Pneumatic cobot sets new tone in world of robotics

During the online press conference of 'Festo Tech Talk: Future Forward Robotics' on May 11, a fully pneumatic cobot was introduced to the world. The very first of its kind, making Festo tapped into a chunk of completely new, raw technology territory. Industrial Automation got to experience the scoop from the front row. 

Dimensionally, the cobot has few superlatives, but its 670 mm reach at a maximum load of 3 kg opens up a sea of elegant and especially flexible applications. Thanks to the lightweight design, which clocks in at 17 kg total weight. 

"A consequence of our choice of pneumatics," states Frank Melzer, CTO of Festo. "The direct drive from the joints of the robot cuts out the weight of transmissions and power torque sensors, among other things." 

Moreover, the individual structures inside the robot can operate independently of each other, while everything remains very light. At the same time, pneumatics enable very precise moment control, and the robot's repeat accuracy is in the 0.3 mm range.

The five cornerstones

Festo turned the set of preconditions from the early design phase into machine criteria that should clearly also put the cobot on the map commercially upon its official release in 2023. Not coincidentally, four of these five cornerstones contain the key word "easy," referring to the overall accessibility that this new cobot should exude.

1.ASY TO MOVE 

The pneumatic cobot vises task packages within a flexible production environment, such as labeling or supplying various machines. The device is easily movable, although light weight is not the only factor here, said Christian Tarragona, head of Festo Robotics: "Another important asset of our robot is the absence of an external control box; the entire control was integrated into the base. "

2.ASY TO INTEGRATE 

Getting the unit operational takes about an hour, provided a compressed air connection and 24-volt power supply for the electronics are available. Furthermore, all standard connections - such as digital I/Os, profinet, and I/O Link - are supported. Of course, all preparations for the various gripper tools and other tools are also provided. 'Plug and play' it becomes completely with the help of the included tablet, with which one can program the cobot.

3.ASY TO USE 

Programming of the cobot is through Robotic Suite, an intuitive software that requires no prior knowledge of robotics. The software provides pre-programmed function blocks that one can easily assemble into a program. In addition, the pneumatic drives allow the robot arm to be taught specific positions or trajectories manually and without resistance. All actions are simultaneously stored as code language, which makes changing robot functions in flexible tasks very easy.

4.ESIGNED FOR ECONOMIC SUCCESS 

The pneumatic cobot will be perceptibly cheaper than an electric variant in the same class. This price/performance ratio should especially assert itself in its primary area of application: processing small parts weighing up to 3 kg. This thus opens up numerous possibilities for SMEs where some processes are still done manually. 

5.ASY COLLABORATION 

Cobots and safety: at any time, the unit is monitored internally for pressure through a multitude of built-in sensors. If in pick and place tasks, for example, a collision with a worker occurs, this pressure will be out of tolerance, and the robot will go into stop mode. The contact energy itself is de facto low thanks to the cobot's pneumatic direct drive combined with its low weight.