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Compact robots have 40% larger working envelopes
Published:  14 August, 2020

Kuka has announced a compact industrial robot aimed at production environments with limited space. The KR 4 Agilus arm has a 4kg load capacity and a reach of 600mm – resulting in a work envelope that is almost 40% larger than the previous generation.

Kuka claims that the robot will lead the market in terms of its repeatability and cycle times, with a maximum deviation of 0.02mm per work step and a cycle time of less than 0.4 seconds. It can be installed in any position – on the floor, wall or ceiling, at any angle.

To cater for one target market – electronics manufacturing – the robot is protected against electrostatic charging and discharging.

“With the KR 4 Agilus, we are not just closing a gap in Kuka’s portfolio,” says the company’s portfolio manager, Markus Hollfelder-Asam. “We are supplying a new small robot in the 4kg class that is a real ‘big hitter’ – ideally suited for a broad spectrum of automation tasks, both in the electronics industry and in many other sectors.”

Kuka’s new compact robot has been designed for robot-based automation in electronics manufacturing and for handling tasks in other industries.

The IP40-protected arms can be used in temperatures from 0–55°C. Their reliability has been tested by TÜV, and they are CE-marked and UL-certified. They are said to need minimal maintenance.

The robots use Kuka’s latest control technology – the KR C5 micro with its KSS 8.7 system software, for controlling and solving applications efficiently. A choice of interfaces supports a wide range of peripheral devices.

The new robots will be available from October 2020.