Project Overview
Motionwell Automation designed and built a SCARA robot assembly line (Project P23045) for ifm, a global leader in industrial sensors and automation technology. The line assembles sensor panels with vision-guided component placement, supporting high-mix production with minimal changeover time.
System Architecture
Epson SCARA Robot
The assembly line centers on Epson T6-602S SCARA robots, a 4-axis unit with 600mm reach and 6kg payload capacity. The T6 series was selected for this application based on:
- High-speed pick-and-place with cycle times under 0.5 seconds per component
- Placement repeatability of 0.02mm, critical for sensor panel contact alignment
- Compact 174mm body width allowing tight station-to-station spacing on the line
- Integrated RC700A controller with fieldbus connectivity to the Mitsubishi iQ-R series PLC
Each robot station handles a specific assembly step – connector insertion, adhesive application, or component placement – with dedicated Schmalz vacuum grippers and pneumatic actuators sized for the part geometry.
Keyence Vision System
The line uses Keyence CV-X420F vision controllers paired with CA-H200M 2-megapixel cameras at each assembly station. The vision system provides:
- Pre-placement position verification with 0.01mm measurement resolution
- Post-placement quality inspection confirming component seating depth and angular alignment
- Component presence and orientation detection using pattern matching and edge detection algorithms
- Barcode and 2D DataMatrix reading via SR-2000 series readers for full traceability
Keyence’s vision software runs inspection routines in under 50ms per station, keeping pace with the robot cycle time without creating a throughput bottleneck.
Recipe Management and Tray Handling
The PLC-based recipe system manages over 15 panel variants on a single line. Recipe changeover takes under 3 minutes and requires no mechanical adjustment:
- One-touch changeover between panel variants via the Mitsubishi GOT2000 HMI
- Automatic adjustment of robot paths, vacuum grip profiles, and vision inspection parameters
- Production tracking by variant and batch with data logged to CSV for MES integration
- Quality data segregation by product type with automatic SPC charting
Incoming components arrive in JEDEC-standard trays loaded into gravity-fed tray magazines. The SCARA robot picks components from the tray grid pattern, and empty trays are automatically stacked and ejected to a return conveyor. Tray changeover is tool-free, using quick-change nest plates for different component tray formats.
Related
This project demonstrates Motionwell’s robotics integration and machine vision inspection expertise. The recipe-driven architecture reflects Motionwell’s approach to custom machine design for the electronics & semiconductor industry.