Güdel gantry robots handle components of up to 3 tonnes with extreme accuracy, speed and repeatability

08 September 2010 – Looking for a way to incorporate flexibility into your work space? Gdel gantry systems will expand your horizontal and vertical reach for a diverse range of materials handling requirements, requiring less floor space than floor-mounted robots while offering a high degree of safety and accuracy. Also known as Cartesian coordinate robots, gantry robots work from an overhead XYZ grid. The size of a gantry system varies; they can fit into a compact square or fill an entire warehouse. Gdel has supplied gantries up to 70m long.

Gantry robots are robotic travellers. They go the distance to cover the entire length and breadth of parts or work area. Gdel gantry robots are an ideal solution for materials handling applications because they can move items from one station to another with speed and accuracy. Their travelling abilities simplify any work space because one gantry robot can perform the work of two to three floor-mounted articulated robots.

Advantages over 6-axis robots
Gdel gantry robots offer maximum flexibility with up to 6 degrees of freedom (3 cartesian and 3 rotary) and require a minimum of floor space compared with conventional robots.

The 3- or 4-axis gantries compete with 6-axis robots that are used in similar applications because they can perform the required functions with less axes and with higher accuracy. The gantry robot is more compact, stiffer and has a longer service life than a 6-axis robot. The rack and pinion drive systems used are suitable for very tough environments. Furthermore, safety for workers can be guaranteed with less effort and investment.

The gantry solution is stable and robust and thanks to the modular principle, the configuration of the axes can be customised and the dimensions can be adapted to suit the application. Additionally, the gantry robots make use of a drive and guideway concept that only Gdel offers as a one-stop solution.
Two more advantages of gantry systems are precision and programming. Because they work from a grid, gantry robots can be easily programmed to land at precise points. For this reason both CNC controls (such as Siemens 802D or 840D) or robot controllers can be used to control the gantry.

Gdel industrial robots for automated handling can be used in a variety of ways such assembly robots, overhead robots or for end-of-line robotic palletising solutions in conjunction with palletising robots or pick and place robots.

About Gdel gantry robots
The Gdel gantry robot is a modular cartesian axis concept based on Gdel standard components including guideway systems, gear units and racks and pinions. Rotary axes and wrist units are standard options of the gantry robots.

Concept
•2-6 axes and up to 20 additional external axes.
•8 standardised gantry sizes with payloads from 25-2500 Kg
•Standardized leg design
•Location of legs is variable
•Holding brakes on all motors
•Rack-/pinion drive on all linear axes
•Control by CNC controller Sinumerik 840D & 802D or Robot controller S4Cplus or KMC.

Examples of Gantry Robot applications
•Materials handling
•Machine tending
•Palletising
•Transfer lines
•Assembly
•Processes, i.e. welding, glueing etc.

CNC Design is the Australian Distributor for Gudel gantry systems and rack and pinion components.

Contact:

CNC Design Pty Ltd
Bruce Rowley
Managing Director
Ph: 03 9411 1511
Bruce_Rowley@cncdesign.com.au
www.cncdesign.com