Collaborative robotics system built for larger fiber loads

 

 

Cygnet Texkimp (Cheshire, U.K.) has developed an automated guided vehicle (AGV)-mounted collaborative robot system for lifting packages of fiber weighing up to 35 kilograms. According to Cygnet Texkimp, until recently collaborative robots were only capable of handling loads of up to 2 kilograms.

“This is a breakthrough solution in terms of addressing the growing trend towards larger bobbins or packages of fiber,” says Lee Simcock, director of technology at Cygnet Texkimp.

“Larger bobbins contribute to a more efficient operation because they require fewer changeovers, but they are of course harder for humans to lift and manipulate,” Simcock says. “The increased payload capacity of collaborative robots combined with advances in AGV technology have enabled us to develop a solution that allows companies to lift and load large packages more easily and safely, including at height. And with no infrastructure needed to navigate around the factory, the technology is completely mobile.”

Cygnet Texkimp’s AGV-mounted robot can be programmed to follow a pre-determined route, which can be changed according to the task it needs to perform. The company says the robot can be used for loading and unloading creels, winders, cabling and twisting machines, and shelving and racking structures.

“Collaborative robots work with operators to make the manufacturing process safer, faster and more productive,” Simcock says. “Conventional robots have to be boxed in for safety because they can’t sense or respond to the presence of a human, but collaborative robots can sense pressure and stop if a person or object is detected, which makes it possible for humans and robots to work alongside each other safely. Collaborative robots are not only strong but also adaptive and easy to program. They can follow a taught path dictated by the operator rather than requiring software reprogramming, and this allows for rapid and convenient process changes.”