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RC10 – a cost effective collaborative robot for improved efficiency and operator safety

There is usually concern amongst factory operators that robots will replace humans and jobs. However, this is not the case with collaborative robots such as FlexLink’s RC10.

Collaborative robots or cobots are designed to work together with humans and take over tasks in production that can jeopardize operator health and safety. This in turn allows operators to focus on tasks that add more value to the production.

Unlike many other industrial robots, cobots don’t necessarily need safety guards to keep them separated from humans. By avoiding all safety enclosures, cobots contribute to a lower footprint while not compromising on operator safety.

Another aspect that speaks in cobots’ favour is the price tag. Because cobots are based on a much simpler technology than regular robots it makes them easy to use and operate without any specialised software or engineering knowledge.

The RC10 has been designed for the continuous palletising of closed boxes of up to 8kg at 8 boxes per minute. It can safely coexist with people allowing operators to remove complete pallets without stopping the robot.

If an operator comes into contact with the robot arm, it will automatically stop to reduce the risk of injury. The built-in sensor makes the cobot not only sense when there is a person nearby, but also the person’s location. This allows the cobot to slow down, work around the person or stop if the situation requires it. When the person moves away, it resumes its work again.

This innovative cobot is lightweight and mobile making it easy to install and relocate between tasks. The compact design offers 50 per cent reduction in footprint compared to industrial robot solutions. A user friendly tablet application ensures simple pallet layer configuration without the need for complicated robot programming.

Anyone who can use a smartphone or a tablet can also program the RC10.

While the RC10 can generally operate in any manufacturing industry, it has a lower operating speed and payload compared to a regular robot to avoid potential accidents given it is collaborating with humans.

Therefore, it is most suited to work in production environments with relatively low loads and speeds, such as fast-moving consumer goods industries (FMCG). RC10 is a great choice for production sites that require flexibility and equipment that has a small footprint.

FlexLink’s RC10 collaborative robot is available through FlexCAM in Australia and New Zealand.

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