Automate 2024: Stäubli Robotics to demonstrate manufacturing robot arms

Industrial robot provider Stäubli Robotics recently announced it will exhibit a variety of robots at Automate 2024 in booth 2250. The trade show will be held May 6-9 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. Attendance is free.

A3 said this year’s show is the biggest yet, featuring more than 365,000 square feet of exhibit space, over 800 exhibitors, and an expected 30,000 registrants, with learning and networking opportunities. Attendees will be able to see the latest in robotics, machine vision, artificial intelligence (AI), and motion control.

Stäubli said its portfolio of four- and six-axis industrial robot arms, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) can adapt to different applications, as well as improve safety and productivity in a variety of manufacturing environments, from heavy industry to highly aseptic, and meet user needs across sectors.

SCARA robot arms and interactive teach pendant demonstrations

A new electronics manufacturing demonstration cell will feature a TS2-60 electrostatic discharge (ESD) SCARA robot showing automatic screwing and connecting of electrical connectors for electronic boards. Stäubli said its ESD robots, designed for the electronics industry, can safely handle ESD-sensitive components and operate in electrostatic protected areas (EPAs).

Stäubli Robotics will demonstrate its TS2-60 electrostatic discharge (ESD) SCARA robot connecting electrical connectors at Automate 2024. Source: Stäubli Robotics

In another demonstration focused on lithium-ion battery manufacturing applications, a TS2-60 will execute a battery stacking process. Stäubli said its SCARA range is used worldwide in e-battery manufacturing for electrode stacking processes as well as downstream assembly and inspection operations.

In an interactive training cell, visitors will be able to program and control Stäubli robots without needing any programming expertise. They will be able to test drive Stäubli’s user-friendly SP2 plus robotic teach pendant, direct a TX2-60 robot arm through a pick-and-place process, fine-tune settings for performance and load, and even build a basic application using the VALBlocks software tool.

Robots for sensitive medical and food handling environments

Stäubli said it provides automation solutions for sensitive environments and aseptic production, having launched its Stericlean series in 2009. The company has since developed lines of hygienic robots for applications in industries such as food and pharmaceuticals that can help manufacturers meet stringent hygiene requirements.

In the food industry, Stäubli said its humid environment (HE) robots ensure product safety with hygienic design and the ability to withstand washdown procedures that involve spraying and splashing water. Stäubli’s HE robots will be represented at Automate by the TX2-90 HE six-axis robot, and by the North American launch of the new HE version of Stäubli’s TX2-200 robot, a six-axis machine modified to operate in wet and humid environments. It features a load capacity of 170 kg, approximately 375 pounds, and a reach of 2.2 m, or over seven feet.

Stäubli said it also produces hygienic robots for the life sciences sector designed to ensure safety and compliance in highly-regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare. The company will exhibit its TX2-60 Cleanroom (CR), an ISO Class 2 robot from Stäubli’s cleanroom robot range, which features hand-guided functionality for use in medical procedures.

Turning to the pharmaceutical sector, Automate attendees will see a Stäubli TX2-60 Stericlean+ robot developed specifically for highly-aseptic processes in isolators, such as fill-finish and auxiliary tasks. Stäubli said its Stericlean+ series, launched in 2022, delivers precision and repeatability as well as the ability to undergo H2O2 decontamination procedures.

AGV winner of 2023 Red Dot Design Award

Also on display at Automate will be Stäubli’s PF3 AGV platform, winner of the 2023 Red Dot Design Award for best smart product. The low-profile PF3 is capable of handling loads up to three tons.

Stäubli Robotics’ PF3 AGV received the 2023 Red Dot Design Award for best smart product. The low-profile AGV is capable of handling loads up to three tons. Source: Stäubli Robotics

Stäubli said its PF3 can operate within very narrow spaces, maneuver around obstacles, and carry out tasks with a positioning precision of +/-5 mm, or about 3/16 of an inch. In addition to its high-payload AGVs, Stäubli’s portfolio includes platforms, forklifts, and AMRs with omnidirectional positioning and ability to carry loads of up to 500 tons.

Connectivity platforms for hardware and software

Stäubli said it offers a variety of services aimed at ensuring customers derive the greatest possible value from their robots. At Automate, two examples will appear in big-screen format via links to live electronics and battery stacking demos.

Stäubli’s Smart, Connect, Optimize, Prevent and Enable (SCOPE) fleet management platform provides connectivity for up to 50 robots, allowing owners to tap into their robots’ data and monitor the operating status of their fleet via a centralized dashboard to optimize performance and act quickly if maintenance is needed.

A tandem presentation will offer a look at the Stäubli Robotics Suite, a software platform that the company said can simplify automation concepts, setup, production, and improvement.

Visitors will also be able to visualize the inner workings of a robot with a virtual preventative maintenance experience connected to a robot, and explore the MyStäubli Portal, which gives customers access to a technical support library and training.

Employees from Stäubli Fluid Connectors (FCS), a manufacturer of quick connector systems, will showcase its tool changing systems and Multi Coupling System (MCS), which the company said enables quick, safe, simultaneous connection of disparate energy sources.