June 2019

32 n HANNOVER FAIR REPORT June 2019 www.drivesncontrols.com robots’operating instructions covers their use in hazardous areas. Mitsubishi has also produced a plug-in expansion card which adds predictive maintenance functions to its FR series Scara robots. The SmartPlus card includes functions such as optimised temperature compensation for improved positioning accuracy. The card can retrieve data from the robot’s servomotors to indicate potential failure risks – such as damage to the motor, or gears or bearings on the same shaft, or signs of wear. Nord DriveSystems was demonstrating a range of two-stage angled gearboxes for applications requiring low speed ratios and high power ratings. The Maxxdrive XT gearboxes come in seven sizes, with power ratings from 50–1,500kW, output torques from 15–75kNm, and speed ratios from 6.3–22.4. They have built-in axial fans and, in many cases, no extra cooling is needed. Bosch Rexroth was previewing an autonomous transport system for factories which can move loads of up to 250kg on dollies equipped with“small load carriers”. The ActiveShuttle dollies are loaded and unloaded automatically using a built-in lifting platform. The“plug-and-go”system can be integrated rapidly into existing infrastructures without needing to make any changes. The system is due to go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2019. The ActiveShuttle can also be used with another Rexroth technology, called the Apas inline assistant – a collaborative robot designed to be integrated into production lines and to close the gap between AGVs and line transfer systems. The robot has a built-in camera that can track products and ensure that items are gripped and recorded reliably. This makes continuous material flows possible, and closes the gap between the ActiveShuttle and Rexroth’s transfer systems. Schaeffler unveiled a concept that will allow gearbox manufacturers to cut costs by using interchangeable modular components such as bearings with the same external dimensions. The interchangeable bearings are aimed, initially, at precision servo planetary gearboxes and include deep-groove and angular-contact bearings, allowing load capacities, speed ranges and rigidity to be adjusted within the same envelope. Schaeffler also announced a re-usable cover strip for its profiled guide rails which, it claims, will cut assembly times by up to 90%. The ADE steel cover strip, for the RUE 35, 45 and 55 assemblies, slides into a groove in the rail and is fixed in place by a screw. Another new guide rail timesaver is a range of patented plastic closing plugs which allow several plugs to be driven into place in one step, cuttingmounting times by up to 75%. The KA-TN/B plugs are simply inserted into the bore and driven in until they are flush with the surface, at which point an attached clinch ring breaks loose. Schunk was previewing a new gripper for collaborative robots which, it says, will“shatter” the applied gripping force limit of 140N by using an“intelligent”safe gripping process App reads error messages from controllers Bosch Rexroth has released an app that provides wireless access to the error memory of machines equipped with its control systems, allowing maintenance personnel to read error messages and service information, and to order spares. The Digital Service Assistant (DSA) app, for Apple and Android devices, eliminates the need for time-consuming investigation to identify defective components. After installing the app, users define which PLC data the app can read. The connection is encrypted and the app has no write rights. In use, maintenance personnel simply call up an electronic nameplate for the components, or scan a QR code or serial number. They can request a spare part, or initiate a repairs request, while at the machine. OEM machine-builders can integrate the app into their service offerings. Initially it is available in Germany, but will be rolled out elsewhere. Two-stage: Nord Maxxdrive XT gearbox Closing the gap: Bosch Rexroth’s Apas assistant with an ActiveShuttle (background) Intelligent: Schunk’s Co-act EGL-C gripper

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