Omron partners with Techman to develop cobots

Omron and Techman Robot have entered into a strategic alliance to develop collaborative robots (cobots).

This alliance will see Omron market and sell Techman’s TM series of collaborative robots through its worldwide distribution network under a co-branded logo, starting in the second half of 2018.

The TM robots include two series: TM5 and the new TM12/TM14. All TM robots have six degrees of freedom and a reach range of 700 to 1300 mm.

Omron will also sell new ‘mobile-compatible’ models which can be integrated with its LD family of mobile robots.

OMRON's autonomous mobile robot LD series.

These robots move autonomously by avoiding people and obstacles, and are already being used globally to automate material handling operations. With a cobot mounted on top, they will not only be able to transport materials from one location to another, but will also be able to perform tasks such as the pick-and-place of parts onto trays, in each location.

“Since the acquisition of Adept Technology in 2015, Omron has been putting great resources in the development of the robotics technologies and market,” said Seigo Kinugawa, Executive Officer and Senior General Manager of Omron’s Robotics Business Development Project in its industrial automation business.

Adept Technology, which developed the LD series mobile robots, is a multinational company focusing on industrial automation and robotics, including software and vision guidance.

“The alliance with Techman is aimed at advancing the collaboration between humans and robots in manufacturing environments,” Kinugawa said.

“Omron’s entry into the collaborative arm robot market, in addition to the mobile robot market, will accelerate its goal of bringing innovation to factories through the collaboration of humans and machines.”

The Omron-Techman cobots will be aimed at applications such as electronics assembly, product testing and inspection. They will enable ‘flexible manufacturing’ and increase the productivity and quality of production lines for customers in the automotive and electronic industries, as well as various material handling operations within a broad range of manufacturing industries.

Top image: Co-branded collaborative arm robot TM series.