Glossary · Automation fundamentals, platforms and components
Rotary table
Also known as: Rotary indexing table, Indexing table
German: Rundtakttisch
In manufacturing automation, a rotary table (rotary indexing table) is a turntable that moves workpieces in fixed angular steps between stations arranged around it, so that loading, processing and unloading take place in parallel at different stations.
- Automation components
In one sentence
A rotary indexing table moves workpieces in fixed angular steps between stations arranged around it, for parallel processing.
Example
An assembly machine with an eight-station rotary table loads a housing, presses in a bearing, tests it and unloads it, one index step every two seconds.
How it applies
- Engineering: Indexing is done by cam-driven indexers or servo motors. The index time and dwell time define the machine cycle (Stroke (machine cycle)); all stations must finish their work within the dwell.
- Safety: The rotating table creates shearing and crushing points between table and stations (Rotary motion). Guards and safety functions must consider the table's inertia and Stopping time.
- Documentation: Station overviews with numbered stations help operators and service staff. Describe what happens to parts on the table after an emergency stop and how the table is brought back to a defined position.
Rotary table vs. linear transfer
A rotary table is compact and precise but has a fixed number of stations. A linear transfer system is easier to extend but needs return paths for workpiece carriers.