TPT January 2007

A utomated S ystems for H andling, B undling & P ackaging

able to synchronise the movement of 36 axes, and is therefore more than capable of controlling the snake robots and their peripherals. In the case of the twin-arm models, the controller is small enough to fit inside the robot body. Yaskawa, the Japanese manufacturer that manufactures Motoman robots, was the first to use its own products to assemble robots and already has some models fitted with vision systems in its factories. Motoman/Yaskawa has a monthly output of 1,800 units, and offers a wide range, with payloads ranging from 3kg to 500kg. It also manufactures servo-powered positioners, simplifying integration and giving the user a single source of supply and responsibility.

Dexterous ‘snake’ robots provide handling expertise

The traditional 6-axis industrial robot, which has been used for decades to automate welding, handling, machining, painting and many other tasks, has undergone a radical redesign. Motoman, UK, has launched three new robots, nicknamed ‘snake’, to which an additional degree of freedom has been added: the individual arm (IA) model fi The single-arm version of the new ‘snake’ robot from Motoman

has seven axes, and the two dual-arm (DA) versions have 13 axes each. The all-electric robots are suitable for the automation of repetitive and laborious assembly operations in manufacturing lines where much of the work is still done manually. Advantages of the new robots include better access than currently possible to tight spaces using 6-axis robots, and greater flexibility when performing the required tasks. The two arms on the DA models are capable of coordinated motion, allowing the actions of a person to be simulated with precision. The maximum payload for the IA model is 20kg, while the DA models are available with 10kg or 20kg handling capacity. Motors and transmissions are built into each axis, with the supply cable running through the arms, so there are no trailing leads to restrict freedom of movement in awkward areas. Each of the snake robots has ±0.1mm positioning repeatability. The NX100 controller, which is used across the Motoman industrial robot range, is

Motoman Robotics (UK) Ltd – UK Fax : +44 1295 267 127 Email : davewalsh@motoman.co.uk Website : www.motoman.co.uk Yaskawa Electric Corp – Japan Fax : +81 93 631 8837 Website : www.yaskawa.co.jp

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J ANUARY /F EBRUARY 2007