ATM’s Vision for the Future

Flexible Alternatives to Dedicated Automation

ATM’s recent partnership with Nachi Robotic Systems, as a UK systems integrator for the full range of Nachi 6 and 7 axis robot systems, enables ATM to provide their customers with flexible and reliable alternatives to dedicated automation. As it becomes increasingly more difficult to justify capital expenditure, a flexible system which can be used for both current and future generation products becomes an ever more attractive option. When vision systems are added to the equation the prospects for even greater flexibility are significantly enhanced.

Nachi robots are available with the NVAX image processing system, which can be integrated to the AX Robot controller. This high-performance digital image processing technology, and image defect tolerant search tool, delivers outstanding object recognition. Together these features enable the system to be used in real world factory conditions and correctly identify features and parts. Nachi’s high speed search tool is tolerant of images which may differ from the “Ideal” image where the target object may be:-

• Darker or Lighter
• Rotated or Displaced
• Partially Obstructed or Dirty
• Smaller or Larger
• Placed on a Different Coloured Background

As a fully integrated system the NVAX system provides a high speed robot – vision interface which is easily programmed and operated via the robot teach pendant using the intuitive Windows™ environment. This also provides a single point of operation for both the robot and vision system.

Focus on Solutions

Nachi has developed various vision techniques using the NVAX system. Different combinations of - numbers of cameras, lighting and scanning techniques ensure that Nachi Vision Guided Robots can be applied to a multitude of guidance and inspection tasks. Nachi has applied the NVAX Vision System to both 2D and 3D applications. Typical 2D applications, where a single camera is used, include capturing images of parts on a moving conveyor to identify their position and orientation. The information obtained by the vision system is then processed together with the travel speed of the conveyor, obtained from a separate encoder, to allow the robot to pick parts “On the Fly” and transfer them to the next part of the manufacturing process.

Three dimensional vision techniques (3D), such as using dual cameras to achieve Stereo Vision or using a single Camera and a Laser Scanner to generate an accurate 3D surface map of the component, allow the robot to perform even more complex tasks. These techniques enable the robot to process multiple part types and perform operations such as Random Bin Picking, an application where the Nachi Robot & NVAX Vision System together clearly excel. The capability to use a Vision Guided Robot for Random Bin Picking can provide a host of benefits. In these applications, the Vision Guided Robot eliminates the need for expenditure on dedicated part feeding systems or custom manufactured product specific trays and fixtures, which would generally be loaded by expensive manual labour. Eliminating the expensive dedicated tooling and manual labour costs together with the increased flexibility available from the system will often provide a return on investment which enables the project to proceed.

The latest development from Nachi, in the field of Vision Guidance, is Syncrovision (Patent Pending). This revolutionary technique allows the robot to move directly to the part by eliminating the need to “Pause” to acquire and process the image. Using dual cameras, and performing a “Pattern Search” the NVAX system identifies the best part for picking and calculates the precise position for the robot.
The prime advantage of Syncrovision is a much reduced cycle time, adding still further to the benefits already available from the NVAX system for Random Bin Picking applications. With the addition of the Nachi range of Robots and Vision products to their “Core Technologies” ATM Automation can now apply the benefits of Vision Guided Robots to a wide range of applications and markets.

ATM Automation manufactures Cartesian robot systems and their ES robot range is renowned for speed and reliability. ATM also design and build bespoke automation cells incorporating Cartesian robots, 6 and 7 axis robots, plastics joining technology and assembly automation.