| Robots and Humans Interact Safely
 Current trends in robotics will enable better human–robot interaction, making robots easier and safer to use.
Joe Kraus, product manager with Kuka Robotics Corp. (www.kuka.com), Clinton
Township, Mich., mentions three trends. First, there is the growth of
industry-specific and application-based robotic arms and software. He believes
these will allow quicker automation implementation and greater ease of use. He
forecasts automotive as the biggest initial end-user of those developments.
Another trend is high-payload, six-axis robots that will let those
automotive manufacturers use a single robot in certain material handling and other
applications, such as glass handling, body-in-white and construction.
These trends reflect the movement away from one-size-fits-all use of
robotics approaches, Kraus thinks. That's because each industry sector now has a
different level of robotic acceptance and sophistication, as well as differing
needs, he says. “This [trend] is possible because specialized robots are
variations on standard and proven robotic systems...”
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Function Blocks Make Motion Easier
“This standardization integrates safety aspects and/or motion control with industrial control.”
The PLCopen Motion Control Specification harmonizes the access of
motion-control functionality across platforms, explains Eelco van der Wal,
managing director of PLCopen (www.plcopen.org), Zaltbommel, The Netherlands. “In
this way, the generated application program is much more hardware independent and
reusable across different architectures–for instance, from centralized to
distributed or integrated to networked control.” He adds that the integration of
motion control and logic on one platform helps users to add motion-control
functionality much more easily.
Noting that the specification provides a programming standard widely
supported by industry, with around 30 platforms certified, van der Wal says his
organization designed the specification for more than one application. “It will
serve as a basic layer for ongoing definitions in different areas. As such, it is
open to existing and future technologies...” Read more
Industrial PC Brings Controls Benefits to High-speed Tray Former/Sealer
Ethernet connectivity simplifies the acquisition of data about machine operating conditions.
Introduced recently at the Worldwide Food Expo in Chicago, the Model R
535 thermoforming machine from Multivac forms and seals trays of food and
other products at speeds to 600 packs/min. It's equipped with a Beckhoff
CX1020 DIN rail-mounted embedded PC that centralizes control by handling PLC,
motion control, and HMI functions in a single device. The industrial PC
controller provides a direct backplane connection to Beckhoff I/O terminals,
which in Multivac's case are networked via Ethernet as the system's fieldbus.
According to Multivac's Michael Krieger, this represents a significant
controls improvement.
“We used to use a proprietary system more or less tailored for us,”
says Krieger. “It kept cost down and worked well enough, but this
off-the-shelf solution we have now is much better. It eliminates the need to
have one controller for HMI and a second for machine functions...” Read more
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