Machine Tending

The factory task of loading a workpiece into a machine and unloading it once processing is done.

Machine tending is one of manufacturing's most common automation scenarios: loading raw stock or parts into equipment such as a CNC machine, injection molding machine, stamping press, or welding fixture, then unloading the finished piece onto a rack or conveyor once processing is complete. Universal Robots describes it as automatically handling material loading and unloading while continuously monitoring the production process, with the benefit that equipment can run continuously with less downtime. The work is repetitive and tedious, often involving noise and metal shavings, and has traditionally been done by industrial robots or collaborative robots fitted with dedicated grippers, requiring reprogramming and new tooling whenever the product changes. Embodied-AI companies treat it as an early real-world deployment scenario for humanoid robots, since it can slot into an existing production line and directly replace a human workstation without redesigning it, though cycle time (time per piece), positioning accuracy, and long-duration reliability remain the main challenges.

ExampleAccording to Figure, its Figure 02 robots have loaded sheet-metal parts onto welding fixtures at BMW's Spartanburg plant more than 90,000 times, taking part in the production of over 30,000 X3 vehicles.

Also called

Loading and Unloading

Related

Industrial Robot · Collaborative Robot · Pick-and-Place · Factory Pilot Deployment · Cycle Time / Units Per Hour · Teach-and-Playback Programming

Sources

Machine Tending - Universal Robots
Figure 02 at BMW (Figure AI, 2025-11-19)

As of

2025-11