Viper strikes with speed and precision
Canadian Plastics
Small, quick and economical describe the radical new robot design developed by Ventax Robot Inc. The Ventax Viper looks like a cross between an articulated and linear robot, and in this case, looks ar...
Small, quick and economical describe the radical new robot design developed by Ventax Robot Inc. The Ventax Viper looks like a cross between an articulated and linear robot, and in this case, looks are not deceiving. The Viper has some of the benefits of both types.
Using a servo belt drive, an articulated arm combines the functionality of both the Y and Z axes of conventional linear robots. Linear servo-controlled motion along the 400mm X-axis allows for inline multiple part and sprue deposits.
The Viper AS 212, the first model in this new series, is suitable for molding machines from 80 to 200 tons, with payloads up to 1 kg. With its high-speed servo drives, the unit achieves mold intrusion times of less than 1 second. “In effect,” says engineering manager Tom Brett, “the motion of the end of the arm is a controlled arc, allowing the payload to “jump” smoothly over the tiebar, instead of needing three separate moves to go up, over and down. In addition, the arc motion inherently provides the arm with smooth acceleration and deceleration.”
Having one less axis also translates to one less servo drive system, which is one contributing factor in the lower cost of the Viper. The AS 212 unit sells for $27,500, says Kevin Smith, vice president marketing and sales.
“In terms of price, we are competing with the lighter range of conventional three-axis pneumatic robots, which do not have the programming flexibility or the superior positioning accuracy offered by the Viper,” adds Brett. The Viper is fully teachable with a quick reference tool screen allowing for instant program retrieval and minimized changeover time.
The Viper can also be configured as a side-entry robot.
“For high-speed retrieval applications, this unit is tremendous,” says Smith. “In one stack-mold application we use the addition of a transfer arm to handle parts placement so that the Viper arm can be dedicated to part retrieval, further reducing mold intrusion time.”
As a side-entry robot, the Viper needs only 1 m of clearance or less, allowing injection machines to be placed close together. In a top-entry configuration it needs only minimal clearance as well.
Ventax Robot Inc. 800-440-2771,ext. 230