Fakuma: High-Speed Robot Series Extended

At Fakuma (Oct. 12-16; Friedrichshafen, Germany; Hall B1, Booth No. 1204), Wittmann Battenfeld will expand the Sonic robot series launched at K2019 with the Sonic 108. Targeting injection molding machines from 50 tons and up, the 108 joins previously released robots coveraging machine tonnages from 150 to 500 tons.

Unlike those robots, the Sonic 108 has a fixed demolding axis so that during the active demolding stroke movement above the mold space, no axis elements are pushed towards the injection unit. Wittmann says this “substantially simplifies” the enclosure, especially in the area behind the machine’s fixed clamp. In addition, short overhangs and a compact control cabinet simplify the cell’s CE-compliant housing.

Optimized for high-speed parts removal in packaging and pick-and-place applications, the Sonic 108 is designed for cycle times below 4 sec, with in/out times kept under 0.9 sec. To make this possible, the Sonic’s drive system concept has been completely revised, while the robot retains the ability to handle payloads up to 2 kg and offers horizontal strokes of up to 1500 mm and vertical strokes of up to 1000 mm.