“On paper it’s precise… but in real production?”

One of the most frequent — and most honest — questions production teams ask is this:

“Will the robot really be more precise than what we do today?”

It’s not a theoretical doubt.
It’s linked to rejected parts, manual adjustments, demanding customers, and the daily pressure of meeting tolerances.

The confusion usually comes from mixing two concepts that are not the same:
precision and repeatability.

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Precision vs. Repeatability (explained without marketing)

Repeatability

It is the robot’s ability to return to the same point over and over again.

• Modern industrial robots have repeatability values in the range of ±0.02 mm to ±0.1 mm, depending on the model and size.
• This is clearly defined by manufacturers and is verifiable.

Precision

It is how close that point is to the “ideal” or nominal value.

Here, many more factors come into play:

• Calibration
• Tooling
• Part
• Environment
• Process

👉 A robot is very repeatable, but the final precision depends on the entire system.

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The human factor: “I always have to tweak it a little”

In manual processes, many people compensate:

• With their eyes
• With experience
• With constant small adjustments

This creates a false sense of precision.

The process “works,” but:

• It changes depending on the operator
• It is not traceable
• It is not stable over time

The robot eliminates improvisation — but exposes the reality of the process.

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Real factors that affect accuracy on the shop floor

1. The robot does not work alone

Accuracy is not defined only by the arm:

• Poorly mounted tool → repeatable error
• Poorly clamped part → systematic error
• Incorrectly defined references → constant deviation

When something is wrong, the robot repeats it… perfectly.

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2. System rigidity

In applications such as:

• Deburring
• Light milling
• Polishing

The rigidity of:

• The tool
• The support/fixture
• The robot itself

Influences the result more than the manufacturer’s nominal repeatability.

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3. Material variability

Not all materials behave the same:

• Plastics
• Aluminum
• Castings
• Composites

A robot can be repeatable, but the process may require:

• Compensation
• Force control
• Adaptive strategies

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Can a robot be “more precise” than a manual process?

The honest answer is:

Yes — but in a different way.

• The robot does not correct on the fly like a person.
• The robot executes what it is taught.
• The improvement comes from eliminating human variability.

The result is usually:

• Less dispersion
• Less scrap
• Less rework
• More stability

Not necessarily a tighter tolerance — but more consistent quality.

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The role of sensors and software in real accuracy

To go beyond repeatability:

• Force sensors enable controlled contact
• Vision adjusts to real positions
• Software corrects trajectories

At this point, the robot stops being just a mechanical device and becomes a process system.

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Robots vs CNC: a comparison that creates anxiety

A common question is:

“Can a robot be as precise as a CNC?”

Truthful answer:

• Not in terms of absolute micrometric accuracy
• Yes in processes where repeatability and flexibility are more important than extreme tolerance

That’s why robots don’t replace CNCs,
but they cover processes where CNC is not economically or operationally viable.

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The human impact: fewer arguments, more data

One of the biggest benefits perceived in the plant is:

• Less dependence on “who is on shift”
• Fewer subjective adjustments
• More data for decision-making

Precision stops being an opinion and becomes a measurable parameter.

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Precision is not magic — it is coherence

An industrial robot:

• Is extremely repeatable
• Is as precise as the system allows
• Does not improvise or compensate illogically

When precision fails, it is almost never the robot’s fault —
but rather a process that wasn’t as controlled as it appeared.

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The question that really matters

Before asking yourself:
“How precise is the robot?”

Ask yourself:
“What level of stability and repeatability does my process need to be profitable and sustainable?”

Because in industrial automation:

👉 Real precision is built, not promised: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXQ1lUsqKrE