The company says that the RCS products will transform the commissioning and servicing of automation technologies. The range initially comprises three products, supported by a software suite:
• the RCS L-90 ballbar device, which improves robot system accuracy, shortens deployment times and monitors robot health using software-controlled routines;
• the RCS T-90 tri-ballbar system, which helps to identify the root causes of poor robot performance, with further tests to capture critical information – such as remastering joint offsets to calculated positions, running master-recovery routines, and plotting 3D path performance; and
• the RCS P-series, which integrates a permanent probe into a robot cell to apply in-process metrology and automatic recovery to automation processes.
The new products – categorised as either “in-field” or “in-process” – bring Renishaw’s metrology expertise to a sector that has challenges with accuracy and repeatability. They simplify robot set-ups, health checks and the recovery of robot applications after collisions. Working with the company’s RCS Software Suite, the products support robots from a variety of manufacturers.
“The existing processes surrounding robot set-up and maintenance are largely manual for an industry built on automation,” points out Dr Kevyn Jonas, director of Renishaw's Industrial Automation Products Division. “With no existing fully comprehensive solutions, these methods have been accepted, until today. Robot integrators and users now finally have a solution for a quick, simple and traceable means to manage their robots.”
Renishaw’s RCS L-90 ballbar, shown here fitted between a robot arm and datum sphere in a robot cell.
“Our success over 50 years has been built on providing robust and reliable products that solve manufacturing problems across a wide range of industry sectors,” adds Renishaw CEO, Will Lee. “With the global growth in the use of robots, which are increasingly being used for precision production applications, we are seeing significant challenges with aspects of robot operation. We believe we can address these based on decades of experience providing solutions for calibration and set-up within the machine tool and motion control industries.”
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