Discover Difference-Making Kawasaki Robots Throughout Time at AUTOMATE 2023

Robotics has come a long way since its inception and has made significant contributions in various fields. Modern robotics got its start in the 20th century, when the first industrial robot, the Unimate, was introduced to perform tasks that were too dangerous or difficult for humans. At AUTOMATE 2023, in booth 4023, Kawasaki Robotics will display human ingenuity and difference-making robotics through the past, present and future.

Meet the past:
Take this unique opportunity to see a Kawasaki Unimate and Kawasaki J-series robot in person and learn about what was then revolutionary technology and how that technology came to shape the robots we see today. Kawasaki Heavy Industries, was the first company to sign a technical licensing agreement to start manufacturing the Unimate robot to help solve growing labor shortage issues much like today. Launched in 1989, The J-series was part of Kawasaki Robotics general purpose line-up, and this very robot ran for over 26 years welding everything from the frame sides of a Kawasaki Vulcan 800 motorcycle to steering shafts for ATVs.

Meet the present:
We’ve been perfecting our arc welding lineup to perform accurate and consistent welds, to include features such as touch sensing, advanced weaving, endless positioner rotation function and built in weld data base and standard AS language. But something was missing, please take a moment to meet our family of NEW K-positioners for North America, from single axis, double axis to multi-positioners we’ve got them. With our positioners, the robot can easily manipulate the position of the workpiece, allowing the welding torch to be positioned at the correct angle and distance from the workpiece ensuring the welds are of highest quality and consistency. The cell featured at Automate will include a Kawasaki BA006L robot that simulates arc welding on a Kawasaki Ninja EX650 mounted on a double-axis PST125-L2 K-positioner.

Manufactured valve body inspection meets the engineering power and design capability of our partner Capital Industries who’s valve inspection solution meets the highest standards of quality, strict acceptance, and performance standards of the Automotive industry. The cell features two Kawasaki RS007N robots, that will transfer valve bodies between two rotary dials where they will undergo two types of inspection, as well as the handling of accepted and rejected parts. The first dial was hard tooled to check the inner & outer diameter of the valves and the second dial using a Keyence laser system for any surface defects on the valves.

Meet the future:
An evolution of the R-Series general-purpose robots. To meet the needs of the market, we’ve continued to optimize our general-purpose robots to set the benchmark for small-to-medium payload robots (3-80kg). Meet the NEW addition the RS025N which will be on display with the recently released RS007N/L and the RS013N models. In addition to increased speeds, the NEW RS025N robot includes a new arm structure and compact design, drive system, motor location and IP67 rating, making it a great fit for a wide range of tasks.

From evolution to revolution. Meet our Partner RoboTire who’s revolutionizing the automotive service industry one tire change at a time by bringing industrial robots into consumer facing auto service centers. RoboTire engineers and deploys next-gen automated tire-changing solutions with built-in AI technology to enable faster and safer vehicle servicing than ever before. A RoboTire system can be entirely controlled by a technician using the RoboTire mobile app. The system’s work begins when a technician uses the RoboTire mobile app to scan a vehicle’s VIN. RoboTire’s proprietary software pulls in OEM specifications data in near real-time related to the specific vehicle’s tire and lug nut size and alignment, as well as exact OEM specifications for lug nut torque. All 4 tires can be changed in 20 minutes using one operator. Faster for shops. Safer for humans. Safer for Cars.

ABOUT KAWASAKI ROBOTICS
With over 50 years of experience in the automation industry, Kawasaki is a leading supplier of industrial robots and robotic automation systems with expertise in a wide range of applications and industries. We deliver the best value robot offerings by providing a rich set of standard features on all robot models for application flexibility, renowned Kawasaki quality and performance, and unmatched customer support and after-sales service. Learn more about Kawasaki Robotics here, watch robot application videos, and connect on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Contact: Johanna Lidgren, Marketing Manager
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 248-446-4211

Kawasaki Robotics is a leading supplier of industrial robots and automation systems with a broad product portfolio, able to service a wide range of applications worldwide.