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        Welding robots controlled via Windows CE

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Aug 5, 2010 | Comments: 1


        Motoman announced two new Windows CE-controlled welding robots and a name change. Now to be known as Yaskawa America, the company released the six-axis MA1650T and the extended-reach MA3100, the latter touted as the longest robot arm designed for arc welding.

        Yaskawa offers a wide variety of robotic arms, for operations such as automated material picking, handling, and palletizing. As we explain later in this story, all the devices work with a PC-based controller that includes a Windows CE-based "programming pendant."

        Yaskawa's MA1650T (left) and MA3100 (right)
        (Click either to enlarge)

        The company's newly announced robots both target welding tasks. The MA1650T (above left) is said to feature a "reversed" lower arm that provides greater working range and depth, plus a payload of 22.1 pounds. The device's integrated, through-the-arm torch cabling reduces wear, prevents bent cables, and optimizes welding performance, the company claims.

        The MA3100 (above right) is said to be the longest robot arm designed for arc welding, and to be mountable on a floor, ceiling, or walls. Reach is specified as being up to 122.9 inches, with repeatability within .15mm (.006 inches), while payload is up to 6.6 pounds, the company says.

        Background

        When it was announced last November, the DXM100 (right) was described as a more compact version of the company's previously released DX1000 controller, which offered much the same functionality along with additional I/O expansion. Based on an undisclosed, "robust PC architecture," the device measures 31.5 x 25.6 x 23.6 inches, and is said to fit easily under conveyor belts.

        According to the company, the DXM100 is designed to control up to eight robots. For example, the MH5 and MH5L (below left), or the MPK2 (below right) are designed for material handling applications. The MH5 and MH5L feature a reach of 27.8 or 35.2 inches, respectively, payloads of up to 11 pounds, brakes on all axes, and built-in collision avoidance. The MPK2 picking robot, meanwhile, has a vertical reach of 64 inches, a horizontal reach of 35.4 inches, and a wrist speed of up to 2,000 degrees per second, says Yaskawa.


        Yaskawa's MH5 (left) and MPK2 (right)

        Standard I/O on the DXM100 includes forty optically isolated inputs, 32 transistor outputs, eight relay contact outputs configured to optimize each application, and four break-out cards, Yaskawa says. Including four levels of password protection for up to 100 individual users, the device has Ethernet and RS232C ports, and is available with an optional web server for remote monitoring/diagnosis, the company adds.


        The DXM100 programming pendant (left) and onscreen display (right)

        The Windows CE-based programming pendant (above left) cabled to the DXM100's front panel has a 5.7-inch touchscreen display with 640 x 480 pixel resolution and multiple windows (above right). Measuring 12.4 x 6.6 x 2 inches, the handheld device provides easy control, is IP65-rated for resistance to liquids and dust, and provides a USB port and CompactFlash expansion slot, Yaskawa says.

        Further information

        Pricing for the DXM100 and associated robots was not provided, but all the products mentioned appear to be available now. More information may be found on the Yaskawa website, here.

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