OEMs Bring the Benefits of Cobots to Palletizing

Higher payloads, an extended reach, ease of programming and operation, and greater security features allow new cobots to be used for palletizing operations.

The UR20 palletizing robots features a new joint design that allows for up to 65% faster cycle times as well as the ability to handle loads up to 20 kg.
The UR20 palletizing robots features a new joint design that allows for up to 65% faster cycle times as well as the ability to handle loads up to 20 kg.

One category of robot that was introduced with ease of use and programming in mind is cobots. Since the first cobot was introduced to the packaging industry over a decade ago, OEMs offering cobot technology have designed touchscreens and pendants that allow operators with little to no experience to quickly and easily program the path of the cobot. Some models even allow the operator to program the arm by manually guiding it through the required movements.

Coupled with that, undoubtedly the most distinguishing feature of the cobot is its ability to work alongside humans. Until recently, cobots have typically been small and lightweight, making them easy to move throughout a facility to different packaging lines. They primarily handled relatively simple, repetitive packaging tasks requiring low-payload capacity. But cobot manufacturers are now bringing the benefits of these systems to palletizing, with higher payloads and with cobot arms having a greater reach.

The light-duty CR10 from Dobot features a payload of 10 kg, ±0.03 mm repeatability, and a 1300-mm reach.The light-duty CR10 from Dobot features a payload of 10 kg, ±0.03 mm repeatability, and a 1300-mm reach.Available from Dobot, a Chinese robotics company that just recently made its line of cobots widely available in the U.S. through master distributor DB Cobots, LLC, is a “cobotic” palletizer that DB Cobots President Doug Dalgliesh says is “one of the easiest systems on the market today to install and implement.” The palletizer uses Dobot’s CR10 six-axis arm, which is part of the company’s CR series of adaptable and self-learning cobots.


Watch video   Watch a video on Dobot’s CR series.

Features of the light-duty CR10 include a payload of 10 kg, ±0.03 mm repeatability, and a 1300-mm reach—technical capabilities that make it suitable for a number of applications, including palletizing, loading and unloading, and others. Additional features include a customized, user-friendly HMI, a vertical lift actuator, and adjustable end-of-arm vacuum cup tooling.

According to the company, set up requires just four steps: 1.) enter pallet dimensions; 2.) enter box dimensions and weight; 3.) set the pallet pattern; and 4.) set the movement speed and acceleration. Given the simplicity of set up, Dobot says the system can be up and running within minutes.

The KR1018 is a seven-axis cobot from Kassow Robots that has a payload of 18 kg and a reach of 1000 mm.The KR1018 is a seven-axis cobot from Kassow Robots that has a payload of 18 kg and a reach of 1000 mm.From Kassow Robots is a seven-axis cobot, the KR1018, which has a payload of 18 kg and a reach of 1000 mm, making it suitable for precise and repetitive industrial tasks requiring great strength, such as machine tending, assembly, quality assurance, palletizing, and pick-and-place operations. Kassow relates that the cobot’s easy-to-use interface and the plug-and-play concept of the seven-axis cobot makes it accessible to small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) that do not have robot engineers on staff.


Watch video   Watch a video of Kassow Robots’ KR1018.

The KR1018’s seventh axis, or “wrist joint,” provides increased maneuverability and an increased range of motion. The seventh axis also enables continuous dispensing, welding, and material removal applications, regardless of access angle, without the need to reorient the arm. Weighing just 34 kg, the cobot can be easily relocated to perform different tasks in other areas of the facility.

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