June 6, 2022 - At Automate 2022, KUKA Robotics demonstrated a highly precise bolt-picking robot cell for automotive assembly applications featuring a KUKA KR 6 AGILUS robot paired with a KEYENCE Vision System. The demonstration highlighted KUKA’s advanced ability to automate even the most intricate applications for increases production. The KR AGILUS is a compact, six-axis robot designed for particularly high working speeds that reduce cycle times and increase production quality. The KR AGILUS adapts to any installation position and a wide range of variants, including Cleanroom, Hygienic Machine and Waterproof allowing it to perform in almost any environment. Continuous productivity is ensured with minimal maintenance requirements and gear units that never need lubricant change.
The KR 6 effortlessly performs operations such as bin and bolt picking to improve production, reduce error and streamline processes. The robot was guided by a KEYENCE 3D Vision System that identified which parts to pick and calculated the optimal robot motion paths to avoid collisions as it selected, picked and deposited the bolts. By detecting bolt positions and sending those coordinates to the robot, the KEYENCE system enables faster, more flexible picking. It also outperforms traditional bowl feeding systems, providing increased uptime and availability required in high throughput automotive applications.
About 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.