A Chinese robot developer called Flexiv has engineered “the world’s first force-controlled parallel robot” for applications that require precision motion and force control, such as fastening screws, polishing items, and handling precision loads. The robot is called Moonlight.
Flexiv’s ‘Moonlight’ parallel robot is the latest addition to its line of adaptive robots and is the world’s first-ever force-controlled parallel robot.
It has the unique ability to measure forces accurately down to 0.1N (Newton) and can even handle delicate objects with great precision and care, according to a report published on Tuesday by Drives & Controls. This makes tasks polishing and sanding uneven surfaces possible while guaranteeing output quality and practically eliminating workpiece damage.
The robot can handle 12kg loads at low speeds and loads of up to 7kg at speeds of up to 1.5m/s.
The Moonlight robot complies with Pl d safety requirements, supports EtherCat communications, and is IP65-protected. It is particularly, adept at surface treatment applications such as polishing, grinding, deburring, and sanding.
With industry-leading levels of repeatability and accuracy, an ability to be installed at any angle, and advanced artificial intelligence integration, Moonlight is suitable for any application which demands flexibility, reliability, and adaptability.
“Moonlight is a combination of our award-winning Rizon series of robots and the industry-proven parallel bot design,” said Hao Jiang, Director of Product Development for Flexiv. “We saw that in some specific applications, customers needed a powerful, cost-effective robotic solution which combines highly precise force control with adaptability, so that’s what we built. With its increased speed and greater precision, Moonlight boosts production efficiency while retaining a multirole capacity.”
Capable of completing tasks usually reserved for robot arms while maintaining the agility and speed of a parallel robot, Moonlight provides its operators with true operational versatility.
The new machine will be available from Q3 2023.