Mar 21 2017
On Robot, the fast-growing Danish manufacturer of innovative grippers for collaborative robots, is bringing its technology to North America to provide manufacturers with more user-friendly, safe and flexible grippers for collaborative robots (cobots). Officially launching to the North American market at Automate 2017 in April, On Robot’s two-finger RG2 grippers—available in both single and dual versions— mount easily on the arms of cobots without any external wires; for robots that have infinite rotation of the last joint, this enables unprecedented flexibility and productivity. The RG2 grippers can be easily programmed directly from the same interface as the robot, and the gripper can be modified without previous programming experience, making them ideal for collaborative robot users.
“User-friendly robot arms need user-friendly grippers, and until RG2, the ease-of-use and flexibility required just wasn’t available,” said Torben Ekvall, On Robot CEO. “Most traditional grippers work by using compressed air, which takes up a lot of space, is energy-intensive and is far too complicated for many users. On Robot’s RG2 is an electronic solution that is easy to mount, is very flexible and can be modified by an operator on the factory floor without the assistance of an engineer. This ease-of-use will help speed development for an increasing number of manufacturers’ applications.”
On Robot is yet another exciting result of the Odense, Denmark robotics cluster, with technology developed by founders Bilge Jacob Christiansen, formerly with cobot leader Universal Robots, and Ebbe Overgaard Fuglsang. Investors behind the company include Thomas Visti, previously with Universal Robots and now CEO of Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), Enrico Krog Iversen, previous CEO of Universal Robots, and the Danish Growth Fund.
Unique features of the RG2 gripper ideally meet the needs of cobot users and include:
- Simple and intuitive programming: RG2 lets operators easily choose what they need the gripper to do and the gripper responds with motion as flexible as the cobot itself.
- Angle mounting: From 0° to 180° in 30° steps, in both the single- and dual-gripper setup, the gripper ensures great flexibility and adaptability for comprehensive tasks.
- Customizable fingertips: The gripper fingers support the use of customized fingertips, which can be designed by end users to fit production requirements.
- Assisted center-of-gravity calculation: Users enter the value of the payload and the robot calculates the rest, making programming easier, enhancing overall productivity and improving safety by enabling more accurate robot arm movements.
- Continuous grip indication: The gripper can discern any lost or deliberately removed object.
- Automatic Tool Center Point (TCP) calculation: Automatic calculation of how the robot arm moves around the calculated TCP of an object, depending on the position in which the gripper is mounted, for easier programming and use.
On Robot Expands into North America with Experienced Regional Manager
The RG2 collaborative grippers are currently used in more than 40 countries, with strong demand from North American companies looking for more cost-effective grippers that offer additional capabilities and are easier to use. Collaborative robots are the fastest-growing segment in robotics, but new applications require grippers that meet users’ expectations for affordability and ease of use. To meet demand, On Robot has appointed experienced high-tech distributor Gary Eliasson as its general manager for North America.
“The demand for easy-to-use and -program cobots in North America is growing dramatically,” says Eliasson. “But the missing link of the entire collaborative development has been grippers that are as flexible and dexterous as the arm itself. RG2 is that missing link. I’m looking forward to filling the demand with a robust distribution network throughout North America to help manufacturers automate their processes as easily and cost-effectively as possible.”
See On Robot and the RG2 Grippers at Automate 2017
On Robot will be exhibiting at Automate 2017, booth # 469, where founder Bilge Christiansen will join CEO Torben Ekvall and General Manager Gary Eliasson to promote the RG2 grippers to this new market.