Innovations driving these energy savings include smart hardware, optimized software, AI integration, and use of predictive maintenance. One manufacturer estimates that over the past decade, some industrial robots have reduced energy consumption by 60% compared with older models. In the case of battery-operated autonomous mobile robots, the design itself uses less energy and offers an efficient alternative to forklifts moving materials in a warehouse.

But robot OEMs aren’t doing the heavy lifting alone, as component makers are creating more energy-efficient designs as well. Efficient motors convert more electrical energy into motion, reducing heat loss. High-torque servo motors deliver strong performance with less power. Regenerative drives recover energy during deceleration or reversal and return it to the system or grid. Harmonic and cycloidal drives efficiently transfer torque, making them ideal for articulated arms and joints that move frequently under load.

Modern actuators detect load and adjust power use, and some can enter sleep or low-power mode when idle. Meanwhile, low-friction components like bearings and joints, as well as new lubrication systems, reduce the energy lost to friction. Lightweight components also reduce the power consumed by robots’ motors. Advanced sensors and controllers can help minimize waste by limiting robot movements, while certain control systems track energy use and adjust actions to stay within set limits.

Challenges still exist in cutting robots’ energy use, as the equipment often involves higher upfront costs and heavy resource use. This article from TECH B2B Marketing’s Aaron Hand on the Association of Advancing Automation’s website explains how we can expect continually improving results when implementing industrial robots designed to save energy.

Read the full A3 article here.

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