Buying guide
Machine Tending Robots: Buying Guide, Prices and Models
A machine tending robot loads raw parts into a machine, such as a CNC lathe, press or injection moulder, and unloads the finished part, so the machine keeps running through breaks and unmanned shifts.
1164 robots in our catalogue are tagged to the 4 applications in this guide.
Machine tending is the most common cobot application in machine shops because the economics are simple: a machine that runs unattended overnight pays for the robot. Collaborative arms suit low-volume, high-mix shops where the robot moves between machines; industrial arms suit high-volume cells with guarding.
The jobs below cover CNC lathes and mills, injection-moulding machines, press brakes and stamping presses, plus the finishing steps often added to the same cell.
Applications
What to look for
- Reach and machine access
- The arm must reach into the machine door to the chuck or mould with the part and gripper attached; check door opening, chuck height and whether the machine supports automatic door operation.
- Payload
- Count the part, the gripper and any dual gripper for load-and-unload in one entry. Heavy castings or long shafts push the choice from cobots to industrial arms.
- Machine interface
- The robot needs a signal exchange with the machine controller (cycle start, door, chuck, part present). Most CNC brands offer an I/O or Ethernet interface; verify before buying.
- Part presentation
- Infeed trays, drawers, conveyors or vision-based picking decide how long the cell runs unattended. A drawer system with hundreds of blanks is what makes the night shift possible.
- Mobility and redeployment
- Mobile cobot carts let one robot serve several machines on different days. Check how quickly the robot can be re-referenced to a machine after moving.
Representative models
The most completely documented models tagged to these applications. Figures are the manufacturer's; blanks mean not published.
| Model | Maker | Payload | Reach | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KUAVO 5-W MAX | Leju Robotics | Not announced | ||
| Yooheart HY1005A-085 | Yooheart | Not announced | ||
| R-2000iC/125L | FANUC | Not announced | ||
| Joint Stamping Robot - QF-GJ-H-MD-1400-10-4/5 | Hu Nan Qin Feng Robot | Not announced | ||
| Joint Stamping Robot - QF-GJ-H-DL-1400-10-4/5 | Hu Nan Qin Feng Robot | Not announced | ||
| Joint Stamping Robot - QF-GJ-J-YT-1400-10-4/5 | Hu Nan Qin Feng Robot | Not announced | ||
| Joint Stamping Robot - QF-GJ-Z-DL-3100-80/120-4/5 | Hu Nan Qin Feng Robot | Not announced | ||
| Joint Stamping Robot - QF-GJ-H-DL-1800-28-4/5 | Hu Nan Qin Feng Robot | Not announced |
Prices
Priced models
11
From
$1,799
Median
$6,900
Up to
$33,000
Verified published prices in the Collaborative Robot category; most manufacturers quote per deployment.See the Collaborative Robot price guide.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a machine tending robot?
A machine tending robot loads raw parts into a machine, such as a CNC lathe, press or injection moulder, and unloads the finished part, so the machine keeps running through breaks and unmanned shifts.
How much does a machine tending robot cost?
Across the 11 machine tending robots in our catalogue with a verified published price, prices run from $1,799 to $33,000, with a median of $6,900. Integration, tooling and software are extra, and most manufacturers quote per deployment.
Which machine tending robots should I look at first?
KUAVO 5-W MAX, Yooheart HY1005A-085, R-2000iC/125L, Joint Stamping Robot - QF-GJ-H-MD-1400-10-4/5 and Joint Stamping Robot - QF-GJ-H-DL-1400-10-4/5 are among the most completely documented models for this application in our catalogue of 1164. Every listing shows verified specifications and pricing where published.
What jobs do machine tending robots do?
The applications in this guide, with the number of catalogued robots tagged to each: cnc night shift (291), injection molding tending (291), press tending (291), surface finishing (291).
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