Small and midsize manufacturers are considering automation, but robots need to be affordable and easy to use before adoption will increase significantly. Scape Technologies A/S today announced its SCAPE Easy-Picker, which it claimed combines robustness with simplicity for pick-and-place and bin-picking operations.

“Nine out of 10 manufacturing enterprises are small or medium-sized,” stated Søren Bøving, CEO of Scape Technologies. “They generally need to automate to maintain and improve their work environment and competitiveness. We are therefore very pleased now to be in a position to make automated bin picking viable for many more companies.”

Odense, Denmark-based Scape Technologies, which was founded in 2004, has developed patented technology to recognize and pluck parts. Its SCAPE Bin-Picker, software modules, and other systems and support are marketed in cooperation with integrators responsible for building and implementing them into production facilities.

Scape said it serves furniture production, household appliances, and metal manufacturers in Sweden, Germany, Denmark, France and China. The company’s customers include Ford, Nissan, and BMW.

SCAPE Easy-Picker designed for small batches

Scape said its new SCAPE Easy-Picker system is designed to be user-friendly. The operator simply scans the parts to be picked, and the software then guides him or her step by step through the automation. No programming or bin-picking experience is required, said the company.

Installation and set-up were inspired by intuitive apps used in cellphones and tablets, according to Scape. It includes a simple box with clear and manageable parts that can be made ready for work without a costly integrator or automation specialist.

Obvious tasks for the SCAPE Easy-Picker include simple packaging, feeding of parts into presses, and CNC machining or plucking of layered and structured components from a pallet, Scape said.

The new system is designed to be economical for automating even small series, claimed the company. It costs only €9,495 ($11,000 U.S., excluding robot) — a fraction of other solutions on the market, said Scape.

The SCAPE Easy-Picker handles parts of up to 600 grams (21.1 oz.) and offers upgrades to enable handling of heavier items or more complex requirements.  The system can be integrated with leading six-axis collaborative robots and industrial robots such as those from ABB, FANUC, KUKA, Kawasaki, and Universal Robots, said Scape.

The company added that the relatively small investment required for SCAPE Easy-Picker is both sustainable and future-proof.