Industrial robots come in five main types, named for how the arm is built and moves: articulated (jointed like a human arm, usually six axes), SCARA (fast horizontal moves), Cartesian or gantry (straight X, Y and Z axes), delta (three light arms joined at one tool, for very fast picking) and cylindrical. Cobots aren’t a separate structure: most are articulated arms with force and speed limits so they can work next to people.
The International Federation of Robotics’ World Robotics 2026 release counts more than 600,000 industrial robots installed worldwide in 2025 and 5 million in operation.
What counts as an industrial robot
The international standard ISO 8373 defines an industrial robot as an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator programmable in three or more axes, either fixed or mobile, for use in industrial automation. A machine built to repeat one motion, or a two-axis transfer unit, doesn’t count, which is why those don’t appear in robot statistics.
The five types compared
| Type | How it moves | Best at | Typical payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articulated | Rotary joints, usually 6 axes | Welding, painting, machine tending, heavy handling | 0.5 kg to 2,300 kg |
| SCARA | Two horizontal joints plus vertical and rotary axes (4 axes) | Fast small-part assembly, screwdriving | about 3–20 kg |
| Cartesian / gantry | Three straight axes at right angles | Large work areas, palletizing, moving sheets | Depends on frame; very heavy possible |
| Delta | Three parallel arms to one tool, ceiling-mounted | Very fast picking from conveyors | about 0.5–12 kg |
| Cylindrical | Rotating base with straight up/down and in/out axes | Simple transfer between machines | Light to medium |
Payload ranges are examples from current product lines, below.
Articulated robots
Shoulder, elbow and wrist joints give an articulated arm nearly any position and tool angle inside its reach, which is why it covers the widest range of factory jobs. Car-body welding, painting, loading machine tools and moving heavy parts are typical jobs. The range is huge: FANUC’s line runs from a 0.5 kg delta to the 2,300 kg M-2000, and KUKA’s articulated KR titan lifts up to 1,300 kg. The trade-off is cost and floor space for a given payload. See our lineups for FANUC, KUKA and Yaskawa.
SCARA robots
A SCARA arm folds in a horizontal plane and ends in a vertical and rotary axis. It’s stiff up and down and quick side to side, so it excels at picking from above and inserting into holes: electronics assembly, screwdriving and small-part transfer. It can’t tilt its tool, so side-on work is out. FANUC’s SR series covers 3 to 20 kg, Yaskawa’s SG series 3 to 6 kg, and Epson says it holds the top global share of the SCARA market.
Cartesian (gantry) robots
Three straight axes at right angles make positioning simple and let the work area grow by lengthening the axes. Gantries handle palletizing, large sheets, injection-molding unloading and other jobs over a wide area, but the frame covers that whole area.
Delta robots
Three light arms hang from a ceiling-mounted base and move one tool together. With so little moving mass, deltas pick and place very fast, mostly food, pharmaceuticals and small packages from a conveyor. Payload and reach are small: FANUC’s M-1 carries 0.5 kg and its M-3 up to 12 kg, KUKA’s KR DELTA 3 kg, and ABB sells the IRB 360, 365 and 390 FlexPacker family.
Cylindrical robots
A rotating base with straight vertical and radial axes gives a cylinder-shaped work space. The simple structure was common for machine-to-machine transfer; articulated and gantry robots have taken over most of those jobs.
Where cobots fit
Cobots are mostly six- or seven-axis articulated arms with force sensing or limits so that, after a risk assessment, they can work without fences beside people. They’re usually slower and carry less than an industrial arm of the same size. Compare them in our cobot companies comparison.
How to choose a type
- Write down the part and tool weight, the farthest point the tool must reach, and whether the tool must tilt.
- Count picks per minute; above a few dozen with light parts, look at delta or SCARA.
- Decide whether people work beside the robot; if yes, consider a cobot.
- Check the space: floor, wall or ceiling mounting changes the options.
Then compare real models with our guide to choosing an arm by payload, reach and accuracy. Two details catch many first projects: setting the tool center point offset and checking that the carried part clears obstacles during transport, not just the gripper. For makers, see our industrial robot manufacturers list.
IFR, ISO and manufacturer pages checked October 24, 2026.