KUKA secures a new Red Dot
The Red Dot Design Award's red dot is a renowned seal of quality for outstanding design. Every year an international jury assesses thousands of entries and awards prizes to products from around the globe. Thanks to its appealing design, the friction welding machine from KUKA Industries was able to secure the Red Dot Design Award in the Product Design category.
12 April 2017
Last year, friction welding technology was a key aspect of the 50th anniversary celebrations at KUKA Industries GmbH. Over the past five decades, the technology company has established and refined the pressure welding process for industrial applications. "At the request of a customer, we developed a vertical friction welding machine in-house and we are proud that it has been recognized with the Red Dot Design Award. This is proof of our significant expertise in the development of customized solutions," explains Walter Weh, Division Head Advanced Welding Solutions at KUKA Industries, proudly. In friction welding, the heat generated by friction is used to join different materials together.
The design of the vertical rotary friction welding machine VRS 30 is completely new and builds on the success of the KUKA Genius. It benefits from a slim, dynamic and flowing design. KUKA has managed to minimize the footprint of the VRS 30 while keeping the design functional. "All of the components have been integrated, including the hydraulic unit. We have been able to create space for large maintenance doors and ensure that the hydraulic control block and main drive are easy to reach by mounting the platform halfway up," explains Otmar Fischer, Project Leader for Mechanical Design at KUKA Industries. Thanks to the sophisticated hydraulic-numerical process axis and the large speed/load range, it is suitable for a wide spectrum of welding applications.
Optimizing the system for automation involving industrial robots was of paramount importance to the experts at KUKA Industries throughout the development of the VRS 30. "Sophisticated ergonomics, innovative design and the highest degree of flexibility come together to form a well-balanced machine. With its intelligent user interface, state-of-the-art welding process monitoring system and energy-efficient drives, this machine provides our customers with the best possible conditions for achieving a substantial increase in productivity," says Fischer. Operator control is carried out intuitively. Large status lamps indicate the current operating state. The new vertical friction welding machine was designed to produce high-strength, accurate welded connections with up to 300kN of forge force. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the VRS 30 is ready for Industrie 4.0, just like other KUKA products such as the KUKA Genius or the KUKA flexibleCUBE. The machine features integrated and primed Cloud system connectivity. “We are delighted that we were able to win over the Red Dot jury with our new development.”