Kawasaki Robotics is making significant strides with its CL Series of collaborative robots (cobots). As the company prepares to showcase its latest innovations at the upcoming IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show), it's clear that Kawasaki is not just keeping pace with the industry, but actively shaping its future.

The CL Series: Bridging the Gap Between Collaboration and Performance

At the heart of Kawasaki's latest offerings is the CL Series, developed in partnership with NEURA Robotics. These cobots represent a bold attempt to reconcile two traditionally opposing forces in robotics: the need for industrial-grade performance and the desire for safe, flexible human-robot collaboration.

Zachary Thoma, Regional Sales Manager at Kawasaki Robotics, emphasizes the company's focus on accessibility: "It's all about lowering the barriers to entry. Since Automate, we've been making sure that our products are as user-friendly as possible and are working with partners to ensure that customers don't need a Ph.D. to make the CL Series work."

This philosophy is evident in the CL Series' design. The cobots support a range of payloads and reach capabilities, from 3 kg/590 mm to 10 kg/1,000 mm, with plans to introduce higher payload models in the near future. What sets these cobots apart is their impressive performance metrics: they operate at speeds of up to 200°/s with a repeatability of +/– 0.02 mm, rivaling many traditional industrial robots.

Safety and Flexibility: The Cornerstones of Collaboration

While performance is crucial, it's the CL Series' safety features and flexibility that truly define its collaborative nature. The cobots come equipped with proprietary safety limits and collision detection systems, allowing them to work alongside human operators without the need for protective barriers.

Interestingly, Kawasaki has taken a unique approach to the cobot's physical design. "There are no collaborative robots — only collaborative applications," Thoma notes. This perspective is reflected in the CL Series' robust casing, which mirrors that of Kawasaki's industrial robot arms. This design choice enables the cobots to operate in harsh environments that might be unsuitable for more delicate collaborative robots.

Partnerships and Applications: Expanding the Cobot Ecosystem

Kawasaki Robotics isn't just focusing on hardware; they're actively cultivating an ecosystem of partnerships to expand the CL Series' applications. At IMTS, the company plans to demonstrate a range of use cases, from machine tending to welding and material removal.

One notable collaboration is with Hurco, resulting in a modular shelf system for part feeding. This system, which includes a Kawasaki RS013N robot and a Hurco VM15Di CNC machine, is designed to meet the growing demand for high-mix, low-volume manufacturing without requiring extensive robotics programming knowledge.

Gilles Renard, a robotics engineer and applications engineering team leader at Kawasaki Robotics, highlights another key feature of the CL Series: the Zero-G mode. This allows for hand guiding and easy program recording, further simplifying the user experience. "The hands-on demo will allow people to feel the sensitivity of Zero-G hand guidance and the ease of teaching points," Renard explains.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Collaborative Robotics

As Kawasaki Robotics continues to refine and expand the CL Series, it's clear that the company sees collaborative robotics as a key driver of future industrial automation. The emphasis on ease of use, flexibility, and industrial-grade performance suggests a vision where cobots are not just niche tools, but central players in a wide range of manufacturing processes.

Seiji Amazawa, President of Kawasaki Robotics, sums up the company's mission: "Kawasaki Robotics is committed to delivering the advanced automation technology manufacturers need to maintain production schedules without having to compromise quality or safety."

As the manufacturing industry grapples with labor shortages and the need for increased flexibility, solutions like the CL Series may well prove to be game-changers. By combining the strength and precision of industrial robots with the safety and ease of use of collaborative robots, Kawasaki is not just selling a product – they're offering a new paradigm for human-robot interaction in industrial settings.

The upcoming IMTS will undoubtedly provide a platform for Kawasaki to demonstrate the full potential of the CL Series. As industry professionals gather to witness these cobots in action, it may mark the beginning of a new era in collaborative robotics – one where the line between industrial and collaborative robots becomes increasingly blurred, opening up new possibilities for manufacturers of all sizes.