FANUC claims robotic class speed record

ROBOTICS equipment manufacture FANUC has unveiled what it claims is the fastest motion packaging robot in its class. The M-420iA mid-size articulated robot, with a payload of 40kg, is a 4-axis model designed for high-speed packaging and material handling duties.

ROBOTICS equipment manufacture FANUC has unveiled what it claims is the fastest motion packaging robot in its class. The M-420iA mid-size articulated robot, with a payload of 40kg, is a 4-axis model designed for high-speed packaging and material handling duties. Said to be 25% faster and with 30% more payload capacity than other robots in its class, the M-420iA can achieve cycle rates of 50 packaging cycles/minute, at 30kg loading. Demonstrated at the Worldwide Food show in Chicago, it was packing small food containers at 50 cans/minute; picking one can at a time into trays. Once a full tray was accumulated, the robot moved the containers to a second packaging area to show its 4-axis dexterity - necessary for vision and line tracking integration. Targeting food/beverage, medical, personal care and consumer goods sectors, the robot has a work envelope of 1,855mm vertical reach and 1,460mm vertical stroke, making it more flexible and productive than manual or hard automation applications. It uses the latest R-J3iB robot controller for its intelligent motion control, with open architecture to simplify system integration. An optional feature is the VisTRAC vision guided line tracking software which allows the robot to pick products from a conveyor (visual picking), track and pick products from a moving conveyor (visual tracking), or identify the location of boxes or cases (visual positioning).