A production line with multiple CNC machining centers normally requires repeated workpiece loading and unloading at each machine. When the machines are distributed along the same aisle, installing a dedicated robot at every station can also increase the amount of fixed automation required.
In this project, we used a mobile manipulator combining an autonomous mobile platform, a robotic arm, and an onboard workpiece tray to serve multiple CNC machines.
The robot carries workpieces with it, moves between machining stations, positions itself beside the required CNC machine, and uses the robotic arm to perform machine-side workpiece handling. After completing one station, the same robot can travel to another machine and repeat the tending operation.
The result is a mobile machine-tending workflow in which a single robotic system can support multiple CNC machining centers.
Carrying Workpieces Directly on the Mobile Platform
The mobile manipulator is equipped with an onboard tray containing multiple workpiece positions.
Instead of depending on a separate cart or operator to deliver individual parts to each machine, the workpieces travel together with the robot.
The tray is positioned within the working range of the robotic arm, allowing the arm to retrieve a workpiece whenever the robot reaches a machining station.
This creates a compact material flow:
Onboard workpiece tray → robotic arm → CNC machine
The same onboard storage area can also support the reverse movement when parts need to be transferred from the machine back to the robot.
Autonomous Movement Between CNC Machines
The machining area shown in the project contains a row of CNC machining centers arranged along a shared aisle.
The mobile manipulator travels through this aisle and moves from one machine to another according to the required tending sequence.
Once it reaches a designated CNC station, the mobile platform stops beside the machine and establishes the working position required by the robotic arm.
This mobility is an important part of the system architecture.
Rather than installing one fixed robot beside every machining center, the robotic arm moves together with the mobile base. The same handling system can therefore be brought to different machines along the production area.
For workshops with several CNC machines, this makes it possible to share robotic handling capacity across multiple stations.
Robotic Loading and Unloading at the CNC Machine
After the mobile platform reaches the machine, the robotic arm begins the workpiece handling operation.
The arm reaches between the onboard tray and the CNC machining area, transferring the required workpiece into or out of the machine.
The video shows the arm extending directly into the open machining area and working close to the machine fixture position.
The machine interface and onboard tray are therefore connected by the robotic arm rather than by a fixed conveyor or separate loading station.
A typical machine-tending sequence in this project can be described as:
Arrive at CNC station → position mobile platform → retrieve workpiece → reach into machine → complete workpiece transfer → return to onboard tray area
After the handling operation is complete, the robotic arm returns to its travel position and the mobile platform can continue to the next machine.
One Mobile Manipulator Serving Multiple Machining Stations
One of the most important features visible in this case is the robot's ability to work at more than one CNC machine.
The robot is not mechanically tied to a single machining center. It can leave one station, travel along the machine row, and perform another tending task at a different station.
The complete workflow therefore becomes:
Carry multiple workpieces onboard → navigate to CNC machine → load or unload workpiece → leave station → travel to another CNC machine → repeat the tending operation
This approach is particularly relevant for machining areas where several machines perform separate or repeated processes but do not each require a robot operating continuously.
A mobile manipulator allows the robotic resource to move to the machine where it is needed.
Mobile Machine Tending for Flexible CNC Production
Traditional CNC automation often uses a fixed robot dedicated to one machine or one small machine cell. That arrangement works well when the equipment layout and production process remain relatively stable.
This project takes a different approach.
The robotic arm, workpiece storage, and transportation capability are integrated into one mobile system. The robot can move through the existing machining area and interact directly with CNC equipment distributed along the aisle.
The project demonstrates a practical multi-machine CNC tending concept built around three functions:
autonomous transportation, onboard workpiece buffering, and robotic machine loading/unloading.
By combining these functions, one mobile manipulator can connect several CNC machining stations without requiring a dedicated handling robot at every machine.