In the case of weak demand in SCARA market, its competition is becoming more and more fierce, and the price war has become a long internal friction. Because of this, there is a “stratification” of enterprises, some enterprises stay in the “low price” product area, and others turn to focus on SCARA robotics. Volume innovation, volume performance, SCARA robot’s battle for change is quietly coming.

The technological change of SCARA robots can be summarized as two “more” : more extreme performance and more subdivided track.

The feature of more extreme performance is reflected in the sudden rise of lithium, photovoltaic and other industries, which requires the load, accuracy, speed and stability of SCARA robots to reach a more extreme height; One of the main characteristics of the track is that the precision assembly of 3C electronics, semiconductors, medical, automotive parts and other fields puts high requirements on the cleanliness of the production equipment and the production environment, and the “clean” track comes into being.

Innovation is in Kuka’s DNA. As early as many years ago, Kuka has opened up the “clean” segment of the track, and continues to be tailored to the needs of different areas and different companies. Recently, Kuka once again innovated the KR SCARA CS family of products and launched a revolutionary product with industry-leading significance – the Clean version KR SCARA CS 20kg robot (hereinafter referred to as “Clean version KR 20 SCARA”).

For precision production,

SCARA product performance has been comprehensively improved

At MESse 2023, Kuka introduced a new series of the KR SCARA CS family – the KR SCARA CS 20kg robot, the standard version of the KR 20 SCARA. At the same time, Kuka received a “special” feedback from companies in the consumer electronics field. The standard version KR 20 SCARA can meet most of the needs of the production line, but there are still application pain points in a few scenarios.

KR SCARA CS 20kg robot

One typical case: the assembly or handling of precision components such as optical lenses and display glass substrates is demanding for the environmental cleanliness of the production workshop. However, in fact, during the high-speed operation of SCARA robot, due to the friction of the lead screw, a large number of dust particles are easily produced and released into the surrounding environment, affecting the cleanliness of the production environment, and on the other hand, it will lead to the wear of the robot’s own components.

In response to this application pain point, KUKA on the basis of the standard version of KR 20 SCARA targeted to optimize and improve the software and hardware, launched a clean version of KR 20 SCARA and KUKA.ControlStudio 2.7 operating system. Software and hardware upgrades help unlock high-end application scenarios.

▌ Clean KR 20 SCARA

In the field of large-load and even super-heavy-load industrial robots, KuKA has always maintained a dominant position and mastered the core technology of structural design and control algorithms. Based on this kind of technological accumulation, Kuka has extended its technological advantages to the clean version KR 20 SCARA. The clean version KR 20 SCARA has a maximum load of 20kg.

At the same time, its performance is also upgraded synchronously, with stronger rigidity, higher accuracy, more stable operation and other characteristics, the production beat is 0.52s. It is worth noting that its longest arm span can reach 1200mm, which covers a wider area in the same specification industry.

From the perspective of robot body design, the clean version KR 20 SCARA adopts the design of internal cable routing and has a compact appearance. Kuka adds a corrugated shield around its lead screw to curb the amount of dust generated during production. Its cleanliness level can reach ISO class 5, and its protection level can reach IP54. In addition, the clean version KR 20 SCARA meets the EU CE certification and the quality is guaranteed.

Clean version KR SCARA CS 20kg robot

From the design point of view of the core components, Kuka adopts a high-precision planetary reducer in the first axis, replacing the traditional harmonic reducer scheme. The high precision planetary reducer has the characteristics of small volume, low noise, large transmission torque, high life, high transmission efficiency, strong bearing capacity, good impact and vibration resistance, and smooth movement. The clean version KR 20 SCARA thus performs better in terms of rigidity, accuracy and operational stability.

▌KUKA.ControlStudio2.7 Operating system

The ontology innovation optimization design successfully improves the reliability of the clean version KR 20 SCARA, and the ease of use and intelligence are realized by the software upgrade. The Clean version KR 20 SCARA is equipped with the high-performance, ultra-small KR CS Box-2 control cabinet and is combined with the easy-to-use KUKA.ControlStudio 2.7 operating system (hereinafter referred to as “2.7 Operating System”).

Based on mature web-based technology, integration of high reliability and modular software architecture design, 2.7 operating system greatly improves the performance and stability of the robot operating system, and can respond to customer and market needs in a timely manner. In addition, the 2.7 operating system further strengthens the features of ease of use and intelligence, so that users can operate more efficiently and conveniently.