Pick & place robotics have transformed part handling in assembly lines, but sheet metal brings its own problems: large format, heavy weight, and surfaces that scratch at the first hard touch. A robot that handles sheets needs reach, rigidity, and a gentle end effector at the same time. The Herochu swing radial pick & place robot with axis servo motor was built for exactly that combination, covering the gap between a raw sheet stack and a laser cutting table with a motion that is fast, precise, and compact.

Why a Radial Swing Geometry

The arm rotates around a vertical axis instead of traveling on a long linear track. That radial swing motion sweeps an arc that covers both the material stack and the cutting table, so the robot reaches every point of its work envelope by rotating and extending. Depending on the model, the system offers smooth 360-degree rotation or linear movement, giving shops flexibility in how they lay out the cell. The geometry pays off on the floor: a radial robot needs a fraction of the footprint of a gantry of the same reach, which matters in workshops where every square meter already has a machine on it.

Axis Servo Motors Drive Every Move

Every axis of the robot is driven by a servo motor with fast acceleration and quick response. The drives do not simply move the arm; they coordinate it, so the swing, the extension, and the vertical lift work as one smooth motion instead of a series of jerky repositioning steps. Fast acceleration shortens the pick & place cycle, and precise response prevents the arm from overshooting the target. The result is a high repeatability of up to ±0.1 mm or better, which directly reduces product defect rates by placing every sheet in the same spot, every cycle.

Teach-Pendant Programming for Fast Changeover

A pick & place robot is only as flexible as its programming. The Herochu unit is taught with a teach pendant and a user-friendly HMI: the operator moves the arm to the pickup point, saves it, moves to the placement point, saves it, and the cycle is done. No coding knowledge is required, and operators learn quickly with minimal training. When the shop switches sheet sizes or materials, the operator loads a saved program or teaches a new one in minutes. The control system also includes self-diagnostic functions that report faults through the HMI, so a problem is identified and located before it shuts down the cell unexpectedly.

High Payload in a Light Frame

Payload and reach usually fight each other: add capacity, and the structure gets heavier, slower, and more expensive. The Herochu robot sidesteps that trade-off with a frame of high-strength aluminum alloy, which keeps self-weight low while carrying sheets up to 1000 kg at a long reach. The light structure also reduces the inertia the servo motors must overcome, which is one reason the axis drives can accelerate and decelerate so quickly. The beam stays rigid under full load, so a heavy 20 mm plate swings and settles exactly where the program says.

Energy-Smart Operation

A swing robot spends its working day accelerating, braking, and waiting. The Herochu drive system handles that pattern efficiently with servo sleep mode and a common DC bus with energy recovery. When one axis brakes, its regenerated energy is fed back to the bus for the axis that is accelerating; when the cell is idle, drives drop into a low-power sleep state. The net effect is an electricity cost reduction of approximately 10%, a steady saving on a machine that runs continuous shifts.

Built for the Workshop Environment

Sheet cutting workshops are dusty, and some are humid. The robot meets those conditions head-on: optional dustproof and waterproof models are available for harsh environments, and a fall-prevention device protects the arm and tooling from dropping in case of air pressure loss. Emergency stop protection and automatic braking guard the operator during the handling process. The modular assembly structure is easy to assemble and disassemble, which reduces space waste, simplifies maintenance, and lets the cell be relocated when production changes.

Working With the Laser Cell

The robot does not work in isolation; it has to talk to the laser cutting machine. The control system exchanges signals with the cutter through dry-contact I/O or fieldbus communication, so the two machines coordinate the handshake: the robot waits for the table-ready signal, places the sheet, confirms the placement, and releases the cutter to start the program. If the cutter reports a fault, the robot holds position instead of feeding material into a machine that is not ready. On semi-automatic cycles, the operator stays in the loop for the placement decision while the robot handles the force and the speed. The cell behaves as one unit, not two machines sharing a floor.

Model Range for Common Sheet Formats

The robot family covers the sheet formats that dominate fabrication work. The HC-R3015 series handles 3000 x 1500 mm sheets with payload options of 300, 500, and 1000 kg; the HC-R4020 series extends the same design to 4000 x 2000 mm sheets at 300 and 500 kg. Plate thickness ranges from 8 to 20 mm depending on the model, and the vacuum end effector carries 15 or 118 suction cups with diameters from 150 to 250 mm to match the weight and surface condition of the stock. All models are electrically powered, keeping the cell clean and maintenance straightforward.

For a fabricator looking to automate sheet feeding without surrendering floor space or flexibility, the swing radial pick & place robot is a direct answer. Herochu configures each unit around the customer’s sheet sizes, plate weights, and machine layout, and supports the installation from the first drawing to the first production cycle. Contact Herochu to review your material list and table geometry, and the team will specify the arm length, suction pattern, and program structure that fit your cell.