April/May 2019

www.hpmag.co.uk HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS April/May 2019 47 algorithms of artificial intelligence. Proportional piezo valves for precise control In order to keep the effort of tubing the BionicSoftHand as low as possible, the developers have specially designed a small, digitally controlled valve terminal, which is mounted directly on the hand. This means that the tubes for controlling the gripper fingers do not have to be pulled through the entire robot arm. Thus, the BionicSoftHand can be quickly and easily connected and operated with only one tube each for supply air and exhaust air. With the proportional piezo valves used, the movements of the fingers can be precisely controlled. BionicSoftArm: One robot arm, many possible variations The strict separation between the manual work of the factory worker and the automated actions of the robot is being increasingly set aside. Their work ranges are overlapping and merging into a collaborative working space. In this way, human and machine will be able to simultaneously work together on the same workpiece or component in the future – without having to be shielded from each other for safety reasons. The BionicSoftArm is a compact further development of Festo’s BionicMotionRobot, whose range of applications has been significantly expanded. This is made possible by its modular design: it can be combined with up to seven pneumatic bellows segments and rotary drives. This is said to guarantee maximum flexibility in terms of reach and mobility, enabling it to work around obstacles even in the tightest of spaces if necessary. At the same time, it is completely flexible and can work safely with people. Direct human-robot collaboration is possible with the BionicSoftArm, as well as its use in classic SCARA applications, such as pick-and- place tasks. Flexible application possibilities The modular robot arm can be used for a wide variety of applications, depending on the design and mounted gripper. Thanks to its flexible kinematics, the BionicSoftArm can interact directly and safely with humans. At the same time, the kinematics make it easier for it to adapt to different tasks at various locations in production environments. Elimination of costly safety devices such as cages and light barriers shortens conversion times and thus enables flexible use – completely in accordance with adaptive and economical production. www.festo.co.uk www.festo-didactic.co.uk Use Delta RMC motion controllers and graphical RMCTools software to simplify and improve complex motion. Visit Delta’s website for videos, case studies, and specifications. Find a case study of your industry and application. 1-32 axes of synchronized position, velocity and pressure/force control. Discover simple, fast, precise electro-hydraulic motion at www.deltamotion.com Fast, precise, simple and elegant. Next level hydraulic control Delta RMC75 1 or 2-Axis Delta RMC150 Up to 8-Axis Delta RMC200 Up to 32-Axis LEFT: The pneumatic lightweight robot BionicSoftArm is flexible from the start and is suitable for direct human-robot collaboration.