KUKA at EMO Hannover 2017

KUKA Robotics is presenting new solutions for the metal industry from a ready2_use package for the simple integration of a robot through to a complete milling application. The world of metalworking meets up in Hannover from 18 to 23 September.

ready2_use packages: preconfigured and coordinated

KUKA will be presenting two user-friendly automation packages at EMO Hanover: ready2_grip and ready2_pilot. The packages are preconfigured and coordinated and can be integrated seamlessly into existing production environments.

Standardized gripper solution

ready2_grip is an easy-to-integrate, preconfigured gripper package. It will be demonstrated at EMO in conjunction with the KR AGILUS small robot. Here, the robot functions as a handling assistant, for example helping to load and unload machines.

Robot control package: intuitive programming of path planning

KUKA’s ready2_pilot is used for operator control of the robot. With this package, any KUKA industrial robot can be intuitively controlled and programmed. For this, a 6D mouse is installed on the robot, allowing it to be moved in all directions. The path planning is automatically programmed in the background.

KUKA ready2_grip reduces the effort required to integrate handling robots.

Programming interface merges robot and machine controllers

The second cell shows a robot-based milling application. Here, the combination of the control software KUKA.CNC Sinumerik with a Siemens Sinumerik 840D sl controller enables simple operator control of the robot via the operator panel of the Sinumerik controller. This allows the operator to remain in the familiar Siemens CNC controller environment and eliminates the need for special robot knowledge. KUKA milling robots carry out machining tasks just like machine tools. While they do not provide the same extent of high precision, they are more flexible and have a large work envelope.

The control software KUKA.CNC Sinumerik links the robot and machine controllers.

Industrie 4.0: machines and robots in the cloud

Industrial robots and machines are of central importance in the production of the future. Besides the cloud, they play the key role in Industrie 4.0. As flexible elements in production, they receive information from the cloud. They report the experiences acquired during the production process back to the cloud. This is where optimization and documentation are carried out and where quality is assured. With KUKA.Connect and SmartProduction, KUKA offers the cloud solutions required for this from a single source. They enable both robots and machine tools along with further devices in production to be connected to the KUKA Cloud.

Machining and 3D printing

On account of their mechanical structure and the consequent lower stiffness as compared with machine tools, robots cannot replace machine tools. But robots can intelligently supplement machine tools and reduce the load on them by taking over simpler tasks with lower performance requirements such as drilling, deburring and milling. At the same time, their large work envelope and comparatively low costs really come to the fore. For 3D printing or additive manufacturing, the limitations presented by the robot’s lower stiffness are eliminated almost completely. No external forces act on the robot. For many years now, robots have been used in applications such as laser cutting and laser welding. This experience can be applied to 3D printing.

Industrial robots for the metal industry

Trade fair visitors can find out for themselves about the highly versatile robots of the KR CYBERTECH series. The KR CYBERTECH and KR CYBERTECH nano being showcased are perfectly tailored to handle small components. With its powerful lifting abilities, a robot of the KR QUANTEC series rounds off KUKA’s comprehensive trade fair portfolio.