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The vary of manipulation duties that robots can perform is rising, in accordance with FAULHABER. It contains all the pieces from greedy and holding to clamping and screwing, in addition to foaming and welding, mentioned the German firm.
In relation to standardized mass manufacturing, specialised robots can carry out the identical duties day and night time. However many processes require flexibility, resembling with regards to batch dimension 1. That is additionally essential to avoid wasting on funding prices. The larger the vary of duties {that a} robotic can perform, the higher, FAULHABER mentioned in a weblog publish.
![Tool changer with brushless flat motor. Source: FAULHABER](https://www.therobotreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/76259_1706017496faulhaber-industry-automation-smart-robot-brushless-flat-motor-bxt-300x300.jpg)
Software changer with brushless flat motor. Supply: FAULHABER
Clever Peripherals for Robots (IPR) goals to unravel these drawback with its TKX device changer. Mounted to the top of a robotic arm, it may well take away a wide range of instruments from a rack, in accordance with IPR.
For instance, TKX allows the robotic to first grip and place a workpiece, then course of it with instruments, and eventually verify and doc the standard with a contour sensor or a digital camera. For this, the adapter wants appropriate feed-throughs for the corresponding device features.
The TKX sequence supplies choices, in addition to a number of lateral screw-on surfaces for added modules. Nonetheless, the primary process of the device changer is to securely lock the device when it’s picked up and to rapidly and constantly launch the lock once more when it’s set down after use.
Purposes decide selected of pneumatic or electrical
Historically, many industrial functions use pneumatic energy transmissions, mentioned FAULHABER. Compressed-air know-how has confirmed itself over many years, and it’s appropriate for dealing with very heavy objects, the corporate famous. However a pneumatic system requires compressors, strains, and its personal management system with quite a few mechanical parts – a substantial funding in new methods.
In industries with elevated calls for on cleanliness and hygiene, resembling microelectronics or meals, pneumatics are out of the query due to the unavoidable emission of compressed air. And pneumatics are an absolute no-go in clear rooms. Eppingen, Germany-based IPR mentioned it has seen a big development in the direction of using electrical drives as a substitute of pneumatic ones.
“Along with the hygienic security, electrical motors are far more versatile in use,” mentioned the corporate. “Not like compressed air connections, energy sockets can be found nearly anyplace.”
“In newly constructed industrial vegetation, pneumatic methods are usually now not put in,” IPR added. “For cobots and smaller robots in addition to for decentralized areas, the electrical model is nearly all the time the higher resolution.”
The truth that the electrical drive is an actual different to pneumatics in the present day additionally has one thing to do with motor know-how, defined Roman Batz, growth engineer at IPR.
“Nice strides have been made in recent times,” he mentioned. “For our functions, we principally want quite a lot of energy with very small dimensions. FAULHABER presents motors that may simply maintain their very own in comparison with pneumatic drives.”
FAULHABER motors to open, shut, and maintain
Holding up can also be meant fairly actually right here. At present, probably the most highly effective electrical mannequin within the TKX sequence, the TKE 300, is appropriate for dealing with objects weighing as much as 300 kg (661.3 lb.), mentioned IPR.
In metallic processing, robots can deal with heavy hundreds resembling forged blocks or giant solid elements. The pulling pressure of their total mass then acts upon the locking ring within the TKX changer.
The torque provided by the motor in standby mode can be sufficient for secure holding. However to make sure significantly dependable fixation, IPR has additionally put in self-retaining kinematics, which had been developed in-house.
“A brushless motor from the FAULHABER BXT household supplies the driving pressure for opening, closing, and holding,” FAULHABER mentioned. “With its exterior rotor know-how, it achieves a ratio of torque to weight and quantity that’s unmatched in the marketplace. This energy density is likely one of the conditions for the distinctive promoting level of the brand new product household from IPR.”
“The TKX sequence are the primary device changers in the marketplace which can be accessible on the identical platform with each pneumatic and electrical drives – we even have a guide model within the product vary,” Batz mentioned. “Because of this all the vary of equipment can be utilized with all drive sorts with out retooling. And switching to electrical operation can also be fairly simple. This opens up new potentialities for robotic automation.”
![IPR's TKX tool changer includes an electric FAULHABER motor.](https://www.therobotreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/76259_1706017496faulhaber-industry-automation-smart-robot-machine-detail.jpg)
IPR’s TKX device changer contains an electrical FAULHABER motor. Supply: FAULHABER
Parts designed to be dependable, simple to mix
The TKE changers will probably be accessible in seven sizes for dealing with workpieces from 3 to 300 kg (6.6 to 661.3 lb.), in accordance with IPR. The electrical variant of the product household thus covers a variety of functions, from light-weight robots to stationary functions. The size of the BXT motors used are tailored to the applying.
“The vary of sizes and the massive collection of appropriate gears for the optimum discount in every case was an essential criterion for us,” Batz mentioned. “Robots ought to be capable to obtain seven-digit cycle numbers with out upkeep. So solely a brushless motor with the very best doable processing high quality can be utilized. It needs to be simple to manage and handle with out extra management – the built-in pace controller takes care of that. Final however not least, the parts have to have the ability to face up to temperatures of as much as +80°C.”
IPR procures all of its micromotors from FAULHABER. “We began working collectively a few years in the past, lengthy earlier than my time,” Batz mentioned. Along with the distinctive high quality of the merchandise, different facets play an essential position for him.
“It begins with the quite simple design of motor-gear combos on the FAULHABER web site,” mentioned Batz. “It takes just some clicks to get a complete overview. The technical particulars are very properly documented, and with regards to exactly calculating the finer factors – effectivity, energy consumption, temperature growth over time, and so forth. — I all the time get the help I would like.”
![Industry automation smart robot machine.](https://www.therobotreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/76259_1706017496faulhaber-industry-automation-smart-robot-machine-1024x796.jpg)
An instance IPR workcell with the robotic device changer. Supply: FAULHABER
Editor’s observe: This text was syndicated with permission from FAULHABER’s weblog.