Yaskawa announces six-axis laser cutting robot

The six-axis GA50 robot from Yaskawa offers high path accuracy and is well-suited for laser cutting small holes and sharp corners, as well as laser welding, plasma cutting and dispensing applications, according to the company. This robot offers capability in a wide range of industries.

Reliable, high rigidity and precision drives provide path accuracy. Formcut software automatically generates the ideal path to cut shapes based on user-specified geometry. Circle, rectangle, ellipse, pentagon and 2D hexagon shapes are supported with definition of shape size and rotation from a single programmed point. The cut motion start and overlap, robot speed, timing options and corner radii are all defined in the cut file. Depending on the application, path accuracy can be within 0.1 mm with a 30-kg payload.

Fast access speeds and acceleration capabilities reduce cycle time for increased product throughput, and its reduced interference design enables close proximity placement of robots for high-density workcells. The GA50 features a 3,161 mm vertical reach, 2,038 mm horizontal reach and ±0.015 mm repeatability. A Remote Laser Welding or cutting laser head is supported due to the robot’s 50-kg payload capacity.

Proportional analog generates a control signal corresponding to the speed of the robot. When used with dispensing equipment flow controls, a uniform bead is produced on contoured parts. The signal is available as an analog voltage or on a fieldbus network.

Installation is quick and efficient, according to the company. A single cable is all that is needed to connect the manipulator to the controller, resulting in easy setup and reduced expenses for maintenance and spare parts inventory. The GA50 can be floor-mounted. Brakes are included on all axes.

The GA50 robot is compatible with the YRC1000 controller that is built to a global standard and does not require a transformer for input voltages ranging from 380VAC to 480VAC. Featuring a compact cabinet (598 W x 490 H x 427 D mm), the YRC1000 utilizes a lightweight teach pendant with intuitive programming.