LBR iiwa solves tasks with a sensitive touch

Many engineering careers are no doubt born in early childhood out of a fascination for Lego bricks and robots. The next step up the career ladder then occurs in the assembly and robotics laboratory at Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences under Prof. Dr. Christian Meierlohr. Using an application with the LBR iiwa from KUKA, engineering students no longer stack Lego bricks themselves. Instead, they leave this task to the sensitive seven-axis lightweight robot. The LBR iiwa picks up the pieces, stacks them and sensitively pushes them together. Lego mazes can be created in this way and the sensitive lightweight robot passes through them with its gripper. The students make use here of the robot’s sensitive ability to detect and avoid obstacles and collisions in order to find its way out of the labyrinth. Since the robot is mounted on a specially manufactured laboratory trolley, it can be moved freely around the room and thus flexibly used in other teaching events.
Handling workpieces with a KUKA small robot

The KR AGILUS sixx small robot is extremely fast. It is located in a training cell with a transparent table, automatic workpiece supply by vibratory feeder and an image processing system for workpiece recognition. Depending on the study level – Bachelor or Master – it can be used to accomplish different tasks. Pick-and-place is a typical automation scenario. Here the robot is used to grip workpieces and position them accurately. The image processing system can also be used to recognize and sort different parts. Another task is programming the robot to find its way through a foam labyrinth.
Programming by means of software simulation

As far as programming is concerned, students can use the simulation software KUKA.Sim Pro to program robots offline on the PC and test the sequence with KUKA.OfficeLite In this way, they learn to create motion sequences that can be used, for example, in robotic cells for production and assembly. Following the simulated tests, the sequences programmed offline can be checked directly on the real machine and optimized under practical conditions. “Simulation is a good first step when planning what can be done with a robot, but sooner or later it reaches its limits. The real world behaves slightly differently from the simulated world in certain respects. That is why the ability to transfer the planning on the computer directly to the real robot and apply it there is so valuable,” says Prof. Dr. Meierlohr. Moreover, the integration of the simulation workstations makes it possible to divide the students into smaller groups that can work at multiple stations. This increases the intensity and success of the learning process. In this way, the students can work through the typical engineering tasks from planning through to real implementation.

FANUC America Corporation will introduce the new CR-4iA and CR-7iA table-top size collaborative robots, and demonstrate its CR-35iA heavy-payload collaborative robot at IMTS 2016, booth #S-8919.

The CR-7iA, CR-7iA/L, and CR-4iA collaborative robots follow the launch of the larger CR-35iA collaborative robot. “Our collaborative robots are equipped with highly-sensitive contact detection allowing them to share workstations with people,” said Greg Buell, product manager, FANUC America. “This is a major safety and cost benefit as it allows the robot to perform more strenuous tasks or repetitive operations without the need for expensive industrial safety barriers.”

IMTS Collaborative Robot Demonstrations

Gearbox Assembly – A new FANUC CR-7iA/L collaborative robot mounted to an AGV will perform two operations. First, the robot will use iRVision to pick planet gears from a rack and use the FANUC FS-15iA force control sensor to insert the gears into a gearbox to build three assemblies. The robot will then disassemble the gearbox. Next, the robot moves to a second station and picks a relay, presents it to an error proofing camera to verify that the part is acceptable, then inserts the relay into a circuit board. The robot then disassembles the circuit board and the cycle repeats. The cell features the new robot’s capabilities to safely interact with an operator, handle different part types, and work on a mobile platform.

Interactive Cell – A new FANUC CR-4iA collaborative robot mounted to a pedestal and equipped with a Rockwell Safety Area Scanner will demonstrate the robot’s high-speed mode and contact-stop mode. Visitors will be able to experience the high sensitivity of the robot’s contact stop and push-to-escape features. In addition, the cell will showcase the CR-4iA’s tap-to-resume feature.

Motor Assembly – A FANUC CR-35iA collaborative robot equipped with iRvision picks an unfinished motor from a pallet and places it at a work station where an operator attaches several parts on the motor’s shaft as the robot retrieves a second motor. The robot places the second motor on the work station, then picks and rotates the completed motor, allowing the operator to attach an inspection tag. The robot then transfers the completed motor to a finished motor pallet. After three assemblies are complete, the operation is done in reverse. This cell features very close human/robot collaboration in an interactive application.

“The FANUC CR-35iA collaborative robot allows shared workspace between an operator and the interactive robot,” added Buell. “The highly-sensitive robot gently stops if it comes in contact with the operator, allowing the robot and human to work side by side.”

CR-7iA, CR-7iA/L, and CR-4iA Features and Benefits

The CR-7iA offers a 717mm reach and 7kg payload; the CR-7iA/L offers the same payload with a longer 911mm reach; and the CR-4iA has a 550mm reach and 4kg payload. FANUC based its design for the new compact collaborative robot series on the widely popular LR Mate-series of mini material handling robots. The new robots are ideal for small part sorting and assembly, inspection, machine tending and part delivery.

All of FANUC’s collaborative robots are green to distinguish them from the standard yellow FANUC robots.

The new CR-7iA, CR-7iA/L, and CR-4iA collaborative robots provides a wide range of features and benefits, including:

• Three compact variants offering 550-911mm reach and 4-7kg payload capabilities.
• Floor, wall and ceiling mounting options.
• Safety rated contact detection and familiar green exterior color.
• Designed with the same high reliability as FANUC’s conventional robots.
• Works in cooperation with a human operator in a variety of manufacturing applications.
• Supports FANUC’s latest intelligent functions such as iRVision and Force Sensing.
• Designed to meet the safety requirements of ISO 10218-1:2011 and RIA/ANSI R15.06-2012.
• Operates with the small R-30iB Mate controller, capable of running on 120v.

CR-35iA’s Features and Benefits

The CR-35iA collaborative robot features six-axis articulation. A soft green cover protects workers who are in direct contact with the robot.

The CR-35iA robot was developed to help manufacturers solve ergonomic challenges by handling applications that are physically demanding for humans, such as heavy lifting. In the automotive industry, for example, workers are required to lift spare tires into vehicles on the assembly line. “The CR-35iA can work alongside the employees assigned to this task to help reduce injuries associated with repetitive or heavy lifting,” said Buell.

Certified to meet the requirements of ISO 10218-1:2011 and RIA/ANSI R15.06-2012, FANUC’s CR-35iA collaborative robot can work in a variety of applications alongside human workers including: machine tending, handling heavy payloads that require lift assist devices or custom equipment, higher payload mechanical assembly, palletizing or packing, and tote or carton handling.

The CR-35iA robot offers a wide range of collaborative and safety features and benefits, including:

• Industry’s first 35 kg payload collaborative robot that can work with humans in a shared workspace without safety fences.
• Works in cooperation with a human operator in a variety of applications including assembly and heavy-duty part transfer.
• Stops safely when it touches a human operator.
• Soft green cover minimizes impact force and prevents human operators from being pinched.
• Certified to meet the requirements of international standards ISO 10218-1.
• Supports FANUC’s latest intelligent functions such as i
• Designed with the same high reliability as FANUC’s conventional robots.

A mini robotic cell developed by integrator Paul von der Bank GmbH is in operation at Brüninghaus & Drissner in Hilden. In the confined space of this “Welding To Go” (WTG) 1200 cell, a KUKA KR 6 R 700 sixx robot from the AGILUS series reliably performs welding tasks.

KUKA KR AGILUS ROBOT FOR PARTICULARLY HIGH WORKING SPEEDS

“With the same dimensions as a Euro pallet – 1200×800 mm – the WTG 1200 is the smallest robotic cell on the market for arc welding,” explains Cornelia Hornemann, responsible for product launch, project management and production planning at Paul von der Bank. Furthermore, depending on the specific requirements of the customer, the optimum small robot from the KR AGILUS series can be flexibly operated in the cell. The robots of the KR AGILUS series are systematically designed for particularly high working speeds. The KR 6 R700 sixx integrated into the mini robotic cell at Brüninghaus & Drissner, for example, has a maximum payload capacity of 6 kg and a reach of approximately 706 mm. The sliding doors of the WTG 1200 can optionally be opened either automatically or manually before a worker loads the workpieces into the welding fixture. Once the door has closed, the robot starts its welding tasks.

KUKA KR 6 R700 SIXX SMALL ROBOT ACHIEVES ALMOST 50% BOOST IN PRODUCTIVITY

“At our plant, the WTG 1200 works reliably in 3-shift operation,” explains Markus Nickolai, Head of Production at Brüninghaus & Drissner. With great success: the mini robotic cell has resulted in significant productivity gains of up to 50 percent, as the operator is now able to prepare the next workpieces while automatic production is in progress. That is not all, however: thanks to the repeatability of the small robot, the quality of the weld seams has also improved noticeably. It is therefore no surprise that Paul von der Bank GmbH is already working on the next mini-cell generation with KUKA robots for its customers. The WTG 1500 will then have an external axis for turning the welding fixture.

Stuart Campbell, Clinical Sales Development Manager of the Neurological Products Division at Renishaw, discusses key trends on the use of robotics in neurosurgery.

The curious case of Phineas Gage is one of the earliest and best known cases of serious brain injury. On September 13th, 1848, Gage was working as a railway foreman in Vermont when an explosion caused a three foot long iron rod to be propelled straight through his skull. At the time, doctors thought it impossible to survive such an injury and his remarkable survival and reported personality changes affected the study of neuroscience forever. In recent years, a new technology has changed the face of neuroscience – robotics, which offers high precision access to a complex and sensitive region.

Industrial environments are rife with automation and robotic systems. The upwards trend is only increasing, with the International Federation of Robotics predicting that by 2018, 1.3 million industrial robots will be entering service in factories across the globe. Automated or robotic systems can increase the speed, reliability and accuracy of industrial processes, but the benefits of robotics are not limited to industrial applications.

Applications in the operating theatre
The first application of a robotic system in surgery happened in 1985, 24 years after the introduction of UNIMATE, the first industrial robot. In this first robotic surgery, surgeons performed a neurosurgical biopsy using a PUMA 560 robotic arm. The robotic system allowed for greater precision in minimally invasive surgery compared to more traditional methods.

Despite the first application of a robot assisted procedure being in neurosurgery, robotic systems are not as widely used in this field compared to other areas of medicine such as urology, cardiology and gastroenterology. This is partly because of the anatomical challenges in such a complex and spatially limited organ but also because of the fact that the brain includes extremely sensitive tissue.

Brain tissue may be difficult to access and manipulate, but it is also incredibly important. As a result, technological improvements to traditional methods have always been a focus to improve the precision of surgery and release the potential of the technology in this important area of the body. Advances in engineering and imaging techniques have sparked further interest in computer-assisted and robotic neurosurgery.

The need for precision during brain surgery has led to an increase in computer-assisted surgeries (CAS). This technique involves using imaging technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerised tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography (PET) to generate an image of the patient’s brain. The surgeon will use this information to plan the route of surgery.

Computer-assisted surgery can accurately guide surgeons to their surgical targets, therefore improving patient outcomes by limiting damage to adjacent tissue. CAS has been a key factor leading to robotic-assisted surgery. It enables the surgeon to use software to control and move surgical instruments mounted on a robot and perform surgery through small incisions.

Surgical robots
One definition of a surgical robot is ‘any reprogrammable powered manipulator with artificial sensing’. The most important factors to consider when classifying a surgical robot are in its surgical applications, its level of interaction with the surgeon and the role of the robot in the surgery. Robots range from being fully dependent, where the surgeon has full control of the system for the duration of the procedure, to autonomous, where the robot will reproduce pre-programmed motions or instructions during the surgery without the control of the surgeon.

Currently, the most common systems in robotic surgery are dependent systems, where the surgeon retains full control of the surgical instruments. This type of surgery is also known as telesurgery and a popular example of a telesurgery robot is the da Vinci® Surgical System which enables surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgery. It provides a 3D HD view, ergonomic design and wristed instruments that can bend and rotate more than the human hand.

Surgeons have used this system in over three million surgeries since it received FDA approval in 2000. Autonomous systems are less common, but surgeons do currently use this equipment in stereotactic neurosurgery, a sector where robotic systems are growing in popularity.

Stereotactic surgery
Stereotactic neurosurgery is a technique used by neurosurgeons to locate surgical targets within the brain. It uses 3D imaging data and either an external frame or imaging markers attached to the scalp as reference points. This technique enables surgeons to reach targets that are deep in the brain in a minimally invasive way. Surgeons would most commonly use this technique in procedures including deep brain stimulation (DBS), stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), biopsy and endoscopy, or to deliver devices or instruments to a small target in the brain.

Traditionally, in frame-based stereotactic surgery, the surgeon would attach a frame to the patient’s head and use an imaging technique to identify the best routes to the target area. The frame provides a fixed support to accurately position surgical instruments according to 3D coordinates.

Surgeons must use the imaging information to identify the most suitable angle to enter the brain in order to minimise the risk of damaging vital tissue. In a brain biopsy, the target coordinates help to position and pass a probe through a small hole in the skull. In another example, in the main type of procedure to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s, electrodes are placed deep in the brain to deliver high frequency stimulation.

Robotics in stereotactic neurosurgery
The first commercially available neurorobotic device for stereotactic neurosurgical procedures was the neuromate® stereotactic robot. This device can decrease procedure time and increase safety in stereotactic neurosurgery in frame and frameless procedures. The robot has five degrees of freedom, can be mounted with surgical instruments and can be used in various procedures.

Surgeons have used the neuromate in thousands of electrode implantation procedures for DBS, SEEG, neuroendoscopy and biopsies. It is now used in many hospitals around the world with several installed in the UK.

Thanks to developments in medical IT, there is now easy to use procedure planning software such as Renishaw’sneuroinspire for stereotactic procedures. Integration of the software with the robot provides the surgeon with a system where the programmed robot can be positioned to enable the surgeon to place instruments and/or devices into the correct location. This is effective in reducing human errors and operating time.

Training surgeons in robotics
One of the challenges to the widespread acceptance of robotics in the neurosurgical operating theatre, once they have been proven effective and safe, is the ability to train neurosurgeons to use the innovative technologies.

Simulation techniques are continually improving and the more lifelike the simulation the better, as simulation is a good alternative to cadavers. A benefit of a simulation is that it can be specific to an individual patient if generated using preoperative imaging, so a surgeon can prepare and practice an exact patient-specific procedure using the technology as a dry run. Improvements in virtual reality techniques will prove useful in training surgeons to use technology of the future.

It is extremely important that surgeons have a familiar and comfortable environment in which to practice using Renishaw’s technology. This is one of the reasons why Renishaw has set up a Healthcare Centre of Excellence at its Miskin site, near Cardiff in Wales. Within this centre, there is a mock operating theatre suite that mimics a real-life hospital setting, but without the complication of a sterile environment. In the state-of-the-art suite, surgeons can be trained to perform highly complex stereotactic procedures using the Renishaw range of neurological products.

Another technology making its mark on surgical training is live streaming. The first live streamed surgery was broadcast in April 2016 to medical students as well as other interested parties. Live streaming has broken geographical barriers so that experienced surgeons can demonstrate surgical techniques and procedures in real time. The Renishaw Healthcare Centre of Excellence includes this technology in its mock operating theatre.

In the neurosurgical field advances will continue to improve speed, tactile ability and human-robot interfaces. Completely autonomous surgery is still a long way off, but robotics is already changing the face of neurosurgery forever, although in a slower, more progressive way than the explosion that affected poor Phineas Gage.

Modern production is characterized by volatile markets, short product lifecycles, increasingly diverse ranges and rising price pressure. “The Industry 4.0 trend should be understood as a response to this,” explained SCHUNK Managing Director Dr. Markus Klaiber. “The goal of all Industry 4.0 measures is comprehensive flexibilization of production processes while retaining maximum transparency and economy.”
Very specific demands for everyday use can be derived from this: “Industry 4.0 must make flexible and adaptable components and structures available that enable even small batches to be produced economically.” Automated systems and the components installed in them must in the future be flexible enough so that responses can take place extremely fast based on data acquired during the course of the process and the process can be adapted and optimized accordingly. In terms of his own company, Mr Klaiber goes one step further here: “Our goal is to respond to chance events such as the failure of a component or the overrunning of production with a higher priority order so that production can be continued with just the minimum of delays.” In specific terms this means the system must become aware of the incident, process it and react in interaction with control equipment, MES or ERP systems for instance by changing to another production line or prioritizing another order. The focus here is therefore, like with large series production, on maximum utilization of systems.

Comprehensive communication as the basis

The basis for the success of Industry 4.0 is, in the view of Dr. Markus Klaiber, end-to-end communication, which goes far beyond communication hierarchies that have been in place in automated production plants since the 1980s. “In Industry 4.0 everything communicates with everything,” stresses Mr Klaiber. A particular task is assigned to gripping modules and other actuators as well as sensor systems installed in them in this relation, for ultimately they act as a direct interface to the workpiece, component or finished product. “The SCHUNK gripper is the module that first has contact with the workpiece following processing. In future it will have the intelligence to detect whether the specifications for tolerance, weight or dimensions have been complied with.” Based on this data it will then be possible either to continue the process as planned, trigger corrective quality control circuits or eject faulty parts.

Industry 4.0 Guidelines

In order to shorten the road ahead to Industry 4.0 for companies, the VDMA recently developed the “Industry 4.0 Guidelines” together with the Data Processing in Design (DiK) department at the University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt and the wbk Institute for Production Technology at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT). This provides medium-sized machine and plant constructors such as SCHUNK with a tool that supports them in the development of their own Industry-4.0 projects and business models. The guideline illustrates specific procedures, as to how companies can further develop their individual strengths and competences and accompanies them step-by-step on the way to their own concepts and solutions. During its development Prof. Dr.-Ing. Reiner Anderl of the DiK and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Fleischer of the wbk placed great emphasis on its suitability for practice. Four pilots companies including SCHUNK tested the guidelines for their practicality and applied them successfully during initial projects to generate business models for new products and successfully improve production.

Based on the VDMA Guidelines, SCHUNK created an arithmetical formula that illustrates the path from the current state to the intelligent gripper for Industry 4.0. For this the fact that the requirements profile for intelligent networked systems in smart factories is highly multi-faceted had to be taken into account. It ranges from an awareness of the current situation to its evaluation and an individual response. Breaking this down to the world of SCHUNK grippers results in various gradations, with simple mechatronic grippers the entry-level class. These are followed by intelligent mechatronic grippers additionally equipped with a sensor system. Next come cyber-physical systems, which are also capable of communication. Finally there are smart grippers 4.0, i.e. cyber-physical systems, which are web-capable too. The latter are able to respond independently based on data acquired, communicate via the Internet and even forecast their own functional capability. Application areas for smart grippers are the smart factory, human-robot-cooperation but also ongoing condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, sensitive inspections or inline quality assurance.

Sensor technology as the basis

In the estimation of SCHUNK, sensor systems in particular will gain significantly in importance for handling and assembly. Even today SCHUNK offers a wide range of standard grippers that are tailored to the required scope of functions. These range from PGN-plus universal grippers with proximity sensors to the simple mechatronic gripper SCHUNK EGP with position and overload control as well as the intelligent SCHUNK EGL with integrated force measurement and control, and the flexible SCHUNK SDH which, due to its three fingers, also enables a high degree of flexibility with gripper operations in addition to integrated force and positional control. To ensure the path to Industry 4.0 is a successful one, narrow interdisciplinary collaboration beyond the limitations of the company is required in the view of Dr. Markus Klaiber. SCHUNK itself sees its strength in the development of intelligent, network capable and flexibly usable gripper system components. “We will actively incorporate this know-how in existing and new projects for Industry 4.0.”

With KUKA Toledo Production Operations, or KTPO for short, KUKA set a new milestone in terms of the digital supply chain and Industrie 4.0. The manufacturing solution consisting of networked systems and architectures was set up as long ago as 2006 and was ahead of its time. The plant enabled a quantum leap in productivity.

Up until 2006, the efficient production of high volumes and a wide range of models and variants on the same production line had always been considered impossible. KTPO proved the opposite: the body-in-white plant for Jeep® Wrangler bodyshells is pioneering in terms of networking and process control – as well as offering unprecedented flexibility. KUKA was already implementing Industrie 4.0 in reality back then.

The “Internet of Things in a Box”

A vehicle body – of whatever model and whatever version – comes off the production line every 77 seconds. Reliably, day in, day out, for the last ten years. To achieve this, KUKA linked the plant’s 259 robots and 60,000 other devices with powerful back-end monitoring systems and a master data management system. This was essentially the development of “IoT in a Box” which has evolved dynamically and continuously ever since.

For years, the plant has been one of the most efficient body-in-white lines in the US automotive industry and one of the pioneers of Industrie 4.0. So far, at a rate of nearly one a minute, around one and a half million bodies-in-white for the Jeep® Wrangler have rolled off the same line, irrespective of whether they are for the classic two-door model or for the four-door “Unlimited” series.

Pioneering operator model
The Jeep® Wrangler is a success story – in terms of both production and demand. In order to keep up effortlessly with the increasing production figures, KTPO made use of an intelligent control system to enable non-stop output of bodyshells in two-shift operation. “KTPO reliably produces top-quality vehicle bodies,” emphasizes KTPO Managing Director Jake Ladouceur.

The operator model at KTPO is also pioneering. In the four production facilities at the “Toledo Supplier Park”, several suppliers take on responsibility for the manufacture of entire preliminary stages in their own production shops. Chrysler itself is responsible for painting and final assembly.

KTPO as an intelligent lifecycle management platform
What began with the networking of production processes via back-end monitoring systems, has meanwhile developed into an intelligent lifecycle management platform as part of Industrie 4.0. The fully digitized solution, linked to production, controls and monitors the entire value chain in real time, from receipt of materials to the actual production processes and goods dispatch. It also identifies weak points and optimizes capacity utilization.

Day in, day out, KTPO impressively demonstrates that KUKA is operating a body-in-white production facility that can meet the most exacting standards of the global automotive industry in terms of quality and efficiency as well as the requirements of Industrie 4.0.

At Asset International in South Wales, a KUKA 120 R2700 extra HA robot, a KL 1500-3 T linear unit, and two KUKA MG 360 servomotors for the external rotational axis and the KUKA CNC controller relieve workers of strenuous milling tasks.

THE KUKA KR QUANTEC SERIES FOR PAYLOADS OF UP TO 120 KILOGRAMS

The KUKA 120 R2700 extra HA robot from the KUKA KR QUANTEC series for payloads of up to 120 kilograms is designed for high-precision requirements such as milling and laser applications. At Asset International, it machines the large plastic pipe components with a specially designed high-speed milling spindle. Prior to machining, workers clamp the components to a multi-functional clamping table or a large, self-centering table controlled by the rotational axis. As a result of the barrier-free system, the robot, mounted on the KL 1500-3 T linear unit, can move directly to the plastic pipe to be machined and then flexibly carry out the job on the component as required. The solution was developed by integrator Eugen Riexinger GmbH & Co. KG in Bad Liebenzell.

40 PERCENT PRODUCTIVITY BOOST AND INCREASED SAFETY

“Thanks to the KUKA 120 R2700 extra HA robot, our employees are relieved of very strenuous manual work involving strong vibrations,” says Graham Bennett. “The solution has enabled us to increased productivity by more than 40 percent,” says Asset’s Operation Manager with pleasure. “Shorter production times have allowed us to boost capacity by more than 50 percent. At the same time, there has been a significant improvement in quality and precision,” he emphasizes. Thanks to its modular design tailored to the customer’s requirements, the system can be adapted to the needs of Asset International at any time. The integrator is also very pleased with the result. “We are very proud to have designed the first system worldwide that can process such large plastic parts with this precision and speed – all the while increasing occupational safety,” emphasizes Manuel Kratz, head of the project at Riexinger. For this reason, the Bad Liebenzell-based company is sure that robot-based automation in the plastics processing sector will be seeing further growth.

The interaction of robots and machine tools is the focus of KUKA’s trade fair appearance at AMB 2016. KUKA will be presenting solutions for the metalworking sector at the international exhibition for automation. The trade fair will be held in Stuttgart from 13 to 17 September 2016. Visit us in Hall 8, Booth 8A69.

KUKA demonstrates customised automation solutions for machine tools

The world of machine tool users is spinning ever faster, which is why automation solutions must also be implemented more and more quickly. KUKA aims to provide its customers with the best possible support. For this, KUKA is expanding its product portfolio with additional automation components, such as a gripper package, and is supplying its partners with “ready-to-use“ robots.

Operating KUKA industrial robots, even without special programming knowledge

Visitors can take a closer look at KUKA at the company’s trade fair booth. Among other things, they have the chance to see industrial robots of the KR QUANTEC, KR CYBERTECH and KR AGILUS series as well as operator control elements and robot cells. The KR AGILUS, for example, will be on display in its waterproof variant, equipped with a gripper package. It is ideal for use in machine tools, since it is not affected by high external stress factors such as swarf, cooling lubricants, water spray or oil. To make operator control of robots as simple as possible, KUKA has developed KUKA.mxAutomation, an interface that allows the user to program robots even without special programming knowledge. With the Siemens SINUMERIK Operate user interface, execution of the machine tool and robot programs can be controlled and monitored on parallel channels.

Airbus uses two powerful KUKA omniMove heavy-duty mobile transport vehicles for the construction of its A380 flagship in Hamburg. With their Mecanum wheels, they are able to transport aircraft components weighing up to 90 tonnes with millimeter precision in confined spaces.

Canum wheels of the KUKA Omnimove enable maximum maneuverability

Construction of the Airbus A380 in Hamburg involves moving aircraft components measuring 15 meters in length and weighing up to 90 tonnes. This is made possible by the KUKA omniMove mobile transport platform, a transport vehicle for heavy loads that is equipped with omnidirectional Mecanum wheels. This wheel design ensures unrestricted maneuverability without the need to steer the wheels. For a year now, Airbus has been using two of these vehicles in the hangar in which the A380 is produced. This enables implementation of the desired cycle time for transportation of the fuselage sections and the parts are moved along the production line.

Robot platform maneuvers from a standing start

Due to the different work stations and the huge fuselage sections, space in the Airbus hangar is limited. The ability to turn from a standing start is the greatest advantage of the KUKA omniMove. The Mecanum wheels move in every direction and operate with the utmost precision even with a maximum payload of up to 90 tonnes. “Our success is unequivocally based on innovation and we also implement state-of-the-art technologies in our production facility,” explains Dr. Kai Brüggemann, Airbus plant manager in Hamburg.

KUKA Omnimove impresses with simple handling, flexibility and precision 

The KUKA omniMove meets these requirements very well. It is easy to operate, quick to learn and particularly easy to steer. Furthermore, the batteries are very powerful: the transport platform operates tirelessly for 48 hours without the need to recharge them. The ease of handling, flexibility and precision of the KUKA omniMove have greatly impressed the team at Airbus that operates the platforms. “The omniMove has always been the optimal solution for handling and transportation of the A380,” summarizes Dr. Brüggemann, and adds: “I hope to be able to introduce further KUKA products to our hangers.”

While smoothly loading the grinding center of type UW I F at SAACKE, the KUKA small robot KR AGILUS WP (waterproof) ensures fast and precise transfer and unloading of workpieces.

Robot-based automation of the grinding process shortens the changing times for workpieces

The KR AGILUS WP removes the workpiece to be machined – an indexable insert or a shank tool – from a pallet in the robot cell and sets it down on a pin. Following this, it positions the workpiece in front of the door of the cell, which opens automatically. The robot arm then moves through the open door to the grinding device outside of the robot cell, where a machined workpiece is already located during ongoing operation. Using the second gripper, the KR AGILUS WP picks up this workpiece and then loads the new workpiece with a quick rotation of the gripper arm. Machining of the new workpiece with the type UW I F tool grinding machine begins. In the meantime, the robot arm returns to the robot cell. There, the machined workpiece is cleaned in the blowing station and then set down again on the pallet before the robot grips the next workpiece to be ground and the work sequence is repeated from the beginning.

Waterproof KUKA small robot  also works precisely under intensive outdoor production conditions

The KUKAsmall robot works extremely precisely for the optimal handling of indexable inserts weighing just a few grams as well as for shank tools of up to 2.5 kg. The robot used to achieve this at SAACKE is the KR 6 R900 sixx WP robot – the most robust waterproof variant from the KR AGILUS series. It features stable stainless steel covers, resistant surface treatment and additional seals in the interior, enabling it to be used in a machine tool environment. This prevents ingress of cooling lubricant and grinding oil into the robot. As a result, the robot fully meets SAACKE’s expectations. Thanks to a shortened cut-to-cut time, the capacity utilization of the machine has been substantially improved. Furthermore, the reliable procedure has enabled the operator control requirements of the machine to be simplified to a great extent.