Delta robots are becoming increasingly popular for many types of applications, because they're fast, have small footprints and feature large work envelopes.
Fixtures are essential to most assembly and machining processes. Their design is vital, as they have a direct effect on productivity, cost and quality. It is estimated that 40 percent of rejected parts stem from inappropriate fixturing.
Electric motors have been used in industry for more than 150 years. Siemens AG has been making them at its plant in Bad Neustadt, Germany, for 80 of those years.
From the outside, a robot appears to be an independent entity that can do many great things all on its own. But, in truth, it's the internal technology and end-of-arm tooling that enable the robot to effectively perform many types of assembly.
The door latch on a vehicle doesn't do much. It doesn't power the vehicle. It doesn't aid in handling or braking. But, of course, it's vital to the safety and security of the vehicle's occupants. And, no company has been making latches better over the years than Kiekert AG.
MARTORELL, Spain—Some 125 automated guided vehicles share the workspace every day with 7,000 employees at SEAT’s assembly plant here. The AGVs transport 23,800 parts daily and cover a distance of 436,000 kilometers every year, equivalent to the distance between Earth and the Moon.
Speed, power and durability are key characteristics of industrial robots. These robots are typically used in applications such as welding or in lifting heavy components for vehicle assembly. Yet despite advanced calibration methods, the positional accuracy of industrial robots has been inadequate for certain tasks. This is now changing thanks in part to highly accurate, output-side encoders from Heidenhain and AMO.
Inserting glass windows into car bodies has been, and remains, a challenge for automotive OEMs. Manual insertion is labor intensive and imprecise, and carries with it the risk of bodily injury to assemblers due to broken glass.