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Robotics & Automation vocabulary · Robot Types and Components

Gantry robot

Meaning in robotics & automation, with examples

/ˈɡæntri ˌroʊbɑːt/nounCommon term

In robotics & automation, gantry robot means: 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.

In Turkish: portal robot, gantry robot, Kartezyen robot

How it is used

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.

Example sentences

  1. A gantry robot loads three CNC lathes from above, so the floor stays free for the operators.

  2. The gantry robot's Y axis is 6 meters long and runs on a rack and pinion.

Common collocations

  • Cartesian robot
  • linear axis
  • gantry frame
  • overhead gantry
  • rack and pinion
  • articulated robotA 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.
  • SCARA robotA 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.
  • axisOne 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.
  • coordinate frameA 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.

More terms: Robot Types and Components

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