“There’s been a movement in the industry to start automating man-made products,” said Robert Little, CEO of ATI Industrial Automation. “In order to for them do that, they need robots. In order for those robots to be completely successful, they need force sensing feedback.”

ATI has unveiled the newest offering in its Force/Torque Sensor product line: the Axia80. Like all of ATI’s Force/Torque Sensors, the Axia80 measures all six components of force and torque. The monolithic instrumented transducer also features silicon strain gauges that reduce noise, enable high stiffness, and provide overload protection 5 to 20 times over the sensing range. The Axia80 is programmed with two different calibrations that the operator can switch between while the application is running. The default calibration allows for a large sensing range during high-speed moves or while applying high force. The smaller calibration suits more delicate processes that require higher resolution and accuracy.

All the electronics are built into the transducer body, and the sensor connects directly to the robot controller. This keeps the unit’s cost down and footprint smaller, without sacrificing accuracy, resolution, or robustness. The Axia80 communicates through EtherCAT or Ethernet and is ideal for robotic assembly, grinding, and polishing applications.

ATI Automation
www.ati-ia.com