Thilo Brodtmann, VDMA: “Robotics will aim in the future to meet the needs of older people.” Photo: Schreier

The most recent statement by the international robotics association IFR prophesies substantial growth rates. We spoke with Thilo Brodtmann, CEO of the working group Robotics and Automation within the Federation of German Machine and Installation Constructors (VDMA), about the economic chances and the benefits to society offered by this technology. Mr Brodtmann, in Europ’s Agenda Robotic Visions 2020 we read that robotics will be a key element in our efforts to master coming social challenges. This sounds absolutely great, but how can we picture this concretely? Brodtmann: Looking back, we note that more automation has created more jobs, not less. If we are successful in introducing robotics and  automation into middle-sized firms, we can assume that these companies will become even more competitive and create new employment opportunities. One important topic is our increasingly aging society. What can robotics do to solve the problems associated with this? Brodtmann: Robotics will aim in the future to meet the needs of older people. At the moment, the position is that demographic trends are making it increasingly difficult to provide the right care for the older part of the population. Technologically, we anticipate that we will soon be in a position to influence this situation and offer suitable technology. But we have to create acceptance for the idea that an old person can be supported and cared for by a robot.

Can products of this kind already be seen, or at least visions?

Brodtmann: Here we can point to the Care-Robot which, in an ideal home environment, is quite capable of providing persons of limited mobility with fluids or medication. The robot also starts an alarm and calls help if someone falls. So the first steps have already been made and demonstrated.

The area of applications for service robotics is wide and varied, from the professional security robot to the vacuum-cleaner robot for within your own four walls. Which areas, in your view, have the biggest future?

Brodtmann: I think medical technology is very promising, and will also provide solutions in the short term. A further interesting area is security. Protection of property is still predominantly carried out by persons who are exposed to danger, with difficult working hours and harsh working conditions. With robotics, all of this will become substantially simpler and more pleasant for the persons involved.

Involvement in service robotics requires long-term committment, according to a recent statement by a representative of a large German manufacturer. Is a readiness for long-term committment still there in this crisis?

Brodtmann: Yes, I think the market for service robotics is so promising that we are going to find the necessary stamina. There is of course always a question of where one can realise the right business case. A few years ago, almost no-one could imagine that most people would soon have two to three mobile phones. So if we have applications that are fun and useful in daily life, I believe that in certain areas one can get the quantitive planning right.

Mr Brodtmann, while revealing the IFR figures, you said that, by 2015 at the latest, every manufacturing company will have a robot on site. When is every home going to have a robot?

Brodtmann (laughs): I’ll just say 2020, because in 2020 no-one will remember my answer anyway.

Between 10th and 13th November visitors can get up-to-date on the latest developments in electronic component production at the Productronica in Munich. Photo: Messe München

All the latest on production methods in electronic components will be on display at the Productronica in Munich from 10th – 13th November. At a special presentation at this leading fair world-wide, German researchers will show how they envisage the intelligent production of the future. Self-organising production (Sopro) is set to revolutionise the production process of the future. Machines and work-pieces, inter-communicating via chips, learning from each other and assignings task themselves, are enabling the production process to become more flexible, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. The partners of the Sopro project offer here a preview of the intelligent factory of the future. Productronica as the ideal platform for self-organising production “Productronica 2009, as trendsetter in this sector, is the ideal platform to provide a deeper insight into a technology which is going bring about permanent changes for Germany as a production base”, says Eckhard Hohwieler of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Installations and Construction Technology (German: IPK), scientific coordinator of the Sopro project. “As a scientist, I particularly value the transfer of knowledge taking place here between research and industry, decisively influencing the development of self-organising production by providing the step from theory to practice.”

Under the scientific direction of the IPK, a consortium of institutes within the Fraunhofer organisation as well as the Technical University of Berlin are researching the further development of so-called process e-grains, the key element in intelligent production. Interaction with industry is coordinated by the sector federations productronics and microtechnology and also by the working group Modular Microsystems within the Federation of German Machine and Installation Constructors (VDMA).

E-grains guide the processes in an intelligent factory

Process e-grains are small electronic cells which communicate automatically with each other and learn from each other. For example, a fully-loaded or defective machine can inform transportation systems and work-pieces via e-grains that an alternative installation must be used. The work-pieces to be processed are then re-directed to another machine, which they inform via their own e-grains about processes are required. Decisions which guarantee an uninterrupted flow in the production process in a factory can thus be made automatically within fractions of a second. This enables savings of cost and time.

Dr. Eric Maiser of VDMA emphasises that “Sopro can revolutionise the production industry. The increasing miniaturisation — particularly in micro-electronics — is already making the automation of production processes necessary today, so that affordable products can be available to all. Sopro is now creating networking within automation, and thus helping at an earlier stage to avoid production errors. Beside the economic aspect, environmental advantages arise from the use of such processes, as energy and resources are used more sparingly. This is essential for all modern industries.”

In future, moreover, even the logistics withing the factory and restocking of components from outside could be managed completely automatically. The need for highly skilled workers for installation, planning and monitoring will increase. Self-organising production is therefore the next step in expanding production industry in Germany, making it more competitive and thus guaranteeing employment.

Production 2.0 should be running in about 20 years

The Sopro project is set to run from March 2008 to 28 February 2011 and is to lead into a joint programme with industrial partners. The aim of the participants from industry and research, with specialities in the areas of microsystem technology, information technology and production technology, is to enable a complete intelligent factory. The project concentrates particularly on methods of adapting and altering the information stored and tasks for process e-grains (re-configurability), robust radio communications in harsh environments and the development of modular concepts, so that a low-cost implanting of radio sensor networks within the production area can be achieved.

Socio-economic aspects are also being taken into account. The development of self-organised production is still in the early stages. Expert opinion is that production workplaces could be changed fundamentally within as little as 20 years as a result of e-grains.

The two-yearly fair in Munich last hosted the world of electronic component production in 2007, when 1484 exhibitors and 40000 trade visitors (2005: 43113) took part. For Productronica 2009, the organisers expect, because of the crisis, 1126 exhibitors, with 24 firms appearing for the first time, and 35000 trade visitors from more than 70 countries. The floor area amounts to 75000 m².

Reinhold Schäfer

With velvet gloves, this transport system stacks the components for pressing, stamping and other series processes and then places them in order for assembly. Photo: Josef Vogt

For a programmed and sensitive transport of parts for pressing and stamping, an automated system based on the building-block concept has been developed. It also enables essential development stages to be prepared in advance in virtual space. With modular systems, many stages in the production process can be automated very economically. The clamping and gripping specialist Schunk takes this one step further: even at the draft stage, component assemblies and automation systems can be simulated virtually and improved. This way, users, system integrators and construction planners can shorten development times, avoid weak spots and expensive failed experiments, and also raise lifetime and energy efficiency of the plant. Automatic feed system as a universal building block system An example for the use of virtual prototypes is a project at Kiwi Automations in Oberkirch. With help from Schunk Engineering, an efficient, automated transport system for sensitive components in sequences for pressing, stamping and other production processes has been developed. The result is a universal building block system. The quality requirements in series and mass production have increasing constantly in recent years. The parts are becoming more and more challenging, complex and sensitive. At the same time, an immaculate optical finish and high precision are increasingly often amongst the decisive quality criteria. Particularly in series and mass production, sensitive and programmable transport is gaining in importance.

With this compact, multi-purpose transport system, it is for example possible to position and stack parts for pressing and stamping reliably and sensitively, even at high clock frequencies. Compared with positioning aids, this automation solution reduces production costs significantly. In addition, continuous fast clocking is possible.
While development of this kind of automation system used to depend on initial manual trial setups, Excel Tools and expensive prototypes, Schunk already takes essential steps in development in virtual space.  The positions of bolts, operational stability, the load on components and limiting loads are simulated and optimised on virtual prototypes with the help of software.

Simulation saves two stages of development

In the course of simulations, valuable information is gathered. At an early stage, one recognises clearly distortions, load distributions and system behaviour, one can compare variants and optimise them. This raises the development security and makes an evaluation of the construction easier. Above all, however, virtual product development saves time and costs because critical weaknesses are recognised and corrected in advance, even before the first prototype has been constructed. In the case of Kiwi transport systems, the advantages can be expressed quite concretely: thanks to the simulation, two development steps with still imperfect prototypes could be by-passed completely.
Schunk Engineering is an internal network of experts in which computer-supported development technologies (CAE) are coordinated at an inter-project level, effective calculation paths are shared, and knowledge is processed and made accessible for further use. In this way, for example, standard calculations for linear and portal technologies can be employed: from the comprehensive program for linear axes, the optimum combination of axes for the application can be ascertained.   

With the help of simulation, it is possible to configure systems of adequate stiffness and endurance, and to recognise and avoid weak spots; before construction of the the first real prototypes begins, different variants can be tested and optimised with a minimum of expenditure. For this, Schunk Engineering uses up to three stages of simulation:
Modal analysis, involving simulation of various vibrations and internal resonances, for a first evaluation of the stiffness.
Static or quasi-static analysis, involving simulation of the effects of loadings, weight or acceleration, to define the dimensions and test parameters of the components.
Transient analysis, involving simulation of complete cycles and processes, to ascertain precisely the dynamic loads and to assess the lifetime.

Stiffness and low-vibration axis combinations

As the project develops, virtual prototypes are created, keeping always one step ahead of the physical development. For a first simulation model, a draft of the combination of axes, i.e. the types, dimensions and masses of the axes, is sufficient. CAD data from the adjacent construction can be helpful, but is not mandatory. In modal analysis, frequencies and forms of resonance patterns in the component itself are calculated.
Within the shortest of times, a stiff, low-vibration combination of axes can be planned. This in turn enables a fast and reliable evaluation of the system in regard to an advantageous combination of stiffness and mass. This results in a linear system of axes with a minimum risk of vibration and also provides recommendations for the stiffness of the surrounding construction.

In second stage, additional loads and kinematic parameters such as paths, speeds and accelerations are taken into account. The simulation then displays distortions and loads under operational conditions. It is also possible to estimate limiting loads and lifetime. With the help of these results, a low-distortion and low-wear system can be constructed efficiently.
In the third and final stage, processes are simulated as a succession of small, timed steps. This permits an estimate of movements and distortions during operation. The expected distribution of dynamic loads and the loads at certain points and times within specific cycles are calculated. From this data, the anticipated lifetime, reliability and availability of the system can be estimated, so that entire processes can be further optimised.

The tandem principle avoids interruptions to the production process

Within a very short time, a feed system based on the building-block concept, quickly adaptable to the requirements in different sectors, can be set up. The system stacks the raw components on a puffer axis in a sequence matching the containers to be filled. A grip system built onto the production area portal lifts the components from the puffer axis and lays them in the prepared containers.
All usual containers based on euro pallet dimensions, such as mesh pallets, blister packaging and light boxes, can be handled. A tandem principle enables exchange of the full containers without any interruption to the production process.

Simulation of large scale systems

The layout of the grip system and puffer axis depends on the requirements, components and the containers to be loaded. The construction and function of this universal transport system can be adapted easily to specific requirements and can be extended at any time.
In the basic model AGA 2400-2, the system provides a transport path along the X axis of  2400 mm, along the Y axis of 1220 mm and along the Z axis of 900 mm. The external dimensions (L × B × H) amount to 4000 mm × 2100 mm × 3500 mm. The maximum weight on the Z axis connection is 15 kg. As linear axes, units from Schunk’s HSB system provide high-load precision linear modules with long life, toothed-belt drive and profile rail guides.

Generating concrete construction parameters and guidelines using simulation

The engineering calculations are of benefit to all, for, besides the immediate advantages during the development phase, the simulation has further spin-offs: users profit from the long life and long-term precision of the system because the vibrational patterns, resonant frequency and stability are optimised. Potential weak points are identified in advance and eliminated.
Furthermore, concrete data for construction and guidelines can be generated. Thanks to the needs-orientated layout, over-sized systems resulting from exaggerated safety concerns are now a thing of the past. This reduces the cost of the modules, the weight of the installation and the operational energy requirements. Virtual product development thus makes an important contribution to cost saving and to preserving the environment.   

Juergen Kolbus and Stefan Kerpe

Jürgen Kolbus is sector specialist for system solutions with Schunk GmbH & Co. KG, 74348 Lauffen/Neckar. Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Stefan Kerpe is the director of Schunk Engineering.

The sensor with offset camera head works as a completely independent image processing unit.  Photo: Cognex

As the result of production processes, solar cells often show local defects which can impair lifetime and efficiency. For 100% quality control in the production of single cells and complete solar modules, image processing systems can be used. Surface flaws such as scratches or dents in solar cells can lower their efficiency and lifetime. Increasingly, one-hundred-per-cent quality control for individual cells and for complete modules is being recognised as a critical factor in market success. A solar cell manufacturer has equipped his installation with vision sensors which take over the optical quality control in various parts of the production and carry out the alignment of the cells. Peak production of 600 cells per hour The Italian firm 2BG has transferred its experience from the demanding field of installation construction for the automobile industry to the area of solar cell production and now manufactures complete solar modules. A tabber/stringer installation solders solar cells to strings (chains of solar cells connected in series) which in turn are assembled to form complete solar modules. With the help of high-speed loading, image processing and infra-red soldering systems, a peak production of 600 cells has been reached today. The automated installation can work to various internally memorised production cycles and processes cells in different sizes between 100 mm × 100 mm and 156 mm × 156 mm with cell thicknesses between 160 and 400 µm.

Guaranteeeing high quality with innovative technology

In order to make the production process as efficient as possible, the firm’s research and development team decided to search for innovative technologies to guarantee a high level of quality and to deal with potential defects still during production. They very soon decided to do without a mechanical solution in aligning and centring the solar cells because this would require large resources, make calibration more difficult and limit the flexibility of production severely.
In addition, direct mechanical contact brings with it the danger of damage to the cells. This would have meant that the solar modules could have had tiny surface defects at the end of the process and thus no longer be amenable to alignment.

After a preliminary evaluation phase for the image processing system, the solar cell manufacturer has decided to test the In-Sight image processing systems by Cognex. The application was installed on a prototype of the tabber/stringer unit. The results were, we hear, so convincing that the decision went in favour of the vision system for quality control and alignment of the cells.

Automatic centring and quality testing station with image processing system In-Sight 5400

With the experience from the test version, an automatic centring and quality testing station was developed, equipped with the image processing system from the In-Sight 5400 product family. This sensor family offers application-specific performance levels and can, it is claimed, take over tasks which, until now, have been reserved for PC supported image processing systems.
In the application solar cell production, a 2 megapixel camera is in use: the In-Sight 5403 with a CCD chip size 1/1.8” has an image resolution of 1600 × 1200 pixel and an image recording frequency of 15 images per second. With this resolution, the sensor can be used for components of various sizes. The camera is fitted with an integrated Ethernet interface which is said to enable an easy integration in the process control via the development environment explorer.

The system works completely automatically in recording and image analysis

With the offset camera head and dimensions of 83.3 mm × 123.2 mm × 61.4 mm (with protective objective cap), the system takes up little space when installed. It has a C-mount thread connection and achieves shutter times between 27 µs and 1000 ms. The system works completely automatically in recording and image analysis. The illumination control is integrated into the IP67 protected system.

With the image processing system, the mechanical contact during production could be reduced to a minimum and an intact product guaranteed.
The centring precision is said to have proved very important. For this, the vision tool from the image processing software Patmax is available. The tool makes high resolution position sensing possible down to the sub-pixel level, with angular position sensing to within 0.02°. It localises objects, we are infomed, even under difficult circumstances such as changes in dimensions, inexact alignment, changing illumination conditions, deformation, occlusion or reflection of components or irregular backgrounds.
Nor is the surface of a solar cell a trivial test object: it resembles a mirror with a reflective surface. Because the search procedure simultaneously examines the contour and structure of the object image, it is said to be unsusceptible to reflective objects. The tool can therefore position precisely, despite varying illumination and contrast conditions; a reliable long-term performance is also said to be guaranteed.

The In-Sight-Explorer software is easy to use

An important role in the ease of operation is also played by the development environment. The In-Sight-Explorer is easy to use, we are told. Machine operators can therefore undertake the programming for new components without special knowledge of image processing just by adjusting the parameters. With this environment, the sensors are also involved in the automation process and linked to the firm’s communications. It can control even entire networks of vision sensors.
The Vision Tool Library detects surface defects
In a further production step, the solar cells are received by two loading jigs. The completed string is laid out on a test table for final quality checks. Thanks to the Vision Tool Library by Cognex, it is possible to identify surface defects such as small scratches or depressions in the form or on the edges of the cell. The tool verifies the sequence and the correct assembly of the strings, creates continuous documentation and enables back-tracing of the production.

This broad spectrum of tests, the manufacturer says, can only be achieved because of the calculating capacity and speed of the In-Sight systems. Optional elements are available for each vision station, as is a multi-language, interactive touchscreen with facilities for customer-specific configuration.
The Vision-System product family has become indispensable for this solar technology manufacturer; it is said to be essential for guaranteeing quality. As as result, all tabber/stringer machines have been fitted with vision sensors.   

Monika Zwettler

The new robot by Stäubli can work permanently in hydrogen peroxide fume environments. Photo: Stäubli

With the robot TX60 stericlean, the robot manufacturer Stäubli Robotics is opening up paths where, until now, the use of robots was in fact always considered impossible. The new robot can work without interruption in environments with the hydrogen peroxide fumes typical of sterilisation processes. This is due to special constructional features. The Stäubli TX60 is thus the first robot that can work permanently and reliably in so-called VHP environments,  thanks to a special encapsulation, the manufacture in stainless steel of particularly stressed parts, and a special surface treatment. This six-axis device is therefore capable of taking over tasks such as sterilisation, decontamination, loading and the like in isolators and glove boxes. Processes for which the operator, wearing heavy gloves, used to have to reach through openings in the box to carry out awkward tasks in aggressive or toxic environments can now be dealt with automatically. For the first time, sterilisation or decontamination processes in research laboratories, in medical technology, and also in production and manufacture can be automated. According to the developers of Stericlean, this technical innovation has made the decisive breakthrough in automating such processes.

Problems reaching areas hardly accessible manually within the glove box are, with the new Stäubli robot, a thing of the past. Thanks to its great mobility, the TX60 stericlean reaches easily into all positions relevant for sterilisation. This makes the processes safer and, in comparison with the difficult manual operations, also faster.
Benefits from the use of this robot are not only better results in sterilisation, but also ergonomic advantages and better protection from toxic materials for laboratory staff. The fully automated process furthermore isolates the process from the greatest contamination risk factor, the human operator. In developing this stericlean variant, the firm profited from their special know-how and the years of experience as a manufacturer of cleanroom robots in the cleanroom class up to sub-class 1 as well as from the typical Stäubli enclosed structure of the TX robot series.
Stericlean robots can be adapted for a broad palette of production requirements, whether with dangerous pharmaceutical mixtures, vaccines or cell cultures.
The first representative of the series is the TX60 stericlean. This robot has a reach of 670 mm with a repetition accuracy of +/- 0.02 mm. The nominal payload of this of this roughly 50 kg heavy robot is, according to Stäubli, 3.5 kg. A maximum of 9 kg is possible. It is certified to GMP norms and is available in the models TX40, TX60 and TX90.

Complete plant for the production of distance sensors: on the right are the bobbin and the stamping and bending station, while the vertical injection moulding machine is set up on the left behind the blanking. Photo: Afag

The increasing integration of production functions demands a high level of automation if plastic-metal composite component groups are to be produced efficienctly. For handling, feeding and assembly of stamped and bent components, pneumatic and electrical handling modules are put into service. The starting point was in 1989 with the question of the automation of injection moulding machines. But the engineering consultants “Ingenieurbüro für Kunststofftechnik GmbH” (IfK Automation for short) did not stop to chew for very long on the relatively simple matter of component extraction and gating. For it was soon apparent that there was very much more requiring automation in the area of injection moulding. One example is the positioning of metal parts to be coated during the injection process and which then leave the machine as a component group ready for either direct assembly or for subsequent test and assembly operations. This sounds clearly more like a case for classical special machine construction with correspondingly high levels of competence, and that is how it is should be seen. But, in the course of the years, the special machine construction solutions for injection moulding automation have developed into a supply and process program for standardised machines with which, in combination with special applications and solutions, complete production installations for high-quality plastic or plastic-metal articles and component groups are build. Workpiece carrier circulation system allows high batch numbers The basis for partial or complete systems is the round-table workpiece-holder changer and the workpiece-carrier circulation system. For initial production or for smaller batch numbers, round-table workpiece-holder changers are more suitable, with the option of manual or automatic placing and retrieval of the interchangeable workpiece-holders on the table. For larger batch numbers and multi-layer series production, the workpiece-carrier circulation system variant is to be recommended.

Both the round-table workpiece-holder changer and the workpiece-carrier circulation system are IfK products and are standard equipment. For further handling tasks, the firm makes use of handling components of suitable performance and quality available on the market.
Their choice here is subject to the same demanding standards as with their own products, for the production of components such as sensors, electrical parts, hearing aids, automotive components, telecommunication assemblies or for medical technology allows no compromises as far as technical availability and reproducible long-term precision are concerned.

Integrating injection machines by all the various manufacturers

The term function integration in so-called insert moulding means for IfK not so much the handling of the insert but rather, and most importantly, the complete process from the stamping and bending of, for example, contact parts, via coating and on to the assembly of a group of several components.
IfK Automation has great know-how in this field and integrates injection moulding machines by the most varied manufacturers into its installations. For the handling, feeding and assembly of the stamped and bent parts, produced direct from the coil in docked-on stamping stations, pneumatic and electrical handling modules, including those made by Afag, are employed.
A very good example of successful co-operation between system integrator and suppliers is the project “production plant for distance sensors”, now being realised for the third time, centred on distance sensors for vehicle manoeuvring. In the first plant, various Afag handling modules were put into service and proved very satisfactory, so that this red handling module was also used in the second and third plant.

The most recent production plant for distance sensors, a fully integrated system, consists essentially of a stamping and bending station, various work stations, a vertical injection moulding machine, a de-moulding and extraction station, various further work and testing stations, a revolving test table, a laser marking system, a pallet-changing system for completed sensors, a workpiece-carrier circulation system, divers pick-and-place and portal handling devices and a control sytem with software.

Efficiency and reliability determine the performance of the plant

In this process, the workpiece-carrier circulation system and the handling equipment are of central importance. For it is their efficiency that mainly determines the performance of the installation by ensuring that all the individual processes from the stamping of the contact parts via coating to laser marking, final inspection and packing in tranport pallets have an optimised synchronisation, thus to a great extent avoiding unproductive ancillary time.
With the third plant for distance sensors, IfK Automation was looking for a long, fast and very stable portal axis to tackle the long paths involved in the transfer from the round revolving testing table to the laser marking, on to the scanning of the data matrix code and then to the pallet loading. Afag had exactly the right portal axis on offer to solve this problem.
The production plant for four types of distance sensors incorporates a range of products by this Swiss manufacturer: an electrical portal module PME 03 with 1600 mm effective stroke, a pneumatic grip GMQ-12-P, three pneumatic precision carriages PS 25 or PS 16 with 50, 100 and 150 mm strokes, a pneumatic rotational module RM 16-SD-DW-90, a pneumatic linear module LM 20-30, a pneumatic compact carriage CSP-16-30, a pneumatic universal grip UG 20-NC, a pneumatic portal module PMP-compact 02 with 300 mm stroke and, finally, diverse accessories such as terminal holders, stop bolts, connecting elements, and, of course, the electronics needed to drive the electrical portal module.

The philosophy of IfK Automation regarding their own production and buying-in is that at least 50% plus x of the standard components should be of their own manufacture or from suppliers, while the rest are custom-made special parts, necessary because almost every plant has to be specially tailored to its task.
“The required very high yield of finally tested products of high quality can only be guaranteed when all components are perfectly matced to each other. It is therefore inevitable that a certain number of special solutions are needed, but, by using standard components wherever possible, we try to keep the costs as low as possible.”

Marc Zingg and Edgar Grundler
Marc Zingg ist Product Manager for Afag Automation AG in CH-4950 Huttwil, Edgar Grundler is a specialist journalist in D-78476 Allensbach.

Johannes Schweigler, Marketing Director of SAS Automation Robotergreifsysteme GmbH: “The robot grips made by SAS Automation today can take over service tasks, thus reducing down-times and contributing to better time saving during production and so also to reduced costs.” Photo: SAS Automation

Grips in modern production developed past the stage of“cheap fetch and carry”workers. We spoke about current technical trends and innovations with Johannes Schweigler, Marketing Director of SAS Automation Robotergreifsysteme GmbH (robot grip systems) in Karlsruhe. What development trends, in your opinion, should the user expect in the area of grips for robots and handling systems? Schweigler: Now, precisely in times of crisis, process costs are looked at especially critically. We therefore cannot allow a grip today to be limited purely to handling of materials. SAS Automation has recognised this trend and responded to it in the design of its modern robot grips. The robot grips made by SAS Automation today can take over service tasks, thus reducing down-times and contributing to better time saving during production and so also to reduced costs. How are trends reflected in SAS Automation? Schweigler: Robot grips by SAS Automation can be fitted with cutting tools, adjustment units, rotational units or sensors so as to be able to get on with further tasks even during the extraction process. In addition, robot grips can be equipped with RFID technology in order to provide greater security in sequencing the components needed for the injection moulding process. Which innovations or further developments does SAS Automation have in the pipeline?  First we could mention SWM quick change systems; for nothing is worse than a mixture of different robots and grips in which nothing matches anything else.  SAS  Automation overcomes this interface problem between robots and grip system with help of SWM fast change systems. With this, a uniform standard can be defined, even where different robots are in operation, and the grips changed in an instant. The grip can thus be put into service flexibly and fixed firmly and securely to another robot without a long down-time.

Another innovation is the work table for grip construction. Often a “home-grown” workplace is not adequate for the requirements of modern jig construction. We therefore offer an ergonomically shaped work table with a pivoted fast change system enabling access to the grip from all sides. It also contains an easily accessible storage area for grip components.