RCM Modular Robot Cell | RCM Automation Cell

Overview

The RCM Automation Cell is a low cost built to suit, reconfigurable robot automation cell. It is a product developed by and made for Schneider & Company. The unique design of the components allow it to be used for a wide range of applications. Its ideally suited to applications with medium production, a wide range of part variant and free-standing processes or secondary operations/inspections needing to be done. The cell and controls are built on a true plug-play-program strategy and are easy to integrate in a day or two. It’s truly a solution in between a $16k “robot in a box” and a $250k custom designed and built machine. It’s Robotics DIY made easy.

Key Product Lines

Standard Automation Cell

The Standard RCM Automation cell is assembled to your desirable configuration. We start with a 40” square tube steel U-shaped frame which with leveling isolation feet. The U shape allows users the opportunity to “Push In” floor mounted equipment or containers into the robot reach area on the open side. The top plate is a heavy duty nickel plated steel with repeating tapped holes for mounting plates and larger diameter holes for dropping large connectors and wire bundles down through the table. There is a standard full top and half top plate design available. Then we select a side for the electric panel which mounts in the open frame area. The other 3 sides will be removable panels. The mid level area of the cell is for flat or radius guards or telescoping drawers with shot pins and safety switches. The bottom of the mid level of the cell is designed at an ergonomic height so operator tooling is possible and conveyors or containers can be just below these guards. The Upper doors and panels can be flat or radius and the hardware is convertible to doors from panels and opening right or left just by changing the door hardware and adding the door latches and safety switches. The cell works with robots which are table mounted, wall mounted and ceiling mounted with additional fabs and the mounting holes in the vertical upper tubes. The safety is plug and play via valves and bulk head connectors on the side of the panel. Finally the I/O connectivity is setup as simple 24V digital I/O and with EPSON robots the I/O is mapped from the software bit location to a small terminal interface panel so you just label the I/O and wire to the terminal pin.

Standard Bin- Pick Cell

The RCm Bin Pick/Part Pick machine starts with all of the configurability and flexibility of the standard RCm cell but adds an additional floor container bay to one of the side of the robot cell. We use either a 10 /20 kg EPSON SCARA with a unique design magnet array to pick bulk parts out of the container. The parts are then placed on a large backlight vision area and a part gripper is used with the vision to pick the individual parts. The design intent is to combine and simplify the process of bind picking and part picking. This is done by separating the more invasive bulk removal activities without using the robot in the container where it can be damaged. Once bulk parts are removed and placed on a flat surface the part vision picking has better lighting and part isolation capabilities.