ABB’s IRB 1300 robot features IP67, Foundry Plus 2 and cleanroom ISO 4 versions, enabling new applications in harsh and contamination-free production environments
The 6-axis IRB 1300 industrial robot from ABB now includes new protection elements that enable it to be used in tough industrial applications and contamination-free production processes, opening new opportunities for increased productivity, improved product quality and reduced cycle times in a variety of industries including electronics assembly, automotive and metals fabrication and others.
Originally launched in 2020, the IRB 1300 is now available in IP67, Foundry Plus 2 and cleanroom ISO 4 versions. This will expand its use in tough environments, with high levels of liquids and dust. This is achieved by preventing intrusion by sealing all electrical components, which enables its use in a variety of processes in industries including where robotic applications are appropriate but operations are to strict cleanroom standards or in harsh environments.
Electronics Testing
In the electronics industry, the IRB 1300 can be used to help improve productivity by handling tasks including deburring, polishing, buffering, sanding, testing and assembly as well as screw driving applications. Weighing 60 percent less and with an 83 percent smaller footprint than its predecessor, the IRB 1300 is ideal for use in confined spaces, while its 27 percent faster speed, longer reach and higher payload capability enable heavier loads to be moved more quickly over longer distances.
These benefits also make the IRB 1300 ideal for electronics testing applications. An application demonstration at the China International Industry Fair (CIIF) last year, for example, showed how the IRB 1300 could be applied to mobile phone function testing.
Using a suction-based end effector, the robot selects a mobile phone from an input tray and loads it on to a test board for function testing. With its high-speed performance, the robot enables phone testing to be carried out more efficiently, with multiple units able to be tested simultaneously. With phones able to be transferred at a faster rate than would be possible in a manual-based operation, the robot can be used to increase the number of phones that can be tested per hour.
Harsh Environments
The addition of IP67 and Foundry Plus 2 protection enables the use of ABB’s IRB 1300 in environments with high levels of liquids and dust. This is achieved by preventing intrusion by sealing all electrical components, which allows it to be used in a variety of processes in industries that have high levels of particulate or airborne contamination, such as metal fabrication processes.
The Foundry Plus 2 version includes the use of stainless steel on the end effector to help prevent rusting that can occur when liquids are applied to wash away dust particles and metallic debris. By helping to protect against premature wear, this feature can help to prolong the robot’s service life, minimising disruption caused by downtime and unscheduled repairs, allowing it to be used in a variety of metals applications including metal die casting, sand casting, forging and machining.
Cleanrooms
For applications requiring a clean production environment, in industries such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverage and semiconductor manufacturing, the IRB 1300 ISO 4 cleanroom version features a number of measures to help eliminate the risk of contamination.
Key features include the use of chemical resistant exterior paint which helps avoid paint degradation when using cleaning agents that protect against bacteria. The robot’s design also minimises the number of gaps where bacteria could form, providing an added level of protection, while a particle filter and a fully sealed design prevent grease, oil and particles from coming into contact with the products being handled.
For the food and beverage industry, the high standard of protection offered by these measures enables the IRB 1300 to be deployed to handle picking and packing of cartons, boxes and parcels of different sizes from high-speed conveyor systems. This, coupled with its high operating speed and flexibility, makes the IRB 1300 ideal for meeting the fast pace of food and beverage production applications.
IRB 1300 Features
Featuring a footprint of just 220 mm by 220 mm, the IRB 1300 is ideal for use in confined spaces, enabling more robots to be deployed in a specific area if required. It is available in three main versions – 11 kg/900 mm, 10 kg/1150 mm and 7 kg/1400 mm. The 11kg payload for the 900 mm reach variant is higher than any other competing robot in its class.
Powered by ABB’s OmniCore controller, the IRB 1300 offers advanced motion control and best-in-class path accuracy, allowing it to handle an expanded range of applications such as polishing and machine tending. At a figure of 20, the robot offers 50 percent more Input/Output (I/O) ports than its predecessor to allow the robot to be applied with more advanced end-effectors or grippers, making it possible for users to achieve enhanced productivity by simultaneously managing an expanded number of work pieces.
To maximise the versatility of the IRB 1300, the OmniCore controller can be equipped with a range of additional equipment, including fieldbus protocols, vision systems and force control. OmniCore also offers a simple user interface on the intuitive FlexPendant, which features a large multi-touch display with standard gestures such as pinch, swipe and tap, allowing users to easily program and operate their robot.
According to Darren Hung, Global Product Manager for Small Robots at ABB, the addition of cleanroom and harsh environment capabilities enables the company to offer the benefits of the IRB 1300 to a whole new set of manufacturing applications in industries renowned for their tough nature or their need to be contamination-free.
“The IRB 1300 is the perfect partner for a wide variety of tasks including materials handling, machine tending, polishing and assembly as well as testing, and can now help more businesses achieve new standards of speed and accuracy as they develop automatic systems to lift and handle heavy, complex or irregular shapes, even in small workspaces,” he says.