Adding a water-jet-cutting or a router-trimming robot to the assembly line just got easier thanks to an integration partnership between Robotic Production Technology (RPT) and FANUC Robotics America. The two companies announced six new models in their jointly developed AccuTrim family of robots, offered in North America exclusively by RPT.
Water-jet cutting and trimming for non-metallic product are both path-intensive applications that require accuracy. In the past, customers could purchase a FANUC robot and have the RPT process tools added. RPT is now offering the robotic system in a turnkey package.
The AccuTrim models, available immediately, include three water-jet models: WJ-44, WJ-22L, and WJ-33; and three router trimming models: R44, R99, and R363. All are fully loaded and come with expanded robot memory, an accuracy enhancement feature, and process-specific software tools. The only difference among the models is robot size; the WJ-22L, for instance, incorporates a longer arm than the other models.
"We have 200 models, which could [each] have 10 or 15 variations ... depending on the application requirements," said Cathy Powell, senior marketing analyst at FANUC Robotics, in an interview with Managing Automation.
To meet specific customer requirements, FANUC Robotics teams with about 200 different integrators, looking for partners with niche expertise (RPT, for example, provides water-jet and non-metallic routing applications).
All of the new AccuTrim models can be used in traditional automotive applications, such as cutting interior fabric. RPT officials, however, said the new robotic systems could also be used in aerospace, appliance, bathware, footwear, and other consumer goods applications.
"It's the advent of tools that can automate things that weren't possible before," said Janine Krasicky, an RPT spokesperson. "For instance, in the bath tub industry it is difficult to automate the process because the tub may be different every time. The tools in AccuTrim allow it to adjust the program automatically. It's a way for the people ... to do this easily and more accurately."
The robot industry is in the midst of a market breakout of sorts, according to a recent report issued by the Robotics Industries Association (RIA). An estimated $1.24 billion worth of robots were shipped worldwide last year, driven by a pent-up demand following the manufacturing recession, according to the industry association, which is based in Ann Arbor, MI.
Amid this mini-renaissance, robots are becoming more flexible, accurate, even intelligent. Manufacturers are therefore reconsidering the use of robots for highly repetitive tasks that require precision unattainable by previous generations.
"Robots are proving to be faster, more flexible, and are much more robust and reliable when compared to standard industrial CNC (computerized numerical control) machines," said RPT's president, Kevin McManus, in a prepared statement.
Pricing for the new models was not disclosed. Under terms of the exclusive five-year agreement between FANUC and RPT, RPT will act as the exclusive distributor/market channel for all water-jet and non-metallic routing applications in the Americas.