New turboscara series is fastest, safest yet

Citation

(2004), "New turboscara series is fastest, safest yet", Industrial Robot, Vol. 31 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2004.04931cad.001

New turboscara series is fastest, safest yet

New turboscara series is fastest, safest yet

Keywords: Robots

At present, the drive and control company, Rexroth, is introducing the fastest, most economical and safest swivel arm robots in their class, the new turboscara SR4/6/8 plus series. Up to 30 per cent faster with standard cycles down to < 300 ms, the latest robot family offers bearing loads to 8 kg, reach up to 800 mm and rapid start-up, thanks to an integrated absolute encoder system (Plate 1). Table mounted with stand and wall mounting options, the latest SR plus generation offers plug and play gripper installation on the robot arms, an onboard button for driveless teaching, a new power supply module giving safety class III capabilities and a motion controller incorporating flash technology and 128 Mb RAM for faster execution.

Plate 1

Also new are sealed SR6/8 versions for clean room and dustproof applications and the latest easyrobot programming software, incorporating a user-friendly editor and 3D robot movement visualisation. The turboscara SR4/6/8plus series is at present available from Rexroth's specialist sales partners and service centre in Cirencester and backed by its global service operation.

The needs of Robot users were at the heart of the development of the turboscara SRplus series, notably low-cost overall design, a high level of flexibility, convenient and safe operation, adaptability to individual process requirements and easy integration into automation systems, even when using different robot makes. As the name implies, the turboscara is a four-axis, 2D selective compliance assembly robot arms (SCARA) robot, widely used in the packaging, food processing, automotive, machine tool, electronics, pharmaceuticals and other industries.

Typically employed for such applications as palletising, materials handling, assembly, soldering and welding, the turboscara offers high repeat accuracy, precise positioning, fast throughput for pick and place tasks, consistent results and a space-saving installation footprint. Its use is highly recommended where product quality improvements and savings on labour costs are sought, particularly if lifting and repetitive work is involved, high levels of concentration are demanded, or the processing environment is hostile to humans.

The turboscara plus series comprises the SR4 with a 400 mm reach and < 300 ms standard cycle, the SR6 with a 600 mm reach and < 450 ms rating and the SR8 with 800 mm and < 490 ms. All have a standard 200 mm vertical reach and bearing load capacity of 2-5 kg, but the option of a 0.25 mm double ballscrew axis on the SR6/8 increases the reach to 400 or 600 mm and the load rating to a maximum of 8 kg. For fast applications such as positioning, the speed of this third axis has been increased to 1,600 mm/s, on 0.20 mm sleeve sizes. The precision repeatability is ±0.025 mm across all models.

The absolute encoder system currently included in the standard scope of supply ensures quick commissioning and start-up of the SR4/6/8plus, as the robot always “knows” its exact position in the work area, without needing to follow reference points. Since the arm does not need to be fully extended for referencing, as on incremental systems, this feature offers the freedom to design more compact systems and workstations.

IP54 protection is standard across the range, safeguarding the robots from most harsh production environments, but SR6/8plus are additionally available with an IP65 rating, for cleanroom and dustproof duties. The robot's rotating parts and drive components are completely sealed; the electric and pneumatic cables are shielded and sleeved, while the vertical axis is protected with special bellows.

Also launched is Rexroth's new programming tool, easyrobot. To ensure a more intuitive, user-friendly environment, the menu, edit and debugging functions are based on standard Microsoft software, while the program language is the familiar BAPS development tool. Functionality includes project management, drag-and-drop programming, point-to-point connections between the PC and rho4.0/4.1 controller, and virtual reality 3D robot simulation. The new program supports all the features of the turboscara 4/6/8plus series, as well as Rexroth's six-axis AR6/8 articulated robots.

For more information, contact: Bosch Rexroth Limited, Cromwell Road, St Neots, Cambridgeshire PE19 2ES. Tel: 01480 223 245; Fax: 01480 470 789; E-mail: press@boschrexroth.co.uk