EMO 2019: Stäubli to showcase robots for machine loading and joined-up production

Intelligent robotic solutions in and around the machine

At EMO, the world’s leading trade fair for the metalworking industry, Stäubli will be focusing on two major areas of interest: new robots for classic machine loading duties, including the world premiere of the new HE version of the TS2 SCARA, and mobile robotic solutions for joined-up production.

The unique construction of the TX2 six-axis series makes its members ideally suited to the

special requirements that apply in metalworking, where direct contact with grinding dust, swarf

and cooling lubricants is unavoidable. With the six-axis TX2s, applications can be implemented

reliably inside a machining center where any other standard robot would soon succumb to the

punishing conditions.

The advantages of the TX2 six-axis machines – their enclosed design, the internal wiring, the

connections under the robot pedestal and their high protection category, to name but a few –

are now also applicable to the brand new four-axis robots of the TS2 series. As a result,

Stäubli is at last able to offer SCARAs for even the most demanding tasks in machine

automation.

This minor sensation was made possible by the total redesign of the four-axis series. They are

now equipped with Stäubli’s proprietary JCS drive technology, developed and built in-house,

which was previously reserved for the six-axis models. This technology is the key to the

enormous performance gain of the TS2 SCARAs. Hollow shaft technology has facilitated an

enclosed structure, which has made external cabling a thing of the past.

Four-axis robots now available as HE versionsStäubli Tec-Systems GmbHTheodor-Schmidt-Straße 19/25DE - 95448 BAYREUTH

Phone: +49 921 883-0 1/5www.staubli.com

PRESS RELEASE

Bayreuth, July 2019

This pioneering design paves the way for an interesting option that has so far not featured on

the SCARA list. For applications in which the robots are permanently exposed to cooling

lubricants, Stäubli recommends the HE versions with their additional level of protection (HE

stands for “Humid Environment”). To ensure ongoing trouble-free operation of the new four-

axis robots, even where they are integrated into machining centers, they incorporate stainless

steel parts, toughened seals and specially coated housing panels. With the arrival of the HE

version of its four-axis TS2 machine, Stäubli has filled a gap in the market and is now able to

supply all robot kinematics in this special protected design.

In order to provide an optimal solution for all machine sizes, the new robot family comprises

four models, specifically the TS2-40, TS2-60, TS2-80 and TS2-100. The previous series

covered ranges of 400 to 800 millimeters, but this has been extended to an impressive working

radius of 1,000 millimeters with the addition of the TS2-100. Overall, the new SCARAs are

considerably more compact than their predecessors and are therefore optimally equipped for

the automation of machine tools and machining centers.

Connecting up machinery by means of mobile robot systems

Now ready for series production and certain to be one of the main attractions at EMO, the

HelMo mobile robot system proves that, with Stäubli, the future of machine automation can

already become a reality today.

HelMo can maneuver and navigate autonomously, monitoring its environment all the while by

means of three integrated laser scanners. Equipped with a six-axis robot of the TX2 series,

HelMo can carry out all types of work, including those that call for direct human-robot

collaboration.

Machine loading and linking is a prime example of how the mobile robot can replace obsolete

production scenarios. Whereas forklifts, manual tool and workpiece handling, conveyor

systems and fixed automation solutions were still used in the recent past, HelMo is now able to

manage the entire task spectrum. It can network production, fetch tools from a magazine, bring

them to the machine, manage the loading and unloading of machine tools and connect up the

process as appropriate.

Stäubli Tec-Systems GmbHTheodor-Schmidt-Straße 19/25DE - 95448 BAYREUTH

Phone: +49 921 883-0 2/5www.staubli.com

In the next step, multiple mobile robots can serve complete production lines by communicating

with each other as well as with a higher-level ERP system. HelMo will enable users to achieve

smart production in future Industry 4.0 environments, with a significant gain in autonomy,

flexibility and productivity. A complex safety package is included to meet the rigorous

specifications that apply. All safety functions conform to the stringent SIL3/PLe category.

Open interfaces to all control systems

Stäubli’s ready-to-plug solutions uniVAL drive and uniVAL plc meet the demand from many

users for a uniform control platform for machine tools and robots. The result is that all Stäubli

kinematics can be operated via the multi-axis controls of the machine tool or via programmable

logic controllers from renowned suppliers such as Siemens and Beckhoff.

Integration of the robots into the relevant control system is easier than ever before. If robot

control is to be performed via a multi-axis unit, uniVAL drive is the appropriate choice. uniVAL

drive allows the machine tool controller to take over the robot controller and thus operate the

individual robot axes via bus systems such as Sercos3, Ethercat, Powerlink and Profinet.

A further development from Stäubli is uniVAL plc. This solution with predefined interface allows

the operation of robots via programmable logic controllers. The programming of the robots is

carried out in a particularly user-friendly manner by means of function blocks. In any case, the

excellent Stäubli path planning remains active in the background.

Stäubli Tec-Systems GmbHTheodor-Schmidt-Straße 19/25DE - 95448 BAYREUTH

Phone: +49 921 883-0 3/5www.staubli.com

World premiere TS2-100 HE - Closed structure, protection cover and folding bellows offer increased protection against contamination in sensitive working areas.

Due to its fully encapsulated design, the Stäubli six-axis machine can easily cope with the conditions inside the grinding machine.

The vast quantities of cooling lubricant oil cannot harm the completely encapsulated TX40.

The mobile robot can take on different tasks in one shift and independently approach the corresponding work stations where it can carry out work with an accuracy of tenths of a millimeter after a short calibration phase.

Stäubli Tec-Systems GmbHTheodor-Schmidt-Straße 19/25DE - 95448 BAYREUTH

Phone: +49 921 883-0 4/5www.staubli.com

For more information please contact:

Stäubli Robotics (Gemany) Sonja KobanHead of MarketingPhone: +49 (0)921 883 3212Fax: +49 (0)921 883 3444s.koban@staubli.com

About Stäubli

Stäubli is a mechatronics solutions provider with three dedicated activities: Connectors, Robotics and Textile. With a global workforce of over 5,500, the company generates annual turnover surpassing 1.3 billion Swiss francs. Originally founded in 1892 as a small workshop in Horgen/Zurich, today Stäubli is an international group headquartered in Pfäffikon, Switzerland. Worldwide, Stäubli operates fourteen industrial production sites with a global presence of over 60 locations in 29 countries, expanded with a network of agents in 50 countries, delivering innovative solutions to all industrial sectors. www.staubli.com/en/profile

Stäubli Tec-Systems GmbHTheodor-Schmidt-Straße 19/25DE - 95448 BAYREUTH

Phone: +49 921 883-0 5/5www.staubli.com