Low-cost SCARA robot and novel cable storage solution

Automating industrial and lab-based operations is becoming more popular with labour shortages and the falling price of technology. igus, the motion plastics and cable solutions specialist, will showcase its new drylin SCARA robot at MACH 2022, the latest drylin robot in the Low-Cost Automation range.

The Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm, or SCARA, is a perfect solution for pick-and-place and simple assembly operations, such as those used in medical labs and desk-based electronics manufacturing lines.

Designed originally for fruit picking and handling, the SCARA robot’s simple design, four degrees of freedom and small footprint but relatively large working area makes SCARA ideal for applications that include small parts assembly and joining in the electronics industry.

Dispensing pharmaceutical doses in medical labs and other operations where repetitive, accurate, short travel pick-and-place type operations are needed, are prefect for the SCARA robot. Pharmaceutical labs often need to employ small, precise “take and deliver” movements for dispensing and sorting fluid and powder medication. The SCARA robot can replace a human operator for these repetitive tasks, freeing up the employee for higher value work.

In most cases, the robot is used for loads up to 2kg, is compact in size and lightweight (20.6kg). It is the latest drylin robot in the igus’ Low-Cost Automation range, joining the igus robolink, drylin Delta multi-axis and gantry linear robots – all designed to complete basic, high speed, low payload automated tasks to help companies increase productivity.

“The drylin SCARA robot’s main advantages are having a compact structure with a relatively large working area, for its vertical size, while being able to operate in a fast and flexible way,” says Adam Sanjurgo, LCA Product Manager at igus.

Neat and efficient chainflex cables storage

The igus chainflex cable is designed to supply data and energy reliably alone or within an energy chain. They are subject to movement, torsion, and high loads; so they are designed to be strong and stiff but also flexible. Storing long, strong cables neatly is essential for both a clutter-free working space and for shopfloor health and safety.

The chainflex CASE is a cable storage box fitted with a drum for reeling the cable and is the size of a standard storage box, making it easy to handle. The box allows the drum to be delivered without a pallet and doubles as a neat storage solution. As these boxes can be stacked, using the through carrying handles, customers can organise their storage location with far more flexibility than with pallets. A QR code on the box carton enables easy reordering online.

As the chainflex CASE avoids pallets, users can save up to 84% in shipping costs compared to standard pallet shipping, reducing environmental impact

“As with all our products, igus has invested time to design the chainflex CASE to answer a genuine industry need; making cable storage easier and more flexible, reducing costs and reducing carbon to help the environment,” says igus UK managing director Matthew Aldridge.

He adds, “The SCARA low-cost automation robot is a brilliant solution for labs and desktop assemblies, again designed to answer the needs of businesses that need to speed up this repetitive work.”

Members of the igus team will be available Monday to Friday on stand 6-652 in hall 6 next week to answer questions and demonstrate the potential applications of not only these innovative products but more of igus’s range of bearing products and cable management systems, and can give more information on the full range of igus products for any customer application.