Articles
News, analysis and buying guides for industrial robotics.
Pharma Robots: Only 11 of 72 Are Washdown-Rated
72 of 400 robots in our database are tagged for pharma or medical work. Only 11 are washdown-rated, and 28 carry no real ingress protection at all.
Category
industry
Date
Aug 16, 2026
Read
9 min
Only 2 of 20 Robot Brands Build 7 of 8 Robot Types
Our 400-robot database sorts every model into 8 architecture types. FANUC and Yaskawa cover 7 of 8. Five brands, all cobot-only, build just one.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 14, 2026
Read
8 min
Cobot Order Share Fell From 18% to 13% in Q2 2026
North American robot orders grew 4.3% in Q2 2026, but cobot order share fell sharply from 18.1% to 12.7% while automotive OEM's steep decline eased.
Category
industry
Date
Aug 12, 2026
Read
8 min
ABB's PoWa Cobot Claims 5.8 m/s. None We Track Hit 5.0
ABB's new PoWa cobot claims a 5.8 m/s top speed. Of 126 cobots in our database, the fastest ties at 5.0 m/s, and ABB's own GoFa caps at 2.2.
Category
industry
Date
Aug 10, 2026
Read
8 min
How to Choose an Industrial Robot System Integrator: A Buyer's Checklist
The robot is the easy purchase. The integrator who builds, programs, and stands behind the cell is the decision that actually determines whether the project works. Here is a real checklist, not a vendor's marketing page.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 10, 2026
Read
5 min
How to Compare Two Industrial Robots Side by Side: A Buyer's Checklist
Most robot shopping happens with two PDFs open in two tabs, scanning top to bottom for whatever number jumps out first. Here is the order to actually check specs in, and why, plus a worked example on two real cobots.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 9, 2026
Read
4 min
How to Read an Industrial Robot Datasheet: A Field-by-Field Glossary
Ten terms decide whether a robot fits your cell: payload, reach, repeatability, speed, degrees of freedom, wrist load, IP rating, safety level, duty cycle, and cycle time. Here is what each one actually means, and which of our own data deep-dives already answers the follow-up question.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 8, 2026
Read
7 min
Robot Orders 2026: Automotive Fell 35%, Cobots Grew 56%
North American robot orders held flat in Q1 2026, but automotive OEM orders fell 35% while collaborative robot orders grew 56%, per new A3 data.
Category
industry
Date
Aug 8, 2026
Read
9 min
IP Rating to NEMA: The Standard Crosswalk Has No Answer for 41% of Robots in Our Database
One enclosure maker's own crosswalk chart contradicts its own product page on what NEMA 4X equals in IP. And 142 of the 345 robots in our database that publish an IP rating - including every IP68 and IP69K washdown robot - carry a number that chart doesn't define at all.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 7, 2026
Read
8 min
Electronics Robots Need 2.5x the Precision of Automotive
Teradyne cobot unit just posted a record $100M quarter tied to electronics demand. Our 400-robot database shows the real precision cost: 2.5x automotive.
Category
industry
Date
Aug 6, 2026
Read
7 min
Robot Teach Pendants by Brand: The Screen Runs 6.4 to 12 Inches, and Two Makers Contradict Themselves on IP
The teach pendant is the only part of a robot an operator holds all shift, and it is the part nobody specifies. Across the brands that publish a figure, the screen runs 6.4 inches to 12 inches and the weight 0.75 kg to 1.4 kg. ABB's own current product specification gives the FlexPendant two different IP ratings on two different pages, and Doosan's manual does the same thing. FANUC publishes no dimension at all for its flagship pendant.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 5, 2026
Read
14 min
How Long Is an Industrial Robot's Warranty, Really? By Brand
Six manufacturers' own current terms documents all land on 12 months, so the number is not the story. What differs by brand is what starts the clock and whether there is a ceiling — and FANUC's own sales terms contain a warranty figure that is easy to misread if you stop at a search summary instead of the clause.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 5, 2026
Read
6 min
PLd, PLe and SIL 2 by Robot Brand: Only 92 of 316 Publish a Performance Level
A Performance Level is not a quality grade for a robot. It is the reliability a specific safety function has to reach for a specific risk, which is why ABB certifies YuMi's speed supervision to Performance Level b while KUKA states PL d Cat 3 and SIL 2 for arms up to 1,000 kg. Across 369 robots, 92 name a Performance Level, 17 name a SIL, and eight of twenty brands never name one at all.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 4, 2026
Read
16 min
Robot Operator Certification by Brand: One Program Costs $25, Another Costs 18 Classroom Days
FANUC, ABB, Universal Robots and ATMAE all use the word certification, and they mean four different things by it. One is an assessment with no course attached that you cannot buy as an individual. One is an eighteen day classroom stack costing upwards of $11,000. One issues no student credential at all. One is a $25 online exam that expires after a year and is built on a single open source robot's block programming curriculum.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 3, 2026
Read
12 min
Lease or Buy Your First Robot? Two Tax Numbers Decide It, and Most Guides Have Them Wrong
The lease-versus-buy answer turns on Section 179 and bonus depreciation, and the robot-specific guides ranking for this question are quoting a $1.16 million expensing cap that the IRS replaced with $2,560,000. Here are the four financing paths, the real 2026 tax figures read from the source, and why the arm price you are financing is only a quarter of what the cell will cost you.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 2, 2026
Read
9 min
New Robot Tariffs Target the Countries Behind 72% of Our DB
South Korea just finalized duties up to 19.85% on Chinese and Japanese industrial robots. 72% of the robots we track come from those two countries.
Category
industry
Date
Aug 2, 2026
Read
6 min
How Big Is a Robot Controller? Cabinet Sizes from 8 kg to 200 kg
Every robot layout budgets the arm's swept circle and forgets the cabinet that drives it. Compiled from manufacturers' own published figures, robot control cabinets run from 0.09 to 0.41 square metres of floor and from 8.3 kg to 200 kg, and a single controller name can cover both ends of that range.
Category
buying
Date
Aug 1, 2026
Read
10 min
Cobot Selection by Payload and Reach: 118 Down to 8
We matched all 123 cobots in our database against 5 real buyer specs. Desktop-class jobs have 118 options. A 30 kg, 1,700 mm spec narrows the field to 8.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 30, 2026
Read
5 min
Food Industry Robots: Only 1 in 4 Is Washdown-Ready
IFR: US food robot orders jumped 30% in 2025 while automotive stalled. In our 355-robot database, only 23 of 90 food-tagged robots are washdown-rated.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 28, 2026
Read
7 min
One Robot Series Spans 150x the Payload
A product-family name is how manufacturers market, quote and train, so buyers standardise on it. But inside one named series in our 355-robot database the payload spans up to 150x, the arm mass 108x and the repeatability 10x, and the IP rating can fall from IP67 to IP30.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 28, 2026
Read
11 min
The Median Industrial Arm on Sale Is a 10-Year-Old Design
Only 71 of 355 robots in our database publish a launch year. Among those that do, the median articulated arm is a 10-year-old design, and the manufacturer's parts clock does not start until the model is discontinued.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 27, 2026
Read
10 min
Cobot Safety: Only 2 Brands Add Speed Monitoring to PFL
60 of 339 robots publish their collaborative safety mechanism. Only 27 layer speed monitoring onto PFL, and 85% of those are just two brands.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 26, 2026
Read
7 min
Humidity Tolerance by Robot: Your IP Rating Does Not Cover It
An IP20 ABB SCARA with no ingress protection at all is rated to 95% relative humidity. An IP67 Estun arm, sealed against temporary immersion, is rated to 80%. Ingress protection and humidity tolerance are two separate specs, and only one of them appears in most people's shortlists.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 26, 2026
Read
11 min
Robot Tool Flange Sizes by Brand: An ISO 9409-1 Lookup
Fifty robots in our database publish an ISO 9409-1 flange designation, and 23 of them use the same one: ISO 9409-1-50-4-M6. That single pattern is why cobot grippers feel universal. It is also why the UR20 catches people out, because it is not on it.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 25, 2026
Read
11 min
Which Industrial Robots Ship With Built-In Vision (And Which Don't)
Only 18 of the 339 robots in our database ship with a factory-integrated vision system. Twelve of those are Techman. Here is exactly who builds a camera into the arm, and why the other 321 rely on a bolt-on system instead.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 24, 2026
Read
6 min
Robot Wrist Inertia: SCARA Gives You the Least Margin
Only 115 of 339 robots publish wrist inertia. A 2 kg gripper offset margin: SCARA allows 41% of reach vs 61-63% for cobots and articulated arms.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 24, 2026
Read
8 min
Explosion-Proof Robots: What ATEX/IECEx Certification Actually Buys You
None of the 339 robots in our database carry an ATEX or IECEx rating. If your cell sits in a refinery, paint booth, or battery plant, that is the question to ask before you shortlist anything, not after.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 21, 2026
Read
6 min
ISO 10218-1:2025 Is Live. 7 Robots Still Cite 2011
ISO 10218-1:2025 replaced the 2011 edition 17 months ago. In our 336-robot database, 7 Dobot cobots still cite the superseded standard today.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 20, 2026
Read
7 min
The Smallest Industrial Robots: 45 Tabletop-Class Arms Under 600mm Reach
45 of the 336 robots in our database reach 600mm or less, and the lightest one isn't a cobot at all. Here's what actually fits on a bench, ranked by reach, payload, and weight.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 20, 2026
Read
10 min
Where Industrial Robots Are Made: A 336-Robot Country Breakdown
China builds 38.1% of the 336 robots in our database, ahead of Japan's 35.1%, even though every Chinese robotics brand we track was founded after 1993.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 19, 2026
Read
8 min
Cleanroom Robots: Only 48 of 336 Publish an ISO Class
Only 48 of 336 robots publish an ISO 14644-1 cleanroom class. Just two brands, Techman and Mitsubishi, hit the semiconductor-grade ISO 3 tier.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 18, 2026
Read
6 min
Robot Spare Parts: What to Stock, What to Order When You Need It
A spare servo motor ships in 2-6 weeks, a reducer in 4-12. A $3,000 part on the shelf beats a week of lost production. Here is what to stock, what to wait on, and what actually breaks first.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 18, 2026
Read
9 min
Wrist Torque: A 67.5x Spread Across 89 Robots We Track
Only 89 of 336 robots publish wrist torque. The ratio to payload spans 0.26 to 17.29 Nm/kg, a 67.5x spread, and cobots report it least of all.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 17, 2026
Read
11 min
What an MTBF Number Actually Tells You (And What to Ask For Instead)
Manufacturer MTBF claims run 40,000 to 100,000+ hours, self-reported under a protocol nobody audits. Here is what to actually put in the RFQ instead.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 17, 2026
Read
8 min
Cobot Payload Overlap: 25 Models Now Beat 20 kg
82,000 cobots ship globally in 2026. In our database, 25 now lift 20 kg or more, landing in the same payload-and-reach envelope as 22 fenced articulated arms.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 16, 2026
Read
6 min
The Most Accurate Robots: Tightest-Repeatability Models for Precision Assembly
23 robots tie at 0.01mm, the tightest published repeatability in our 298-robot database, and two of them are cobots. Repeatability is not accuracy.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 16, 2026
Read
9 min
The Longest-Reach Industrial Robots in Our Database
Ranked all 33 robots over 2,500 mm reach. The longest isn't the ABB or FANUC everyone cites - it's a 5,095 mm Yaskawa painting arm.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 15, 2026
Read
7 min
Palletizing Throughput: Cases-Per-Minute by Gripper Strategy
Single-pick palletizing tops out near 8-12 cpm. Multi-pick and full-layer heads push 16-48+ cpm. Payload budget decides which tier you can run.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 14, 2026
Read
7 min
PolyScope 5's 9.8 Bug Hits 6 of 9 UR Cobots We Track
CVE-2026-8153 is a 9.8-severity flaw in Universal Robots' PolyScope 5. Our database shows 6 of 9 UR cobots run the exposed software.
Category
news
Date
Jul 14, 2026
Read
6 min
Robot Controllers: One Brand Doesn't Mean One Platform
68% of 273 robots in our database publish a controller platform. 7 of 12 documented brands run one system end to end. 5 don't, and why differs.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 13, 2026
Read
8 min
Fenceless Robots: 10.6 m/s Beats Every Cobot We Track
Mantis Robotics' fenceless MR-X runs at 10.6 m/s, 2.1x the fastest cobot in our 273-robot database. No cage. Here is what that actually changes.
Category
news
Date
Jul 11, 2026
Read
7 min
Robot Cycle Time & Throughput: The Parts-Per-Hour Math the Datasheet Skips
A robot's top axis speed is not its throughput. Parts per hour comes from three time budgets stacked into one cycle: decision, motion, and idle. Here is the formula, a real worked example from a published 0.41-second datasheet cycle, and why an 88% OEE assumption can turn a 6-second target into a 5.3-second requirement before the robot even moves.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 11, 2026
Read
8 min
Robot Axis Speed: The Wrist Beats the Base by 25%
180 robots publish per-axis rotation speed. Wrist joints hit a median 225°/s vs 180°/s at the base, a 25% gap that almost never reverses.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 10, 2026
Read
7 min
Cobot Orders Hit 28.6%. Catalogs Are Already at 42%.
42.5% of our 273-robot database is cobots, but buyers put only 28.6% of Q4 2025 order volume there. Catalog breadth is running ahead of the market.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 9, 2026
Read
7 min
How Much Floor Space Does a Robot Cell Really Need?
A robot cell is not the size of its base plate. It is the swept circle of the arm's reach plus a clearance band, and because floor area grows with reach squared, a 50% longer arm needs more than double the floor. By type, that runs from roughly 1 square metre for a benchtop SCARA to 30-plus for a heavy palletizer, before a single fence goes up.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 9, 2026
Read
8 min
Which Industrial Robots Are Actually Easiest to Program? A By-Brand Reality Check
Every vendor says their robot is easy to program. Across all 273 robots in the Industrial Robotics Hub database, only 7 brands ship a no-code or hand-guiding path on every model they sell, while 5 brands offer none at all. The dividing line is almost never brand prestige. It is whether the brand builds cobots, and the gap between grabbing an arm to teach it and hiring someone who knows RAPID is the real question behind easiest to program.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 8, 2026
Read
10 min
Robot IP Ratings: The Wrist Beats the Arm 61% of the Time
Of 95 robots publishing both an arm and a wrist IP rating, 58 (61%) protect the wrist better than the arm body. Only one robot inverts the pattern.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 8, 2026
Read
8 min
Reach Isn't a Sphere: What Robot Axis Limits Do to Your Work Cell
The reach number on a data sheet describes a sphere the robot can never fully fill. Across 194 robots that publish per-axis rotation limits, only 68% can spin their base a full turn, and 31 of 74 traditional arms carry a blind wedge behind the base. Here is how axis limits, not reach, decide the shape of the space you can actually automate.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 7, 2026
Read
9 min
Does an Industrial Robot Need Three-Phase Power? It Depends on the Type
Across 106 robots that publish an electrical spec, 85% of cobots plug into a single-phase wall outlet while every palletizer, welder, and delta needs a three-phase drop. The phase you need is decided by robot type before you ever see a model number, and the three-phase circuit is a facility cost nobody puts on the quote.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 6, 2026
Read
8 min
Robot Power Efficiency: Watts Per Kilogram, Ranked
A 1,700 kg FANUC arm draws 5 W per kilogram of payload. A 0.5 kg Yaskawa micro-arm draws 1,000 W per kilogram, 200x worse. Power buys different things.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 6, 2026
Read
5 min
Robot Programming Languages: Only 3 Brands Use Python
Only 15 of 265 robots in our database run Python, C++, C#, or Java out of the box. The other 17 brands each built their own proprietary language.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
Robot Fieldbus Support: PROFINET Wins, EtherCAT Splits
Of 219 robots that publish fieldbus data, just 54% support PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and EtherCAT together. Some skip real fieldbus support entirely.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 4, 2026
Read
6 min
Robot Total Cost of Ownership: the 7-Year Math Nobody Puts on the Datasheet
The datasheet shows one number: the arm price. Over seven years of ownership a cobot cell costs roughly 2.5x that number, a mid articulated cell about 4x, and a heavy palletizing cell more than 4x. Here is the by-type lifetime stack, built from real fields and the cost research, with energy and maintenance where buyers usually leave a blank.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 4, 2026
Read
7 min
Buying a Used Industrial Robot: The Neutral Checklist Dealers Won't Lead With
A used arm can cost a third of new, or it can cost more than new once you count remastering and a mismatched controller. Here is the neutral, no-dealer-bias checklist: operating hours, arm-to-controller serial pairing, dead mastering batteries, and reducer backlash, with the numbers that separate a bargain from a trap.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
ROS 2 Robot Support: Only 3 of 265 Robots Qualify
ROS 1 hit end-of-life on May 31, 2025. Only 3 of 265 robots in our database ship ROS 2 exclusively, and support splits cleanly along brand lines.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
Robot Reach by Type: Why No Cobot Passes 2.3 Meters
We measured reach across 259 robots in our database. Articulated arms hit 4,200 mm; cobots top out at 2,246 mm, only 3 of 109 pass 2 meters.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 2, 2026
Read
7 min
SCARA vs Delta vs 6-Axis: Which Is Actually Faster for Pick-and-Place?
The fastest format is not the one with the highest mm/s. Delta hits 120-300 picks per minute off a moving belt, SCARA owns short flat point-to-point, and a 6-axis arm is fastest only when the part has to be reoriented. Here is how to pick, using real specs from our database.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 2, 2026
Read
8 min
How Much Does an Industrial Robot Weigh? A 1,600x Spread
Across 240 robots that publish a weight, the arm itself runs from 7 kg to 11,200 kg, a 1,600x spread. It is the spec buyers ignore until the foundation quote arrives. The breakdown by type, and why the robot's own mass decides your floor.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 1, 2026
Read
8 min
Robot Operating Temperature: Only 5 of 152 Beat 0°C
Of 152 robots in our database that publish an operating range, only 5 work below 0°C and just one reaches -25°C. Cold-chain automation is nearly unserved.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 1, 2026
Read
7 min
Robot Axes: Why 79% Have 6 and Only 5 Have a 7th
We checked the axis count of 257 robots in our database: 79% have exactly six, 19% have four, and only five cobots carry a redundant seventh axis.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 29, 2026
Read
7 min
How Much Power Does an Industrial Robot Use? A 95x Spread
Across 75 robots that publish a power figure, draw runs from 100W to 9,500W, a 95x spread. The median cobot costs about $121 a year to run; a heavy palletizer closer to $3,300. The breakdown by type, with real specs.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 29, 2026
Read
6 min
Best Robots for Assembly in 2026: SCARA vs Cobot vs Articulated Compared by Precision and Payload
192 assembly-tagged robots: 44% hit ±0.02 mm or tighter. How to choose between SCARA, cobot, and articulated by repeatability, payload, and reach.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
11 min
Chinese Cobots vs Universal Robots: JAKA & AUBO Head-to-Head (2026)
JAKA and AUBO match or beat Universal Robots class-for-class on payload, reach, repeatability, and IP rating -- the gap is ecosystem, service density, and a 25% US tariff, not the arm.
Category
comparison
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
14 min
Best Cobots for Machine Tending in 2026 (Ranked by Real Specs, Not Marketing)
We ranked 10 collaborative robots for CNC machine tending on the two specs that actually decide the job: coolant survivability (IP rating) and payload headroom. Only 22% of cobots survive flood coolant.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
10 min
Cobot vs Industrial Robot: Which Do You Actually Need in 2026?
If payload is under 35 kg and a human works near the cell, a cobot is likely correct. If throughput is the priority, an industrial arm wins on speed.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
10 min
FANUC vs ABB Robots: A Spec-by-Spec Comparison (2026)
FANUC leads on IP67 and payload depth; ABB counters with longer reach and a broader cobot catalog. The right pick depends on your weight class.
Category
comparison
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
11 min
How to Choose a Palletizing Robot by Payload (3-700 kg Decision Guide)
Spec payload to part plus gripper plus slip sheet. Dedicated palletizers: 80-700 kg. Cobots: under 30 kg useful load. Heavy articulated: above 700 kg.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
12 min
Inspection Robots in 2026: Why Cobots Dominate and How to Choose by Vision Integration
71 inspection-tagged robots -- 63% are cobots, the highest share of any application in our database. How to choose by vision architecture and repeatability.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
7 min
Industrial Robot ROI: How to Calculate Payback (with a Free Calculator)
Most robot ROI models show 9-month payback because they use hardware cost only -- full-project payback is typically 18 to 36 months, and the free IRH ROI calculator gives you the honest number in minutes.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
11 min
KUKA vs Yaskawa Robots: A Spec-by-Spec Comparison (2026)
Yaskawa leads on IP67 and repeatability; KUKA counters with longer reach and the 1,000 kg KR TITAN. How to choose by payload, IP rating, and reach.
Category
comparison
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
12 min
Material Handling Robots in 2026: How to Choose by Payload Class from 2 kg to 1,700 kg
133 material-handling robots from 2 kg to 1,700 kg. How to choose by payload band, when an AMR beats a fixed arm, and the right IP for your environment.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
8 min
Best Pick and Place Robots in 2026: Delta vs SCARA vs Cobot by Speed and Application
145 pick-and-place robots: delta peaks at 10,000 mm/s, SCARA at 11,000 mm/s. How to choose between delta, SCARA, and cobot by speed, payload, and IP rating.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
8 min
Robot Cell Safety Clearance: Reach Envelope, Fence Height & ISO 13857
Robot cell clearance follows arm reach plus ISO 13857 safety distances. The 4,200 mm ABB IRB 8700 needs a guarded zone 4x wider than a 911 mm compact arm.
Category
guide
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
11 min
Robot Mounting: Only 77% Can Mount on the Ceiling
Of 243 robots that publish mounting data, 77% can mount on the ceiling and 63% on a wall, but 22% are floor-only. The breakdown by type.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
6 min
Universal Robots vs FANUC CRX: Cobot Spec Comparison (2026)
UR wins on TCP speed -- the UR20 hits 5,000 mm/s versus the CRX-20iA/L's 1,500 mm/s -- but FANUC CRX holds IP67 across its entire cobot line while UR tops out at IP65.
Category
comparison
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
11 min
How to Choose a Welding Robot in 2026: Arc, Structural and Cobot Welding Compared
67 welding-tagged robots in our database -- only 25% carry IP67 or better. How to choose by weld process, reach, and IP rating, not by brand.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 28, 2026
Read
10 min
ABB Robots: 24 Models From 0.5 kg to 550 kg Payload
ABB's 24-robot lineup spans a 1,100x payload range, from the 0.5 kg YuMi cobot to the 550 kg IRB 8700 giant that reaches 4.2 m. Here's how the full range maps out.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
25 min
AUBO Robot Lineup: 11 Cobots From 3 kg to 35 kg Payload
AUBO's entire catalog is collaborative: all 11 robots are cobots, spanning 3 kg to 35 kg payload and reaches up to 2,100 mm, with no traditional industrial arm in sight.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
15 min
Dobot Robots: 9 Cobots From 2kg to 20kg Payload
Dobot's entire 9-robot catalog is collaborative — 100% cobots spanning 2 to 20kg payload, with repeatability as tight as 0.02mm. Here's the full lineup.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
9 min
Doosan Robots: 12 Cobots From 5kg to a 30kg Palletizer
Doosan holds ~72% of the 20kg+ cobot market, yet 11 of its 12 robots in our DB are cobots topping out at 30kg payload and 0.05mm repeatability.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
12 min
Epson Robots: 16 SCARA & 6-Axis Models, 0.01mm Precision
The world's #1 SCARA maker runs no IP67 models and tops out at 20kg payload, but hits 0.01mm repeatability and 11,000mm/s across 16 robots.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
25 min
Estun Robots: 13 Models From 4 kg to 700 kg Payload
Estun went from China's first homegrown servo drive in 2001 to #1 in China's robot market by 2025. Our 13-model database spans a 175x payload range, 4 to 700 kg.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
16 min
FANUC Robots: 17-Model Lineup From 6kg Cobots to 1,700kg Arms
FANUC's 17-robot range spans a 283x payload gap, from 6kg delta pickers to a 1,700kg arm. The yellow giant has shipped over 1 million robots worldwide.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
23 min
Han's Robot Robots: 8 Elfin Cobots From 3 to 15 kg
Han's Robot's entire IRH catalog is 8 Elfin cobots spanning 3-15 kg payload and 590-1300 mm reach, with repeatability as tight as 0.02 mm.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
10 min
Inovance Robots: 9 Models, 0.01mm Precision Decoded
Founded by ex-Huawei engineers in 2003, Inovance now fields 9 robots spanning 4-25kg payloads and repeatability as tight as 0.01mm. Here's the full lineup.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
9 min
Kawasaki Robots: 15 Models From 3 kg to 500 kg Payload
Kawasaki built Japan's first industrial robot in 1969. Today its 15-model range spans 3 kg cobots to a 500 kg palletizer with 3,255 mm reach.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
12 min
KUKA Robots: All 19 Models From 3kg Cobots to the 1-Ton TITAN
A 1968 Augsburg gas-lamp maker now owned by China's Midea spans a 333x payload gap: KUKA's 19 models run from a 3kg cobot to the 1,000kg KR 1000 TITAN.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
27 min
JAKA Robots: 12 Cobots From 1kg to 30kg Payload
JAKA builds nothing but cobots: all 12 models in our database are collaborative arms spanning a 1kg desktop unit to a 30kg palletizer, reaching up to 1780mm.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
9 min
Mitsubishi Robot Lineup: 11 MELFA Models, 0.01mm Precision
Mitsubishi's 11 MELFA robots span 2-20 kg payloads, but the real story is its SCARA line: 0.01 mm repeatability and 5,000 mm/s speed.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
15 min
Omron Robots: 12 Models From a 1,500 kg AMR to 0.01 mm SCARA
Half of Omron's 12-robot catalog is mobile, not arms. The lineup spans a 1,500 kg AMR down to SCARAs hitting 0.01 mm repeatability and Vipers at 8,600 mm/s.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
10 min
Robot Payload Gap: Only 6 Arms Lift 35-50 kg
Of 263 robots in our database, only 6 lift 35 to 50 kg. 81% cap under 35 kg, then the market hits a cliff. Here is the gap and how to spec around it.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
8 min
Robot Speed by Type: SCARA Runs 3x Faster Than Cobots
We checked max tool speed on 105 robots in our database: SCARA arms median 5,000 mm/s, 3x the cobot median of 1,500 mm/s. Only 40% publish a speed.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
8 min
ROKAE Robots: 14 Models, 79% Cobots, 45 kg Top Payload
ROKAE launched in 2015 and now runs 14 robots in our database, 79% of them torque-sensing cobots reaching 45 kg payload and a 2,246 mm arm.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
13 min
SIASUN Robots: 11 Models From 3kg Cobots to 210kg Arms
SIASUN, China's largest robot maker and a Chinese Academy of Sciences spinout, spans 11 models from 3kg cobots to a 210kg, 3,053mm articulated giant.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
11 min
Stäubli Robots: 11-Model Lineup From 1kg to 190kg
A Swiss loom maker since 1892, Stäubli builds 11 precision robots spanning a 190x payload range and 0.01mm repeatability — but not one carries an IP67 rating.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
9 min
Techman Robots: 9 AI-Vision Cobots From 4 to 25 kg
Techman builds the world's first cobots with a built-in AI vision system, and all 9 models in our database span just 4 to 25 kg payload, 700-1900 mm reach.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
10 min
Universal Robots Lineup: 9 Cobots From 3kg to 35kg
Every one of Universal Robots' 9 arms is a cobot. Payloads span 3kg to 35kg, yet repeatability holds at a median 0.05mm across the whole line.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
10 min
Yaskawa Robots: 21 Motoman Models from 0.5 to 320 kg
Yaskawa built Japan's first all-electric robot in 1977 and has shipped 600,000+ since. Our 21-model Motoman tour spans 0.5 to 320 kg payloads.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 27, 2026
Read
23 min
AUBO Robots Buyer Guide: IP67 Cobots Up to 35 kg
AUBO's iS series is the only Chinese cobot line with full IP67 washdown rating across multiple models. That single spec opens food and pharma applications most Chinese arms cannot touch.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
7 min
CE Marking for Robot Cells: What Integrators Actually Need
A CE-marked robot arm is not a CE-marked cell. The integrator owns the risk assessment, and getting it wrong costs 2-3x to retrofit.
Category
guide
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
8 min
Chinese Industrial Robots in 2026: A Western Buyer's Reality Check
Chinese cobots now match Western repeatability specs on paper. The real gaps are service networks, parts lead times, and software ecosystems -- not the hardware.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
6 min
Cobot Speed Reality Check: What ISO/TS 15066 Does to Throughput
In power-and-force-limited mode a cobot can lose 40-60 percent of its throughput, worst case far more. Here is what the safety standard actually costs you.
Category
guide
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
9 min
70% of Cobots Now Go to Non-Auto Factories. Here's What Changed.
Cobots were built for automotive. In 2026, 70% of orders go to food, electronics, pharma, and logistics. Our 108-cobot database shows exactly which specs drive the shift.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
7 min
Dobot Robots Buyer Guide: CE+UL Certified CR Series, 2-20 kg
Dobot's CR series carries both CE and UL certification -- the combined mark that lets it ship into European and North American markets without regulatory friction. That is rarer than it sounds among Chinese cobots.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
6 min
Estun Robots Buyer Guide: 700 kg Payload, Full Industrial Range
Estun is the only Chinese robot brand in our database with a 700 kg industrial arm. Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, it competes directly with FANUC and KUKA on heavy payload, not on cobot simplicity.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
6 min
Han's Robot Buyer Guide: Elfin Series, EtherCAT Lead, Cleanroom Focus
Han's Robot Elfin series runs EtherCAT natively -- a rare fieldbus choice among Chinese cobots that gives it an edge in high-speed motion control and cleanroom automation.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
6 min
Humanoid Robots Hit Factories in 2026: 16,000 Units, Narrow Tasks
Tesla Optimus, Figure 02, and Apollo are on real factory floors in 2026. 16,000 humanoid units globally. Here is what they are actually doing - and what they are not.
Category
news
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
7 min
JAKA Robots Buyer Guide: 12 Cobots, No Teach Pendant Required
JAKA's Zu and Pro series span 1-30 kg with phone-based programming and PROFINET support. Here is what Western buyers need to know before signing a PO.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
6 min
Which Robot Brand Covers Your Payload? We Checked All 20.
Only ABB covers 0.5 kg to 550 kg. FANUC reaches 1700 kg but floors at 6 kg. Eight brands cap at 35 kg. Here is which brand fits your payload, from 20 brands and 264 robots.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
9 min
The 4-6x Rule: What Robot Integration Really Costs
The 4-6x rule says integration costs 4-6x the arm price. But 98.9% of robots publish no price. Here is what that multiplication actually looks like in dollars.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
7 min
Robot IP Ratings: Only 21% Survive a Washdown
We checked the IP rating on all 264 robots in our database: only 50 (21%) are rated IP67 or higher, and just two reach the IP69K washdown standard.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
8 min
Payload vs Reach: 258 Robots, One Efficient Frontier
We plotted payload against reach for 258 robots in our database. Palletizers carry 7x more per mm than cobots, and the FANUC M-2000iA tops the chart at 455 g/mm.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
8 min
Robot Repeatability by Type: SCARA Hits 0.01 mm
We checked repeatability on 167 robots in our database: SCARA medians 0.01 mm, cobots 0.05 mm, and articulated arms span a 27x internal range.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
7 min
ROKAE Robots Buyer Guide: 45 kg IP67 Cobots and Industrial Arms
ROKAE builds the heaviest IP67-rated cobot in the Chinese market at 45 kg, alongside IP67 articulated arms. The xMate CR45 hits a payload ceiling no other Chinese cobot reaches.
Category
buying
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
6 min
The True Cost of an Industrial Robot: the 2-5x Rule
The arm is 25-50 percent of the project. Integration, fencing, EOAT and commissioning are the rest, and most buyers budget only the robot.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
9 min
What Your Robot's Payload Rating Doesn't Tell You
Rated payload is measured mid-reach. At full extension it can drop 20-40 percent, and wrist inertia is the spec that actually bites.
Category
guide
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
8 min
How Much Does an Industrial Robot Cost? We Checked 176
Of 176 industrial robots in our database, 173 publish no price at all. Only Universal Robots ballparks a figure, and only on 3 of its 9 arms.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 24, 2026
Read
6 min
Cobot Payload vs Weight: A 50 kg Cobot That Weighs 990 kg
We checked payload-to-weight across all 18 collaborative robots in our database. The 50 kg FANUC CR-35iB weighs 990 kg; the UR10e hits a 7x better ratio.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 23, 2026
Read
6 min
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