H-gantry and T-gantry with high dynamics - and low costs

A new age is dawning in the field of handling technology with the high-speed H- and T-gantries. They combine the dynamics of a linear motor handling system with the costs of a toothed belt handling solution. This makes them 30% faster than conventional handling units.

Festo has developed both these high-speed handling units as an overall package consisting of controller and mechanical system for fast transfer and positioning, as well as for dynamic handling and assembly operations with workpiece loads ranging from zero to three kilograms in the fields of special machinery manufacturing, photovoltaic, electronics and small parts handling.

High-speed H-gantry

This new type of 3D/planar surface gantry covers a square-shaped working area that is significantly larger than that of robot systems with delta kinematics, which can only work in round or kidney-shaped areas. Other disadvantages of delta robots are the high costs, the installation weight of around 150 kg and the space needed.

The high-speed H-gantry, on the other hand, can be scaled to any stroke, has a very low profile, a low centre of gravity and a simpler base than fast delta robots. Optimised acceleration and deceleration characteristics enable strokes of two metres and one metre in the X and Y direction respectively, with an accuracy of 0.2 mm.

High-speed T-gantry

The T-gantry is a high-speed pick & place unit with higher dynamics than a conventional linear gantry and can be scaled to any stroke. In addition, the T-gantry is very compact and its high rates of acceleration in the Z direction are impressive. Strokes in the Y direction are 1000 mm and in the Z direction 300 mm, with a positioning accuracy of 0.2 mm.

The Engineering Trick

Thanks to an engineering trick, both gantries reach speeds of 5 metres per second and acceleration rates of 50 m/s? over the entire working area. The two toothed belt axes are connected to the crossmember with a single rotating toothed belt around the drive shaft. The belt is driven by two servomotors EMMS.

A positive side effect is that no motor needs to be moved within the X-Y area with its two degrees of freedom. And reduced loads and two servomotors, which are mounted parallel to each other, facilitate quick, dynamic motion and result in less wear. The linear-rotary module of the high-speed H-gantry is ingenious too. It consists of a spindle sleeve with integrated energy through-feed for the front-end module and comprises the Z-axis, to which the gripper unit is attached. The linear-rotary module accelerates to a speed of 1.5 metres per second at a rate of 20 m/s?. Suction and mechanical grippers with workpiece loads ranging from zero to two kilograms can thus be operated.

Robotics for System Solutions

The handling unit is based on robotic controller CMXR. The CMXR unites mechanical systems, as well as electric drive and control technology into a complete kinematic system solution and coordinates highly dynamic motion in 3D space. The robotic controller CMXR interpolates and positions all axes which are capable of tracing contours along a centreline, as is required for bonding, laser welding and water jet cutting. It's capable of setting path switching points and is thus able to accurately switch process devices.

The CMXR functions as an interface to the master controllers on the one hand and to the servo-axes' motor controllers and the valve terminals on the other. And that's not all: the controller makes it possible to incorporate image processing systems such as the intelligent SBO..-Q compact camera system from Festo. Applications with moving objects can also be implemented with the help of the camera system and available conveyor systems.

Simple Subsystem Integration

The ready-to-install system solution is delivered directly to the machine, completely tested and assembled. All pertinent engineering data and circuit diagrams are also supplied, together with a comprehensive functions and fixed-price guarantee. Users don't just receive hardware in the form of a ready-to-connect assembly or subsystem, but a complete value creation package.

Complete solutions reduce the workload for technical staff, keep engineering expenses to a minimum, facilitate the procurement process and reduce process costs. And it's precisely this cost/benefit relationship, which applies to these two trailblazing, high-speed handling solutions.

(Festo Controls Pvt Ltd, 237, Hosur Road, Bommasandra Industrial Area, Bangalore 560 099. Tel: 080-22894100. Fax: 91-80-27832058. Email: info_in@in.festo.com)