Comau Unveils New Robots and Intelligent Solutions at Automate 2024

Summary

May 6, 2024 - Comau spearheaded the Power of Automation with new digital-driven, advanced robotic and powerful AI-backed automation solutions, which it will unveil at Automate, North America’s leading automation show. Underscoring its global presence with local roots, Comau was at Chicago’s McCormick Place from May 6-9, 2024 in Booth 4041 to debut the new S-Family of small 6-axis articulated “red” robots and a new AI-enabled vision-based automated piece-picking solution for random objects (Booth 4041).

Comau’s unique approach to making advanced automation highly intuitive and accessible is designed to address the continued growth of industrial automation, which is expected to reach up to 14% CAGR 2024-2030, thus bringing the benefits of advanced automation solutions to an increasing variety of diversified markets.

Automate is the ideal backdrop for Comau’s exclusive worldwide launch of the new S-Family of high-speed, energy efficient robots, with payloads of 13 kg and up to 18 kg, that are specifically designed for arc welding and handling applications where accuracy, repeatability and speed are non-negotiable. Featuring a protective water and dust-resistant IP68 hollow-wrist design, with integrated arc and gigabit dressings, the 6-axis articulated robots are perfect for a wide range of arc welding, handling, food & beverage and general assembly applications, in addition to foundry, automotive and battery manufacturing processes. Further benefits include improved access to small spaces, protected cables to avoid damage and reduce the risk of contamination in sensitive environments and multiple mounting positions (floor, wall, ceiling) to optimize space and increase robot density without sacrificing performance.

The compact, robust and versatile robots, with which Comau returns to its historical red robot roots, will be featured within a demonstration cell showcasing an arc welding application. In a second cell, Comau will present an automated product sorting and picking system featuring MI.RA/OnePicker which will automatically detect and distinguish between randomly placed items. A third demo cell with a Racer-3 robot will identify objects in multiple frames to perform palletizing, color sorting and depalletizing through the use of the Unified Robot Control Library and Emulate3D from Rockwell Automation, further confirming the strong relationship between the companies.

Comau Open Controller, which was nominated for an Automate Innovation Award, is an advanced proprietary robot control software that enables external PCs to seamlessly control Comau robots, making it the go-to choice for companies, universities, research centers and innovative industries looking to implement their own motion strategy or algorithms to control a robot.

Comau’s MATE-XT and MATE-XB upper and lower body exoskeletons will also be on display. Aligned with Comau’s steadfast commitment to helping workers in their daily tasks and helping companies achieve their sustainability goals, they are designed to assist the wearer during lifting, bending and repetitive tasks by offering both muscular relief and reduced perceived effort. As a result, the exoskeletons protect worker well-being as well as the quality of manual tasks, and can also help individuals who, without the proper assistance, may be excluded from certain types of work.

Another way Comau is supporting workers and companies is through upskilling and reskilling initiatives with Comau Academy and its innovative educational e.DO robot. e.DO-based training includes digital skills training, robot programming, simulated welding training and more.

“With more than 50 years of experience in automotive, one of the most complex realities in terms of processes, cycle times, flexibility requirements and technology rates, Comau is in a prime position to meet the growing demand for sustainable automation, particularly in emerging sectors that previously lacked automation.” explained Pietro Gorlier, Comau CEO. “As a 360° automation partner able to quickly transition from R&D to field-tested deployable innovation, Comau is forging new ground in harnessing the power of automation to drive increasingly complex manufacturing tasks all over the world.”

Leveraging the strength of its global presence at a local level, Comau will discuss how it is powering automation innovation in the USA and elsewhere in logistics, warehousing, hydrogen and e-Mobility as well as in shipbuilding, aerospace and other unstructured environments with its intelligent robots and mobile robotic solutions.

To this end, Comau underscores its longstanding collaboration as an Industry and Innovation Partner with Intrinsic, an Alphabet company and Google moonshot, with whom Comau is working to make the next generation of robotics significantly more accessible for companies of all sizes and across all industries.

About Comau

Comau, a member of Stellantis, is a worldwide leader in delivering advanced industrial automation products and systems. Its portfolio includes technology and systems for electric, hybrid and traditional vehicle manufacturing, industrial robots, collaborative and wearable robotics, autonomous logistics, dedicated machining centers and interconnected digital services and products able to transmit, elaborate and analyze machine and process data.

With 50 years of experience and a strong presence within every major industrial country, Comau is helping manufacturers of all sizes in almost any industry experience higher quality, increased productivity, faster time-to-market and lower overall costs. The company’s offering also extends to project management and consultancy, as well as maintenance and training for a wide range of industrial segments. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, Comau has an international network of 5 innovation centers, 5 digital hubs, 12 manufacturing plants that span 13 countries and employ 3,700 people. A global network of distributors and partners allows the company to respond quickly to the needs of customers, no matter where they are located throughout the world.
Through the training activities organized by its Academy, Comau is also committed to developing the technical and managerial knowledge necessary for companies to face the challenges and opportunities of Industry 4.0.