Omron to debut mobile manipulator, integrated grippers at Pack Expo

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Omron Automation Americas announced yesterday that it will be displaying next-generation manufacturing robotics at Pack Expo 2019 next month in Las Vegas. The company plans to demonstrate a new autonomous mobile manipulator and integration between Omron’s collaborative robot arm and Robotiq Inc.’s vacuum grippers.

Omron Automation Americas is a subsidiary of Kyoto, Japan-based Omron Corp., which was founded by Kazuma Tateishi in 1933. The company creates, sells, and services fully integrated industrial automation solutions that include sensing, control, safety, vision, motion, robotics, and more.

Cobot and gripper integration

At its booth at Pack Expo, Omron said it will offer “a unique opportunity to explore near-future manufacturing equipment as part of a wide-ranging, interactive demo.”

The vendor said its autonomous mobile manipulation system supports flexible manufacturing and can improve operational efficiency. It integrates self-navigating LD mobile robots with Omron’s TM-series collaborative robot arm or cobot.

In addition, Robotiq’s AirPick and EPick vacuum grippers are now compatible with Omron cobots. These fully customizable vacuum grippers provide an effective, low-cost solution that helps automate applications such as machine tending, pick-and-place operations, packaging, and assembly, said the company.

Omron brings together technologies in demo

Visitors to Omron’s booth will have the opportunity to see humans and machines working in harmony. Its exhibit will include a broad range of advanced pick-and-place technology, laser engraving, and mobile and collaborative robots, all working under human supervision. The robots will assemble a personalized tin with candy for conference attendees.

These attractions will be found at Booth No. LS-5970, and Omron will also have a dice-playing collaborative robot in Pack Expo’s new “Robotics Zone,” N-850D.

The Robotics Zone will also be the site of a presentation given by Keith Kersten, industry marketing group manager for Omron Automation Americas, on the topic “A Future That Works: The Role of Automation in the Future of Packaging.”

At 1:00 p.m. on Sept. 23 and at 2:00 p.m. on Sept. 25, Kersten will address the speed with which automation technologies, especially robotics, will become a reality in the workplace and the impacts they are likely to have on employment and productivity in the packaging industry.

Omron said its products promote harmony on the factory floor through improvements in safety, speed and efficiency driven by AI programs that learn from processes on a daily basis. Humans can safely interact with the company’s collaborative and mobile robots, which it said are designed to adapt to workers’ needs. In the factory of the future, it added, humans and machines will work together to meet demands for flexibility, customization, complete product traceability and a higher standard of worker safety.

Pack Expo attendees can see these innovations at Omron’s booth will the Lower South Hall as well as the Robotics Zone from Sept. 23 to 25, 2019.

WTWH Media has launched the Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum, which will be on Dec. 9-10 in Santa Clara, Calif. The conference and expo focuses on improving the design, development and manufacture of next-generation healthcare robots. Learn more about the Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum.