Kawasaki to Showcase Latest Technologies and Industry Developments at IMTS 2022
Kawasaki will be putting on live demos for attendees of the international manufacturing and technology show (IMTS) to exhibit its latest innovations in robotics and automation for industry.
World-leading engineering company, Kawasaki Robotics (USA), Inc., will be showcasing its latest technologies and industry developments at the international manufacturing technology show, IMTS 2022, McCormick Place, Chicago, Ilinois. The event will take place on September 12-17 and brings together a broad community of manufacturing technologists to network, share, and get up-to-date with the latest innovations.
Kawasaki will introduce the next generation of its R series of robots in the form of the dust-tight, 13 kg payload RS013N. IMTS attendees will also be able to experience Kawasaki’s KJ155 explosion-proof paint robot outfitted with an applicator applied by Dürr Systems. At Kawasaki’s booth (#236744), attendees can also see an interactive spot welding application programmed using the KRNX application programming interface (API) plugin along with Realtime Robotics’ collision avoidance and motion planning software.
Kawasaki’s IP67-rated, 13 kg payload robot, the RS013N. Image used courtesy of Kawasaki
Kawasaki’s RS013N Robot
The six-axis RS013N robot comes with an ingress protection (IP) rating of IP67, which provides full body protection against the ingress of dust over an extended time, water when fully immersed at 1 meter deep for up to 30 minutes, and contact from objects over 1mm in diameter. This means that the RS013N is suitable for use in almost any industrial environment. The bot features a new arm structure and a 1,460 mm reach which is the largest in its class. The weight of the RS013N stands at 170 kg and it also exhibits position repeatability of ±0.03 mm. The motor is located on the base of the bot to protect it within harsh environments and to make routine maintenance and service more accessible.
Kawasaki designed its latest bot to be the fastest in its class to reduce cycle times and provide more comprehensive working ranges. Overall, the RS13N is designed for any general application across a variety of industries.
Intuitive Paint Systems
What has been dubbed “the future of explosion-proof general industry paint applications” will be on show at IMTS 2022 at Kawasaki’s booth (#236744). The company has been working alongside Dürr Systems to bring more intuitive paint systems to customers in non-automotive industries. Attendees of IMTS 2022 will be able to watch one of Kawasaki’s K series bots, the KJ155, use an EcoGun spray gun from Dürr Systems to paint all-terrain (ATV) rims.
Attendees of the IMTS 2022 show will be able to watch a demo of Kawasaki’s KJ155 painting an ATV rim using an EcoGun spray gun from Dürr Systems. Image used courtesy of Kawasaki
According to Kawasaki, the benefits of the integrated paint system include:
- High efficiency with rapid color changes and an instant connection with the Kawasaki robot controller
- Enhanced adaptability through the choice of different size paint guns for varied part types
- Seamless paint system integration for ease of installation and simplified production
- A user-friendly instruction manual to simplify setup
Interactive Spot Welding with Kawasaki and Realtime Robotics
With the implementation of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, Kawasaki’s KRNX API plugin allows users to execute real-time control over their machines across a variety of applications. Kawasaki’s KRNX allows robot joint angles to be updated continuously to provide full motion control. In the context of real-time applications, cutting-edge computers can calculate a robot’s motion path using perception systems. The plugin allows external software to be interfaced with Kawasaki’s bots so that users can access existing development cycles/tools.
Realtime Robotics and Kawasaki partner to develop deployment and control of industrial robots. image/video used courtesy of Realtime Robotics
In June this year, Realtime Robotics announced its collaboration with Kawasaki to automate industrial robots' programming, control, and deployment.
At the IMTS show, attendees will be able to view a live demo of two Kawasaki BX100N robots as they simulate the welding of a car door using ARO 3G modular spot welding guns. Realtime Robotics’ collision avoidance and motion planning software, RapidPlan, will also be at play to guide robot motions. With RapidPlan, reprogramming is not required for robot motion modification and time does not need to be wasted in verifying motion planning. The RapidPlan software ensures that collision-free paths are automatically generated without the need to spend many hours of manual labor verifying bots against potential collisions.
To find out more about Kawasaki’s innovative line-up of technologies and about how you could experience the IMTS show, you can learn more about registration from the show's main page.
