Although we may not always be thinking about the manufacturing processes all around us, we see their effect every time we touch, use, or even look at any kind of manmade object. This past week, thousands of exhibitors came together in Orlando, FL, to showcase the latest and greatest tools and techniques for product fabrication at FABTECH. Let’s check out some of the highlights from the show!
Action-packed FABTECH 2024 expo halls in Orlando. Image used courtesy of FABTECH via social media
FANUC Painting and Welding
Robots are an established sight throughout all parts of the fabrication process, from initial machine tools (metal forming and machining), finishing and painting, and then on to final assembly.
FANUC, the bright yellow leader in robotic technology, demonstrated a number of powerful and capable devices including bots with heavy lifting and precise welding functions. To complement the robots, FANUC showed off several CNC technology upgrades for servos and laser cutting.
FANUC demonstrates paint programming and inspections with a custom robot setup. Image used courtesy of FANUC America via social media
Yellow isn’t the only color for FANUC since the cobot series and a few specialty robots arrive in other colors to denote the configuration or task. One of the most recent highlights is an explosion-proof painting CRX, along with software updates for paint programming and inspection.
Elesa Machine Products and Sensors
Every production and fabrication machine requires attention to every safety detail, balanced to provide protection for workers and the highest uptime possible. Elesa demonstrated a wide range of devices designed for the safety element as well as for effective handling, workholding, and even assembly.
The Elesa booth filled with a range of clamping, handling, safety, and sensing devices. Image used courtesy of Elesa USA via social media
Elesa demonstrated product lines of locking lift pins, ergonomic handles, clamp and magnetic holding tools, and even rotational position sensors, a whole product lineup that comes together to provide a complete solution for effective machine design.
Universal Robots (UR) Cobot Innovations
Perhaps the most prominent role of collaborative robots thus far has been in the fabrication stage, working alongside CNC machines and holding welding tools to relieve operators of mundane, repetitive tasks. UR, one of the earliest pioneers in cobot technology, brought a new set of capabilities to the workbench.
UR showcased welding robots and much more, including lasers, finishing, and press brake operation. Image used courtesy of Universal Robots via social media
It has been seven years since the debut of the first cobot welder in North America, and it was by UR at FABTECH. This week, illustrating the continued drive for success and in celebration of the UR+ partner ecosystem, there were far more offerings. A sample of new techs include press brake tending, finishing, and laser-based restoration processes from partners like Mid Atlantic Machinery, Cohesive Robotics, and Advanced Laser Restoration
Techman Welding and TMcraft Customization
Another global leader in cobot technology, Techman Robot, emphasized the critical nature of software in accelerating any fabrication process. TMcraft allows users to design custom plug-ins and apps for an endless variety of cobot tasks. One of the reported downsides of user-friendly programming interfaces is the limited flexibility. Yet, with increased flexibility comes complexity.
A Techman robot demonstrating a welding application. Image used courtesy of Techman Robot via social media
Techman’s TMcraft includes a number of convenient features for project development, including toolbars with useful functions, flowchart-style project dev interfaces, and an ability to design custom HMIs, depending on the task at hand. For the future of cobots, the hardware is indeed important, but providing engineers with the ability to (easily) customize programs is nothing short of essential.
Investigating the World of Fab(ulous) Technology
Production technology always treads a fine line between the known reliability of tried-and-true devices and the potential of progress brought on by forward-thinking concepts that appear on the horizon. Expos like FABTECH allow engineers, machine experts, and innovators to come together, demonstrate some of the technology, and discuss the challenges and possible solutions that can keep the production world racing into the future.
Join Control.com for more exciting events as we conclude 2024 and see what tech will be offered in 2025!
