New paint shop robots boost UK installed base
Only twelve months after launching two new paint robots, FANUC reports that it has supplied 32 P-250i robots into three UK manufacturing sites. The figure exceeds the total of all paint robots installed in the UK over the last three years by 151%, based on BARA annual robot statistics.
Driven by the technological demands of coatings such as 2K polycarbonates and the need for consistency and exceptional quality, FANUC has incorporated many enhancements into the latest robots that increase production efficiency and reduce paint wastage. Making up one of the largest paint robot ranges available, the FANUC P-50iB and P-250iB are designed with advanced features making them ideal for high quality automotive finishes and general industrial use.
The P-50iB has an ultra compact design and still manages to provide a large working envelope, with 1.4m and 1.8m reach variants. Added to the option of mounting the robot to a wall or a ceiling the compact design allows booth size and therefore volume of extracted air to be kept to a minimum. With a payload of up to 15kg the P-50iB allows all types of spray gun, applicator and accessories to be used precisely, with rapid and accurate path control to optimise quality and to reduce overspray.
In common with the P-250iB, the P-50iB has an open J3 arm onto which process control equipment can be mounted. The purged J2 arm includes provision for one or two servomotors to drive gear pumps for accurate 1K or 2K material metering or mixing. The arm also provides a mounting for the colour change valves ensuring they are as close to the applicator as possible reducing the volume of material lost during colour change. With only a short internal paint line through to the wrist to the applicator, this makes the arm easy to clean and minimises contamination experienced from external paint lines.
The larger P-250iB has a 2m reach and will accurately handle a 15kg payload at high speed allowing rapid reorientation for both conventional or Bell applicators. The robots can be mounted in many configurations, including floor, ceiling or even wall. They can also be mounted on rail units to increase the work envelope. A light-weight plastic forearm variant is also available for water based electrostatic applications.
Many options are available for all of the FANUC Paint robots including process valve options for the P-50iB and process speed options for the P-250iB including auto colour changers, spray pattern and parameter control and line tracking. Compliance with explosion protection is certified for both robot ranges according to CE standards, ATEX II 2 G and 2 D and North American Standards (Class I,II,III). Both robots are controlled by the new energy saving R-30iB controller, FANUC’s latest generation of intelligent controller. Packed with smart features and application specific user software.
Visit the FANUC website for more information. You can also see the robot in action in this video.
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