Drives & Controls October 2022

n TECHNOLOGY October 2022 www.drivesncontrols.com 22 THE DANISH ROBOTICS developer OnRobot has demonstrated what it describes as the first software platform for configuring robotic applications automatically. It claims that the system, called D:Ploy, can cut the time it takes to deploy robots by up to 80%. The system, which was previewed at the recent IMTS show in Chicago, automatically discovers and configures all of the components in a robotic cell – including collaborative or light industrial robot arms and tools – as well as integrating external I/O from sensors and machines. The company has been working on the technology for four years. “D:Ploy is a foundational market shift that will change the way automation is deployed, expanding the market at the same time,” predicts Kristian Hulgard, general manager of OnRobot’s Americas division. The company sees D:Ploy as being a turning point in a strategic evolution that it started with its intuitive robot tools and software, expanding the concept of collaborative automation. “The dramatic 80% reduction in deployment time is just one powerful illustration of what D:Ploy offers,” Hulgard adds. “Now system integrators can take on more projects with existing resources. Robot manufacturers benefit from dramatically greater accessibility for their products. And end-users gain powerful new abilities to implement, manage, and redeploy automation across their facilities.” At IMTS, OnRobot demonstrated D:Ploy in a machine-tending application using a Universal Robots UR5e collaborative robot. The demo showed how the entire application is accessed and managed from D:Ploy’s dashboard. Users simply define the robot’s workspace with minimal inputs on points within the workspace, and enter attributes of the workpiece. The system then generates all of the program logic, signal exchanges, event handling, path planning, and real-time monitoring for the application automatically. IMTS visitors were also shown the “one- system solution” that laid the groundwork for D:Ploy by allowing any OnRobot end-of-arm tool (EOAT) to interface with any leading robot arm via a unified mechanical and electrical interface. The visitors could choose an EOAT and simply click it on and off a Fanuc CRX robot arm equipped with OnRobot’s Quick Changer technology. The Danish company also demonstrated a new easy-to-program, out-of-the-box collaborative system designed to take the pain out of palletising. The hardware and software package can also be launched as an application program via the D:Ploy interface. www.onrobot.com Automatic robot configuration system cuts deployment times by 80% THEGERMANSENSOR-MAKER SensoPart has developed a matchbox-sized time-of-flight sensor that, it claims, can detect the smallest objects at distances of up to 1.5 metres. The FT 25-RLHP sensor uses a red laser-generated light spot which, although tiny, is clearly visible, simplifying alignment. Time-of-flight (ToF) sensors can work over much longer distances than triangulation proximity sensors, but they can be optically complex. They offer a high level of detection, regardless of the shape, colour and surface finish of the object being scanned. They are not affected by backgrounds such as lamps or shiny metal. SensoPart says it has succeeded in integrating the optics into a miniature housing measuring 34 x 20 x 12mm, allowing the sensor to be used in applications with limited space. The sensor is equipped with a safe class 1 laser. Switching points and frequencies can be set via pushbuttons, control inputs or IO-Link. Low hysteresis means that the sensor can detect the smallest objects with good repeatability. A window mode – activated by pushbutton – enables area monitoring. SensoPart expects the device to be used for applications requiring both long- distance scanning and reliable detection. Typical examples include checking the occupancy of storage bays in warehouses, monitoring the positions of components in assembly processes, and safety assurance testing for autonomous vehicles. https://www.sensopart.com/en n Matchbox-sizedToF sensor can detect tiniest items at 1.5m OnRobot’s D:Ploy automated robot deployment system was demonstrated at the recent IMTS show in Chicago in a machine-tending cell using a Universal Robots cobot. Photo: Business Wire