October 2019

YASKAWA HAS announced what it claims is the smallest, lightest, six-axis industrial robot for handling small parts. The 7kg MotoMini robot can be installed close to workpieces and other machinery. It can handle payloads of up to 500g and offers a horizontal reach of up to 350mm and vertical reach of up to 495mm. Acceleration times are claimed to be 20% faster than comparable robots, while a repeatability of 0.02mm delivers good performance when handling small items. Noise levels are less than 65 dB (at maximum load and speed), while home position data can be saved without needing a battery. The robot can be installed on table-tops, floors, ceilings or walls, saving valuable floor space. It has a footprint of 191 x 124mm and can be moved easily from one location to another to suit production line demands. Typical applications will include picking- and-placing of small components in assembly, parts-feeding, packaging, sorting and materials-handling operations. The robot’s cables and air lines are routed through its base to its upper arm, while single robot-to-controller cable connection enables fast set-ups. www.yaskawa.eu.com OMRON HAS announced a new family of all- in-one controllers that it says will bring the IoT cost-effectively to compact machines. The CP2E Series controllers integrate axis controls, I/O ports and communications functions, and allow the performance of IoT-connected machines to be visualised using simple programming. Omron says that the new controllers will help to improve productivity and production quality. It adds that almost anyone can set up machines to perform complex control processes, using pre-defined program data and function blocks for positioning and control. This also reduces the time needed for programming, testing, debugging and maintenance. The function blocks include a four-axis positioning function with linear interpolation. Positioning to a mark can be achieved using one instruction. The controllers also offer PID controls with autotuning function blocks for stable temperature control. They can collect machine performance data and share this with a host network. There are two Ethernet ports with switching functions that can provide host and HMI connections. Option boards can add up to three serial ports, providing open connections to serial devices. The “install and forget” controllers have been designed for reliable operation in most environmental conditions, and have a wide operating temperature range. Any bit corruption issues are detected and corrected automatically, avoiding the need for unnecessary shutdowns. LED indicators on the I/O terminals allow quick troubleshooting, while battery-free operation cuts maintenance costs. www.omron.com TECHNOLOGY n All-in-one controllers bring IoT to compact machines Omron’s CP2E controllers offer a choice of two Ethernet ports or three serial ports using option boards 7kg six-axis robot is‘the smallest and lightest’