20kg-payload capacity cobot weighs in at just 33kg

Omron has announced a new cobot (collaborative robot) with a 20kg payload capacity, which is suitable for tasks such as palletising, machine tending and material handling. The TM20 cobot has a reach of 1.3m, weighs 33kg, and has a small footprint.

The cobot is the most powerful model yet in the TM series developed under a strategic alliance with the Taiwanese cobot specialist, Techman. Other models have load capacities from 6–16kg.

The TM20’s built-in smart vision compensates for positioning errors and ensures precision in fast pick-and-place tasks – semiconductor applications, for example – without needing additional visual or positional monitoring. This reduces integration time and costs.

A technology called TM Landmark allows real-time updating of the relative position of the arm and key points in the environment, keeping the robot safely oriented in 3D space, regardless of the position of the robot.

According to Fernando Vaquerizo, fixed and cobots product marketing manager at Omron Europe, the new machine “expands the capabilities of our cobot family and gives customers the ability to automate heavy-payload application. It is designed to be easy to use, reliable and safe. It relieves operators from tasks that involve heavy lifting, while working safely side-by-side with people.”

The cobot’s light weight will make it easy to integrate with mobile robots. Special joint covers protect it from cutting oil and other hazardous materials, making it suitable for machine-tending applications. The robot has fast joints which are said to reduce cycle times.

The cobot is designed to work with other Omron products including sensors, controllers and software. It comes with a two-year warrantee.

Omron provides a ROI calculator to evaluate potential investments in collaborative robots, including leasing possibilities.

Pre-orders can be placed now for the TM20 cobot.