Keller Und Knappich Augsburg (KUKA) Robotics, a part of the KUKA Robot Group of companies, reportedly announced that it is demonstrating four new robotic solutions for the plastic industry in collaboration with its KUKA (News - Alert) Robotics System Partner Network at the New Plastics Exhibition (NPE 2009) – The International Plastics Showcase, which is organized by the Society of the Plastic Industry.
Officials at the company claim that the industrial robots on display are the KR 16, which will be displayed by Flow International Corporation (Flow); a KR5 Sixx variant for rapid visioning by Dyco Incorporated
(Dyco); KR5 Arc by Electro-Hydraulic Automation
(EHA) and another KR5 Sixx variant for extraction cell by KUKA Robotics itself. The three Robotics System Partners have each designed, supplied and set up their own robotic cells.
The KR 16 (shown below) demonstrated by Flow is a flexible, space saving, rapid and multi-functional programmable robot that simulates dry tool paths of the waterjet process around complex 3D parts with quick change tooling ability to demonstrate milling, drilling, and material handling.
An important feature of the KR 16 is the machine’s ability to mimic a human operator’s initially demonstrated tool change-over detailed sequence, memorize it, translate to automation mode, and then replicate as per sequential requirement. This is known as KUKA’s (
News -
Alert) hand-teach method, and it uses the KUKA safe robot technology recommended process.
KR5 Sixx variant (shown below) for rapid visioning by Dyco Incorporated (
Dyco) demonstrates fast handling, and the visioning system helps the robot to locate and pick random plastic bottles from a moving conveyor belt simulating loading puck carriers, and material handling to pick random bottles and load cases.
The other KR5 Sixx variant (looks exactly same as shown above) demonstration by KUKA Robotics itself practically illustrates an injection molding extraction cell by simulating the extraction of medical syringes from an injection molding machine, claim official sources, and it can be mounted on the floor, wall or ceiling, and has fast handling capabilities.
The KR5 Arc (shown below) robot demonstrated by Electro-Hydraulic Automation (
EHA) shows the intelligent device grasping an air powered cutting tool to trim and cut holes in plastics parts, simulating the cuts used in vehicle dashboard openings, the company says.
The Partner network is conceived to mutually benefit each organization’s users by allowing clients to access customized solutions from a combined knowledge base, claim officials, and includes experienced system builders, system providers, application specialists and expert robot integrators.
The
Collaborative effort, such as this one between KUKA and its Robotics System Partner Network, is in keeping with one of the seven mantras of the time, which dictates that organizations must make serious efforts to reach out and work with each other. The seven guidelines for succeeding in current economic environment are collectively called the CES (
News -
Alert) 7 and were pronounced and initiated at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2009.
The company says that KUKA robots are utilized in many different facets of the robotics industry from automotive, aerospace, consumer goods, logistics, food, pharmaceutical, medical, foundry and plastics industries and in multiple applications including material handling, packaging, and palletizing.
Another example of reported Robotics is a space robotic arm that is mounted atop the Space Shuttles to inspect the space craft’s solar panels and replace if required; robotic, microscopic, pin-point accuracy, insertion and navigation of catheters within the human body to rectify differently beating hearts, or arrhythmias. Other examples include a first generation prototype robot capable of following receiving, interpreting and responding accurately to hand signals, body motion and verbal commands and packaging robots that top load fresh and frozen food at 50 to 240 per minute; and, filling IV bottles and syringes at hospitals.
Vivek Naik is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Vivek's articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by
Amy Tierney