Published 08/14/2019

August 2019 Product Spotlight: Robots & Automation

This month’s Modern Equipment Review Spotlight focuses on robotic arm and related technologies.

Automation

Edited by: MMS Editorial Team

To help manufacturers adopt new robotic welding capabilities quickly and inexpensively, Acieta has developed FastArc standard weld cells. The new cells are pre-engineered with integrated utilities and a one-piece platform for faster delivery and startup.

“Labor and capacity are both major concerns for manufacturers of all sizes right now. Automated welding is a great way to address those, but finding the time and budget for complex, robotic solutions has been a real challenge,” says Pete Rogers, vice president of operations. “The FastArc standard cells eliminate these barriers, so nearly any company can get started with automation and see a return on investment in less than two years.” Read More.

The Fastems RoboCell One is designed for handling heavy workpieces weighing up to 176 lbs (80 kg). The robot cell can automate two machine tools of the same type: lathes or milling machines.

The RoboCell One can produce different batch sizes of various part types. An optional automated gripper change system enables flexible workpiece handling and new component implementation without interrupting production operations, the company says. The robot can be fitted with single, double or special grippers. As many as six different grippers may be used for handling workpieces in specific production operations. Read More.

Featuring built-in vision and a user-friendly, plug-and-play programming interface, the TM-series collaborative robot from Omron Automation is designed to work seamlessly and safely with human workers to enhance productivity. Easily transportable, the robot complies with safety requirements for human-robot collaboration specified in ISO 10218-1 and ISO/TS 15066, and so requires no guarding. A manual teaching function enables operators to use hand guidance rather than code to train the robot to perform almost any repetitive task in any location, including machine tending, screw driving, gluing, soldering, assembly and more. Read More.

Through a cooperative agreement, Siemens and Comau now offer a jointly engineered Sinumerik Run MyRobot DirectControl product. This product enables robot kinematics to be fully integrated into a CNC system. The Sinumerik CNC controls the articulated robot arm directly with the basis of complex algorithms without the need for a separate robot controller, as the operations are entirely controlled on a second channel of the CNC.

The Sinumerik Run MyRobot DirectControl solution allows the CNC both to control the robot arm drive system and to contain safety functions typically performed by the robot controller. Read More.

The image gallery above, based on Modern Machine Shop magazine’s Modern Equipment Review Spotlight, features a selection of the product releases we have recently published pertaining to robots and automation in the machine shop. More can be found in our Zone dedicated to robotics and automation technologies.

Swipe through the gallery for details about each product, and follow the caption links for more information. Products featured in this month’s spotlight come from the following companies: