 |
KUKA Roboter at AUTOMATICA 2006 – a fireworks display of innovative ideas |
 |
| Munich, May 2006 – What began two years ago under the slogan “Working on your visions” now has its logical continuation in KUKA Roboter’s offerings at this year’s AUTOMATICA. With the motto “Materialize your visions”, the German company is showing the future of robotics at the new flagship trade fair for industrial automation. This includes the innovative design of a lightweight robot, two new families of compact robots, a wealth of industry-specific developments and many inspiring ideas for automating production. For part of the KUKA Robot Group’s corporate philosophy is to know today what customers in the different sectors of industry will need tomorrow. This knowledge then results in real, practical solutions.
This is the overriding goal of KUKA Roboter’s presence at AUTOMATICA in Hall B3, Booth 211 + 221. For KUKA Roboter views AUTOMATICA as the central forum for the exchange of information between industry decision-makers from throughout the world. At the largest booth at the fair – with an area of 1,300 square meters – everything therefore revolves around the needs of industry, where cost efficiency, flexibility and a healthy working environment are the motor behind the automation of production. This becomes clear as soon as one approaches the KUKA Roboter booth.
An imposing hemisphere hangs over the KUKA booth, a symbol, as it were, of the company’s global approach. Beneath this hemisphere, the KUKA exhibition planners have allowed plenty of space for communication and the exchange of experience. From this space, visitors can access different zones devoted to individual sectors of the KUKA world of industry, where KUKA robots can be seen in action in industrial applications: in metalworking, in the manufacture of plastic products, in the controlled atmosphere of a cleanroom, or at the foundry blast furnace.
And if they wish, visitors can also do a quick spot of shopping in the Logistics zone – online, of course.
KUKA is presenting numerous highlights for industry as a whole, as well as new specialized solutions for individual segments. |
|
|
| The KUKA vision of the robotics of the future | | |
| | KUKA is opening up a new dimension in robotics with a lightweight robot that is the result of close cooperation between industry and research. What is remarkable about this system is not only its light weight, but also its sensitive sensors. These make it possible for the KUKA lightweight robot to “learn” by being touched and guided by a person. And with its seven degrees of freedom, it is almost as agile as a human. This robot concept is an important milestone on the road to service robotics and medical technology. As a leading-edge technology, the new KUKA lightweight robot will initially assist with university research into new fields of application for robotics.
Without a doubt, the new KUKA small robots are future-oriented highlights for many industrial applications: compact 6-axis robots and 4-axis SCARA systems, which offer all the advantages of their colleagues in the higher payload categories. The KUKA small robots can be used in all those places where a lot has to be done in a limited space: for assembly, for pick & place tasks, or for packaging products. The new systems are naturally also available as a splash-proof version, making them ideal helpers in the foodstuffs sector, for example. The variants for cleanroom applications are due out on the market in 2007.
For metalworking, KUKA is presenting the KR 100 for welding and measuring tasks. This muscle-packed robot can lift up to 100 kilograms and has a stunning reach of up to 3000 millimeters. And despite its weight and long reach, the new KUKA KR 100 HA robot is a precision worker – with a sensational path repeatability of about 0.1 millimeters.
A new approach to handling tasks in the areas of injection molding, die casting, machine tool manufacture and logistics is the new KUKA JET, a combination of 6-axis kinematics and linear technology. With this system, highly complex removal operations and completely new, space-saving machine shop concepts are now possible, even for bulky components. KUKA JET is suitable for every branch of industry in which long travel ranges are required and where it is possible to dispense with the rotational motion of axis 1.
In contrast with large-series production, the automation of prototype, pre-series and small-series production is not yet so well established, especially in the case of sand casting and permanent mold casting. This is generally considered too time-consuming and costly, even though robotic automation can significantly increase the product quality. For these reasons, KUKA Roboter has now brought out the KUKA Safe Handling casting axis, a system that is not programmed in the conventional manner, but is “taught” all the necessary steps quickly and easily by the foundry worker using a joystick, just as if he were carrying out the work himself. | |
|
| KUKA Roboter points the way | | |
| | Beyond the presentation of both new and established robotic solutions, another, quite different approach was also important to KUKA Roboter when planning its booth for the trade fair. At AUTOMATICA, the company wants to inspire, encourage, give people new ideas. And to bring people together to talk about new, industry-specific approaches. This applies not only to end customers, but also to integrators, for example. KUKA Roboter is paving the way for fresh ideas with a number of automation scenarios spread around its booth. For instance, visitors can do some online shopping in a virtual supermarket, thanks to the innovative KUKA Robot Shop concept. KUKA Depallet is an idea for a new kind of flexible gripper system that is ideal for layer-by-layer depalletization and palletization of products which are unsuitable for grippers using clamping or suction.
A simple principle with great effect. And for the foundry sector, an example is shown of one of the many different possibilities for optimization that could be achieved using cooperating robots. The spectrum extends from machining to spraying and smoothing, right up to bonding and joining. | |
|
| About the KUKA Robot Group | | |
| | KUKA Roboter GmbH, Augsburg, is a member of the IWKA Aktiengesellschaft Group (Karlsruhe) and ranks among the world’s leading suppliers of industrial robots. Core competencies are the development, production and sale of industrial robots, controllers, software and linear units. The company is the market leader in Germany and Europe, and the number three in the world. The KUKA Robot Group employs about 2,000 people worldwide. Of these, 1,200 are employed in Germany, either at the KUKA Robot Group headquarters in Augsburg, or at various subsidiaries. In 2005, sales totaled 340 million euro. Over 20 subsidiaries provide a presence in the rest of Europe, the US and Asia. | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Any questions? We would be happy to help |
|
KUKA Robot Group
Head of Communications
Jürgen Schulze-Ferebee
Tel.: +49 821 4533–3318
presse@kuka.com
|
|
|
|