FANUC Robotics' Solutions for Intelligent Assembly and Material Handling Featured at 2003 Assembly Technology Expo
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., Sept. 23 -- FANUC Robotics' I-21i series of "intelligent" robots, designed for a wide range of precision applications, will be featured in GSMA Systems booth #29089 during the Assembly Technology Expo, Sept. 23-25, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont (Chicago), Ill. Also at the show, Siemens Dematic will highlight the new FANUC M-6iB material handling robot in booth #14005.
Featuring 3-D vision and force sensing capabilities with six degrees of freedom, the I-21i robot is considered to be the first "intelligent," six-axis industrial robot that can perform the most demanding material handling and mechanical assembly processes.
Gauging and Assembly
In GSMA's booth, the FANUC I-21i/16 robot will perform spline gauging and spline/gear assembly by using force sensing and 2-D vision. An overhead camera will identify gears in a tray and the I-21i/16 robot, which offers a 20 kg payload, will pick up a spline component and assemble it to a variable spline gauge located on a gauging station.
The gauge will identify any differences between the spline component and the calibrated master. The robot will then remove the splined component from the gauge and assemble it with a mating component shaft located on a fixture. The robot will repeat the pick up, gauging and insertion cycle six times and then remove input gears from the assemblies, drop them in the tray, and return to the start of the sequence.
"When integrated force and vision sensors are combined with the six-axis, articulated I-21i, the robot can pick loosely placed parts from a tray, and then perform a precision assembly operation. No other robot on the market offers this type of flexibility and intelligence," said Ranganath Misra, FANUC Robotics' Engineering Manager for Material Handling Products and Applications.
"In addition, the I-21i's ability to perform shaft insertion with a tight clearance is extremely useful for flexible part feeding, especially in machine loading applications," he added.
Three other variations of the I-21i are available, including the I-21i/LR with a 3 kg payload, the I-21i/710, with a 45 kg payload, and the new I- 21i/2000, which is capable of handling payloads up to 200 kg.
In Siemens Dematic booth, the new FANUC M-6iB will perform a high-speed material handling application.
The six-axis M-6iB is a general-purpose, material-handling robot with a 6 kg payload. The M-6iB robot features the highest motion speeds in its class for maximum performance and productivity. The compact, cost effective and flexible design simplifies installation and maximizes reach in the compact workspace environment of the plastics industry.
The M-6iB can be used in applications such as material removal (deflashing/degating), part transfer, mold machine insert load, part unload, part and case packing, dispensing and assembly.
The motion envelope of the arm includes that of the previous model and has 8% larger horizontal stroke. The wrist size is also 19% smaller, enabling the robot to enter into smaller openings in parts, molds and presses and simplifies tooling design. The robot joint speed is significantly faster, minimizing cycle time. The M-6iB also features the highest motion speeds in its class and the best in class reach versus stroke ratio. Axes speeds have increased by up to 30 percent and up to 500 degrees/sec.
GSMA Systems is a leading supplier of robotic solutions for assembly, packaging and palletizing to the food, beverage, automotive, and health care industries. For more information contact Mark Senti at (321) 728-3800 or on the Internet at www.gsma.com .
Siemens Dematic, Material Handling Automation Division is one of Siemens' operating companies in the United States. The company, with its world headquarters in Grand Rapids, Mich., designs and manufactures integrated material handling solutions for manufacturing, distribution and warehousing, automotive, parcel, freight, postal, air cargo and baggage handling industries. More information on Siemens Dematic may be found at www.siemens-dematic.us .
FANUC Robotics America, Inc. designs, engineers and manufactures innovative robots and robotic systems for a wide range of industries and applications. After 21 years of success, FANUC Robotics maintains its position as the leading robotics company in North and South America. A subsidiary of FANUC Ltd. in Japan, the company has facilities in Chicago; Los Angeles; Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati and Toledo, Ohio; Toronto; Montreal; Aguascalientes, Mexico; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. FANUC Robotics can be found on the Internet at www.fanucrobotics.com or by calling 800-47-ROBOT.
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