FEATURE
ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS
A NEW ERA OF SYSTEMS DESIGN
To speed up the development of
machine applications that require robotic integration, Trio Motion Technology has
developed a new range of SCARA robots controlled by a motion coordinator,
that are said to provide new design opportunities for OEMs
T
owards the end of 2021, with the Covid pandemic still restricting travel, Trio Motion Technology held a fascinating online press
conference in which it introduced a new solution which would, it explained, offer ‘new design opportunities for OEMs’. Providing a ‘new era of systems design for OEMs’, the company’s new SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) robot range provides machine builders with a fully integrated control solution. According to Trio, the new solution gives OEMs
high performance robot control, motion control, and machine automation from a single controller. This will therefore speed up development time and increase reliability for machine applications that require robotic integration.
PRODucTIvITY
The SCARA robots are designed to optimise productivity and control in applications such as pick and place, assembly and dispensing, meaning they are suitable for use in industries including electronics manufacturing (3C), packaging and material handling. Tom Alexander, president of Trio Motion
Technology, explained: “The productivity and efficiency of applications such as pick and place are enhanced by SCARA robots, so extending Trio’s automation portfolio with a range of high performance integrated robots is advantageous to OEMs that build machines for a range of industries. “Integrating robot, motion and machine
automation into a single controller enables faster development for the OEM. Crucially, it means reduced field downtime for their customers, giving machine users increased productivity. Minimising development and maintenance challenges, combined with using just one controller for all tasks, also means a lower cost machine.” There are four robots in the range that extend
from a 400mm arm range and a 3kg maximum load capacity, through to a 700mm arm range
2
and a 6kg maximum load capacity. Each robot is powered by four Trio MX series servo motors that are individually controlled by a Trio DX4 servo drive. The drives provide fast, precise motion performance enhanced by EtherCAT update rates as low as 125μs. DX4 can deliver 350% overload for high dynamic applications as well as absolute multiturn 23bit encoders for system precision. Furthermore, the design simplicity of the drives with the majority of control and I/O functionality retained within the separate controller is said by the company to significantly reduce the lifetime cost of the robot.
“Integrating robot,
motion and machine automation into a single controller enables faster
development for the OEM”
MOTION cONTROl
The robots are controlled by a Trio motion coordinator that can simultaneously control the overall machine, instead of a separate controller for machine and robot. Integrating robotics within the same controller removes the challenge of hand-shaking and communication compatibility between a robot controller and PLC, the company explains. This therefore speeds up development time and reduces process issues in the application, meaning fewer resources required by
3 DESIGN SOLUTIONS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022 The new solution gives
OEMs high performance robot control, motion control, and machine automation from a single controller
the OEM and greater productivity for the end user. A single controller also reduces overall machine cost in terms of hardware as well as footprint, while simplifying commissioning and future production process changes. The kinematic and motion control capabilities
of Trio’s motion coordinators are based on high speed synchronisation of up to 128 axes with up to 64 bit precise motion calculations. Trio’s flagship MC664-X can control up to four SCARA robots simultaneously while the pocket-sized Flex-6 Nano can control two SCARAs. Robot application development takes place
within Trio’s Motion Perfect software and is powered by a core of Motion-iX technologies, providing a single control platform for machine, motion and robotics. The single platform approach reduces development time and eliminates risk in compatibility issues. Simplicity of robot development is enhanced through Trio RPS (Robot Programming System), an integrated software package that includes 3D simulation to create a virtual twin that reduces risks in deployment, speeding up development. RPS also includes a Virtual Teach Pendant for faster, on-the-go, robot program development. According to the company, as well as robotic
and motion control, its controllers also provide machine automation. The controllers feature extensive I/O integration, system expansion via EtherCAT, and compatibility with all primary Ethernet-based bus systems. They can also be programmed using IEC 61131-3 languages.
Trio Motion Technology
www.triomotion.uk
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