Kawasaki Unveils New RS007 High-Speed Industrial Robots

The demand for fast, nimble and compact robots is growing—and Kawasaki has developed a pair of robots to meet that need.

The RS007N and RS007L robots are six-axis vertically articulated robot arms with a maximum payload capacity of seven kilos. They join the company’s general-purpose R series line of small-to-medium payload robots used for tasks such as packing, material handling, machine tending, material removal and sealing.

The new members of the R series family feature a newly designed arm structure and a lighter main unit. These developments, as well as adjustments to the robots’ acceleration rates, allow the new models to significantly reduce cycle times. They also make the robots much faster than their competitors—at 12,100 mm/s they have the fastest operating speeds in their class.

Both models are controlled through Kawasaki’s newest F60 robot controller, a state-of-the-art device that is Internet of Things (IoT) enabled. The F60 features extensive data collection and transfer capabilities that support overall equipment efficiency calculations and smart manufacturing. With Bluetooth functionality, the controller enables the collection and analysis of both robot and production data. And with the ability to upload to the cloud, that data can be shared between robots and across other machines, tablets, vision cameras and fieldbuses.

The RS007N and RS007L promise to be invaluable tools for small batch production with minimal changeover times. Their compact design and light weight, best-in-class speed and reach, and IoT-enabled controller could make them ideal solutions for efficient, smart and flexible manufacturing.

Read more about the latest developments in robotic manufacturing at KUKA Launches Next-Generation Robot Arm.