CeMAT set for box opening payback

~ Innovative inbound goods system set to demonstrate six month ROI ~

TM Robotics, the European sales partner of Toshiba Machine and Cornerstone, will exhibit at CeMAT, the world's leading fair for intralogistics, in Hannover from May 27 to 31, 2008. The company will show the patented ABOT (Automated Box Opening Technology) system, a unique robotic solution for automating the opening and cutting of cases, boxes and cartons.

ABOT uses a set of sensors to measure a box moving down a built-in conveyor. It then tailors the way the box is cut to a pre-programmed pattern. Perfect for use in the retail, engineering and logistics industries where it finds applications in re-packaging operations, returns processing, stocking, distribution and replenishing picking shelves in order fulfilment. ABOT is capable of dealing with up to eighteen hundred cases per hour and TM Robotics believes that operations shifting 2,500 boxes a day will receive payback on the system in six months.

ABOT can accept material to be opened in any combination or order without the need to run the same size boxes, batches or groups together. Three different versions of the machine, ABOT ONE, ABOT DUO, and ABOT MAGNUM use single pass, double or triple pass conveyors for opening 600, 1200 or 1800 items per hour. ABOT DUO is based on a dual lane configuration to provide optimum output, while ABOT ONE caters for lower capacity operations on a more affordable budget. The MAGNUM version uses three lanes to provide ultra high capacity.

“We envisage the ABOT providing enormous benefits to engineering, handling and logistics companies by reducing worker injuries and damage to products,” explained Nigel Smith, managing director of TM Robotics. “The machine can even be used for automating the production of point of display material as well as simply opening stock items. ABOT is well placed as a technology in CeMAT's concept of intralogistics,” he concluded.

ABOT was developed and patented in the US by Cornerstone Automation Systems Inc, a specialist in hardware and software solutions for logistics and warehouse operations.

Ends — 343 words

Editor’s note: If you want to stay constantly up to date on the latest news from TM Robotics, paste the following link into your RSS reader, http://tmrobotics-pr.blogspot.com/atom.xml. If you don’t have an RSS reader, I can recommend the following free package Sharp Reader.

For further information contact:
Nigel Smith - TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd
Unit 15, The Weltech Centre, Ridgeway,
Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL7 2AA
Telephone: +44 (0)1707 871535 Fax: +44 (0)1707 393959
www: http://www.tmrobotics.co.uk/ e-mail: sales@tmrobotics.co.uk

Press enquiries: Richard Stone
Stone Junction, 33 Kirkdale,
Sydenham, London, SE26 4BT
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
www: http://www.stonejunction.co.uk/ e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk

REF: TRE052/02/08

TM Robotics and PCS Industries share a vision

~ First fruits of collaboration for the manufacturing industry will be shown at Easyfairs PACKTECH in March ~

TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd, the European robot sales partner of Toshiba Machine, has announced a new machine vision partnership agreement with UK firm PCS Industries. The arrangement offers customers an array of vision equipment and software products as well as the integration skills of PCS. The two companies will be exhibiting together at EasyFairs PACKTECH in March to demonstrate the efficacy of their range of solutions in the automation industry.

PCS Industries is an accredited Cognex partner. As a result it can provide assurances of a high standard of consultancy as well as the full range of products provided by the US machine vision giant. Furthermore, should the application require it, the company can also integrate vision products from almost any supplier across the globe.

“The last few years have shown us that our customers want a single point of contact and complete turn-key solutions,” explained Peter Jelf, technical director of PCS Industries. “As a result, we’ve moved away from the re-seller approach and back to the company’s roots as a complete solutions provider. The relationship with TM Robotics allows ours customers access to the company’s range of SCARA and Cartesian robots, which is a major step forward.”

“I have long felt that it’s better to be able to offer a complete package containing a separate vision system and robot, as opposed to a robot with an integrated camera,” explained Nigel Smith, managing director of TM Robotics. “It gives the end user the best of all worlds – a robot designed and built by experts, software written by experts and a camera developed by experts. It also gives the integrator the chance to choose the right products for the job.”

TM Robotics and PCS Industries will share stand number 219 at PACKTECH, on March 12-13. The packaging, printing and converting technology show focuses on operational efficiency in packaging machinery and systems, end-of-line equipment and transit packaging. It’s relevant to companies in any area of packaging, from food to pharmaceuticals. The two companies will demonstrate a Cognex vision system working in partnership with a Toshiba Machine SCARA robot in a pick and place packaging application.

Ends — 395 words

Editor’s note: If you want to stay constantly up to date on the latest news from TM Robotics, paste the following link into your RSS reader http://tmrobotics-pr.blogspot.com/atom.xml. If you don’t have an RSS reader, I can recommend the following free package Sharp Reader.

For further information contact:
Nigel Smith - TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd
Unit 15, The Weltech Centre, Ridgeway,
Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL7 2AA
Telephone: +44 (0)1707 871535
Fax: +44 (0)1707 393959
www: http://www.tmrobotics.co.uk/ and www.abot.eu.com
e-mail: sales@tmrobotics.co.uk

Press enquiries: Richard Stone
Stone Junction, 33 Kirkdale,
Sydenham, London, SE26 4BT
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk
www: http://www.stonejunction.co.uk/

About TM Robotics: TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd is responsible for the sales, marketing and support of Toshiba Machine's Industrial Robots throughout Europe. The two companies offer an extensive range of SCARA and Cartesian robots, sold with the aid of a comprehensive network of system integration partners and distributors. Toshiba Machine’s SCARA robots find applications in industries ranging from food and pharmaceuticals to electronics, packaging and automotive component handling.

Ref: TRE057/01/08

Compact robot set to find uses in manufacturing, electronics and laboratory industries

~ TM Robotics launches a new version of the smallest robot in the Toshiba Machine range ~

The new Toshiba Machine TH350A, launched in the UK and Europe by TM Robotics, is amongst the most compact robots in its class, a quality complimented by its high speed, high payload and built in PLC.

Arm lengths of just 350mm and repeatability of ±0.01mm mean that the TH350A is best suited to applications where precision and accuracy are paramount. It’s payload of up to 3kg means that it has the ability to cope with the demands placed on it in the vast majority of such applications. However, when carrying a pay load of just 1kg it can deliver impressive cycle times of only 0.41 seconds. In addition, the robot’s clean room class ten equivalent (0.1 µm) means it is suitable for use in low pollutant manufacturing environments.

Combined with the TH350A’s high level of accuracy, the clean room classification makes it ideal for manufacturing electronic equipment, such as semiconductors or hard drives for instance, or for laboratory use. The robot is also expected to find applications in the general manufacturing industry handling small components.

“It has recently been predicted that by 2015 10% of Japan’s workforce in assembly and process operations will be robotic,” explained Nigel Smith, managing director of TM Robotics. “The UK and Europe have quite a lot of catching up to do in order to remain competitive. Around 920,000 industrial robots were in use worldwide in 2005. Of these 52 per cent were in Asia, 32 per cent in Europe and 15 per cent in North America. Our ageing population and inflating wages mean we are more and more likely to become a community of knowledge workers. Robots like the TH350A allow manufacturers to remain competitive as this happens.”

The TH350A’s built in PLC can, regardless of robot operation and program, control I/O equipment. The SCARA uses a Toshiba Machine TS1000 robot controller and can be programmed using SCOL, a proprietary language similar to BASIC. As an option it can feature devicenet or Profi-bus connectivity. A further option is the Toshiba Machine teach pendant, an external switch pad that can be used to direct the robot through a sequence of movements.

Weighing just 14kg with a maximum height including the cable harness of 635cm the robot is suitable for use in very small cells, further emphasising its versatility. The TH350A will replace the TH350 in the Toshiba Machine portfolio of industrial robots.

Ends — 434 words

Editor’s note: If you want to stay constantly up to date on the latest news from TM Robotics, paste the following link into your RSS reader http://tmrobotics-pr.blogspot.com/atom.xml. If you don’t have an RSS reader, I can recommend the following free package Sharp Reader.

For further information contact:
Nigel Smith - TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd
Unit 15, The Weltech Centre, Ridgeway,
Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL7 2AA
Telephone: +44 (0)1707 871535
Fax: +44 (0)1707 393959
www: http://www.tmrobotics.co.uk/ and www.abot.eu.com
e-mail: sales@tmrobotics.co.uk

Press enquiries: Richard Stone
Stone Junction, 33 Kirkdale,
Sydenham, London, SE26 4BT
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk
www: http://www.stonejunction.co.uk/

About TM Robotics: TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd is responsible for the sales, marketing and support of Toshiba Machine's Industrial Robots throughout Europe. The two companies offer an extensive range of SCARA and Cartesian robots, sold with the aid of a comprehensive network of system integration partners and distributors. Toshiba Machine’s SCARA robots find applications in industries ranging from food and pharmaceuticals to electronics, packaging and automotive component handling.

Ref: TRE030/08/07

Ceiling mounted robot shows advanced vision at Motek

~ TM Robotics also set to show large capacity handling, assembly and palletising robot ~

Motek, September 24 – 27, 2007, The New Trade Fair Centre, Stuttgart, Hall 1, Stand 1229

TM Robotics and Toshiba Machine, the manufacturer of industrial robots, will be exhibiting ceiling mounted assembly and handling robots as well as a palletising SCARA Robot at this year’s Motek show. The robots’ functionality will be enhanced using a Sony Scorpion smart camera and an advanced conveyor tracking system.

The ceiling mounted robot, designated the TH450, saves space in the manufacturing cell by allowing access to the working area from above. It is amongst the quickest SCARA robots of its size on the market, achieving cycle times of less than 0.3 seconds. An arm length of 450mm and a payload of 5kg complement the TH450's enhanced speed capability while repeatability is an impressive ±0.01mm. The robot’s controller also features a built in PLC, allowing for complete system control.

The TH450 will be communicating with a Sony Scorpion smart camera, provided by Scorpion Vision Ltd in the UK. The system consists of a rugged, industrial vision CCD (charge coupled device) camera, featuring an in-built PC and using Scorpion open software. The latter is founded on a standard Windows 2000 / XP PC platform – making it simple to use and scalable.

The ceiling mounted TH450 will be using an innovative conveyor and vision tracking system, which demonstrates not only the function of tracking items as they move along a conveyor, but also the robot’s ability to determine the parts’ orientation and discriminate between different products. With the new conveyor tracking system it is possible to construct an inexpensive and high speed line using existing industrial vision sensors, linked via industry-standard Ethernet. The robots’ movements can be interpolated to the conveyors direction and speed; therefore products can be picked without ever needing to stop the conveyor. The system has also been designed for multiple conveyors – for example, the conveyor tracking synchronisation can be executed on one conveyor for picking a part and then synchronized to a second conveyor for placing the part.

The larger palletising SCARA robot on display has a reach of 1,050mm, which, together with a maximum payload capacity of 20kg, makes the TH1050 one of the most versatile machines in its class. The robot is also suitable for a variety of manufacturing applications and other key features include high operating speeds with maximum z-axis linear and rotational speeds of 2,000mm/s and 1,147°/s respectively. Like other models in the TH range, it offers an exceptionally large working envelope of 320°, maximising its functionality in the robot cell.
Words: 443

For further information contact:
Nigel Smith - TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd
Unit 15, The Weltech Centre, Ridgeway,
Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL7 2AA
Telephone: +44 (0)1707 871535
Fax: +44 (0)1707 393959
www: http://www.tmrobotics.co.uk/ and www.abot.eu.com
e-mail: sales@tmrobotics.co.uk

Press enquiries: Richard Stone
Stone Junction, 33 Kirkdale
Sydenham, London, SE26 4BT
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
www: http://www.stonejunction.co.uk/
e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk

Ref: TRE0029/0707

Open day set to introduce unique box opening technology to new audience

~ Event will also feature TM SCARA and Cartesian robots along side Gudel’s range of Gantry Palletising Systems ~

TM Robotics will be exhibiting its new ABOT box opening system and its range of Toshiba Machine SCARA and Cartesian robots at this year’s series of Güdel UK open days. The events will take place at Güdel’s Coventry plant from June 18 to June 21.

ABOT (Automated Box Opening Technology) automates the goods inward process and increases production while also improving health and safety standards by reducing worker injuries. TM Robotics believes that operations shifting 2,500 boxes a day will receive payback in just six months. ABOT uses light sensors to measure a box moving down a built-in conveyor. It then tailors the way the box is cut to a pre-programmed pattern. Perfect for use in the logistics industries, or indeed any business that opens a high volume of boxes, ABOT is capable of dealing with up to twelve hundred cases per hour. To further promote the ABOT, TM Robotics has launched a dedicated Web site - http://www.abot.eu.com/. Visitors to the site can watch and download videos of the system and details of its operation.

The event will also take in a range of Güdel products including an order picking gantry system featuring bespoke gripper technology, a pick and place gantry robot and a heavy duty gripper application, which, on installation, will handle up to two tons of customer product. Industries that will be covered include logistics, handling, food, FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), the frozen and chilled industry and warehousing. Entry to the event is by invitation only and interested parties should contact either Güdel or TM Robotics to receive their invitation.

“The day is a good chance for customers and potential customers to assess the technology available to them and perhaps learn a little more about complimentary technologies,” explained Nigel Smith, managing director of TM Robotics. “It’s also an opportunity for buyers of industrial robots and gantry systems to see the ABOT technology, and find out more about how it could be applied in an industrial environment.”

Ends — 361 words

Editor’s note: If you want to stay constantly up to date on the latest news from TM Robotics, paste the following link into your RSS reader http://tmrobotics-pr.blogspot.com/atom.xml. If you don’t have an RSS reader, I can recommend the following free package Sharp Reader.

For further information from TM Robotics contact:
Nigel Smith - TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd
Unit 15, The Weltech Centre, Ridgeway,
Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL7 2AA
Telephone: +44 (0)1707 871535
Fax: +44 (0)1707 393959
www: http://www.tmrobotics.co.uk/ and www.abot.eu.com
e-mail: sales@tmrobotics.co.uk

For further information from Güdel contact: Mike Vernon
5 Wickmans Drive, Coventry, West Midlands, CV4 9XA
Telephone: +44 (0) 24 7669 5444
Fax: +44 (0) 24 7669 5666
e-mail: mike.vernon@uk.gudel.com
www: http://www.gudel.com/

Press enquiries: Richard Stone
Stone Junction, 33 Kirkdale,
Sydenham, London, SE26 4BT
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk
www: http://www.stonejunction.co.uk/

About TM Robotics: TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd is responsible for the sales, marketing and support of Toshiba Machine's Industrial Robots throughout Europe. The two companies offer an extensive range of SCARA and Cartesian robots, sold with the aid of a comprehensive network of system integration partners and distributors. Toshiba Machine’s SCARA robots find applications in industries ranging from food and pharmaceuticals to electronics, packaging and automotive component handling.

Ref: TRE033/05/07