Industrial Robotics and Automation
Robots in factories and warehouses from the integrator's point of view: robot types and datasheets, work-cell design and simulation, end effectors and payload data, industrial robot programming and calibration, PLCs and IEC 61131-3, industrial networks, OPC UA and MQTT, machine vision, safeguarding under ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 and ISO 13849-1, AMRs and AS/RS, OEE and maintenance, and business cases with MACRS and bonus depreciation, ending with a palletizing cell design.
ROB-440 Year 4 3 credits 12 lessons · 6 h 4 min
Offered by HSM University · Robotics
This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.
What you'll learn
- Classify industrial robots by configuration, read datasheets critically, distinguish repeatability from accuracy under ISO 9283, and check takt-time feasibility.
- Design robot work cells from process requirements, including layout, reach, fixturing with tolerance stack-ups, sequence charts and simulation-based virtual commissioning.
- Specify end effectors and tool stacks, compute payload data including center of gravity and inertia, and size pneumatic and vacuum tooling with fail-safe behavior.
- Program industrial robots using frames, tool data, motion types and blending, explain vendor languages such as RAPID and KRL, and calibrate TCPs and cells for offline programming.
- Explain the PLC scan cycle and response time, write IEC 61131-3 logic in ladder and Structured Text, and design robust state machines and robot-PLC handshakes.
- Compare industrial Ethernet protocols, budget network traffic, use IO-Link, OPC UA and MQTT for integration, and apply IEC 62443 zones and conduits.
- Select vision systems, lighting and resolution for inspection, gauging and guidance, design conveyor tracking, and evaluate inspection by error costs and gauge R&R.
- Safeguard robot cells under OSHA requirements, ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 and the B11 series using ISO 12100 risk assessment, ISO 13855 distances and ISO 13849-1 performance levels.
- Size and integrate warehouse and logistics robots, including AMR fleets, AS/RS and charging, and apply ISO 3691-4 and ANSI/A3 R15.08 safety requirements.
- Measure OEE, model reliability and availability, choose maintenance strategies, use condition monitoring and plan spare parts.
- Build robot business cases with payback, NPV and sensitivity analysis, including MACRS, bonus depreciation and Section 179, and manage projects from RFQ through FAT, SAT and run-off.
- Design a complete palletizing cell, integrating pattern design, robot and tool selection, cycle analysis, controls, safeguarding, maintenance and the business case.
Course content
12 lessons · 6 h 4 min total · final exam
- 1 Industrial robot types and applications 32 min · quiz
- 2 Robot cell and work-cell design 27 min · quiz
- 3 End effectors and tooling integration 34 min · quiz
- 4 Programming industrial robots 28 min · quiz
- 5 PLCs and IEC 61131-3 programming 29 min · quiz
- 6 Industrial networks and IT/OT integration 27 min · quiz
- 7 Machine vision in automation 31 min · quiz
- 8 Safeguarding a robot cell 29 min · quiz
- 9 Warehouse and logistics robots 31 min · quiz
- 10 Reliability, maintenance and OEE 28 min · quiz
- 11 Cost justification and deployment 29 min · quiz
- 12 Capstone: designing a palletizing cell 39 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Robots in factories and warehouses from the integrator's point of view: robot types and datasheets, work-cell design and simulation, end effectors and payload data, industrial robot programming and calibration, PLCs and IEC 61131-3, industrial networks, OPC UA and MQTT, machine vision, safeguarding under ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 and ISO 13849-1, AMRs and AS/RS, OEE and maintenance, and business cases with MACRS and bonus depreciation, ending with a palletizing cell design.
Part of the Science stream, typically taken in year 4.