In the wake of Industry 4.0 and the smart factory, more and more individualized solutions are finding their way into production. For manufacturers worldwide, this means producing more and more different products in smaller quantities. At the same time, they have to deal with issues such as a shortage of skilled workers, which further restricts their flexibility. This is another reason why the level of automation is constantly increasing. Providers of automation solutions have recognized this and offer modular solutions that allow manufacturers to adapt their production lines quickly and flexibly when changing products.

Omron meets these requirements, among others, with its new Scara generation i4. It can be installed in a space-saving manner and easily integrated into existing production lines. According to the company, the i4 is fast, easy to operate and can be used for numerous configurations and applications.

Simple installation, simple integration

Lucian Dold: "The Scara robot i4 will set new standards!" © Omron

Lucian Dold, General Manager Marketing Product & Solution at Omron, is certain: "Our new Scara robot i4 will be the robot that sets the standard in the 15-kilogram class. The topic of integration was crucial for us: the robot as such has the control system completely integrated into the base. It is ready for use within half an hour and can already pick parts!" The i4 also has an Ethercat module that is directly connected to the controller and the robot's arm, giving users more freedom when configuring the device.

The company emphasizes how easy it is to integrate the Scara robot into an existing production line. Synchronization between the automation devices and the i4 is made possible via the aforementioned Ethercat interface. This simplifies assembly processes, insertion and placement procedures that require high precision and high throughput, as well as quality control with integrated image processing.

Predictive maintenance

The i4 also visualizes work data and monitors its status with the world's first integrated signals for predictive maintenance. "The illuminated ring on the robot shows the status. If everything is OK, it lights up green. If maintenance is required, it lights up orange," says Dold, explaining the simple system. In addition to the illuminated ring, the robot has an integrated display that shows the correct measures being carried out at the right time or helps with troubleshooting in the event of a problem. The i4 communicates with users to reduce unplanned downtime.

More flexibility in production

In spring 2019, Omron will launch the first models of the Scara robot: the i4-650, the i4-750 and the i4-850, which will have arm lengths of 650 millimetres, 750 millimetres and 850 millimetres respectively. The payload is up to 15 kilograms - three times more than before. Users can also choose between two different Z-axis strokes (210 millimetres or 410 millimetres) for each robot.

The special models meet various protection classes and certifications, including IP65, cleanroom ISO 4 (class 10), ESD and models with H1 grease, so that the right solution is available for a wide range of industries. The i4 will also be available as an inverted model with the same high-class design.