Cutting robots: a review of technologies and applications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of robotic cutting techniques and applications. Design/methodology/approach – This paper firstly describes the main cutting techniques used with robots and subsequently discusses robotic cutting applications, giving examples of specific uses. Findings – This paper shows that robotic laser, water‐jet, ultrasonic, plasma and oxy‐gas cutting techniques are used in a wide range of industries on materials which include plastics, metals, fabrics, foodstuffs and even human tissues. The use of a particular technique reflects application‐specific factors such as material, thickness, precision, cut quality and cutting speed. Originality/value – Provides an introduction to robotic cutting techniques and their applications.