Robots
Collaborative robots
Operator support through comprehensive robotics functions and direct programmability. Mitsubishi Electric has introduced a collaborative robot that works together with an operator without a protective barrier.
In contrast to the fast and powerful but insensitive industrial robots that have to be locked up in cells and behind protective fences for safety reasons, the task of collaborative robots is to work ergonomically alongside humans. Because there is no need for a physical barrier, this type of robot can also be used flexibly at any point in production.
However, unlike other collaborative robots, the performance characteristics of the Mitsubishi Electric model correspond to those of the company's well-known autonomous industrial robots. For example, the new robot achieves a repeat accuracy of plus/minus 0.02 millimeters - despite the sensitive force-torque sensor system. The payload of the robot model on display is in the range of five to six kilograms, with a reach of between 800 and 1,000 millimetres.
Another feature of the new robot is its control and programming options. The robot can be intuitively taught its new task without any special programming knowledge using an operating terminal with touch display that can be attached to the robot. The robot's movement is supported by the "Direct Control" mode, in which the operator moves the new robot to the position by hand in a force-controlled manner. Once the setup is complete, the operating terminal can be easily removed again for full freedom of movement and the collaborative robot can be controlled directly on the arm.
The presentation of the new collaborative Melfa robot coincided with its official premiere at the International Robot Exhibition (iREX) in Tokyo. This is the first robot from Mitsubishi Electric with which the Japanese company is specifically entering the field of human-robot collaboration (HRC). sw
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