Dover Corporation company, Destaco, has launched a new portfolio of Cobot Tooling Solutions that are designed to simplify tool selection and eliminate integration design work for applications employing small payload robots or cobots in their operations.
The wide variety of tooling solutions are designed for gripping
, palletizing, machine tending, tool changing, and tool extension applications for up to 10 kg payloads.
Destaco global product director, Gary Labadie, said small payload robots are commonly found in larger industrial manufacturing facilities, but the low-cost entry into robotic automation has recently resulted in significant growth in their use across small, light industrial and commercial shops.
"Small payload robots are now a focus and a solution for both large and small facilities coping with the economic climate,” Labadie said.
The fast growth in the cobot market is driven by a number of factors, including increases in inflation rates, labour costs and labour shortages as well as excessive workforce turnover.
The low startup costs for new entrants into the automation industry, and a relatively compact return on investment (ROI) period for a cobot system of as few as 8 to 12 months, make Destaco tooling solutions attractive to users.
Destaco has designed its Cobot Tooling Solutions for simplicity and ease of use, with off-the-shelf availability via kits that feature all of the end-user selected accessories, along with the hardware and tools needed for installation, reducing the need to consult an application engineer.
All of the tooling solutions are compatible with cobots that have an ISO 9409-1-50-4-M6 end-of-arm mounting pattern. Blank robots and tool plates are offered for those who wish to use their own mounting patterns.
A standout feature in Destaco's suite of Cobot Tooling Solutions is the Microtool End Effectors, which enable the cobot to perform palletizing functions.
Users that know the length, width and weight of the packages to be lifted and transferred can easily select the palletizing kit type and pre-determined vacuum cup size necessary for the application, eliminating tool design work with off-the-shelf kits.