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<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nCHICAGO \u2014 At Automate 2019 here this week, Epson Robots announced three different products designed to make industrial automation easier to use. The company said that its VT6L six-axis robot, IntelliFlex parts-feeding system, and four new models in the LS SCARA series are intended to bring precision and affordability to robotics users of all sizes.<\/p>\n
Epson Robots, which is part of Epson Group led by Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., claims an installed base of more than 85,000 robots worldwide. Building on a 35-year heritage, the company offers six-axis, Cartesian, and\u00a0SCARA\u00a0robots are based on a common set of PC controls. They are used in assembly and materials handling for applications such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, food processing, medical device, and electronics. Epson is displaying its products at\u00a0Automate\u00a0at Booth 7566 in the McCormick Convention Center.<\/p>\n
VT6L an entry-level robot<\/p>\n
The new VT6L is an \u201call in one\u201d six-axis robot arm that is compact, easy to install, and more affordable than the competition, according to Epson Robots. The VT6L has a 900mm (35.4 in.) reach and a payload capacity of 6kg (13.2 lb.).<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout two years ago, we introduced the T3 all-in-one, four-axis SCARA robot for entry-level applications,\u201d said Rick Brookshire, group product manager at Epson Robots. \u201cWe were going against the linear slide market, where systems integrators typically add the slides.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018All in one\u2019 means that we put the controller inside the robot base and made it simpler to integrate,\u201d he told\u00a0The Robot Report. \u201cOur all-in-one family a relatively new concept, based on reducing space requirements and the cost of components.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe T3 took off faster than we expected, and we immediately started work on a\u00a0T6 SCARA robot\u00a0with a bigger payload capacity,\u201d Brookshire said. \u201cWe then began working on a six-axis robot, so the VT6L is a distant cousin of the T3.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe used a lot of the same technology across robots \u2014 including our own motors and encoders \u2014 to keep the costs down,\u201d he said. \u201cAlong with the Epson RC+ simulation software, we want to lead in ease of use.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEpson is well-known for reliable products,\u201d Brookshire said. \u201cFor us to come out with something on the low end is a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe VT6L is made for relatively simple assembly tasks \u2014 such as loading or unloading machine tools, injection molding \u2014 where you don\u2019t need tremendous precision or speed,\u201d Brookshire said. \u201cWe learned about these modest but widespread requirements while working on the\u00a0T series.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made the end of the arm hollow for end-of-arm tooling. There\u2019s space for wires or pneumatic tubes,\u201d he explained. \u201cNormally, you need a big loop so that when the arm twists around, it doesn\u2019t get caught. We can now connect a flange on the end of the arm and then go straight out to tooling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, no battery is required for the encoder,\u201d said Brookshire. \u201cWith most robots, you have encoders that track positions of motors and use batteries to save the location. They have to be changed every one to three years. We came up with this proprietary technology for our encoders to reduce downtime and TCO [total cost of ownership]. \u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0robot\u00a0works with the Epson Vision Guide product, which is built to locate items for the VT6L to pick up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe interface is built into the Epson RC+ environment, so that developers can focus on the task at hand,\u201d Brookshire said. \u201cWe\u2019ve already heard positive feedback from some systems integrators, and we want to get these features into all our robots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also noteworthy is the price tag for the VT6L, which Epson Robotics has announced at $13,900.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s very low for a six-axis robot, but a lot of simple applications are using robots that are way overqualified,\u201d said Brookshire. \u201cThe T3 starts at under $7,500, allowing SMEs [small and midsize enterprises] to put automation in their factories and allowing us to expand.\u201d<\/p>\n
IntelliFlex feeder uses software to speed singulation<\/p>\n
The IntelliFlex parts-feeding system can eliminate retooling for mechanically separating high-mix, low-volume parts and uses a point-and-click interface, said Epson.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn any assembly operation, you need a way to feed parts to a robot, such as trays, gravity feeders, and bowl feeders,\u201d Brookshire noted. \u201cTo get one part at a time, bowl feeders vibrate the part to the top. But if you change the part, you need to change the bowl feeder and find an expert to change its programming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFlexible feeding uses a camera, then a conveyor or vibration to spread out parts for singulation,\u201d he added. \u201cThe vision system can then find individual parts to pick. But someone still has to write the software to put it all together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Epson is using a feeder from\u00a0Asyril\u00a0with its IntelliFlex system, which includes a flex feeder, a vision system, and software so that the robot can refine its sortation automatically, said Brookshire.<\/p>\n
\u201cIntelliFlex\u2019s point-and-click interface includes features such as auto-tuning for, say, the different vibration of plastic versus metal parts,\u201d he said. \u201cIt usually takes a human to tune the feeder, test it, and change parameters. This could involve writing hundreds of lines of code.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNormally, tuning works with the user putting in some parameters, like frequency, amplitude, and direction,\u201d Brookshire said. \u201cAfter putting parts in, the user would have to play with these numbers to move parts in a certain direction or apart far enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith autotune, the user clicks a button and starts a tuning wizard,\u201d said Brookshire. \u201cInstead of having to write the code, it auto-generates it, except for two sections where it asks where to place the parts or how many positions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vision system takes pictures and watches parameters. Epson Vision Guide would see if parts are bunched in a corner and automatically tell the feeder to spread them out, without human instruction,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Asyril feeder can even control the direction of parts, rather than just shaking them and hoping for singulation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guys in my department couldn\u2019t do this before, but they can now do this in under an hour,\u201d he remarked. \u201cHow much time could be saved?\u201d<\/p>\n
How did the partnership with Asyril arise? \u201cEpson is part of Seiko Epson Group, which got its beginnings in automation for making watches,\u201d Brookshire responded. \u201cMeanwhile, Asyril\u2019s first customers were watchmakers in Switzerland familiar with dealing with tiny, high-precision parts. It was a natural pairing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith IntelliFlex, iterative tuning happens very quickly,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have features coming for if you want the parts to be on one side of a tray or another to be in fastest path for a robot, the feeder can mover parts directionally. We\u2019re recording these motions and figuring out the best locations to pick from. This could reduce cycle times by 5% to 10%.\u201d<\/p>\n
Epson adds robots to L5 SCARA lineup<\/p>\n
Epson Robots has added four models to its LS series of\u00a0SCARA\u00a0robots: LS3-B, LS6-B, LS10-B, LS20-B. They are named by their payloads in kilograms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe already have the No. 1 SCARA lineup in the world, from the T series at the low end to the G series at the high end,\u201d Brookshire said. \u201cThere were already 3, 6, and 20kg payloads, and we\u2019ve added the 10-B. We also have multiple sizes in millimeters for each, and you can get a specialized model for clean rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike with the T series, we built our own motors and encoders for the LS-B,\u201d he said. \u201cBy doing that, we improved the speed by about 5%.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith SCARA robots, there\u2019s a whipping action because of the shoulder motor and elbow joint. You can get faster motion if you use both motors at the same time,\u201d said Brookshire. \u201cJust keeping the distance short doesn\u2019t necessarily work. We can figure out an optimal position on a platform better than a human can.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the maximum speed and the smoothest motion, you need to get rid of extraneous vibrations, but first, you must measure it,\u201d noted Brookshire. \u201cOur gyro inside the arm can feed back into servo loop. This provides optimal stopping, so the robot don\u2019t overshoot or ring, which is movement at end of the arm.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike noise cancellation, our next-generation gyro hardware and software can detect motion and balance it out for the robot to more efficiently come to a stop,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Other changes, Brookshire said, include an Ethernet cable in the arm, so that uses can more easily connect a camera on the nose of the robot without many exterior cables. This line also has battery-less technology, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe VT6L and IntelliFlex may be more exciting, but the LS-B shows Epson\u2019s commitment to continuously improving its products,\u201d said Brookshire. \u201cThere are a few things that guide the time frames. Epson has hundreds of engineers in R&D groups all over the world. For example, an R&D group recently released force guidance, which was then integrated into our robots.\u201d<\/p>\n
The working process of Epson 4-axis robot<\/a><\/span> CHICAGO \u2014 At Automate 2019 here this week, Epson Robots announced three different products designed to make industrial automation easier to use. The company said that its VT6L six-axis robot, IntelliFlex parts-feeding system, and four new models in the LS SCARA series are intended to bring precision and affordability to robotics users of all sizes.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,124],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-technology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rzautoassembly.com\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nManipulator Epson robot controller<\/a><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"