EtherCAT Box Modules A More Compact and Simplified Robot Design

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Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG

SIMTOS (Seoul International Machine Tool Show)

b+m Surface Systems GmbH optimized the 6-axis articulated-arm robots of the T1 X6 and T2 X series for paint application. These robots are particularly easy to maintain, in part due to the use of Beckhoff’s EPX series EtherCAT box modules, which were installed directly inside the robots. The modules also made it possible to reduce the number of cables that need to run from the robot to the application cabinets.

b+m Surface Systems GmbH, based in Eiterfeld in eastern Hesse (Germany), designs and builds complete paint shops, including process, conveyor, and application technology. This in-depth expertise results in highly application-oriented solutions. The primary applications for these painting systems are in the automotive industry, commercial vehicles, and the aerospace industry. Bernd Käsmann, Head of Application Engineering at b+m, explains: “For us, a complete paint shop system ranges from the feeding of the raw part to the removal of the finished, painted component. This includes everything from preparing the quote and detailed engineering to commissioning and running in the system. Our core competency is application technology, for which we develop our own solutions with a high degree of vertical integration—from spray nozzles to robotics and metering technology, all the way to paint supply systems.”