Emphasizing the extensive versatility of automation, KUKA Robotics featured several robots used in a variety of different applications at the recent Advanced Design & Manufacturing (ADM) Expo 2023 held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Visitors to the KUKA booth experienced demonstrations that included automated bin picking, primary food handling and dynamic video shooting for special events. Among all the robots, two were shown for the first time in Canada at the expo.

Mississauga, Ontario, Nov 13, 2023- Emphasizing the extensive versatility of automation, KUKA Robotics featured several robots used in a variety of different applications at the recent Advanced Design & Manufacturing (ADM) Expo 2023 held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Visitors to the KUKA booth experienced demonstrations that included automated bin picking, primary food handling and dynamic video shooting for special events. Among all the robots, two were shown for the first time in Canada at the expo.

Incorporating KUKA.SmartBinPicking software, the company's Ready2_educate cell performed smart bin picking of large nuts from a bin. The cell's robot then precisely placed the nuts in a "K" pattern fixture. The KUKA.SmartBinPicking software combines AI-based recognition of objects with precise robot path planning. In a single gripping operation, parts can be picked out of a bin at high speeds and without any collision.

Working in unison with the KUKA software, a Roboception Vision System guided the cell robot in the identification of which nuts to pick and calculated the optimal motion paths to avoid collisions as it did so. By detecting nut positions and sending those coordinates to the robot, the Roboception system enables faster, more flexible picking.

As one of the KUKA robots making its debut in Canada, a KR DELTA hygienic robot was featured in a Torfresma automated primary foods handling system. The robot is made entirely from corrosion-resistant stainless-steel that protects against dust and moisture. It combines precise grip, corrosion resistance and minimal maintenance requirements to excel in sensitive high-speed production applications. The ceiling-mounted robot offers a reach of 1200 mm, a maximum payload capacity of 3 kg and cycle times as low as 0.5 seconds. All of which makes the robot well suited for pick-and-place applications in the food, packaging, electronics and pharmaceutical industries.

Additionally, the KR DELTA's design accepts alkaline or acidic high-pressure cleaning and disinfection up to 100 kPa for simplified upkeep and shorter downtimes. Food-sector certified for material safety, the entire robot carries IP 67 high-protection certification, with IP 69K for axis 4 that is also ISO 3 rated for cleanroom applications. The KR DELTA is equipped with KUKA's new KR C5 micro robot controller that reduces full load power consumption by 35%.

With KUKA automation, integrator Torfresma's hygienic food handling system ensures food safety and throughput in handling raw or naked products in the primary product process. Since 1993, Torfresma has designed and installed more than 1,000 industrial lines and has become one of North America's largest industrial robot integrators and a leader in machinery and equipment for the meat industry.

The second robot shown for the first time in Canada, was the KR SCARA horizontal jointed-arm robot. Whether for the assembly of small parts, material handling or testing - the ultra-compact robot is strong and fast and delivers maximum efficiency along with cost effectiveness. With a wide range of integrated media supplies, they can handle almost any task out of the box.

KR SCARA robots handle payloads from 6kg to 12kg and provide arm reaches of 500mm to 850mm. They are ISO 5 certified cleanroom robots with the highest precision and shortest cycle times.

ADM Expo visitors to the KUKA booth received the celebrity treatment with a KUKA two-robot orange carpet camera experience that used a KR AGILUS industrial robot mounted on a KUKA KMP 200 mobile robotic platform and outfitted with Airskin safety technology. The KR AGILUS held a camera, while an LBR iisy cobot provided background effects. With Airskin, the industrial robot shooting the video required no safety fencing because the technology detects any collisions and stops the robot immediately if any occur.

Typically used for celebrities entering special events, this use of robots produces eye-catching dynamic shots beyond those of stationary cameras. After visitors entered their e-mail addresses and selected one of the various preprogrammed paths, the robot shot a mini video as they were moving. The video was then enhanced with special effects such as slow motion and shared with the visitor.

As ready-to-use automation, the LBR iisy quickly and easily integrates into practically any application from pre-defined production processes to open, unstructured work environments with unpredictable conditions from one task to the next. With six axes, a 3kg payload, 600-mm maximum reach and 18.8-kg overall weight, the LBR iisy is well suited for overcoming the challenges posed by confined workspaces. KUKA also offers the LBR iisy in 5kg, 8kg, 11kg and 15kg payload versions.

The small robots of the KR AGILUS series provide speed and extreme agility in confined spaces along with short cycle times and maximum precision. The robots meet the requirements of protection rating IP67 against water spray, and for applications involving lubricants or coolants, KUKA offers special variants.

As with all KUKA automation solutions, those shown at the ADM Expo 2023 are backed by the company's expert service and support for training, complete system engineering and simulation, readily available spare parts, robot refurbishment and more. All of which are easily accessible through the my.KUKA.com site, and KUKA maintains corporate offices and production operations, along with integration partner facilities, conveniently located throughout North America to provide responsive customer service and support.
KUKA
KUKA is a global automation corporation with sales of around 3.3 billion euro and roughly 14,000 employees. The company is headquartered in Augsburg, Germany. As one of the world's leading suppliers of intelligent automation solutions, KUKA offers customers everything they need from a single source: from robots and cells to fully automated systems and their networking in markets such as automotive, electronics, metal & plastic, consumer goods, e-commerce/retail and healthcare.