Under­stand­ing Cycle Time in Robot­ic Automation

Cycle time is the inter­val required to com­plete a repeat­ed process. One of the key ben­e­fits of using robot­ic automa­tion is sig­nif­i­cant­ly reduced part cycle time. Replac­ing man­u­al tasks with effi­cient robot­ic sys­tems leads to increased pro­duc­tion rates and profits.

Fac­tors Influ­enc­ing Robot Cycle Time:

1. Part Trav­el Dis­tance:
   The fur­ther a part needs to trav­el between oper­a­tions, the longer the cycle time. Robot­ic automa­tion reduces unnec­es­sary move­ments and min­i­mizes delays.
2. Process Com­plex­i­ty:
   Com­plex process­es with mul­ti­ple steps can increase cycle time. Opti­miz­ing each step helps robots oper­ate with greater efficiency.
3. Equip­ment Qual­i­ty:
   The qual­i­ty of machin­ery, such as con­vey­ors and addi­tion­al equip­ment, direct­ly impacts the speed and con­sis­ten­cy of the over­all cycle.
4. Robot Fea­tures and Flex­i­bil­i­ty:
   The robot­’s pay­load capac­i­ty, speed, and flex­i­bil­i­ty can great­ly influ­ence cycle time. Select­ing the right fea­tures ensures that the robot meets appli­ca­tion requirements.
5. Tool­ing Choic­es:
   The end-of-arm tool­ing (EOAT) must be tai­lored to the spe­cif­ic appli­ca­tion. Prop­er tool­ing reduces the time required to pick, place, and han­dle parts.

Accu­rate­ly Deter­min­ing Cycle Time:

Advanced 3D sim­u­la­tion soft­ware can esti­mate cycle times by mod­el­ing the man­u­fac­tur­ing process. How­ev­er, for a more pre­cise assess­ment, a fea­si­bil­i­ty study may be required. Robots​.com pro­vides esti­mates based on your part spec­i­fi­ca­tions and process details. Our expe­ri­enced team can rec­om­mend solu­tions to stream­line oper­a­tions and min­i­mize cycle time.

Con­tact Robots​.com for a Fea­si­bil­i­ty Study

For a com­pre­hen­sive analy­sis of your cur­rent process and an exact cycle time esti­mate, reach out to our sales depart­ment at 877−762−6881. We’ll be glad to per­form a study and help you opti­mize your pro­duc­tion line.