Motoman’s latest launches in the robotic spot welding market include ES-series ‘Expert Spot’ robots with an integrated spot harness.  With spot utilities (power, water, air, motor and signal lines) integrated into the profile of the robot arm, automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers realize increased flexibility and higher uptime.  Motoman’s patented multiple robot control technology allows close interaction of several arms working on a car body without fear of collision.

Motoman’s latest innovation is the 7-axis VS50 spot welding robot.  Designed to take full advantage of proven Direct Current (DC) weld timers and servo controlled actuators, Motoman is introducing a series of light weight ‘mini-guns’.  These powerful, compact spot guns weigh less than 50 kg, but deliver high performance with 600 kgf clamping pressure and 15,000 Amps of welding current.  The low profile and ‘elbow’ on the VS50 robot allow it to be positioned close to the vehicle.  It can reach underneath or inside confined spaces.

The 6-axis MS80 robot complements the 7-axis VS50 arm and has a slim profile and longer reach for windshields and pillars.  These smaller, faster spot welding robots are designed to be used with full-size ES165D/ES200D model with larger guns to maximize robot density in a welding station.  This ‘high-density’ approach reduces takt time and shortens the production line with fewer re-spot stations.

Sleek, strong and fast, the new 6-axis MA2010 arc welding robot features a 10 kg payload, up from 3 kg on the previous MA1900 model. Additionally, compared to the MA1900, the new MA2010 features a 23% larger wrist hole for utilities and has a 6% longer reach. The MA2010 robot is introduced with the DX200 robot controller which is more energy efficient and designed for improved maintainability.

The MA2010 features a new contoured arm structure that reduces interference by enlarging the close-range motion area of the robot, making it optimal for welding large workpieces and reaching over jigs. Its hollow upper arm maintains the optimum bend radius of the welding torch cable, maximizing weld performance. Additionally, the T-axis can rotate the torch ±210 degrees without cable interference. Available in floor-, wall- or ceiling-mounted configurations for workcell flexibility and ideal for agriculture and construction machinery parts due to its longer reach.

The MA2010 robot has a 2,010 mm horizontal reach, 3,649 mm vertical reach and ±0.08 mm repeatability. Its integrated through-the-arm torch cabling eliminates cable interference, simplifies programming and reduces cable wear. The enlarged 50 mm thru-hole can allow signal cables for sensors, higher current cables and water-cooling lines. The higher payload allows motorized torches and cameras to be mounted on the wrist for welding applications. Additionally, a material handling version of the robot with a 24 kg payload is available (MH24).

The MA2010 robot uses the Yaskawa Motoman DX200 controller that features patented multiple robot control technology to easily handle multiple tasks and control up to eight robots (72 axes), I/O devices and communication protocols. Its extensive I/O suite includes integral PLC and HMI pendant displays, high-speed Ethernet communication, 4,096 I/O addresses and a graphical ladder editor that can provide system level control. The DX200 has been designed to improve process capability, reduce energy usage and improve maintainability and safety. An enhanced Functional Safety Unit (FSU) provides control reliable zone and tool position monitoring, stand still monitoring and speed limiting. This can reduce costs for safeguarding hardware and provides new capabilities such as collaborative tasks. It is compliant to ANSI/RIA R15.06-2012 and other relevant ISO and CSA safety standards.