New applications from Universal Robots in Packaging and Welding
Published on : Monday 30-11--0001
Ann Arbor, MI, January 2018 – 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.
Welding Package
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.