TECHNOLOGY | ROBOTS AND AUTOMATION
reaction vessels. The system, now operational, handles cylindrical products, so it can also be used to handle blood collection products, said Konowal. At the Medical Design and Manufacturing West show in California, US, earlier this year, Beck launched its new IML system for medical packaging applications designed with a new adjustment head for precision label alignment. The Self Adjusting Transfer Head system is targeted for production of small packaging units of consumables for the medical market, such as a diagnostic product or a syringe, and delivers label placement accurate to +/- 0.01mm, says Konowal. The custom medical IML automation is com-
Below: An
all-in-one cobot from Techman combines visual process- ing in the robot arm with a smart vision system and a native AI inferencing engine
prised of multiple off-the-shelf laser light sensors used in combination with a moveable transfer head/dummy core developed by Beck that is moved via motor control. Closed-loop control software controls the position of the transfer head and processes the laser light signals. The adjust- ment head picks up a label from the magazine using vacuum. The adjustment head adjusts its position until the full light from each laser is picked up by the receptor it is linked to. The position of the laser light corresponds to critical edges of the label, typically positioned at a corner, top and bottom label edge. When each laser light is seen fully by its receptors the label is transferred into the mould and held with a static charge. Konowal says the development of the more
precise IML system helps to bring about advances in the labeling and printing technology. “More accurate automation allows higher tech labels to be used, such as labels that turn colour to indicate a drug is past its usage date.” Beck is developing an 8-cavity IML system with the new self-adjusting transfer head. Taiwan-based automation supplier Techman has introduced an all-in-one cobot series that combines
visual processing in the robot arm, with a smart vision system and a native AI inferencing engine in a complete package that comes ready for deploy- ment in factories and is designed to accelerate the transition to Industry 4.0 connectivity. The company claims its new TM AI Cobot series is the only intelligent robot arm cobot model on the market provided with a comprehensive AI software suite that allows companies to train and tailor their system to precisely meet their application. The suite of AI software includes Techman’s TM AI+ Training Server, TM AI+AOI Edge, TM Image Manager and TM 3DVision. The all-in-one cobot can track, analyze, and integrate data during production to prevent defects and improve product quality. The cobot’s AI is applied to the production line to increase productivity and shorten cycle times, which decreases costs. The robot vision allows the cobot to perceive its surroundings and interpret visual data into command prompts, to accurately perform tasks in dynamic and changing workspaces, making operations run smoother. The AI vision can also read results from machines or test equipment and make appropriate decisions. The cobot model is created to perform several
tasks such as fast and precise pick and place, AMR, palletising, welding, semi-conducting and product manufacturing and AOI inspections, among many other applications that can be accelerated by AI-Vision. Techman offers six models in the TM AI Cobot
product line with payloads ranging from 4 kg to 20 kg and reach from 700 mm to 1,300 mm. In 2018 Techman formed a strategic alliance with Omron Industrial Automation for the global distribution of its TM series of collaborative robots.
New robots Universal Robots extended its UR range of industrial collaborative robots with a model that has the highest payload, reach and speed in the line and is based on an all-new design. Its new UR 20 cobot has a payload of 20 kg and a reach of 1,750 mm and is the lightest cobot in its class despite being the company’s heaviest UR cobot at 64 kg, it says. The new model features completely re-engi-
neered field serviceable joints that deliver 30% more speed and torque within a closed capsule, and a completely re-engineered arm, says Anders Beck, VP of Innovation and Strategy. Even with the increase in reach and torque, repeatability of +/- 0.05 mm is retained, while still using standard single- phase power. The user interface has been retained, with the control software running the latest Poly-
22 INJECTION WORLD | April 2023
www.injectionworld.com
IMAGE: TECHMAN
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