Articles
News, analysis and buying guides for industrial robotics.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
6 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
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
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
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 52 (21%) are rated IP67 or higher, and just two reach the IP69K washdown standard.
Category
industry
Date
Jun 26, 2026
Read
7 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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