Page 11 - MetalForming magazine • December 2022

Tech Update
Linear Robots More Versatile than Ever
From handling small parts to large masses, an extended range of Cartesian subsystems from Bosch Rexroth promises to open up new areas of application. The firm’s expanded portfolio of linear robots includes new axis combinations and sizes, with a wider range of working areas and loads to make the subsystems suitable for material-handling applications. Users can select and size the systems quickly and easily thanks to predefined axis com- binations, and then configure and finalize them online and
order them as preassembled subsystems. In addition, each multi-axis sys- tem is available as a Smart Function Kit for handling or dis-
Gain Extra Load Capacity with
This Dorner Medium-Duty Conveyor
For applications that need a little extra boost in load capacity, the new 2700 medium-duty con- veyor from Dorner, Hart- land, WI, reportedly has the strength to carry heavier products for a variety of industrial automation and pack- aging applications includ- ing palletizers, multi-lane processing, case and tray handling, and end- of-line packaging.
The new conveyor
hits the sweet spot between Dorner’s low-profile 2200 and 3200 heavy-duty platforms. The 2200 conveyor can carry as much as 80 lb., the 3200 conveyor can support to 400 lb., and the 2700 is engineered to safely convey to 150 lb. The 2700 also comes in widths from 26 to 36 in., in 2-in. increments. And, note company officials, the conveyor can be wider than it is long, which enables an autonomous mobile robot to dock sideways, allowing for efficient and fast loading and unloading.
Features and benefits of the 2700 medium-duty conveyors include:
• V-guided positive belt tracking for smooth, maintenance-free performance even under demanding side-load applications
• Precise rack-and-pinion belt tensioning for fast and simple tensioning
• Large, sealed-for-life bearings
• 16-mm high-speed nose bar transfer tail for precise transferring of small packages.
Dorner: www.dornerconveyors.com
New Ross Controls Electrical Isolation Device Proves Beneficial for LOTO
Ross Controls, Ferndale, MI, has expanded its range of electrical safety solutions by introducing the e L-O-X electrical isolation device. The device proves particularly useful, say company officials, in situations where a long distance exists between the main electrical disconnect and the machine, causing extra downtime traveling back and forth when performing local lockout/tagout.
The e L-O-X includes a stop button that can be used to send a “stop” command to the machine. Once the machine has stopped and the disconnect switch (rotary on 30 to 100-A sizes) has been actuated and locked, isolation may be visually verified by use of the three-phase voltage indicator and by using the start button to test the machine and verify that it does not run. In addition to the 30, 60 and 100-A rotary-disconnect switch options, the e L-O-X also comes with a flange-type
pull-down handle for 200-A systems.
Ross Controls: www.rosscontrols.com
pensing. Preinstalled software allows even quicker commissioning and intuitive pro- gramming, promising to significantly reduce engineering time.
The expanded range includes eight different axis combinations and 68 sizes, for applications such as pick and place, positioning and palletizing, as well as feeding, shifting and loading, and even dispensing. Working range peaks at 3 m in the X and Y directions and up to 1.5 m in the Z direction. The new load spectrum extends to 160 kg with three axes and 200 kg with two axes.
Bosch Rexroth: www.boschrexroth.com/en/us/smart- mechatronix
8 MetalForming/December 2022
www.metalformingmagazine.com