AMADA HRB 8025e + Cobot press brake
The AMADA HRB 8025e + Cobot provides flexibility and technology in an era that demands both. The flexibility comes from the ability to run as a standalone, human-driven solution, or as a robotic press brake. The former is aimed at low volume, high mix situations, and the latter is for high volume, low mix jobs. There is a lot of technology, but the most obvious example is the tool cobot that also acts as operator.
While the HRB 8025e is the press brake featured at FABTECH 2024 Orlando, the HRB 1003, HRB 1303, and HRB 2204 are also cobot-compatible. What you will see at the show is that the HRB8025 is a high-speed precision press brake with a 6-axis backgauge, an energy-efficient hybrid drive system, and a robot interface module. The HRB 8025e has a bending capacity of 88 US tons, and a maximum bend length of 102.4”.
The press brake offers the popular AMADA SGRIP punch holders with tool fall protection. The operator can change one-touch and standard fall protection punches quickly and safely, without requiring a wrench. The patented design means time savings in changeover to a new bending job. It is a great way to increase productivity between jobs.
A multiple axis backgauge is adjustable in three directions, expediting setup for complex parts. Independent servo drives for the L-axis as well as L-shift allow for tapered and offset gauging. Positioning is fast; it uses a lightweight, rigid design, and offers unparalleled positioning repeatability (L-axis + or – 0.001”).
The system controller is the AMADA AMNC 3ie, which uses an intuitive smartphone layout, and provides an accurate 3D simulation view. A “lite” mode allows even operators with little experience to create bending programs quickly. The control can work with offline programming and storage, and can schedule jobs.
Robots rule repetitive tasks
Suppose your business, like many fabrication companies, has times where there is high mix, low volume (and sometimes complex) work, interrupted by low mix, high volume work. It would be nice to have a second press brake waiting for such situations.
The fact is, you can do it with one press brake. Let the human operator do the high mix, low volume jobs and use the press brake like you would any standalone brake (which was its original design). Then when those low mix, high volume jobs come are ready for production, put the robot to work.
This robot—or if you prefer, cobot, because it can co-habitate a work area and cooperate with people—is a very flexible asset. The arm has the property of being able to fit in between the “joints” of the robot arm’s main section. This is perfect for applications with high payload but small footprints, small motions that move a fairly heavy weight—in this case, the payload capacity is 20 kg (about 44 lbs.).
The 6-axis motion is combined with a reach of 1,418mm (just under 56”). The universe, as far as the robot is concerned, is a hemisphere with a 56” radius, meaning the trip from blank to part placement can be upwards of 110”. The robot also can be used for non-bending applications like palletizing, machine tending, inspection, and material removal at the customer’s discretion.
Programming the cobot is done on the tablet (which is like the pendant concept used by welding devices and robots throughout the industry). It’s easy. First, any existing press brake program can be adapted to a cobot program. Second, Master Programs speed up the creation of new programs. Operators can capture actions for the robot, put them in sequence, and save them under a “button” on the tablet interface. Third, the system comes with macros that contain common motion commands to easily assemble complete bend programs.
While the HRB 8025e + Cobot’s most obvious use is for low mix, high volume situations—commonly done by the cobot during uncommon work times—your business may find other way to get productivity gains. For example, if you are making assemblies and one filler part is simple but many are needed to create the assembly, that is a perfect place to deploy the cobot. AMADA customers who cater to industries such as appliance, electrical enclosures, retail, vending, telecom, food service, and more will find the HRB 8025e + Cobot a great partner on the road to productive growth.
