Motoman (www.motoman.com) is proud to announce the expanded SDA-series (“slim, dual-arm”) family of robots with the new SDA5D model. Agile and quick, with human-like flexibility, these robots provide the payload, flexibility, performance, speed and reach requirements to perform a variety of part transfer, machine tending packaging, handling and assembly applications that could only be performed by people. The new SDA-series feature 15 axes of motion (“seven axes per arm, plus one single-axis for base rotation”). Internally routed hoses and cables reduce maintenance and interference, and make programming easier as well.

Both robotic arms can work together on a single task to double the payload requirement or handle heavy, unwieldy pallets, parts or trays. The ability to use two independent robotic arms to process parts cuts down the need for costly custom fixturing and permits end-of-arm tooling to be less costly and simple. Motoman’s SDA-series dual-arm robots can hold one part as one of the arm is operating on the part with the other arm and it can transfer one part from one arm to another, no need to set the part down.

SDA-series robots’ actuator-based design means that the brake, reducer, encoder and motor for each robot axis that are combined in a small, lightweight but powerful package which is smaller compared with a traditional AC servomotor drive. The advantages include high-wrist moment and inertia ratings, a slim arm profile and lightweight robot body.

SDA-series robots from Motoman are controlled by the Motoman DX100 robot and a system-level controller which uses patented multiple-robot-control technology to handle multiple tasks like control of up to eight robots (“72 axes”) and I/O devices, as well as communication protocols easily. Featuring a strong PC hardware architecture, Motoman’s DX100 controller uses a Windows CE programming pendant with colored touch screen.