35 www.drivesncontrols.com February 2026 ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING n space monitoring and locking individual robots against each other, is standard practice. The transfer issue was solved by having the handling system place the entire shot without the sprue into a transfer station, arranged as it is moulded in the tool. This station, developed by EGS, monitors the presence of each part. It is located in the working area of both robots. Once the handling system has placed the eight parts of a shot, the robot moves to the transfer station, picks up four parts individually using a revolving gripper tool, moves to the tray ready for filling in the Sumo palletising system, and places the parts one-by-one into the next free nests. This process is repeated for the second quartet of parts from a shot. The opposing orientation of the parts from the injection mould is thus resolved, and each part is placed correctly. The machine moulds eight parts every 21 seconds, requiring four trips between the tray and transfer station, and a total of 16 pick-andplace operations, with the gripper tool being reoriented each time. This challenging task keeps the Yaskawa robot moving constantly and using its dynamic capabilities. Autonomous operation Empty trays enter the tray stacker in a stack and are lifted and presented to the robot for filling. Once a tray has been filled, it is placed on the stack of full trays until the stack reaches its full height and is moved out. The conveyor systems at the entry and exit of the palletising system can each hold four stacks of empty trays and four stacks of filled trays. The system can run autonomously for around 12 hours. “An operator only needs to transfer four filled stacks from the conveyor to a Euro pallet every 12 hours, move the pallet away, bring a new empty Euro pallet, and set up four new stacks of empty trays,” Kaiser explains. “All in all, less than ten minutes of work, and then the automation runs autonomously for another 12 hours.” This system represents Franz Wolf Kunststoffverarbeitung’s first use of an articulated robot. Its initial reservations proved unfounded. The installation and handover included a two-day training session that showed operators how to use the system and handle possible breakdowns. They do not need to use a handheld programming device to operate the system. If assistance is needed from EGS, it can be provided remotely. “Robot programming skills are not necessary for operating the system,” explains Wolf’s managing partner, Petra Kaiser. “However, we have taken a liking to robotics with its flexibility and reliability. This won't be the last robot in our production, and we want to gradually delve deeper into the topic.” n The Belgian company Roose Automation specialises in technologies for the chocolate industry. One of its developments is a machine called ChocoMatic that allows customers to choose a selection of chocolates via a touchscreen. A robot then picks the confections individually from trays and places them into a box to create a customised selection. The robot arm travels along a linear track, picks up each chocolate using a pneumatic gripper, and delivers them without needing any human intervention. Roose wanted to give its robot arm the freedom to move across multiple trays of chocolate inside a compact vending machine. A standard six-axis robot couldn’t cover the full range, while integrating a linear axis could have meant weeks of additional programming. Instead it opted for a “seventh axis” which quadrupled the igus Rebel cobot’s working range. Mounted beneath the robot, it allows precise horizontal movement over multiple trays, powered by a toothed-belt drive that delivers speeds of up to 0.6m/s and positioning accuracies of ±0.3mm. The new linear axis, also supplied by igus, can support robots weighing up to 55kg. It runs on a lightweight aluminium rail up to 6m long, and includes lubrication-free polymer bushings and echains to protect the cabling. Roose Automation integrated the “plug-to-program” axis directly into its robot’s control software, without needing to do any extra coding or to design complex interfaces. The results included: n weeks saved in development time; n thousands of pounds saved in programming costs; n improved hygiene, because direct placement of the chocolates by the robot arm eliminates the need to handle them manually; and n an increase in productivity. The seventh axis makes long-reach automation faster and easier. It lets a single robot do much more – such as serving multiple machines, workstations or products – without sacrificing precision or control. It is compatible with robots such as Universal Robots’ UR 20 and UR 30 models, and Fanuc’s CRX series. “The ChocoMatic shows how our plug-to-program technology can help any company, not just in manufacturing,” says igus automation product manager, Adam Sanjurgo. “Expanding a robot’s range used to mean extra engineering. Now it’s as easy as plug, play and produce. “In projects like ChocoMatic, it’s about simplicity,” he adds. “You install it, the controller recognises it, and it just works.” n Seventh axis extends robotic chocolate-picker’s range A machine that uses a robot arm to pick chocolates chosen by a customer, has been given added versatility using a plug-and-play linear axis that extends the picker’s range, cutting time, cost and complexity. The “seventh axis” gives Roose’s robotic picker the freedom to roam over greater distances
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