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Maximum flexibility in production with a cobot
The tasks in production are extremely diverse, the shortage of skilled workers, especially in shift work or seasonal peaks in demand, is another challenge. At FACHPACK, Bosch Rexroth will be demonstrating for the first time how companies can handle these tasks automatically and flexibly with a mobile cobot station. The solution was developed by HELDELE Automation, Certified Excellence Partner of Bosch Rexroth and sales partner of Kassow Robots.
Among other things, HELDELE Automation uses a 7-axis Cobot KR810 from Kassow Robots, Bosch Rexroth acquired a majority stake in the company in 2022, and the ctrlX CORE control system from Rexroth. It offers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) a high degree of flexibility, because it can handle a wide variety of tasks at different locations in production. A significant advantage of the station: While the Cobot installed on the mobile station does its work independently, the AMR (autonomous mobile robot) can take over other tasks in production and intralogistics.
The Cobot Station is transported to its workplace with the AMR ACTIVE Shuttle from Rexroth and receives information from the production control system. Then the 7-axis lightweight robot KR810 starts its work autonomously (Image source: HELDELE Automation GmbH)
The mobile Cobot station
The mobile Cobot Station is suitable for a wide range of applications in the production of consumer goods. It is possible, for example, to equip packaging machines with packaging materials made of KLTs or other load carriers. Another example is the sorting of products into transport cartons, a task that today is often taken over manually by co-packers. Quality control can also be automated. For this purpose, the cobot can remove components from the production flow and deposit them in a KLT. From there, the components are automatically moved to the measuring device and tested. Solutions are also possible in which the cobotarm equipped with a testing device directly takes over the component testing.
“Our solution impresses with compactness and flexibility. While the Kassow Robots cobot installed on the mobile station performs its tasks on site, the AMR can be used elsewhere in production or intralogistics. This advantage is missing conventional AGV/cobot solutions. There, the driverless transport system or the AMR temporarily remains in place until the cobot has completed its work, as the AGV and cobot form a single unit," emphasizes David Pietsch, Managing Director of HELDELE Automation GmbH. Dieter Pletscher, Global Sales Manager at Kassow Robots, adds: “HELDELE Automation has developed a solution with our 7-axis cobots that offers impressive flexibility. KLTs or machines can be loaded and unloaded down to the last angle, as the 7th axis of our robots also allows the handle around the corner and is therefore particularly manoeuvrable.“
AMR with Cobot – compact and staple construction
Each of the ten models from Kassow Robots can be installed in the mobile cobot station. This enables ranges of up to 1800 mm and load capacities of up to 18 kg. The use of the five models of the KR Edge Edition in mobile cobot solutions is particularly recommended: For the Edge Edition, Kassow Robots has miniaturized the controller and installed it in the robot base, to make integration even easier. The mobile cobot station is controlled by the ctrlX CORE from Rexroth. At 600 x 400 mm, the overall solution was designed to be very compact so that it can also be used in confined production environments. The structure is also designed to be stable against tipping during dynamic movements.
Kassow robots: robot arms with seven axes and countless applications. Here when loading a lathe.
The Cobot station is transported to its workplace by an automated guided vehicle (AGV) – or an AMR such as the ACTIVE Shuttle – or AGV. There, it receives information from the production control system via WLAN and starts its work autonomously. Once a task has been completed, it reports this back to the control system and is automatically transferred to another location. The entire process takes place autonomously, without the intervention of employees. The transport system can take over other activities in the meantime.
The solution uses an inductive battery and charging system and can therefore be operated for up to eight hours independently of a power source. Charging points can be set up at additional workstations or centrally for several AMR.
Author: Dennis Burk
Management consultant, Sales
HELDELE Automation GmbH
Uferstraße 48, D-73084 Salach
Telephone: +49 7162 7079-567
Mobile: +49 172 1872 926
Dennis Burk
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Dennis Burk
Bosch Rexroth AG
