A new milestone for Techman Robot with the announcement of the TM30S. This advanced cobot (collaborative robot) sets a new industry standard thanks to its impressive 35 kg payload and smart AI technology.
Power and reach in one cobot
The TM30S, part of the comprehensive TM AI cobot series, offers unmatched performance for heavy-duty applications. With a reach of 1702 mm across six axes, this robot has the best reach-to-weight ratio in its category. This makes it perfect for complex palletizing applications where precision and strength are essential.
Versatile for tough automation tasks
Whether palletizing, packaging, or heavy-duty pick-and-place applications, the TM30S is designed to perform. It excels in specific sectors such as the semiconductor industry, where heavy tasks such as loading and unloading wafer boxes weighing up to 35 kg are common.
Smart robotics for the smart factory
The TM30S is not only strong, but also smart. With advanced AI, enhanced vision technology, seamless software integration and an intuitive user interface, this cobot increases efficiency in automated manufacturing environments. Essential for companies striving for innovative and efficient production lines.
Experience the power and intelligence of the TM30S and see in the video below how this revolutionary cobot can transform your industrial processes.
Universal Robots, the world’s largest cobot manufacturer, has expanded its product portfolio with a new cobot; the UR30. This cobot can lift heavy payloads without taking up much space. The total payload is 30 kg and the robot has a reach of 1300 mm. This allows this cobot to load even larger machines and lift even heavier products.
This latest addition to Universal Robots’ innovative range of cobots is a continuation of the previously released UR20. Despite its compact size, it has exceptional lifting capacity and its superior motion control ensures perfect positioning of large loads.
For various applications, these specifications bring new possibilities. The high payload allows the cobot to use multiple grippers simultaneously, removing finished parts and loading new material at the same time. This reduces changeover times and maximizes productivity. In addition, the UR30 effectively supports high-torque screwdriving by being able to handle larger and more powerful screw tools. Thanks to its steady mode function, the UR30 delivers straight-line and consistent screw turning. This is particularly advantageous in the automotive industry.
30 kg
Moreover, the impressive payload of 30 kg makes the UR30 ideally suited for handling materials and stacking heavy products in various industries. With its compact design, the UR30 fits into almost any work environment with a weight of only 63.5 kg, it can also be moved effortlessly between different work cells.
Kim Povlsen, the company’s president, emphasizes, “The higher load capacity and improved flexibility mark a new era in automation. Industries worldwide are increasingly embracing flexible manufacturing and modularity in the production process. A crucial aspect of achieving that modularity and flexibility is mobility, and despite its carrying capacity, this cobot delivers that.”
As industries evolve, the UR30 not only meets changing demands, but also anticipates shifting needs, allowing companies to effectively respond to changing conditions. Povlsen added, “In our ongoing quest for innovation, the UR30 represents another milestone in UR’s journey to push the boundaries of automation.”
Taiwan-based robot manufacturer Techman Robot launched the new TM AI TM25S last week. Visitors to the Automate 2023 trade show (Detroit, USA) were able to admire this new cobot for the first time. According to Techman, the new collaborative robot with 25 kg payload complements the already impressive lineup of TM robot, with the regular TM line and the new TM AI Cobot S series announced in November.
Cobots with integrated AI technology
Thanks to its payload of 25 kg, the robot is suitable for a wide range of industrial applications. In addition, the TM25S has the longest reach in the cobot segment with this payload. In addition, the S series is characterized by a built-in vision system and AI technology. The combination of these two allows the cobot to perform tasks with exceptional precision and efficiency.
According to Techman, “tireless work” has been done to give the TM AI Cobot S Series significant performance improvements. The motor speed has been improved, increasing cycle time by 25% and allowing tasks to be performed even faster. The robots’ repeatability has also been improved by as much as 70%, to a precision of 0.03 mm.
In addition to improvements in performance, the robot has also been upgraded in terms of safety and protection. The control cabinet has an IP54 rating, for good protection against dust and water. In addition, it has a TÜV certificate up to 31 PL=d and category 3 safety function, ensuring the highest level of safety for surrounding operators and equipment.
New software solution TMflow 2
In addition to new robots, Techman Robot has introduced a comprehensive software solution, the TMflow 2 series. This advanced software is specifically designed to improve the safety, simplicity and intelligence of robot programming and operation.
With its user-friendly interface, the TMflow 2 Series improves the overall user experience, simplifies complex tasks and reduces programming time. Seamlessly integrated with the TM AI Cobot S Series, this intuitive software offers unparalleled control and customization capabilities, allowing companies to fully realize their automation potential.
Tool manufacturer Robotiq sees a growing demand for palletizing solutions, so last week it launched the Powerpick and Multipick software feature. Both designed to expand palletizing capabilities in terms of both payload and cycle time.
PowerPick: The powerful gripper for robust palletizing tasks
The PowerPick is a new vacuum gripper designed specifically for palletizing. Thus, it can pick up many different boxes in a variety of sizes, weights and materials. In addition, it is resistant to external influences such as moisture and fine dust.
Features of the PowerPick are:
Load capacity: PowerPick has a load capacity of up to 11.5 kg (25 lbs).
Adaptability: PowerPick offers 46 different handling options and can pick up different boxes/boxes. This eliminates the need for frequent tool changes.
Gripping modes: single, double or even quadruple gripper. Mounting multiple PowerPick units on the same arm increases throughput for small and light boxes.
Installation: Installation is easy and only an Allen wrench is required for component assembly.
Multipick: more flexibility in order picking
Multipick is a software feature that improves the speed and flexibility of your palletizing process. It increases throughput at the end of the production line, regardless of the pattern used. Multipick allows you to place both one product and two different products on one pallet.
Advantages of Multipick are:
Performance enhancement: by picking multiple boxes simultaneously, Multipick increases throughput of palletizing operations.
Flexibility: it allows picking a wider range of palletization patterns with greater flexibility.
Support for label orientation: Multipick supports label orientation, which is not always possible with alternative solutions.
Multipick includes powerful features to speed up your production lines and prepare you for future needs. For example, by using a PowerPick and Quadruple Gripper, you can deploy up to 4 grippers each with 2 small boxes of equal capacity. This means you can pick 8 boxes at once!
Last month, Techman Robot announced the TM20. This new robot resembles the TM12 and is the most powerful robot in the Techman range. With a radius of 1300mm, 6 axes and a payload of 20 KG, it is suitable for the heavier tasks. Think of palletizing large boxes or loading goods into machines. Of course, these robots are also equipped with the built-in vision technology.
Robots and other smart tools are increasingly being used by Dutch companies. This is mainly because robots have become more affordable and attractive to SMEs. Yet the full potential is not yet being fully utilized. These are the main findings of a study by Reichelt elektronic. It interviewed 1,500 European industrial companies, including 250 in the Netherlands about their vision and experiences with robotization.
Robots are essential
Robots are desperately needed. As many as 96 percent of those surveyed indicated that the use of robots contributes to improved competitiveness. To compete with the competition, therefore, robotization is a requirement. It is therefore not surprising that 93% of the companies surveyed are already deploying robots. Among SMEs, the figure is almost 80%.
When looking at the tasks that robots perform, it is mainly production. 63% of those surveyed indicate that this is one of the main areas of work in which automation is applied, followed by warehouse logistics. The main purpose of automation is to relieve the burden on workers. More than half have the robots perform physically difficult tasks, followed by hazardous tasks, repetitive tasks and testing tasks. Specifically, these include packaging tasks, machine loading, palletizing and simple pick-and-place applications.
Biggest barriers
Robots are becoming increasingly popular, but respondents do not plan to automate everything. Only 3% say they want to fully automate production, while 18% plan to automate a small portion of production. Barriers holding back automation are acquisition costs and the effort involved in integration.
One way to make the implementation of a robotic system as smooth as possible is to bring in people with experience in and knowledge about robotics. 88% of Dutch companies consider it important to have robot professionals present internally. In addition, a large proportion consider it important to have sufficient budget and financial planning that takes into account unexpected expenses.
Rise of collaborative robots
Collaborative robots are robots designed to interact with humans. In industry, this concept has been received with enthusiasm in recent years. Nearly half of those surveyed say they work with cobots and a third plan to do so in the next 12 months. Reasons cited are the flexibility, versatility and lower acquisition costs. A clear trend to invest more in cobots can be seen especially among SMEs. Companies that already use cobots also use them primarily for production tasks. In addition, they are used significantly more often for quality inspection, compared to traditional robots.
Robotics increasingly accessible
Robots have evolved greatly in recent years. They have become smaller, more compact, smarter and more versatile. The comings of cobots have also been able to convince smaller companies. Therefore, the future of robots looks promising. Companies of any size can use them to increase productivity and produce reliably. In addition, the cooperation between humans and robots offers special opportunities to tackle complicated challenges.
At Automatica 2022 in Munich, Universal Robots unveiled their newest cobot, the UR20. The fastest and strongest robot ever from the Danish company. It is the first robot in a new series that has been redesigned from the ground up and will be the successor to the e-series. It is expected to be available for order from Q4 2022 and deliverable from Q2 2023.
Increased range and payload
The UR20 has a load capacity of 20 kg, a reach of 1750 mm, a repeatability of about 0.05 mm and is 30% faster than all its predecessors. According to Universal Robots, it is perfect for machine loading, machine driving, palletizing and welding.
A new hinge design is the reason the new UR20 is so much faster than its predecessors. For example, the maximum speed of the base and shoulder is 120°/s, the elbow 150°/s and the three wrist joints 210°/s. In comparison, the shoulder and base of the UR16e went up to 120°/s and the wrist joints up to 180°/s.
Like the e-Series, the UR20 will be certified to both EN ISO 13849-1, Cat. 3 PLd and ISO 10218-1. Also like the e-Series, the UR20 will pass 17 customizable safety functions, including a brake time limitation and brake distance limitation.
Suitable for a wider audience
Universal Robots developed the new product after requests from customers. More and more users of cobots were interested in a longer reach and load capacity. Thanks to its new specifications, it can accommodate standard Europallets measuring 120 by 80 and a height of up to two meters.
In addition, the robotic arm includes motion-control algorithms and vibration suppression to enable smooth movement between set points. It operates, like the e-Series, with the 3PE teach pendant, the existing PolyScope programming software and a standard 110-220 VAC power outlet.
Universal Robots aims to redefine automation and bring the innovations incorporated in the UR20 to a new family of cobots. In doing so, the UR20 heralded the beginning of a new series of innovative next-generation cobots that will complement the company’s highly successful e-series. More information on this is expected by the end of this year.
Germany’s Franka Emika launched their new robot, the Franka Production 3 (FP3), during Hannover Messe on Monday, May 30. This cloud-based and AI-enabled robot is designed to automate processes quickly and easily, without the need for robotics expertise or programming knowledge.
Robot with tactile properties
Through fast and precise sensor feedback, the FP3 has exceptional tactile capabilities such as human-arm-like dexterity and touch. “Thanks to the in-house developed torque sensors in all seven axes and the decentralized control in Franka’s own electronics, the FP3 has tactile properties comparable to the dexterity of a human arm. This makes it the most sensitive lightweight robot on the market to date,” said Dr. Patrick Pfaff, Chief Technology Officer of Franka Emika. In the coming days, the FP3 will be officially certified in accordance with ISO standards 10218-1 and 13849-1 with safety features in Performance Level D (PLd) and Category 3. Thanks to these features, the FP3 meets the highest standards worldwide and is suitable for industrial tasks.
App-based programming
The FP3 comes with a wide range of basic apps from the FRANKA World App Store that can be selected plug-and-use and assembled into an app workflow. Additional apps are available through the FRANKA World App Store. Here developers can make their own robotics apps available and sell them worldwide. The selection of available apps is constantly growing in conjunction with available ecosystem components and services. The apps and platform incorporate the robotics and AI expertise of the developers, while the user can benefit from them in a plug-and-play manner. This allows users to quickly become productive without lengthy training, while also remaining flexible to changing production requirements.
“Global productivity increase”
The FP3 should help boost the production level of the manufacturing industry. “To maintain competitiveness and technological leadership for our key industries, especially SMEs, we need to create momentum within and outside Germany with innovative products. Our FRANKA Production 3 is a real leap forward for game-changing, global productivity growth, as it revolutionizes industrial production through its versatile, simple, productivity-enhancing functionality. This not only improves competitiveness. It also ensures local production, local employment and catches the shortage of skilled labor.” said Dr. Alwin Mahler, Chief Executive Officer of Franka Emika.
Franka Emika also announced it will introduce their new research robot, the Franka Research 3, in July 2022.
About Franka Emika
Franka Emika is a Munich-based robotics company founded in 2016 by Sami Haddadin and his brother Simon, along with a long-standing team of pioneering robotics experts. Franka Emika is a pioneer in robotics with a human touch and a unique dexterity similar to the human arm. The company produces its robots in Germany and offers unique intelligent software that is easy to use thanks to its intuitive robot app framework. The FRANKA World online platform connects customers, partners, developers and robots. It provides centralized management and remote control of Franka Emika robots, as well as access to a growing ecosystem of accredited software and hardware.
At the Taipei Automation Exhibition last year, Techman Robot presented an example of an AOI application using TM Robot’s embedded AI function. AOI (automated optical inspection) is the automated inspection of objects using a camera system. This technique is widely used in the inspection of electronic circuit boards, PCBs. After the soldering process, an advanced camera system checks the printed circuit boards, finding possible errors early in the assembly process.
Techman Robot demonstrated the use of their embedded AI vision to perform an AOI inspection on a computer’s motherboard. Using a cobot in combination with Artificial Intelligence provided four benefits.
1. Not having to reinstall cameras all the time
With the integration of a cobot, it is no longer necessary to change the camera location when a new object needs to be inspected. The operator can easily instruct the robot to move around the product and perform a visual inspection from any angle.
2. Built-in vision function
Techman Robot’s built-in vision function can handle all parts of an AOI inspection. Among others, object identification & positioning, barcode reading, OCR and distance and angle measurement.
3. Integrated AI Technology
The vision function of the cobot is powered by AI technology. It is possible to create and train different AI models with the TM AI+ Training Server software. This allows models to be imported where the robot can learn complex vision tasks that are not possible from traditional For example, detecting irregularities or external damage.
4. Recording of inspection data and traceability of products
Quality control is not the end of a production process. It is important to identify the cause of deviations and correct it. For this purpose, Techman Robot has also introduced the Image Manager. A software tool that manages and stores all image data. It backs up all data to check certain points.
Check out the video of Techman Robot at the Taipei Automation 2021 below
OnRobot, the world leader in collaborative robotics tools, launched ‘Learn OnRobot’ last month. A free online training platform that guides cobot users step-by-step through the design and implementation of cobot applications using OnRobot tools such as grippers, vision cameras, processing kits and sensors.
Extinsive library
Learn OnRobot consists of an extensive library of simple ‘How To’ videos and 3D simulations in nine languages with detailed information on cobot applications. Applications covered include palletising, pick & place and sanding. The platform is publicly available on PCs, smartphones and tablets, making Learn OnRobot easy to use during the shop floor implementation process.
“OnRobot’s products aim to make the use of automation affordable, industry-proof and user-friendly for companies of all sizes,” said Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot. “Learn OnRobot continues this barrier lowering tradition by making knowledge about collaborative applications freely available to anyone with an internet connection. From potential customers to partners, integrators and end users who want to maximise their automation application.”
Learn OnRobot consists of three main sections;
Application provides overviews of various collaborative applications, including best practices and deep dives into the specifics of successful implementations.
Product offers advice on which OnRobot tools are best suited for different applications, along with integration tips and insights.
Robot Integration shows how to integrate the application with the robot arm, with separate tutorials for each supported brand of robot arm.
Simplicity and user-friendliness
Stefan Stubgaard, Director of Application Research & Product Management at OnRobot, led the development of the new learning platform and sees Learn OnRobot as a great way for the company to repay the community for the many years of insightful conversations about the easiest and most effective ways to deploy collaborative automation on an industrial level. “Learn OnRobot is designed to help answer integration questions and overcome implementation challenges,” he says. “The new platform is all about simplicity and user-friendliness. With Learn OnRobot as a guide, integrators and end users of any level can make the most of their collaborative automation implementation.”
OnRobot makes tools for collaborative applications, from packaging, quality control and material handling to machine control, assembly, and surface finishing. OnRobot’s product range includes all-electric tools that do not require pneumatics, such as vacuum grippers, magnetic grippers, the award-winning Gecko gripper technology, force/torque sensors, a 2.5D vision system, screwdriver kits, sanding kits and tool changers. In the Netherlands, OnRobot tools are available from Phoenix Calibration in Doetinchem.
Learn OnRobot is available for free worldwide via the OnRobot website.
