ATX West 2024: Robots, Vision, and Machine Building Innovation
IME West, featuring packaging, medical, and plastic manufacturing as well as the ATX West automation show, was a huge success, showcasing many exciting tech displays from hundreds of companies.
The ATX West show at IME West in Anaheim has drawn to a close, with Control Automation at the leading edge of exploring the new innovations presented by many companies. If you missed our first-day wrap-up, be sure to check it out so that you can learn more about what these exciting companies can offer for you.
Mecademic
When so many elements of technology evolve into bigger, stronger, and faster versions, it’s refreshing to see specific technology applied to ultra-small industries, requiring the utmost in both precision and tolerance. This is the specialty of the super-small articulated and SCARA robots from Mecademic, all designed to provide reliability for industries including optics, semiconductors, electronics (PCB population), adhesives, and pharma applications.
Several 6-axis Mecademic arms working together, aided by a SCARA-mounted inspection camera above.
Compact and precise industrial motion is the goal of many companies, and Mecademic’s commitment to precision and repeatability on the order of 0.005 mm for a 6-axis industrial robot is truly impressive.
Micropsi
Let’s face it: when it comes to robotics, any variability in your process is a real headache. Before automating, a typical goal is to reduce any discrepancies in fixture positioning, infeed, outfeed, pallets, and pretty much everything in between. But what happens if absolute position fixation is simply impossible? That challenge is the specialty of Micropsi Industries. Using stereo vision systems, the robot can track the position of the intended object or target location even during the approach. If any element is out of place, the system can adjust the points to yield a nearly perfect final pick placement, even if the object has moved.
Steadying a swinging wrench when necessary allows for better live positioning data.
As industry advances, it’s a guarantee that automation cases will become more complex, not simpler. Companies like Micropsi Industries enable the more challenging situations to achieve repeatable results, critical for automation success.
Vention
Machine builders have a particularly tough job. Not only must they design and build custom work cells, but they must be willing to stand by the performance of the work cell even after installation. Vention takes the challenge to heart with a system of analytics and diagnostics in a dashboard for each customer, with options from basic uptime/downtime, to a live video monitor of each robotic cell.
A FANUC CRX-powered palletizing system from Vention.
Vention also uses a machine building software (aptly named MachineBuilder) designed by their own team to assist end users in collaborating on the most efficient design, reducing costly miscommunication and empowering the customer with a hand in the design process.
Universal Robots
The pioneer in collaborative automation illustrates this concept beyond simply the robots they manufacture. Universal Robots (UR) relies on a system of integrators and manufacturers to build out an entire system (called the UR+ ecosystem) of partners who specialize in key industry verticals, like welding, palletizing, CNC operations, adhesives, gripping, and many others. This ensures that customers will receive not only the highest quality robots and peripheral products, but also the knowledge and expertise of true experts.
A new UR20 cobot tends a CNC machine from VersaBuilt
The UR booth featured robot integration cells from VersaBuilt (CNC machine tending), Flexxbotics (digitization of machine tending operations), and Kane Robotics (grinding and deburring), each one demonstrating a critical piece of the manufacturing process.
SMC USA
Since IME West is a trade show that revolves around automation in manufacturing, design, and healthcare/medical industries, SMC USA brought forward many devices that are used within assembled products that provide medical benefits, both for consumers and for medical facilities. One of the highlighted components for both the medical and the general industrial world is the advancement in control and diagnostic technologies for air supply. Management systems that include the regulation and filtration of air can also lead to the conservation of energy when leaks are detected and stopped before exhausting any wasted air supply.
Air management is the first step in efficient air supply in a facility.
Wireless tech embedded in air systems can also aid in monitoring branch air circuits and diagnosing faulty lines, valves, and actuators for a longer-lasting air system.
Photo Gallery
A Cognex camera detects imperfections at extremely high speeds.
Strain wave gearing (common in robot joints) provides non-backlash motion with an elliptical inner gear drive (note the gap at bottom-left and upper-right, while the teeth are in contact at upper-left and lower-right).
Wieland safety devices, including safety relays, light curtains, sensors, and others.
Motor and drive systems from Autonics.
High speed motion from Staubli.
Motion Ai palletizer powered with a UR cobot.
Omron PLC and HMI in a motion control trainer from Motion Ai.
