FABTECH 2024 Automation
Automation solutions will be on display at Fabtech in Orlando.
Posted: October 1, 2024
Automation Portfolio Helps Customers Minimize Unplanned Downtime
Balluff Inc. (Florence, KY), a leading sensor and automation company, will show off its broad portfolio of metalworking products — sensors, networking, RFID, and other automation equipment built to stand up to the harsh environments in stamping and welding plants at Booth W-4735.
A team of Balluff automation experts will help customers learn how to minimize unplanned downtime, reduce scrap, and gain more visibility into production. Learn more about topics like:
- Condition monitoring
- Network architecture
- Traceability with RFID
- Sensing solutions for stamping and welding
- Level detection
- Operator guidance
- Welding automation
- In-die protection
Use Balluff’s unique code 10000760 when you register and receive a free floor pass — a $50 savings,
Balluff was a pioneer in the development of inductive sensors and more than 30 years ago was the very first to turn this technology into RFID for tool identification. The automation company continues to expand its offerings for metalworking and machine tool building.
High-quality, Integrated Automated or Manual Welding Solutions
CLOOS North America (Schaumburg, IL), a subsidiary of CLOOS Group, will spotlight its latest welding automation and manual welding products and technologies at Booth W-4829. Through hands-on and static demonstrations, CLOOS will showcase its theme, In Every Weld, emphasizing the CLOOS commitment to providing high-quality, integrated automated or manual welding solutions to support the demands of the metal working industry, addressing shorter cycle times, fewer skilled workers, and higher requirements for flexibility and quality.
Live demonstrations and products on display include:
- New ExperT modular component kit allows fabricators to fully customize a welding system or cell by combining CLOOS modular components to build the ideal welding solution for their production needs.
- ArcBoT cobot welding system is a complete ready-to-weld unit that’s compact and portable for maximum production versatility. Users can setup and begin welding with ArcBoT within hours of delivery. Smart programming software eliminates the need for robot programming. The integrated Seam Tracking feature measures the voltage and current in real-time during welding to guarantee the weld remains in the seam. This feature along with Touch Sensing are standard on AcrBoT and together ensure quality and precision “in every weld.”
- CS-3 system is a pre-engineered solution with two-station rotary table including a turning axis and a counter bearing per station. The robot is mounted in an overhead position on a C frame. CS-3 is all-around performer with flexible application possibilities to suit individual requirements.
- SC-1 compact cell offers easy entry to robotic welding with ready-to-weld automation ideal for small-part welding. SC-1 is equipped with an automatic two-station positioner with universal fixture plate for 275 lb. component weight per station. It requires minimal floorspace.
- Various manual welding power sources will be showcased, including feature rich NexT and easy to use StarT units, as well as Pulse-Pro. The high-frequency inverter power unit exclusive to CLOOS offers superior arc control for excellent results no matter the welding task, basic to complex.
Also highlighted will be a range of robotic torches in capacities of 300 A to 600 A. CLOOS torches feature a highly efficient water circuit for superior cooling, resulting in an extended life for consumables.
Integral to CLOOS welding systems is programming software. Demonstrated will be C-Gate, an Industry 4.0-enabled digitalized platform that provides real-time welding data to monitor and control production processes down to the smallest detail. C-Gate will be connected to all equipment on display, providing live, instantaneous feedback.
World’s First Global Explosion Proof Collaborative Paint Robot
FANUC America Corp.’s (Rochester Hills, MI) new CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot is the first explosion-proof collaborative paint robot available globally. The CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot unlocks the benefits of automation for more companies, including high-mix, low volume operations, in the painting, powder and/or gel coating with fiberglass reinforcement industries. “Easy-teach” features include drag-and-drop programming with graphical icons and “lead through teach” capabilities. The CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot has a payload of 10 kg as well as the longest reach in its class at 1,418 mm and is lightweight at 45 kg. As with other CRX cobots, the CRX-10iA/L Paint is maintenance-free for eight years.
Evolving Automation: Upgraded Vacuum Pumps
Piab’s (Canton, MA) piSAFE® has for some years been a highly appreciated member of Piab’s assortment of products with elevated safety functions. As the reliable vacuum pump is now upgraded, the safety focus remains. However, versatility and sustainability have been added to the mix as new healthy prerequisites. Piab will be in Booth W-4665.
Since its introduction in 2021, piSAFE has clearly been the vacuum ejector of choice where an exceptionally high level of gripping safety is necessary for a stable manufacturing process. The key feature being the vacuum safety valve which maintains the vacuum level in the COAX® based pump at all times.
This quality has made piSAFE especially appreciated in demanding automotive applications such as glass and body assembly, where a dropped part would have severe consequences.
As the offered safety level was already satisfactory, other prerequisites were added to the list when piSAFE went for its recent 2.0 tour through Piab’s R&D department.
The piSAFE concept is now divided into four fully configurable products, to enable the customer to freely choose a suitable level of functionality:
- piSAFE – fully equipped pump unit with safety functions.
- piSAFE Vacuum Safety Valve (VSV) – same safety functionality, to be used with external vacuum pump.
- piSAFE Vacuum Safety Valve MINI – safety functions in a minimized format.
- piSAFE Mounting bracket – Versatile bracket to be used with piSAFE products, other systems like our piSTAMP, or just to be used as suction cup holder for external vacuum sources.
Consequently, the configurator has been updated accordingly with one product card for each of the four products. Apart from the product split, the new version of piSAFE has undergone the following improvements:
- VSV: Common feed using atmospheric quick release (AQR NC) which means one hose for both feed and release, instead of one for each. Supports increased compatibility, easier installation and less maintenance.
- Silencer: Now optional for a healthier work environment. Protects the hearing of staff involved in the everyday process.
Cobot Pioneer to Showcase Innovative Solutions for the Metalworking Industry
At FABTECH, the pioneer of collaborative robotics, Universal Robots (Novi, MI), will showcase innovative new welding features from two of its premier OEM partners, Vectis and Hirebotics.
Vectis will be showing some of their latest user-experience and ease-of-use cobot welding features including QuickTeach and AI Path Optimization. QuickTeach makes the easy Vectis system even easier to use, by allowing the cobot champion to teach points and optimize paths right at the torch. AI Path Optimization enables operators of all skill levels to always teach consistent high-quality welds. This technology works by applying user-defined work angles, push/pull angles, and smoothed corner transitions to the path — ensuring the weld is always created according to the procedure specifications.
There will also be a couple of revolutionary new deployment methods from Vectis enabling even more fabrication applications to be tackled with cobots.
Hirebotics has developed new advanced cobot welding features including Enhanced Stitch Welding, delivering the ability to stitch weld through complex paths, reordering of stitch welds, and more. The company’s robust, smartphone-based platform Beacon, which lets users teach cobots with ease and remotely monitor and modify tasks, is now also available on UR’s teach pendant. At the show, attendees can now teach the UR cobots through the device of their choice, be it iOS, Android, Web, and now also through UR’s teach pendant in the Polyscope interface.
Additionally, UR’s FABTECH booth will showcase the robotic machine tending system AutoTend from Mid Atlantic Machinery, a press brake integration solution featuring a UR10e. AutoTend will bend a candy dish part from type 304 stainless steel. The demo will showcase Mid Atlantic’s patented rotary end-of-arm tooling while demonstrating the ability of the UR10e to bend complex parts while interacting directly with the press brake touch screen control.
Also, in UR’s booth is the Smart Finishing Workcell from Cohesive Robotics, a game-changer for automated surface finishing tasks. At the show, Cohesive Robotics will demonstrate autonomous scanning and on-the-fly programming of a UR cobot to simulate various finishing processes in the booth. Designed for high-mix manufacturing operations, the work cell leverages machine vision and AI to perform common material removal and surface finishing processes on nearly any part, of any quantity, and with no programming required.
A Flexible Human-Collaborative Work Cell for Robotic Welding
Designed for human-collaborative (HC) interaction, the highly flexible ArcWorld HC from Yaskawa Motoman (Dayton, OH) is a complete robotic welding solution for fabricating small- to medium-sized parts. Ideal for replacing or supplementing manual weld processes, such as pre-assembly before welding in larger robotic work cells, this pre-engineered mobile cart system is well-suited for high-mix, low-volume production. Yaskawa Motoman will be in Booth W-4871.
This portable job shop with three-sided access comes complete with a perforated fixture table, a single HC10DTP cobot, retractable arc curtain, built-in exhaust hood, a compatible Miller®, Lincoln Electric, SKS, OTC or Fronius power supply, a 14-gauge metal tool board, tool balancer and debris tray. A 120 VAC 20-Amp electrical extension outlet and 120 psi air connection are provided for common welding tools. Overhead LED lighting provides interior illumination, and solid wheels and leveling feet enable quick and easy installation or relocation. Wire spool and shield gas bottle holders are optional.
Featuring Power and Force Limiting technology for safe operation and hand-guided teaching for easy programming without a pendant, the HC10DTP robot efficiently welds parts with consistent high quality. Offering a 1,379 mm maximum working range and a 10 kg payload capacity, the HC10DTP can process parts up to 500 H-x-2,000 W-x-800 D mm. Its IP67 rating enables welding without additional coverings or equipment. Fast air cut speeds (250 mm/s) are easily achieved with arc curtain closed, or they can be maintained at collaborative speed (200 mm/s) when the curtain is open. Risk assessment provided for assured, safe design.
At FABTECH, the ArcWorld HC demonstration will highlight Yaskawa’s Smart Pendant intuitive touchscreen teach pendant with the new software extension app, Weld Builder. Weld Builder enables intuitive programming of the included HC10 welding cobot. Movement points can be controlled and stored by manually guiding the cobot or by teaching with the Smart Pendant.
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