Robot arm

How it is used

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.

Example sentences

1. The robot arm is floor-mounted, but we could hang it upside down from the ceiling to save space.

2. Before you enter the cell, make sure the robot arm has stopped and the brakes are on.

Common collocations

• six-axis robot arm
• mount the robot arm
• arm and controller
• lightweight robot arm

Related terms

• industrial robotA 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.
• jointA 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.
• end effectorThe 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.
• degrees of freedomThe 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.
• reachThe 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.

More terms: Robot Types and Components

• gripper
• payload
• collaborative robot
• vacuum gripper
• articulated robot
• SCARA robot
• gantry robot