Iván Hernández Dalas: KUKA unveils KR FORTEC industrial robot

KUKA's KR FORTEC industrial robot.

KUKA’s KR FORTEC industrial robot aims to provide high dynamic performance to achieve shorter cycle times. | Source: KUKA

KUKA AG has revealed its KR FORTEC industrial robot. This latest robot fits between KUKA’s KR QUANTED and KR FORTEC ultra robots. 

This latest industrial robot has an extended arm that has a reach of 145 in. (368.3 cm) and can handle payloads of up to 529 lb. (240 kg). The company said that with the KR FORTEC, it hopes to deliver versatility with a smaller footprint. Its compact shape makes it suitable for tasks such as handling and spot welding, according to KUKA. 

“We developed the KR FORTEC to achieve a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and to launch a resource-saving product on the market,” stated Maximilian Pettkuhn, portfolio manager at KUKA, in a release. “The KR FORTEC is up to 700 kg [1,543.2 lb.] lighter than its predecessor.”

SITE AD for the 2024 Robotics Summit registration.Learn from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and many more.

Modularization means lower costs for customers

KUKA said it provides cross-model modularization to ensure a high transmissibility of robot series components. The company said that modularization results in lower costs for spare part storage. Customers can expand the KR FORTEC’s working envelope with the KL 4000 linear unit, which is modularly adaptable between 4.9 and 98.4 ft (1.5 and 30 m). 

Also, KUKA noted that KR QUANTEC can fit on the KL 4000. This enables customers to use the KL 5000 with the KR FORTEC ultra on the same linear unit. Customers can use this feature to continue adapting and combining products to meet their individual requirements, the company claimed. 

The KR FORTEC features two in-line wrists adopted from the KR QUANTIC and the KR FORTEC ultra models. The wrists are waterproof and dustproof as standard equipment. The robot can operate between 0º C and 55º C, and foundry variants are available for harsh and dirty environments. 

KUKA.MixedReality software

Last week, KUKA released its KUKA.MixedReality software, which visualizes the environment of robot cells live on smartphones. The company says the system aims to support fast, safe, and intuitive robot startup.

With the new software, the company said that users can detect and correct errors quickly, which can accelerate installation and increase safety. For example, the software can simulate robot motion with a virtual gripper. To prevent damage to either part, any potential collisions that show up in the augmented reality environment can be prevented early in the real environment. 

The program consists of the KUKA.MixedReality Assistant app, plus the KUKA.MixedReality Safe technology package, which is installed on the robot controller. This allows users to simulate scenarios from their phones. 

Augsburg, Germany-based KUKA is one of the world’s leading suppliers of robotics. The Midea Group unit’s robots work in a variety of markets, including automotive, electronics, metals and plastics, consumer goods, e-commerce and retail, and healthcare.

KUKA.MixedReality software.

KUKA’s new mixed reality software includes tools and interference geometries to enable early detection of potential hazards. | Source: KUKA

The post KUKA unveils KR FORTEC industrial robot appeared first on The Robot Report.



View Source

Popular posts from this blog

Iván Hernández Dalas: How Health Care Organizations Can Thwart Cyberattacks

Image
Ransomware and other types of cyberattacks are striking health care systems at an increasing rate. More than one in three health care organizations around the world reported ransomware attacks last year, according to a survey of IT professionals by security company Sophos . About 40 percent of the nearly 330 respondents from the health care sector that weren't attacked last year said they expect to be hit in the future. In the United States, the FBI , the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , and the Department of Health and Human Services were so concerned with the increase in cyberattacks on hospitals and other health care providers that in October they issued a joint advisory warning of the "increased and imminent cybercrime threat." But the health care field isn't helpless against cyber threats. The IEEE Standards Association Healthcare and Life Sciences Practice —which is focused on clinical health, the biopharmaceutical value chain, and welln...
Read more

Iván Hernández Dalas: Study: Almost 70% Think Some Companies Will Go Too Far With AI

Image
A new report today highlights anxiety that U.S. consumers have over the possibility of artificial intelligence going too far. Despite advances in robotics and self-driving cars, a majority of Americans reported mixed feelings about the benefits of AI, according to a study by Elicit. In its 14-page report titled “ Artificial Intelligence and the Very Real, Real-World Anxiety it Causes, ” the research consultancy found that news reports over intelligent personal assistants that have “gone rogue,” as well as Facebook’s misuse of personal data, have created distrust among consumers. Approximately seven out of 10 (73%) think that some companies will go too far with AI, and another six out of 10 “are concerned with how companies will use AI and the information they have to engage with them.”   This year, RoboBusiness includes four conferences to make it easier for you to find the information you need most. Whether you are involved in running a robotics business, designing product...
Read more

Iván Hernández Dalas: How a WWII-era Plan may Provide a Robotics, AI Blueprint for Manufacturing in the Heartland

Image
Most experts agree that revitalizing manufacturing in the U.S. will require some combination of automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics, but the blueprint to achieve this for many smaller and midsize manufacturers remains elusive. Next week, industry leaders and officials from federal, state, and local government will gather in York, Pa., to discuss the impacts of AI, robotics, and technologies that will transform tomorrow’s workforce, especially in traditional “heartland” cities and towns. The Blueprint York event , produced by VentureBeat, will take place March 26-28, at The Strand Theater in York, a south-central Pennsylvania city that’s about 100 miles west of Philadelphia, and 26 miles south of the state’s capital, Harrisburg. The Blueprint events were started by VentureBeat following the 2016 election to help discover areas of technology and economic development beyond the East and West coasts of the U.S. The first event was held in Reno, Nev., in 2018, with this year...
Read more