A brief analysis of the major applications of industrial robots in the metal forming machine tool sector.

　　Robots are a quintessential embodiment of advanced manufacturing technologies and automated equipment, and intelligent industrial machinery has become the cornerstone of global manufacturing’s upgrade and transformation. In recent years, robotics has gained tremendous momentum; while the automotive industry has long been the primary sector for robotic applications, the continuous expansion of robot use has led to their widespread adoption—particularly in metal‑forming machine tools.

　　The automotive industry has long been the primary sector for robotic applications. As automation demands continue to grow, the scope of industrial robot use has expanded significantly. Beyond traditional welding, robots are now widely employed in tasks such as loading and unloading machine tools, material handling and palletizing, grinding, painting, and assembly. Metal‑forming machine tools constitute a critical component of the broader machine tool family. Forming processes are often associated with high labor intensity, noise pollution, and metal dust, and may take place in environments that are hot, humid, or even contaminated. The work is typically monotonous and physically demanding, making it difficult for companies to recruit and retain workers. Integrating industrial robots with forming machine tools not only addresses workforce challenges but also enhances processing efficiency and safety, improves machining accuracy, and offers substantial potential for further development.

　　I. Integrated Applications of CNC Press Brakes

　　There are two primary approaches to integrated robotic bending applications. The first centers on the press brake, with the robot equipped with a vacuum suction cup, a magnetic sheet‑separating feeder rack, a positioning table, an unloading station, and a flipping fixture, thereby forming a dedicated bending cell. The second involves a flexible sheet‑metal processing line that integrates the robot with laser equipment, a CNC rotary‑table punch press, an industrial robot’s traversing axis, a sheet‑material conveyor, a positioning table, and a vacuum‑suction gripper. The robot control system seamlessly interfaces with the machine tool’s CNC system—both in terms of technology and platform—enabling closed‑loop control of the robot’s material support during the bending process. At varying bending speeds, the robot automatically adapts and maintains continuous tracking, while the bending software reduces teach‑in time from the previous 2–3 days to just 2–3 hours. This solution has been successfully applied in the fabrication of switchgear cabinets, filing cabinets, elevators, security doors, and other products.

　　II. Integrated Application of Press Stamping

　　There are two primary approaches to integrating robots with press‑stamping operations. The first is single‑robot loading and unloading: a robot transfers sheet metal from the depalletizing station to the positioning table, then moves it to the press die for stamping; after the operation, the robot retrieves the part and places it on the palletizing station, enabling automated loading and unloading for a single press. The second approach is a robotic stamping cell: multiple robots establish an interconnected stamping line linking several presses. Depending on the forming process requirements of the workpiece, multiple presses must operate in concert, with the entire production line comprising a depalletizing robot, a loading robot, transfer and handling robots between presses, and an end‑of‑line robot. Compared with Cartesian‑coordinate manipulators, industrial robots offer greater flexibility, impose no strict height‑alignment requirements on the dies, and are easier to integrate. The autonomous press control system and the robot control system are seamlessly linked, ensuring optimal coordination between robotic motions and press operations. By leveraging fieldbuses, this setup maximizes line efficiency while enhancing safety.

　　III. Integrated Applications of Hot Forging

　　A hot forging production line typically consists of two forging presses: one for upsetting and the other for trimming. In integrated robotic hot‑forging systems, two robots are usually deployed—one to transfer the high‑temperature workpiece from the medium‑frequency furnace to the upsetting press, and the other to retrieve the part from the upsetting press and convey it to the second press for trimming. To prevent the hot forged workpiece from sticking to the die, graphite lubrication is required after each stroke; this can be performed by a robot or implemented via a dedicated mechanism. Given that forging operates in a harsh environment characterized by high temperature, high humidity, and graphite lubrication, special attention must be paid to the robot’s protective measures and its ability to withstand thermal radiation. The motors on axes 4, 5, and 6, located at the junction between the robot’s main arm and its auxiliary arm, feature a design that inherently minimizes exposure to thermal radiation. An electronic cam control system is installed on the forging press to synchronize its operation with the robot, thereby enhancing processing efficiency and improving system safety.

　　IV. Welding Applications

　　Welding is the downstream process in sheet‑metal forming machine tool operations. Robotic welding encompasses two main types: resistance welding and arc welding, with robotic welding accounting for more than 40% of all robot applications. Arc‑welding systems are centered around a robot and comprise a welding workstation equipped with a welding power source, wire feeder, welding torch, and specialized tooling fixtures. Resistance‑welding systems, likewise robot‑centric, consist of a spot‑welding gun, welding controller, water‑and‑air unit, cable harness, and appropriate tooling fixtures, forming a dedicated spot‑welding workstation.

　　The integrated application of industrial robots and CNC machine tools is transforming smart manufacturing, digital workshops, and intelligent factories from concept to reality. The foregoing has outlined the applications of robots in the metal-forming machine tool sector.