ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Attendees at ATX West show in Anaheim, CA, Feb 6-8, will get a hands-on experience of how user friendly collaborative robots – or cobots - can now safely and effortlessly automate some of the most common manufacturing tasks in the industry. Universal Robots’ ATX booth #4616 is the launch pad for the Zero Footprint Palletizer (ZFP) ready for distribution in North America through Universal Robots Certified Systems Integrator, Apex Motion Control. The ZFP is a simple solution for mid-rate production at a maximum load of 18 lbs. The system can be easily redeployed throughout a facility and fits right into existing packaging lines without modification, replacing manual palletizing operations in minutes. Universal Robots’ UR10 cobot has been integrated with the ZFP, combining the full functionality of the robot with a vertical 7th axis swing system with the ability to stack on each side, supporting North American pallet sizing.
“The UR10 arm was chosen for this solution due to its ease-of-use and safety features,” says Rob Antonides, President of Apex Motion Control. ”We deliver automation solutions for the food industry and saw a clear market need for a flexible automation solution that addresses high mix/low volume runs in space restrained spaces.” The ZFP can operate with no guarding. If an operator is detected in the carton pickup area, the collaborative safety features of the UR10 will safely reduce the speed of the robot until the area is cleared while the zero pressure accumulation infeed conveyor controls the flow of the product.
Another testament to the UR cobots’ flexible deployment potential is the new SnapWeld Collaborative Robot Welding package developed by ARC Specialties Inc exhibited at Universal Robots’ ATX booth by UR Certified Systems Integrator Robot 27. The cobot welder is the first integrated MIG welding system for cobots.
“We are getting a lot of requests for integrating Universal Robots in welding booths, so we saw this as a unique opportunity to develop an integrated low-cost system for gas metal arc welding (GMAW) applications that no one else in the market is currently offering,” says John Martin, Vice President of ARC Specialties. The welding system integrated with the UR robot is comprised of a Profax wire feeder and water cooled torch enabling welds up to 600 amps, with torch bracket, all cables and hose packages included. The simplified programming is enabled by direct software integration into Universal Robots’ own programming environment through the UR+ platform, that allows users to program advanced settings directly on the UR robot’s teach pendant.
Showcased alongside Snapweld will be a soldering application from American Hakko Products Inc. Chris Stuber, Division Manager of Products with American Hakko Products Inc., explains that the soldering product developed for robot integration needed a versatile, no-maintenance, user-friendly and safe platform: “The collaborative systems provided by Universal Robots meets these needs and provides a system that is very fluid in movement with the control and dexterity to make the optimal solder joints on an assembly without having to rotate or reposition the board.”
Area Sales Manager for Universal Robots’ Western Division, Craig Tomita, looks forward to sharing these new applications with the ATX audience. “A benefit shared by all applications in this versatile exhibit portfolio is the ability to lower the automation barrier significantly, leading to faster and easier robot deployment,” says Tomita, who is doing a presentation at ATX on ‘Getting the Best ROI out of your Cobot’. The conference program also features UR’s Sales Development Manager Tim De Grasse presenting: ‘The new Guy is a Robot: Should I be Worried?’ And no, there is no need to worry,” says DeGrasse, who will be sharing examples of how the UR robots on the contrary address labor shortages and help bridge the looming skills gap.
UR cobots will also be on display in the following show booths:
American Hakko Products Inc. – Booth 349
American
Hakko, an industry leader in high quality soldering equipment for
the electronics industry, will be showing the smarter way to solder in a
live demonstration using the company’s Automatic Soldering Systems
consisting of the FU-500 Intelligent Solder Feeder and the FU-601
Robotic Integration Soldering Module in conjunction with a UR3 robot.
Creaform – Booth 4170
3D
Infotech will be showing the UR+
enabled Universal Metrology Automation with their turn-key
product UMA Portable. This flexible solution, using the UR5 robot and
the Creaform
HandySCAN, allows operators to run fully automated inspection
projects or apply the HandySCAN in handheld mode for unique applications
off-line. 3D Infotech's UMA Cell for large envelope applications uses
the UR10 robot with Creaform
MetraSCAN and can automatically inspect large parts or assemblies,
even full car body scanning.
Hirate America – Booth 3911
A UR10 robot on top of an
injection molding machine will be showcased by Hirate
America to simulate easy implementation. The UR3 robot will be
available for hands-on demo, showing the ease of use and safeties with
ability to run without any guarding on the production floor.
Igus – Booth 3219
UR cobots with Igus’ UR+
enabled Triflex® R UR bracket kits, which are complete cable
management kits that can be installed by a single person in a matter of
minutes. The Triflex® R cable carrier system is a multi-axis system
featuring a unique ball and socket design to offer smooth, reliable
movement throughout the robot’s full range of motion. Triflex is
available in three versions, for lightweight cable guidance (TRL) to
full cable protection (TRC). Corresponding mounting brackets were
developed especially for the full range of Universal Robots, and offer
quick, easy installation without any damage to the robotic arm.
MSI TEC – Booth 4155
Distributor of UR robots, MSI
TEC, to showcase a UR10 robot with UR+
enabled Robotiq 2-finger gripper, Omron Microscan camera, and Omron
STI safety laser scanner. The application demonstrates vision-guided
robotics and principles of advanced safety. Visitors will also have a
chance to get their hands on the robot, and can train their own task in
a matter of minutes.
Numatic Engineering – Booth 4431
Learn hands-on how easy
programming is with Universal Robots’ full product portfolio UR3, UR5,
and UR10 and see powerful solutions with UR+
enabled simulation software from RoboDK creating profile motion from
3D models. A UR cobot will also be mounted to a Mobile Industrial Robot
(MiR) showcasing how an autonomous vehicle can transport robots between
different operations in a facility. Numatic
Engineering is a premier partner of Universal Robots; specifying,
assembling, and supporting automation to make manufacturing smarter,
more consistent, and more profitable.
Octopuz – Booth 4710
OCTOPUZ
offers powerful offline programming and simulation software for the
robotics industry, collaborating with Universal Robots for plug & play
integration with UR robots through the UR+
platform. Octopuz will show high resolution 3D simulations of gluing
and drilling applications, utilizing the UR10 robot model displayed in
the new OCTOPUZ 2.0 interface.
SCHUNK Inc. – Booth 4215
The cell operating in the
SCHUNK booth at ATX West shows the UR5 robot loading and unloading a
lathe using a UR+
enabled WSG gripper by SCHUNK. The WSG electric gripper has a long
stroke and highly precise grip force control for flexible workpiece
handling. The display highlights how collaborative handling can increase
efficiency in repetitive tasks.
Sensopart – Booth 4468
Machine vision integration company HNJ
Solutions Inc demonstrates common applications linking multiple UR+
enabled Sensopart cameras to a UR5 arm, with the purpose
of demonstrating the versatile use of collaborative robotics in factory
automation. From initial part handling through processing, quality
control, and packaging, HNJ seamlessly shows vision guided robotic
handling of randomly oriented parts. Pick and place for automated
processing, sorting and queuing parts, fixed position and dynamic 2D
quality inspection with Sensopart cameras.