INDUSTRIAL ROBOT COMPONENTS

What a Robot Riser Does and When You Need One

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What a Robot Riser Does and When You Need One

A robot riser is a steel stand that bolts under the robot base and lifts the arm. You need one when the work sits higher than the robot reaches well from the floor, or when the arm has to clear a conveyor or fixture. We stock Utica risers for FANUC R-2000 and M-900 robots, and some fit Arc Mates.

How a Riser Changes the Work Envelope

Every robot has a work envelope, the space its wrist can reach. The reach on the data sheet tells you how far the wrist can get, and the arm does its best work in the middle of that range, not stretched out at the edge. A riser does not add reach. It moves the whole envelope up by the height of the riser, so more of the reach lands where your part is.

Take an R-2000iB/165F with 2,655 mm of reach. Part of that envelope sits below the base. Bolted to the floor and working a waist high fixture, the robot spends a lot of that reach on space you never use. Put it on a riser and the useful part of the envelope moves up to the work. Our post on FANUC R-2000 series robots covers the rest of the line.

Heavy arms work the same way. The M-900iA/260L carries 260 kg with 3,100 mm of reach, and the M-900iA/350 carries 350 kg with 2,650 mm. On big parts, a riser can be the difference between a clean path and a robot reaching at the edge of its range.

When You Need One

  • Tall parts and fixtures. Car bodies on a robotic spot welding line can sit high. A riser can let the spot gun come at the roof and upper joints from a better angle.
  • Reaching over things. Conveyors, fences and fixtures between the robot and the part. Lifting the arm lets it go over instead of around. This comes up a lot on material handling robots.
  • Press tending. Reaching down into a press is easier from above. See our post on press tending robots.
  • Tall pallet stacks. On palletizing robots, a riser can help the top layer land inside the robot's good range.
  • Welding over a positioner. For arc welding robots, raising an Arc Mate can open up the angle onto a part turning on a positioner. Ask us which risers fit your Arc Mate.

Riser, Rack Mount, Track or Gantry

A riser is the simplest way to lift a standard floor mount robot, and it lets you use a floor mount robot you already own. It is not the only option.

Rack mount robots, the R models, are built to sit up on a shelf and work below themselves. The R-2000iB/200R carries 200 kg with 3,095 mm of reach. If the robot needs to cover a long line, a seventh axis track moves it along the floor. If the floor has to stay clear, an overhead setup like our R-2000iB/220U gantry cell hangs the robot above the work.

Floor Plates and Anchoring

A riser is only as solid as what it bolts to. A robot pushes hard on its base when it speeds up and stops, and a riser makes that lever arm longer. A robot floor plate spreads that load over more concrete and gives you a flat, level surface to set the riser on. It can also make it easier to move or swap a robot later.

Follow the robot maker's guidance on foundation and anchors, and have someone qualified look at your floor if the concrete is old or thin.

What to Check on a Used Riser

  • Bolt pattern. The top plate has to match your robot's base. Confirm it against the robot model before anything ships.
  • Height. Work out the height you need from your part and the robot's reach, then pick the riser. Do not pick the riser first.
  • Welds and plates. Look for cracked welds, bent plates and elongated bolt holes.
  • Flatness. A warped top plate puts stress on the robot base. Check it with a straight edge.
  • Cable length. Raising the robot adds length to the cable run. Check that your FANUC robot cable sets still reach, and plan for the robot cable management on the way up.

Risers and Robots in Stock

Stock changes often. Click through for what is on the floor in Imlay City today.

The R-2000 arms themselves are in the R-2000 post above and across our used FANUC robots listings.

Related Guides

Have Risers or Robots to Sell?

We buy used robots and the hardware that goes with them, from one riser to a full line. Go to our sell your used robots page, or set up a machinery appraisal.

For a riser that fits your robot, call 586-752-0090, extension 1 for sales, or contact our sales desk.