The exhibition is held every two years and has been successfully held for 6 times, targeting the field of robotic automation around the world. There were 890 exhibiting companies, a year-on-year increase of 7%, of which 21 were Chinese exhibitors.

1. AUTOMATICA exhibition introduction

Munich International Robot and Automation Technology Fair (AUTOMATICA) is a professional robot automation exhibition hosted by Munich Messe Group. The exhibition involves the latest technologies, equipment and products in the fields of robot industry and related industrial automation. It has now become The world's most famous robotics and automation exhibition. The

exhibition is held every two years and has been successfully held for 6 times. For the field of robot automation around the world, AUTOMATICA hopes to bring together the entire automation industry chain, including suppliers, purchasers, and product developers, to provide the latest and most cutting-edge products. A platform for sharing robotics and scientific and technological achievements.

From June 19 to 22, 2018, the AUTOMATICA exhibition attracted a total of 46,000 merchants, a year-on-year increase of 7%, and 890 exhibitors, a year-on-year increase of 7%. Among them, 21 Chinese exhibitors were:

2. Watch the AUTOMATICA exhibition Click

this time AUTOMATICA During the exhibition, robot-related fields focused on safety technology, machine vision, industrial robots, assembly and processing technology, IT2Industry (software and industry), sensor technology and other sectors. Judging from the main exhibits and exhibition themes, the focus was on human-machine collaboration, The main development trends of manufacturing digitalization and automation transformation are:

. collaborative robot has development trends such as lightweight, economical, safe, simple and graphical operation, continuous enrichment of application methods and high-load collaborative application scenarios

• Lightweight : Denso, Yask The miniaturized robotic arm exhibited by awa and other companies, Denso's Cobotta occupies only about 14% of the previous small robot, and weighs as low as 3.8kg, about 15% of the previous small robot; Yaskawa's Moto mini weighs about 7kg, covers an area of ​​about 191x124mm, and has a maximum extension distance of 350mm.

• Economical : At present, the average price of foreign collaborative robots is about 18.7w yuan, and the domestic average price is about 10~12w yuan. Since its customers are more sensitive to ROI Feeling that economics has become the key for manufacturers to compete for the initiative in market competition, KUKA launched a new collaborative robot iisy, priced at about 2 to 2.5w euros, equivalent to about 15 to 19w yuan, and iiwa with a load of 7kg (priced from 30w), the price Reduced by about 37%~50%; and the highlight company during the AUTOMATICA exhibition, Igus The price of the 4-axis collaborative robot is about 0.50,000 euros, which is equivalent to about 4,000 yuan in RMB. At the same time, the company is trying to develop a plastic harmonic reducer to further reduce the price of the robotic arm, but it is still in the conceptual stage.

• Security : In order to realize the safety of collaborative robots, the current technical methods include current control, torque sensor , and "coat" protection At present, from the perspective of safety, the detection accuracy of torque sensors is higher than that of current control methods. At this exhibition, UR, as the market leader of collaborative robots, fully launched the new e-Series series of collaborative robots , changing the past The current control method realizes human-machine collaboration through loading torque sensors on each axis.

• (operation, teaching) simplified and graphical : Yaskawa and UR redesigned the control panel and editing software of the robotic arm to make product application, deployment, and programming simpler and more graphical; in addition, some companies focus on collaborative robot manufacturers Provide visual programming software, such as BAM, Rexroth, etc., to further enhance the convenience of collaborative robots.

• application methods continue to enrich : from the exhibition point of view, it is mainly divided into: robotic arm + AGV. In May 2018, TM and Omron reached a strategic partnership. In this exhibition, the two jointly exhibited the robotic arm +AGV design, while S Taubli's exhibition focuses on the new 6-axis series of collaborative robot arms and smart factory design concepts. It also focuses on the robotic arm + AGV application design; robotic arm + RGV (shuttle) , such as the SERVU design that directly applies the robotic arm. In the automated production line, it changes the previous production applications where the position of the robotic arm is fixed; robotic arm + drone , Denso combines collaborative robots and drones to carry out application design.

• High-load collaboration application scenarios continue to increase Rich, more robotic arms with loads of more than 10kg : Based on the previous 35kg tire handling collaborative robot, FANUC exhibited the CR-15iA, a 6-axis collaborative robot with a load of 15kg newly launched in April, for welding demonstrations; Yaskawa Exhibition The HC10 with a load of 10kg was brought out for on-site demonstration.

. Industrial robot automation factories have development trends such as diversified human-computer interaction methods, digitization, flexibility, lean processes, and the rise of VR simulation applications.

• Diversified human-computer interaction methods: At the exhibition, some exhibitors The remote interactive control of robots is on display. A research institution has developed a remote handle-type controller to operate the robotic arm to complete movements, clamping and other actions. This interactive method is still in the research stage and has not yet been launched on the market. SCHUNK also displayed at the booth. Through remote gesture control, complete action interaction with the claw at the end of the robotic arm.

• Digital : In traditional manufacturing, design errors may cause serious losses. Virtualizing the manufacturing process is an excellent way to ensure the normal operation of the product from design, production to consumption. Digitalization is through digital manufacturing technology and computer simulation The combination of technologies enables virtual manufacturing and concurrent engineering to ensure the smooth progress of production. In this exhibition, Staubli focuses on displaying digital smart factory application solutions to achieve overall production control and further improve manufacturing efficiency.

• Flexible : Collaborative robots are becoming more and more widely used. They are lightweight, small in size, and compact in structure. Both their plugs and production components adopt a modular design, allowing the robot to be installed anywhere on the production line, even if It is a place where traditional industrial robots cannot be installed, and there is no need to change the existing production line layout. It is suitable for mixed line and small batch production needs, achieving flexible deployment.

• process lean : In order to further achieve precise welding, the laser automatic welding seam tracking system has emerged. A laser sensor is loaded at the end of the robotic arm to scan the welding quality in real time. If there are leaks in the welding, etc., problems can be detected and solved immediately. Solve the process problems represented by arc welding, which are difficult to weld and the weld seam cannot be completely welded.

• The rise of VR simulation applications : In Yaskawa and other booths, a VR visualization system is on display, that is, customers can wear VR glasses to truly see and understand the design and production status of the factory, so as to reduce the waste of resources caused by early design errors and improve production. efficiency.

. The flexible gripper market explodes

• Robot end effectors have always been one of the neglected core components. At present, the application scenarios of collaborative robots are constantly enriching, and the requirements for end effectors are getting higher and higher. The professionalism of gripper developers is gradually increasing. Improvement, in the future, the voice of gripper manufacturers will become stronger and stronger. Under the influence of collaborative robots, flexible The gripper market will explode, and the cooperation between flexible gripper manufacturers and collaborative robot manufacturers will become increasingly close. For example, SCHUNK has established partnerships with collaborative robot manufacturers such as KUKA and UR. In this exhibition, SCHUNK shines. The self-developed gripper is combined with multiple collaborative robots such as KUKA and UR for product application demonstration; Robotiq is combined with UR and included in the UR+ ecosystem.

3. AUTOMATICA exhibition content

, KUKA

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KUKA launches iisy, a new 6-axis collaborative robot, with a load of 3kg and torque sensors loaded on each axis. The retail price is about 2.5w euros (about 19w RMB), and the batch price is about 2w euros (about 15w RMB). It is lightweight and easy to use. It is characterized by openness, simple programming, and strong flexibility. It is expected to fully enter the market next year. Compared with the 7-axis, 7kg load light robotic arm iiwa (priced at about 30w RMB), the price of iisy is about 37%~50% lower.

, ABB

In order to further meet customer flexibility needs, ABB exhibited the single-arm collaborative robot YUMI with a load of 500g, which is suitable for the field of small parts assembly. Compared with the two-arm YUMI, it has a more compact appearance design and has guided programming. Function.

, Yaskawa

Yaskawa exhibited the small collaborative robot MOTO MINI, with a load of 500g, a maximum extension distance of 350mm, and a weight of about 7kg. It has three major characteristics: small size, light weight, high speed, and high precision. It can be used for the assembly and operation of small products, etc. use.

, FANUC

FANUC used the collaborative robot CR-15ia to exhibit the laser automatic welding seam tracking system , which loads a laser sensor at the end of the robotic arm to scan the welding quality in real time. If there are leaks or other problems in the welding, it can be detected immediately. solve.

At the same time, the high-load robotic arm FANUC M-2000iA demonstrated car handling on site. The robotic arm has a maximum handling weight of 1.35 tons and can smoothly complete the movement of large components. It can be used in logistics handling, machine tool loading and unloading, assembly, palletizing and other fields.

For welding robots, the focus is on the Arc Mate 100iD. This robotic arm was launched in 2017. It has a built-in vision system, is loaded with a welding seam tracking sensor, and has a payload of 12kg. Its slender shape design makes it occupy a smaller area and can meet Customers’ needs for compact space design.

, UR

UR launches the new e-Series collaborative robot , the flagship version of , which changes the previous current control method. Each axis of is loaded with a torque sensor , which has higher accuracy and sensitivity and can meet the needs of more human-machine collaboration application scenarios. At the same time, the control panel has been redesigned, and new programming and control software make application deployment and programming easier. It is understood that the release and promotion of e-Series in China is expected to take place in August or September this year.

, Denso

Denso focused on the collaborative robot cobotta. The robot arm is equipped with speed and torque monitoring sensors. When collaborating with people, the speed will be lower than 250mm/s. When working alone in a safety fence, the speed can reach 1000mm/s.

Denso Company developed its own controller. Through on-site demonstrations and trials, it was found that the cobotta collaborative robot has high flexibility and a good sense of control. The product will be equipped with a Canon camera to complete visual sorting and other processes.

, Staubli

Staubli company develops its own reducer (its production plant is built in France). The robotic arm adopts a hollow design with built-in circuits. This exhibition focuses on the new 6-axis series of collaborative robot arms and smart factory design concepts. Its robotic arms are designed for different purposes. Designed for various application environments, such as medicine, clean rooms, etc., its SCARA robotic arm operates at the fastest speed in the world.

, Igus

Igus Founded in 1964, it mainly produces plastic components with synthetic technology; in 1983, it established drag chain and plastic bearing production lines; its robolink® modular robot system includes articulated arms of various lengths and sizes, and a variety of supporting tools, such as clamps , suction cup, camera, etc., the modular design is strong, and customers can configure the complete robotic arm according to their own needs, which is more economical.

A variety of highly modular multi-jointed robotic arms are on display this time. The lightweight structure and size make the robotic arms highly flexible. The price of its 4-axis collaborative robot is about 0.5w euros, which is equivalent to about 40,000 yuan in RMB. The 6-axis collaborative robot has not yet been Pricing, but ROI is typically realized within 4~7 months.

At the same time, the company is trying to develop a plastic harmonic reducer to further reduce the price of the robotic arm, but it is still in the conceptual stage.

, Mabi

Mabi, a robot company from Switzerland, has a Speedy series of six-axis robots with a payload of 6kg and 12kg. These two models are divided into three categories: basic version, professional version and advanced version.

Among them, the basic version is not a collaborative robot. The professional and advanced versions are equipped with torque sensors on each axis, plus the control software on the collaborative robot, which can safely collaborate with people, as well as real-time interaction and graphical interfaces.

Speedy12 is a 6-axis robotic arm with a load of 12kg, repeatable positioning accuracy of ±0.1mm, and IP54 protection level. The basic version of

does not have human-computer collaboration function and is priced at 3.49w euros, which is equivalent to about 270,000 yuan. The professional version has human-computer collaboration function and is priced at 6.49w euros, which is equivalent to about 49w yuan.

0, Mecademic

Mecademic is committed to developing small, precise, and easy-to-integrate robotic arms. The miniaturized robotic arm Meca500 on display this time is known as the world's smallest industrial robot. Its controller is designed inside the robotic arm, eliminating the need for bulky external cabinets. , the robotic arm is designed with precision-machined aluminum and a zero-backlash gearbox, with a repeatability accuracy of ±0.005 mm and easy product integration. The Meca500 robotic arm can be held directly in the palm of your hand. There is no bulky controller cabinet or messy cables. It occupies a small area and is suitable for automated production in small spaces.

In the live demonstration at the exhibition, the left robotic arm completed the glue dispensing action, and the right robotic arm completed the screw locking action. The price of a single arm is about 1.5w US dollars (equivalent to about 10w in RMB). The product structure is compact, non-collaborative robot, using current control, built-in The reducer can stop the robotic arm through external force intervention and can be used in biopharmaceutical, tabulation, 3C, medical and other fields.

1, Doosan

Korean robotics company Doosan gave an on-site lecture on collaborative robots. There are 4 models in the 6-axis collaborative robot series, namely M0609, M1509, M1013, and M0617. The repeatability accuracy is ±0.1mm. Each axis of the robotic arm is equipped with torque. sensors to ensure accuracy and flexibility.

2, Harbin Institute of Technology Robot Group (HRG)

At the exhibition, HRG focused on displaying the lightweight collaborative robot T5. This product has four joints and six degrees of freedom, supports human-machine collaboration, and is targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises in 3C, mechanical processing, food and pharmaceutical, auto parts and other industries. Manufacturing companies.

HRG also focuses on exhibiting: laser navigation AGV, independently developed precision cycloidal pinwheel reducer, lithium battery automated production line, and industrial robot skills assessment training platform.

In addition, HRG jointly released the "2018 China Robot Industry Analysis Report" with the independent consulting media Hit Insights and the CIIC Science and Technology Evaluation Research Center.

3, SIASUN

SIASUN's three innovative technologies made their global debut at the exhibition, including the new intelligent manufacturing cloud platform, which for the first time realized the synchronized coordinated operation of two vehicles and both arms; industrial robot-AR control technology, demonstrating the expansion of traditional industrial robot control platforms A type of innovative application model; AI human-computer interaction technology realizes voice recognition, visual recognition, human body following, and customized personality functions.

4, SERVUS

SERVUS is committed to providing customers with mobile transport robots, namely RGV (shuttle vehicle) , which can complete the sorting, assembly and transportation of small and medium-sized products in the production line. The operation has strong production flexibility and can be integrated into the automation system. Products can be moved to the required location at the appropriate time, reducing inventory workload, time and space, improving production efficiency, and integrating production and warehousing. Integrated, at the same time, the SERVUS system in the robot group can ensure that each robot operates independently and can find the shortest path to the destination, with strong safety and system control.

The system consists of ARC3 robot, automatic storage and retrieval system (AS/RS), loading and unloading equipment, software and other modules. Among them, the ARC3 robot has a load of 50kg. According to customer needs, the length, width, performance and equipment of the logistics system can be adjusted. Make personalized adjustments in other aspects.

5, Micro-Epsilon

German Micro-Epsilon is committed to the research and development of spectral detection systems. Its spectral confocal displacement sensor is suitable for high-speed and high-resolution measurement of displacement and distance. It is especially suitable for the automation industry and production control, and is almost not affected by the measured object. Effect of surface reflective properties.

staff introduced, 3D visual inspection is faster than laser inspection. At the same time, visible light inspection can prevent the reflection of bright light from the detected object, such as a painted car body or glass bottle. In terms of price, it is higher than laser inspection. It consists of 2 sensors + 1 The price of a detection system consisting of a controller is about 1.20,000 Euros (equivalent to about 90,000 RMB), and the price of a detection system consisting of 1 sensor + 1 controller is about 0.90,000 Euros (equivalent to about 70,000 RMB).

6, Asyril

Asyril is a provider of flexible automated loading systems. Its main research fields are vibration technology, industrial vision and precision robots. In this exhibition, focuses on displaying its vibration technology + visual sorting technology , which can better handle polygons. , small precision parts and other objects that are traditionally difficult to sort. Among them, the 3-axis vibration technology innovatively developed by the company can move the sorted objects in multiple directions, turning the objects to the angle that is easiest for the system to sort, solving the problem in the past that the appearance of the objects was not planned and the location of the objects was difficult for the robot arm to sort. The complete solution is easy to integrate with industrial robots and automation systems due to problems such as inability to sort. Judging from the development trend of the robot industry, the "vibrating table + sorting" application solution is relatively mature and can be used in 3C, medicine, food and other industries.

7, Synapticon

Synapticon is a German start-up mobile, service and industrial robot control system development enterprise. It is committed to providing embedded computing and control system solutions, such as drivers, standard modules, controllers, software systems, etc. At the exhibition, it focuses on displaying its safe movement Control module, the product is easy to use. After purchasing the corresponding product, customers can complete installation, debugging and other work independently. At present, it has established cooperative relationships with many customers, especially in Asia. Some robot manufacturers use Synapticon's system to develop their own products and carry out mass production.

8, Schunk

At present, Schunk mainly develops end effectors in the field of collaborative robots. It is a partnership with KUKA and UR. will be jointly exhibited at exhibitions. The focus of domestic exhibitions is At the Industrial Expo.It is understood that the grippers of European collaborative robots mainly use electric control, while in China most use pneumatic control, and the price will be 30% to 40% cheaper. In Europe, collaborative robots are mostly sold in 3C, retail and other industries.

At the same time, SCHUNK focused on the application of remote control of the robotic claw for driving, which can be controlled through remote gestures to complete human-machine interaction with the SCHUNK claw at the end of the robotic arm to complete a series of actions such as driving, describing remote intelligent driving to the exhibition audience. scene.

4. AUTOMATICA Exhibition Summary

At the 2018 AUTOMATICA exhibition, major upstream and downstream robot industry chain manufacturers concentrated on displaying superior products. Human-machine collaboration has become a hot topic. Representative collaborative robot companies such as UR and KUKA have attracted much attention. The development trend of lightweight, economical, safe, simple and graphical operation, continuous enrichment of application methods and high-load collaboration application scenarios has become unstoppable; the digital factory has become a platform for manufacturers to display design concepts and technologies, embodying digitalization and flexibility. , process leanness, the rise of VR simulation applications and other development trends; as one of the core components, the flexible gripper market will usher in an explosion.