see.
In the demo, the AMR showed its obstacle avoidance by driving around a person in the aisle.
Common phrases
obstacle detection · avoid obstacles · safety field · drive around an obstacle
Ten questions from this glossary. Pick the right meaning for each term and see your score.
How to learn robotics & automation vocabulary
Read real texts from the field: robot and PLC manuals, alarm and error code lists, safety standards, integrator documents and application notes use this vocabulary in its natural context.
Learn each term with the words that usually go with it: not just 'robot' but 'jog the robot' and 'teach a point'; not just 'alarm' but 'acknowledge the alarm'; not just 'light curtain' but 'the light curtain tripped'.
Learn the abbreviations and how they are said aloud: PLC, HMI, TCP and AGV are spelled letter by letter, while SCADA, LiDAR, SLAM and ROS are read as words.
Check the English behind shop-floor Turkish: 'set değeri' is setpoint, 'acil stop' is emergency stop or E-stop, 'piston' is usually a cylinder, and 'jog'lamak' is simply 'jog the robot'.
Describe a fault in a few short English sentences, the way you would in a shift report or an email to a supplier: what happened, the alarm code, what you checked and what the status is now.
Frequently asked questions
How can I learn English for robotics and automation?
Read real texts from the field and notice how the words are used: robot manuals, PLC programming guides, alarm lists, safety standards and project specifications. Learn each term with its usual partners (jog the robot, acknowledge an alarm, commission a cell) and use new words right away in your own reports, emails and meetings with suppliers.
Which robotics and automation terms should I learn first?
Start with the words you hear in every cell and on every project: industrial robot, robot arm, end effector, gripper, sensor, actuator, PLC, HMI, servo motor, axis, payload, reach, teach pendant, emergency stop and cycle time. Then move on to control, kinematics, programming, safety, maintenance and mobile robots. The terms in this glossary follow the same order, from most to least essential.
What is the difference between an industrial robot and a cobot?
A traditional industrial robot is fast and strong and normally works behind fences, light curtains or other guarding. A cobot (collaborative robot) limits its force and speed and stops when it detects contact, so it can often work close to people without a fence. Even so, every cobot application needs its own risk assessment, because the tool or the part it carries can still be dangerous.
Should I use the English or the Turkish term at work?
Both, depending on who you are talking to. Turkish automation teams often keep English words such as PLC, HMI, jog, override, tag and gripper, while official documents, training material and safety instructions usually use Turkish terms like devreye alma, risk değerlendirmesi and acil durdurma. With foreign suppliers and in manuals, always use the standard English term so that nothing is misunderstood.
