Assembly & Inspection

Buying advice

Benchmark robots on a common task board

Speed claims for small assembly robots are hard to compare because each demonstration uses different parts. NIST publishes free designs for Assembly Task Boards that test skills such as peg insertion, gear meshing, connector insertion, nut threading and cable routing, with templates for recording results. Build one board, or a version using your own parts, and ask each shortlisted maker to run it under the same rules. Record completion time, failed insertions and how often a person had to step in. When you trial the compact robots listed here, such as the Epson G10 or the Omron i4H SCARA, include an insertion that needs some compliance, since real parts rarely line up perfectly.

Compare cameras on EMVA 1288 terms

Resolution alone says little about whether a camera will see a faint scratch or a dark burr. EMVA 1288 is the machine vision standard for measuring and presenting camera and sensor specifications, so that datasheets from different makers can be compared on the same basis, and its Release 4.0 has applied since June 2021. Ask the vision suppliers on this page, Cognex and Keyence, whether EMVA 1288 data is available for the sensor in the camera you are quoted. Then test with your parts: collect known-good samples, clear rejects and borderline cases, and measure both false rejects and missed defects before you agree a pass mark.

Assign ownership of recipes and calibration

At our last update in October 2026, anything priced on this page cost between roughly $8,000 and $35,000, the Cognex In-Sight and the Kawasaki RS013N marking the two ends, and none needed a quote. The ongoing work lies in keeping the cell tuned. Decide early who owns the vision programmes, the robot paths and the camera-to-robot calibration, and how changes are approved. A lens knocked out of focus or a new batch of lighting can shift results without anyone noticing, so schedule checks against reference parts at the start of each shift. If your quality system needs traceability, store inspection images and results against the batch or serial number, and confirm the controller can export them in a format your records accept.

What to look for

• Cycle time and repeatability for your smallest, tightest-tolerance parts
• Camera resolution, lighting and field of view for the defects you need to find
• How vision results feed back to the robot, the PLC and your quality records

Common questions

What is a SCARA robot?

A Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm moves quickly and precisely in a horizontal plane, with a vertical axis to pick and insert. It suits small-part assembly, screwdriving and dispensing.

Does machine vision need a robot?

Not always. Many vision systems run on a fixed mount above a conveyor. Pairing one with a robot makes sense when parts must be presented at different angles or sorted after inspection.

Sources and further reading

• EMVA 1288: standard for measurement and presentation of specifications for machine vision sensors and cameras — European Machine Vision Association (EMVA).
  Common method for measuring and publishing machine vision camera data, so specifications from different makers compare.
• Assembly Performance Metrics and Test Methods — National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
  Free task-board designs and test protocols for benchmarking robot assembly skills such as insertion and fastening.