engineering

SCARA

SCARA is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SCARA rather than just read about it. In short: The SCARA is a type of industrial robot. The acronym stands for selective compliance assembly robot arm or selective compliance articulated robot arm.

Key takeaways

SCARA belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SCARA to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SCARA from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The SCARA is a type of industrial robot. The acronym stands for selective compliance assembly robot arm or selective compliance articulated robot arm. By virtue of the SCARA's parallel-axis joint layout, the arm is slightly compliant in the X-Y direction but rigid in the Z direction, hence the term selective compliance. This is advantageous for many types of assembly operations, for example, inserting a round pin in a round hole without binding. The second attribute of the SCARA is the jointed two-link arm layout similar to human arms, hence the often-used term, articulated. This feature allows the arm to extend into confined areas and then retract or "fold up" out of the way. This is advantageous for transferring parts from one cell to another or for loading or unloading process stations that are enclosed. SCARAs are generally faster than comparable Cartesian robot systems. Their single pedestal mount requires a small footprint and provides an easy, unhindered form of mounting. On the other hand, SCARAs can be more expensive than comparable Cartesian systems and the controlling software requires inverse kinematics for linear interpolated moves. Sankyo Seiki, Pentel and NEC presented the SCARA robot as a completely new concept for assembly robots in 1981. The robot was developed under the guidance of Hiroshi Makino, a professor at the University of Yamanashi. Its arm was rigid in the Z-axis and pliable in the XY-axes, which allowed it to adapt to holes in the XY-axes.

History The SCARA robot concept was inspired by the presentation of the SIGMA robot for assembly by A. d'Auria at the 7th International Symposium on Robotics in Tokyo, in October 1977. This presentation had a significant impact on engineers in Japan studying assembly automation, prompting Hiroshi Makino to begin working on the SCARA robot design shortly after this event. The first SCARA prototype was built in 1978, followed by a second prototype in 1980. Fundamental studies were conducted on the characteristics and usability of these prototypes, which led to the development of SCARA robots by the industry in 1981. The development of SCARA robots was the result of a research and development consortium launched by the University of Yamanashi and thirteen Japanese companies. This consortium operated for three years, from April 1978 to March 1981, contributing to the success of SCARA robots in industrial applications. As recognition of its importance in the field of robotics, the SCARA robot was included in the Robot Hall of Fame in 2006, becoming the second industrial robot and the third Japanese robot to be included.

Gallery

See also Articulated robot Schoenflies displacement

References

External links Why SCARA? A Case Study – A Comparison between 3-axis r-theta robot vs. 4-axis SCARA robot by Innovative Robotics, a division of Ocean Bay and Lake Company

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SCARA

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SCARA claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SCARA before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SCARA ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SCARA

In research: SCARA appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SCARA in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SCARA is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1981 in robotics, Industrial robots, Robotic manipulators, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SCARA outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study SCARA in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SCARA means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SCARA out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SCARA in simple terms?

The SCARA is a type of industrial robot. The acronym stands for selective compliance assembly robot arm or selective compliance articulated robot arm.

Why does SCARA matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SCARA?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SCARA.