Robot manipulators for industrial handling

Production environments constantly demand precision, safety and speed - often at precisely the stage of the process where the load exceeds the limits of comfortable manual handling. RHS robot manipulators are engineered to enhance the operator's control whilst removing the physical strain associated with heavy loads, built to last, integrate seamlessly and adapt as your production evolves.

With over 30 years' experience, RHS design and manufactures customisable robot manipulators - column, sliding ceiling and fixed ceiling configurations - each available with a comprehensive range of gripping tools to suit any load geometry or handling requirement.  

On this page, you can discover:

• The RHS robot manipulator range
  • Column manipulator
  • Fixed ceiling manipulator
  • Sliding ceiling manipulator
• Gripping tools
• Industrial applications
• Operational and productive advantages of robot manipulators
• Custom-engineered solutions: the RHS approach
• After-sales services and technical support

The RHS Robot manipulator range

Gripping tools: the interface between manipulator and load

Industrial applications

• Mechanical engineering and metalworking: shafts, gears, castings and stamped parts with asymmetrical load geometries. Column-mounted and overhead manipulators handle eccentric centres of gravity and ensure the positioning accuracy required by machine interfaces.
• Automotive: body panels, engine components and chassis sub-assemblies with strict cycle times in multi-shift production. Reduced handling times, elimination of postural strain, consistent positional repeatability.
• Glass, ceramics and sanitaryware: heavy loads, zero tolerance for contact damage. Suction cups ensure clean, mark-free contact across the entire load surface.
• Chemical, pharmaceutical and ATEX environments: chemical drums and containers with minimal operator exposure. ATEX-compliant configurations are available, including gripping tools that operate without an electrical power supply.
• Logistics, packaging and the food sector: boxes, sacks, reels and packaged goods in high-volume environments with intensive shifts. Elimination of cumulative strain from repetitive lifting, maintaining operator performance throughout the working day.
• Construction materials: panels, blocks and tiles in structurally complex environments. Fixed and sliding overhead manipulators integrate into existing building structures without structural modifications.

Operational and productive advantages of robot manipulators

• Reduction in manual handling injuries: direct impact on insurance costs, absenteeism, and regulatory exposure under EU Directive 90/269/EEC on manual handling risk
• Faster, more consistent cycle times: load movement becomes smooth and repeatable, unaffected by operator fatigue over the course of a shift
• Improved positioning accuracy: repeatability at machine and assembly interfaces that manual handling cannot consistently deliver
• Higher operator retention in physically demanding roles:  ergonomic improvement is a measurable factor in workforce stability
• Scalable investment: manipulators can be repositioned, retrofitted with new gripping tools, and upgraded structurally as production layouts and load requirements evolve
• Compliance evidence: RHS manipulators provide documented risk reduction for manual handling assessments and regulatory audits

Custom-engineered solutions: the RHS approach

No two production environments present identical handling requirements. RHS operates a dedicated design office that translates client-specific constraints into engineered robot manipulator solutions, ground-up design informed by your load, your layout, your operator and your production targets.

Customisation scope spans every element: structural configuration, working envelope, gripping tool selection, colour and corporate livery, operator ergonomics and workstation integration. Workstations can incorporate tablet screens and digital interfaces directly into the manipulator arm, operator-specific storage lockers, charging stations, and cup and food holders - transforming the manipulator into a fully equipped, ergonomically optimised work environment. Where standard configurations do not address the requirement, RHS engineers special machines built to exact specifications.

The process begins with a technical consultation: load weight and geometry, pick and place positions, required rotation or tilt, working envelope dimensions, environmental constraints. 

After-sales services and technical support

A robot manipulator's productive life spans years. RHS provides the after-sales infrastructure to protect that investment and ensure consistent performance throughout the system's working life.

• Planned maintenance: periodic inspection and preventive servicing to maintain peak operating condition and anticipate component wear;
• Original spare parts: RHS-sourced components that restore performance without introducing compatibility risk from third-party substitutes;
• On-site, remote and phone technical assistance: responsive support to resolve issues and minimise unplanned downtime;
• Revamping and upgrades: structural and functional improvement of existing manipulators to extend service life or adapt to changed production requirements;
• Process efficiency consulting: RHS engineers review current handling workflows and identify improvement opportunities across the full material flow, not limited to manipulator performance.