{"id":19783,"date":"2025-07-31T07:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T11:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/?p=19783"},"modified":"2026-03-26T06:47:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:47:06","slug":"robotics-engineering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/robotics-engineering\/","title":{"rendered":"Robotics engineering challenges no one talks about \u2014 Built for Engineers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Believe it or not, the robotics industry is taking the manufacturing economy by storm. All statistics indicate that our co-workers, drivers, and personal assistants will soon be sophisticated robots!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you know annually 500000 manufacturing jobs are going unfilled<\/a>, weekly 70,000 baby boomers are retiring from the workforce<\/a> and millennials, the future generation, are not so excited to join the manufacturing trade? Consequently, it is no wonder automation technologies, including robotics are growing at a breakneck speed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the arrival of technologies \u2014 5G, edge computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence and advancement in vision technologies, the robotics industry is at the sweet spot to deliver on Industry 4.0 promises. But, creating robots that are autonomous, flexible to handle small batches of work at very high precision without compromising on safety is challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both established OEMs and start-up companies face the same robotics engineering challenges: balancing the intricate trade-offs between performance, reliability, accuracy, safety, and energy efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Robotics
Multi-physics robotics engineering using simulation and testing solutions<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A robot isn’t just a mechanical arm. It isn\u2019t a car either. While both are dynamic machines, a robot is a deeply integrated system where every decision creates a ripple effect across other domains. A change in the motor (low-frequency electromagnetics)<\/strong> impacts the arm’s vibration (mechanical)<\/strong>, which generates excess heat (fluid & thermal)<\/strong> and forces changes to the control algorithm (automation)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solving these problems in isolated silos with a “build it and test” approach is a recipe for failure. This traditional method, relying on costly physical prototypes, inevitably leads to late-stage discoveries that can derail projects, inflate budgets, and grind development to a halt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an ingenious way. Using a couple of industrial robots as an example, let’s explore how a multi-physics simulation approach helps you master these interconnected challenges before<\/em> you ever build a prototype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Taming Dynamics: From Vibration to Precision<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For a high-speed robot, precision isn’t lost\u2014it’s stolen by uncontrolled dynamics. This is where insights from Simcenter <\/a>become essential. To bring vibration back under control, you must first understand the complex forces and accelerations acting on not just the main robot arms, but also the joints, motors, and gearboxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using Simcenter, you can simulate the robot’s complete operational cycle<\/strong> to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n