F-series industrial robots from Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. are designed for extremely dexterous, complex operations, including coordinated motion and automatic collision avoidance.

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Factories and production plants are under increasing pressure to reduce costs and improve productivity, while at the same time, assembly and processing tasks are becoming more complex. Responding to these demands, Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. introduced the F-series industrial robots on March 5. These high performance robots are designed for extremely dexterous, complex operations.

F-Series robots incorporate advanced features that make it easier to perform applications that had previously been difficult or impossible. One such feature, the force sensor, in combination with coordinated motion and automatic collision avoidance, allows the creation of densely packed robot cells that can perform highly dexterous operations. These tasks are typically performed by an operator in a cellular manufacturing work cell.

Other key features include:

• Internal routing of cables and hoses

• Automatic collision avoidance

• Coordinated motion

• Force torque sensor

The new F-series includes SCARA robots with 3, 6, 12, and 20 Kg payload capacities and articulated robots offering 2, 4 and 7 Kg payload capacities. Depending upon the model selected, improvements over previous models include increased operating speed, increased Z-axis speed, stronger wrist axis, and wider operating range.

Offered in vertical and horizontal configurations, F-Series robots are particularly well suited for material handling, machine tending, assembly, picking, packing, kitting, dispensing, inspection, and other complex applications.

Mitsubishi Electric’s F-Series robots are also designed for more efficient manufacturing. For example, they require shorter startup times compared to fixed automation, and use less energy and generate less scrap than manual operation.

“The new F-Series is a total automation suite, with well thought out control architecture, simple interfaces to business systems and a comprehensive approach to problem solving,” said Aravind Durai, robotics product manager for Mitsubishi Electric Automation.

Headquartered in Vernon Hills, Ill., Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc., a U.S. affiliate company of Mitsubishi Electric Corp., offers factory automation such as programmable automation controllers (PAC), programmable logic controllers (PLC), human machine interfaces (HMI), variable frequency drives (VFD), servo amplifiers and motors, motion controllers, control software, computerized numerical control (CNC), robots, among other products and services.

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- Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, CFE Media, Control Engineering, and Plant Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com.