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An n-unit robot move cycle is defined as the robot move cycle in which each machine is loaded and unloaded exactly once and exactly n units are produced. In a 3-machine robotic cell for which we assume that the parts must be processed on both of the machines, there are six 1-unit robot move cycles. Follow the links to the left to watch these cycles.

The machines in a robotic cell are predominantly CNC machines and these machines possess operational and process flexibilities by definition. Operational flexibility is the ability to interchange the ordering of several operations and process flexibility is the ability to perform several operations on the same machine. As a result of these, in some practical instances these machines are capable of performing all of the tasks required to process a part. These observations lead to a new cycle which can be viewed from the link to the left.