Italian robot manufacturer Comau announces a new 6-axis collaborative robot (cobot) arm, the Racer5-0.8 COBOT. The Racer5 COBOT features a 5 kg payload, and a 809 mm reach with 0.03 mm repeatability. However, the key differentiating feature for the robot is that it can operate at industrial robot speeds when no humans are present in its immediate area, and then slow down to safe, collaborative speeds when a human operator enters the robots workcell.
“Our new Racer-5 COBOT delivers the speed and precision the small payload collaborative robotics market was missing,” explains Pietro Ottavis, Comau Chief Technology Officer. “We estimate the global market for compact collaborative robots to reach a 5-year CAGR of up to 45%, which will largely be driven by the global need to reduce process complexity and eliminate non-value-added activities. By adding advanced safety features to our top- selling Racer-5 industrial robot, we have created a fast, reliable and user-friendly cobot that can be used in any situation where cycle times and accuracy are paramount.”
The robot is designed for assembly, material handling, machine tending, dispensing and pick and place applications within the automotive, electrification and general industry sectors. The ability to switch between industrial speeds and safe/collaborative speeds differentiates the Racer5 COBOT in the market. With collaborative speeds capped at 500 mm/s the Racer5 COBOT is compliant to ISO/TS 15066 and has been tested by Tuv Rheinland. The system uses a safety LiDAR to identify humans entering the workspace of the robot, and subsequently slow the maximum speed of the robot.
The Racer 5 COBOT features an LED light strip in its base that indicates the mode of operation. A green light indicates that the robot is in “collaborative mode”, and that it is safe for the human operator to enter the robot’s workspace. When the robot is in full speed mode, the the LED light goes out. The robot also features a hand guidance enabling button on the outer link of the arm. This ease-of-use feature simplifies the process of hand teaching locations for the robot.
Takeaways
The Racer 5 COBOT is a new product from Comau, targeted at low-payload applications in assembly, material handling, machine tending, dispensing and pick and place. The robot has a maximum payload of 5 kg and can switch between industrial robot speeds and safe, collaborative speeds depended on whether a human is present in its workspace.
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