Mitsubishi extends range with first collaborative robot
At SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg, Mitsubishi Electric demonstrated production in an Industry 4.0 environment, including a new collaborative robot, working together with an operator without safety barriers. The launch of the new collaborative MELFA robot marks the company’s first dedicated development in the area of Human-Robot Cooperation (HRC).
Mitsubishi Electric says the new collaborative robot has important differentiators over alternative products. While the precision of some collaborative robots may be reduced in comparison with industrial versions, Mitsubishi Electric says its new model’s performance characteristics mirror those of the company’s industrial autonomous robot range. This means a repeat accuracy of ±0.02 mm, despite the inclusion of sensitive force/torque sensors. Load capacity of the shown robot model is between 5 and 6 kg and reach is between 800 and 1000 mm.
As well as performance, Mitsubishi Electric has also addressed ease of use, with innovative and, to date, unique control and programming options. A touch-screen operator terminal, which can be plugged into the robot, provides an intuitive interface to ‘teach’ the robot its task, without any special programming expertise. The teach functionality includes a ‘direct control’ mode which allows the operator to move the robot from position to position, by hand and with controlled force. Once the set-up is complete, the operator terminal is easily removed to give the robot full freedom of movement.
The robot’s introduction at the Nuremberg trade fair coincides with its official premier at the International Robot Exhibition (iREX) in Tokyo.
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