Cobots Conquering Challenging Applications at Fabtech 2022

Universal Robots will showcase a number of technologies developed by partners that tackle applications previously considered too challenging for cobots

The Park’N’Arc rotational range extender allows workers to move a welding cobot to new locations.

The Park’N’Arc rotational range extender allows workers to move a welding cobot to new locations.

Welding has become the fastest growing application segment for Universal Robots’ (UR) cobots product line.  

While just a few years ago welding was considered far too difficult a task for cobots to handle, UR’s welding channel grew more than 80 percent the first nine months of 2022 compared with last year with more than 1,200 cobots expected to ship in the welding vertical this year. 

Since UR debuted its cobot-powered welder at FABTECH 2017, many welding OEMs now standardize weld solutions on the UR platform. At FABTECH 2022, UR will demonstrate that  

At UR’s FABTECH booth #C-11045 in Atlanta, G.A., on November 8-10, Vectis Automation will debut the new Park’N’Arc; a “diving board” rotational range extender that allows for the base of the cobot to be manually moved to various locations.  

“Compared to a short linear track, the Park’N’Arc is an improved design for increasing range as the cobot base can be [moved] nearly eight feet in a linear direction while maintaining simplicity, robust cable management, and portability,” says Josh Pawley, co-founder of Vectis Automation.  

Another new take on welding larger parts, typically out of the cobot’s reach, will be shown by Hirebotics and partner Kinetic Technologies LLC, launching RT1, a new cobot-controlled rotary table designed to maximize welding capacity.  

“The need for this system is two-fold,” says co-founder of Hirebotics, Rob Goldiez. “RT1 gives customers the ability to rotate the part to the front and back for welding. Secondly, it gives users with high volume production the ability to have separate load and weld stations; loading a part on one side while the cobot is welding on the other, increasing arc on time and throughput.” 

Challenging Bin-Picking Task 

Picking unstructured parts out of bins is another traditionally challenging task to automate. At FABTECH, UR will showcase a collaboration with Precision Cobotics, demonstrating how a UR5 cobot is able to pick a shiny metal part from a randomized bin and place it into a MECCO laser marking machine. The UR5 is guided by Apera AI’s new UR+ certified Vue Vision software that accurately locates and places the part.  

“Robotic bin picking systems often struggle with shiny or complex objects and usually have much longer cycle times than a human performing the same actions,” says Eric Petz, head of marketing at Apera. “The Vue Vision software provides the industry’s fastest total vision cycle time—as low as 0.3 seconds— and operates under ambient light using standardized cameras, so the user does not need expensive specialized equipment.” 

Laser Welding and Deburring 

Metal fabricators visiting UR’s booth will also gain new insights from Cobot Systems, a UR Certified Systems Integrator (CSI), that has launched the first commercially available IPG LightWELD laser welder to be guided and controlled by a cobot. For deburring needs, Kane Robotics will show the GRIT ST-X robotic system that is ideal for sanding, grinding and finishing, using ATI’s UR+ certified Compliant Reciprocating Tool. 

For the first time at a fabricating show in North America, attendees will also be able to experience the new 20kg payload cobot, the UR20 from Universal Robots that greatly expands automation opportunities such as the ability to reach further into machines, tend several machines in the same cycle, and handle 25 percent heavier parts than other UR cobot models. Despite being UR’s most powerful robot, the UR20 is the lightest cobot in its class, weighing only 64kg (141.1 lbs.). 

“We are launching a redefined cobot that has been completely re-engineered from the ground up, focused on freeing up more manpower within a wide range of human-scale automation tasks,” says Joe Campbell, senior manager of applications development and strategic marketing at Universal Robots. “We look forward to showing fabricators the capabilities of our new cobot along with the numerous new innovative partner solutions showcased in close to 30 different application demos across our own booth and throughout the FABTECH show.” 

Written by

Michael Ouellette

Michael Ouellette is a senior editor at engineering.com covering digital transformation, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and automation.