March 2021

NEWS n 5 www.drivesncontrols.com March 2021 Next-generation cobots ‘will unlock automation for new user sectors’ ABB HAS EXTENDED its portfolio of collaborative robots (cobots) with two new easy-to-program, six-axis models which, it claims, set new benchmarks and are up to five times faster than others in their class. They are: n The GoFa , a 27kg cobot with a 5kg payload capacity and a “class-leading” reach of 950mm, which can move at speeds of up to 2.2m/s. The IP54-protected machine is aimed at applications such as assembly, packaging, machine-tending, material-handling, inspection and laboratory automation, and incorporates intelligent torque and position sensors in each joint to stop the arm in “milliseconds” if they make contact with humans or other objects. The GoFa’s reach is 70% longer than ABB’s existing YuMi single-arm cobot, and is claimed to be 12% better than other 5kg-capacity cobots, allowing loads to be picked up and carried further. n The Swifti , based on ABB’s IRB 1100 industrial robot, offers a payload capacity of 4kg, a reach of up to 580mm, an operating speed of up to 5m/s, and an accuracy/repeatability of 10μm. Designed for intermittent collaboration with humans, it is aimed at tasks such as assembly and polishing where operators need to be present for duties such as repositioning parts. When used with a safety laser scanner, the IP40- protected robot can slow down or stop automatically as a person approaches. It weighs 21kg. Both cobots are safety certified to PL d Cat 3. To back up its new launches, ABB has surveyed 1,650 businesses of all sizes in Europe, the US and China, and found that 85% feel that the Covid pandemic has been “game-changing” for them and their industries, with 84% planning to introduce or increase their use of robotics and automation in the next decade. They cite Covid as a catalyst for accelerating their plans. More than half (51%) say that robots could enhance social distancing and 36% are considering using robots to improve the quality of work for their employees. The vast majority (78%) of the companies quizzed report that they are finding it difficult to recruit and keep staff for repetitive and ergonomically challenging jobs. ABB predicts that its stronger, faster and more capable cobots will accelerate its expansion into high- growth segments such as electronics, healthcare, consumer goods, logistics, and food and beverage. Users will not need in-house programming specialists, it says, opening up industries with low levels of automation. They will be able to use their cobots within minutes of installation, with no specialist training. “We are making cobots easier to use and deploy, with real-time support to help speed their adoption in businesses that may not have considered their use previously,” says Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation business. “Our new cobot portfolio is the most diverse on the market, offering the potential to transform workplaces and help our customers achieve new levels of operational performance and growth.” Andie Zhang, ABB Robotics’ global product manager for collaborative robotics, believes that that the GoFa cobot will be “a game-changer”. Building on the YuMi family that ABB launched in 2015, she predicts that the GoFa “will significantly expand the potential for cobots globally, by safely and accurately supporting a new range of tasks and applications”. Turning to the Swifti, which is designed to close the gap between collaborative and industrial robots, she says it will allow companies “to transform their productivity by automating repetitive, mundane and dangerous processes, while leaving employees free to perform more rewarding activities. “Combining the capabilities of a collaborative robot with the higher speed, accuracy and robustness of an industrial robot helps to address many of the barriers that have prevented companies from fully realising the potential benefits of robotic automation,” Zhang adds. “By coupling the safety features and ease-of-use and installation of a cobot with the high speed, precision, performance and compact design of the IRB 1100 industrial robot, Swifti provides the best of both worlds. “With collaborative safety and high speed and accuracy on a par with an industrial robot,” she predicts, “it will help companies transform their productivity by enabling greater co- operation between their robotic and human workers across a wide range of applications.” https://new.abb.com/products/robotics ABB’s GoFa cobot can be programmed by users with no training or in-depth programming skills “We are making cobots easier to use and deploy, with real-time support to help speed their adoption in businesses that may not have considered their use previously”