Epson and Economa offer ingenious new solution for safer collaboration between humans and robots

Epson and Economa offer ingenious new solution for safer collaboration between humans and robots

Epson, the leading global manufacturer of SCARA robots, and Economa Engineering, have introduced an ingenious, simple and affordable new device that ensures safer collaborative working between humans and robots.

SCARAFLEX® is an air-filled, soft plastic protective skin with collision detection capabilities that wraps around an Epson SCARA robot. It includes a speed monitoring device that ensures the robot will not exceed a predefined safe speed and allows humans to work more closely with robots without the need for safety barriers and other external protective measures. 

SCARAFLEX® has been developed by Economa Engineering exclusively for Epson’s SCARA robot range. It offers a more affordable solution for on-demand robotic collaboration and the removeable skin gives users the flexibility of deploying the same robot in both a collaborative and non-collaborative environment

SCARAFLEX® will be available for use with a range of 6kg payload Epson SCARAs (LS6-600, LS6-700, and T6) and can be applied to new or existing installed robots. The protection covers a two arm reach of up to 700mm and is significantly faster than existing cobotic solutions, offering safe speeds of up to 600 mm/s compared with the current 250 mm/s maximum speed of existing cobots. It will be especially useful for applications in assembly, palletisation, inspection, quality checking and labelling.

Volker Spanier, Head of Robotics, Epson Europe commented: “Small and medium sized companies across Europe are increasingly looking for more affordable and flexible cobotic solutions as many are now automating aspects of their operations. Epson is looking to support the growth of automation with SCARAFLEX®, a simple but ingenious device that makes cobotics safe and very cost effective. The solution is highly flexible and can be used in many different environments and scenarios and for different tasks – from machine tending to packing and placement.”

Thomas Hrach, CEO Economa Engineering, added: “We are delighted to be working exclusively with Epson to provide SCARAFLEX® which we developed as an effective and safe option for collaborative working.  SCARAFLEX® is designed for users requiring simple automated applications, which don’t need the full motion range of a 6-axis robot. It offers users genuine flexibility so that the skin can be removed when working with the same robot in a non-collaborative environment and our space-saving device operates safely alongside humans with no need for fences and other external safety protections.”

SCARAFLEX® will be available to view on 24^th  June, during Automatica Sprint with further information available.

SCARAFLEX® will be available as an option with Epson SCARA robots (LS6-600, LS6-700, and T6) from June 2021.

ENDS...

About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to becoming indispensable to society by connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. The company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics. Epson is proud of its contributions to realizing a sustainable society and its ongoing efforts to realizing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than JPY 1 trillion.
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Information about Epson Europe

Epson Europe B.V. is based in Amsterdam and is the group's regional headquarters for Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Africa. Epson Europe has 1,830 employees and achieved sales of 1.7 billion euros in the 2018 financial year.

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