By Bruce Geiselman
Fresh off its establishment of a U.S. sales and support team last year, Kassow Robots is preparing to demonstrate a new line of seven-axis cobots. Bosch Rexroth, which purchased a majority interest in Danish robot manufacturer Kassow Robots in 2022, demonstrated a Kassow Robots KR1205 cobot at Plastec West 2024 in February in Anaheim.
At the tradeshow, Bosch Rexroth and Kassow Robots discussed plans to unveil a new line of five Edge cobots at Automate 2024 in Chicago. The cobots — featuring an integrated controller that saves space — should become available later this year, said Collin Ayres, Kassow Robots regional channel manager.
“It’ll be one of the first of its kind in the industry, and it’ll be a major game changer in terms of working in tight quarters and maximizing space within a manufacturing facility or a process,” Ayres said of the new series, scheduled to be on display at the show, May 6-9, in Kassow Robots' booth 4250. “We’re super excited to bring that to market here soon.”
Kassow Robots’ newly hired U.S. sales team, including Ayres, whose territory is the West, is working with system integrators and distributors to grow sales and recognition for the Kassow Robots brand in this country.
Thanks to their seven axes, Kassow Robots cobots can work in tight spaces and are appropriate for a range of applications in the plastics industry, including assembly, pick and place, packaging, quality control/inspection, palletizing and labeling.
In addition, the robots are appropriate for many machine-tending applications, Ayres said.
The KR1205 at Plastec West was simulating pick-and-place operations on a moving conveyor line. It had a 3.9-foot reach and 11-pound payload, with a footprint of only 5.12 inches by 5.12 inches.
“When it comes to applications that our robots work in, I feel there are really endless possibilities,” Ayres said. “Anywhere you're reaching inside of a machine and pulling a part out, our robot is made perfectly for those applications because a lot of times those machines are kind of tight quarters.”
Since 2019, when Kassow Robots started selling its first two cobot models, the company has expanded its offerings to five collaborative robot models. The cobots range in maximum reach from 2.79 feet to 5.91 feet, and payloads range from 11 pounds to 39.68 pounds.
All are capable of speeds of up to 225 degrees per second.
“What the extra degree of freedom allows you to do is truly mimic the flexibility of a human arm,” Ayres said. “You’re able to do reach-around-the-corner moves and maneuver within tight quarters, and you use your entire workspace, whereas you run into a lot of limitations with a six-axis robot.”
Contact:
Bosch Rexroth Corp., Hoffman Estates, Ill., 800-438-5983, www.boschrexroth.com/en/us
Kassow Robots, Kastrup, Denmark, 4532-1608-10, [email protected], www.kassowrobots.com
Bruce Geiselman | Senior Staff Reporter
Senior Staff Reporter Bruce Geiselman covers extrusion, blow molding, additive manufacturing, automation and end markets including automotive and packaging. He also writes features, including In Other Words and Problem Solved, for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. He has extensive experience in daily and magazine journalism.
