ANSYS Case Studies ANSYS DesignSpace Aids Motoman in Enhancing Robotics Efficiency

	ANSYS DesignSpace Aids Motoman in Enhancing Robotics Efficiency ANSYS

ANSYS DesignSpace Aids Motoman in Enhancing Robotics Efficiency

ANSYS

Technology Category	Functional Applications - Warehouse Control Systems (WCS) Robots - Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV)
Applicable Industries	Buildings Life Sciences
Applicable Functions	Logistics & Transportation Product Research & Development
Use Cases	Autonomous Robots Time Sensitive Networking
Services	System Integration Testing & Certification
Challenge	Motoman, a leading robotics company, faced the challenge of designing a new system, the MotoSweep O, which would mount a 6-axis robot on a boom and riser system. The system was intended to service multiple vertical and/or horizontal machines from overhead in a linear, rotary, or facing configuration. The rotating arm of the system was designed to reach all machines simultaneously, thereby freeing up significant floor space. The existing servo gallows system, used for overhead arc welding, was to be replaced with a system that could also handle material handling. The new system was intended to reduce the boom's mass, increase the overall payload, and allow a robot larger than the existing maximum of 280kg to be mounted on the boom. The team also aimed to solve the problem of backlash in the main drive assembly of the boom, which caused the boom to shake when the robot reached its program point, increasing the robot’s settling time and the MotoSweep O’s cycle time. Read More
About Customer	Motoman, Inc., established in August 1989, is the second-largest robotics company in the United States and one of the fastest-growing, with over 17,000 robots installed in North America. It is a subsidiary of Yaskawa Electric America and Yaskawa Electric Corporation of Japan, one of the world's largest manufacturers of industrial robots with over 85,000 installations worldwide. Motoman's robots are used in a wide range of applications, including material handling for machine tool load/unload, injection mold machine load/unload, arc and spot welding, and process applications such as die spray, dispensing, and trimming. Its biggest customers are integrators and suppliers to top auto manufacturing companies. Read More
Solution	Motoman utilized ANSYS DesignSpace to create a boom with less mass, thereby increasing its reach and payload. The software also enabled them to reduce the base structure size and the floor mounting requirements for the riser on their new product line. The MotoSweep O was designed to allow a 550kg robot to be mounted 2 meters from the axis, doubling the payload and mass of the previous 280kg robot. The team also developed a dampening system to eliminate the backlash and increase the stiffness of the structure. A friction roller was mounted to a top plate, and its reaction within the MotoSweep system was modeled in DesignSpace. The software helped them determine the necessary spring rate for the top plate and the exact thickness needed for the plate to achieve the desired deflection. The MotoSweep O also had a higher rotational speed and an increased allowable payload over the old gallows system, and its settling time improved significantly. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Warehouse Control Systems (WCS)

Robots - Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV)

Applicable Industries

Buildings

Life Sciences

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Autonomous Robots

Time Sensitive Networking

Services

System Integration

Testing & Certification

Challenge

Motoman, a leading robotics company, faced the challenge of designing a new system, the MotoSweep O, which would mount a 6-axis robot on a boom and riser system. The system was intended to service multiple vertical and/or horizontal machines from overhead in a linear, rotary, or facing configuration. The rotating arm of the system was designed to reach all machines simultaneously, thereby freeing up significant floor space. The existing servo gallows system, used for overhead arc welding, was to be replaced with a system that could also handle material handling. The new system was intended to reduce the boom's mass, increase the overall payload, and allow a robot larger than the existing maximum of 280kg to be mounted on the boom. The team also aimed to solve the problem of backlash in the main drive assembly of the boom, which caused the boom to shake when the robot reached its program point, increasing the robot’s settling time and the MotoSweep O’s cycle time.

About Customer

Motoman, Inc., established in August 1989, is the second-largest robotics company in the United States and one of the fastest-growing, with over 17,000 robots installed in North America. It is a subsidiary of Yaskawa Electric America and Yaskawa Electric Corporation of Japan, one of the world's largest manufacturers of industrial robots with over 85,000 installations worldwide. Motoman's robots are used in a wide range of applications, including material handling for machine tool load/unload, injection mold machine load/unload, arc and spot welding, and process applications such as die spray, dispensing, and trimming. Its biggest customers are integrators and suppliers to top auto manufacturing companies.

Solution

Motoman utilized ANSYS DesignSpace to create a boom with less mass, thereby increasing its reach and payload. The software also enabled them to reduce the base structure size and the floor mounting requirements for the riser on their new product line. The MotoSweep O was designed to allow a 550kg robot to be mounted 2 meters from the axis, doubling the payload and mass of the previous 280kg robot. The team also developed a dampening system to eliminate the backlash and increase the stiffness of the structure. A friction roller was mounted to a top plate, and its reaction within the MotoSweep system was modeled in DesignSpace. The software helped them determine the necessary spring rate for the top plate and the exact thickness needed for the plate to achieve the desired deflection. The MotoSweep O also had a higher rotational speed and an increased allowable payload over the old gallows system, and its settling time improved significantly.

Impact #1	The MotoSweep O, designed using ANSYS DesignSpace, has the ability to service multiple vertical and/or horizontal machines, and the flexibility to address installations in a linear, rotary, or facing configuration. It can be used from overhead to service a group of machines, by rotating the arm so that the robot can have access to all of the machines at once, thereby freeing up a lot of floor space. The use of DesignSpace has played a major role in Motoman’s Product Development Group, enabling them to explore different designs that would have been too expensive and time-consuming to prototype. The software has allowed them to determine the most cost-effective designs and incorporate more functions into the designs. The MotoSweep O, released in January 2003, is the fastest rotary overhead robot transport, 2-meter boom, with a 50kg 6-axis robot payload available on the market.

Impact #1

The MotoSweep O, designed using ANSYS DesignSpace, has the ability to service multiple vertical and/or horizontal machines, and the flexibility to address installations in a linear, rotary, or facing configuration. It can be used from overhead to service a group of machines, by rotating the arm so that the robot can have access to all of the machines at once, thereby freeing up a lot of floor space. The use of DesignSpace has played a major role in Motoman’s Product Development Group, enabling them to explore different designs that would have been too expensive and time-consuming to prototype. The software has allowed them to determine the most cost-effective designs and incorporate more functions into the designs. The MotoSweep O, released in January 2003, is the fastest rotary overhead robot transport, 2-meter boom, with a 50kg 6-axis robot payload available on the market.

Benefit #1	Reduced the boom's mass and increased the system's reach, efficiency, and maximum payload
Benefit #2	Allowed a 550kg robot to be mounted 2 meters from the axis, doubling the payload and mass of the previous 280kg robot
Benefit #3	Improved the settling time from a second and a half to less than one second

Benefit #1

Reduced the boom's mass and increased the system's reach, efficiency, and maximum payload

Benefit #2

Allowed a 550kg robot to be mounted 2 meters from the axis, doubling the payload and mass of the previous 280kg robot

Benefit #3

Improved the settling time from a second and a half to less than one second

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Overview

ANSYS DesignSpace Aids Motoman in Enhancing Robotics Efficiency

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit