KUKA Robotics: One for all

1 min read

Collaboration is so powerful in industry. Industrial robotics powerhouse KUKA has teamed up with automation developer Mairotec to launch a modular automation cell

Together with KUKA, the technology and automation developer Mairotec has launched a modular automation cell based on KUKA’s LBR iisy cobot. The goal of the MAIROFlex iisy: a cost-effective and effortlessly easy entry into automation and 'Industry 4.0’.

MAIROFlex iisy, the latest modular automation cell from German integrator Mairotec, has been designed for loading and unloading a lathe with small hexagonal steel blocks which are then shaped into the cylindrical form of a bolt. At its heart is the new KUKA LBR iisy 11 cobot.

Andreas Mathes is the founder and managing director of Mairotec GmbH. The KUKA system partner specialises in product and software development for automation solutions.

As a trained mechanical engineer, Mathes is familiar with manufacturing practice, the requirements from the factory floor, and he is enthusiastic about the wide range of possibilities offered by robotics.

CONVINCING TECH

The basis for customised automation solutions is provided by the ‘Robotic Republic’, KUKA’s multi-vendor ecosystem. Here, all the components of high performance robotic applications are brought together on an open platform.

From the rapidly growing range of hardware and software components, users can put together individual automation packages that are safe, compatible, and quickly ready for use. Complete solutions are also offered via the KUKA Ecosystem – such as the MAIROFlex iisy.

In view of these possibilities, Mathes recently took a closer look at the entry into automation. He very quickly concluded that automation and robotics are not just something for large-scale industrial production with complex and expensive robotic solutions.

“Particularly in medium-sized businesses and handicraft enterprises, the need for automation is increasing for many recurring work steps,” says Mathes. “To get started, this calls for a dedicated, highly-flexible solution that everyone can afford. This is also a response to the growing shortage of skilled workers,” he adds.

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