Oriental Motor Adds a Full 360° Range of Motion to 3-Axis SCARA Robots

When you have an application that requires fast, compact motion, a selective compliance assembly (SCARA) robot arm might be the answer. Recently, Oriental Motor, a global supplier of motion-related, industrial networking, and cooling products, expanded its OVR series SCARA robot catalog with two new robots.

Oriental Motor's earlier, standard SCARA robots are limited in the range of motion of axes 1 and 2. These axes have a max range of ±170° and ±140°, resulting in wide swings when moving from a right-hand position to a left-hand position, with the positions needing to be within the front envelope of the robot. Now, Oriental Motor offers two new SCARA robots with a full 360° range of motion.

The original OVR SCARA robot (bottom left) next to the new and improved full 360° SCARA. Image used courtesy of Oriental Motor

Full 360° SCARA Robots

On a SCARA robot, axes 1 and 2 will dictate the robot's range of motion. The latest addition to Oriental Motor’s OVR series SCARA robots allows axis 1 to rotate uninterrupted and enables ±170° rotation on axis 2. This extended range of motion allows for a 360° of rotation.

Two models with the 360° range have been released; one has a maximum payload capacity of 10 kg and a maximum reach of 460 mm. The longer reach model maxes out at a 3 kg payload but features a 700 mm reach. Both models come equipped with general dust protection for applications in dusty environments.

A comparison of the standard and full 360° SCARA robots, highlighting the new models’ full range of motion. Video used courtesy of Oriental Motor

OVR Series SCARA Robots

Oriental Motor’s OVR series SCARA robots’ arm consists of two thin sections with motors directly driving each of the three axes. End effectors are then attached to axis 3. If a Z motion is required, an additional axis will need to be attached to the end effector.

The arm is controlled using Oriental Motor's MRC01 robot controller and MRC Studio software. The advantage of using this thin style of SCARA is that it can reach into low-profile locations and small openings. There is also a large reduction in weight and power use with smaller SCARA robots. All of the OVR series robots operate on 24 VDC.

The OVR series SCARA robots can be fitted with 2-finger or 3-finger end effectors. Image used courtesy of Oriental Motor

End Effector Options

To make robot configuration easier, Oriental Motor provides three options for end effectors. Two versions of a two-finger type and one version of a three-finger type. These end effectors range in gripping force between 7 N and 50 N and can support loads of 2 N to 15 N. The EH series grippers are electrically operated, so there is no need for bulky pneumatic lines.

Enhancing Robotic Automation

The original design of the SCARA robot has been the backbone of industrial automation for many years, offering fast and repeatable motions for automated assembly machines. With Oriental Motor’s latest additions, the OVR platform is capable of reaching areas that would have required additional hardware or even additional robots, thus saving machine builders and end users time and money.