Yaskawa Motoman Adds No-code to High-speed Conveyor Picking

Yaskawa Motoman robots are used in many industrial assembly and process automation factories around the world. They currently have more than 540,000 industrial robots installed globally. The company started in 1989 and now has a product catalog of more than 150 robot models.

Recently, Yaskawa has added enhancements to its MotoPick software solution, compatible with its MPP-, SG-, and GP-Series robots that adds high-speed picking without the need for complex coding.

 

Yaskawa's MotoPick 4 adds high-speed picking without the need for complex coding. Image used courtesy of Yaskawa

 

High-speed Picking

Most factories will have or use conveyors to transport products from point A to point B. An example would be a cookie factory. As cookies come out of the oven, they are transferred to a packaging line via a conveyor. The cookies would then be transferred off the conveyor by operators or robots.

The problem with picking parts off a conveyor is the conveyor never stops, so the pick position is always changing. The solution is to use a vision system and an accurate encoder. The encoder tells the robot the speed of the conveyor, and the camera gives the robot the position of the part on the conveyor.

As the parts travel into the robot’s workspace, the robot can match the speed of the conveyor and pick the part. This solution requires some heavy programming and calculations. If any one component stops or does not report the correct data, the robot will not be able to pick the part successfully.

 

Delta-style robots utilizing MotoPick for high-speed picking. Video used courtesy of Yaskawa

 

Yaskawa MotoPick 4

Yaskawa's MotoPick 4 has the capability of synchronizing not only one robot but up to sixteen vision-guided robots and up to six conveyors, all without requiring complex code to be written. The software provides many part-tracking functions, such as a pause feature that keeps track of part positions. At the same time, the conveyor is stopped, or configurations that allow for areas where the conveyor can change speed while the robot maintains part positions.

MotoPick 4 also has a dynamic load balancing feature for single and multiple robot systems, allowing each robot to pick up to four parts and place them in numerous locations. The multi-layer tray option enables the robot to pick in specific patterns from trays that could have multiple layers.

MotoPick 4 is only compatible with the FS100 and the YRC1000micro controllers or the MLX300 controller software package. The robot interface board with these robots allows for multiple encoders and cameras to be connected to the same robot controller, which saves money on wiring and electrical cabinet real estate.

 

MotoPick 4's multi-layer tray option enables the robot to pick in specific patterns from trays that could have multiple layers. Image used courtesy of Yaskawa

 

No-code Capability

As the cost of industrial robots becomes more affordable, more companies are looking to robotics to solve staffing issues. Smaller companies in food production or companies that make small products can benefit from the MotoPick 4 software.

Typically food comes out of machinery, which needs to be packaged. Multiple operators generally perform this task, but with the MotoPick 4 and a Yaskawa robot, integrators can easily deploy a relatively complex robot solution quickly and use up less floor space and electrical cabinet space than a typical robot solution.