Gantry-mounted robot

ABB has launched its first robot combining the advantages of an articulated robot and a linear gantry for improved flexibility and cycle times.

The IRB 6620LX is a 5-axis overhead mounted robot arm on a linear axis unit. It provides flexibility in production with its 150 kg payload and large scalable work space. Suitable for machine tending and material handling applications, the IRB 6620LX is designed to offer greater versatility and cost effectiveness compared to customised linear handling systems. The IRB 6620LX is also suitable for applications such as power train assembly, heavy arc welding and grinding.

To integrate articulated and linear technology, ABB has removed the first rotational axis from the robotic arm, enabling it to be mounted either upside down or sideways on the linear gantry unit, which acts as the first axis. The ability to be mounted overhead facilitates production flexibility as the linear gantry axis unit can be extended by up to 33 m horizontally and 4 m vertically.

With this extended reach, the robot can access several machines or work stations, resulting in high productivity and machine utilisation. The flexibility and work space of the IRB 6620LX can be exploited through additional processes, such as inspection, deburring, packing or gluing in addition to basic material handling tasks to further improve robot utilisation.

The IRB 6620LX’s five-axis robot arm is available with ABB’s Foundry Plus 2 protection, which includes IP67 for the entire arm. The linear gantry axis has IP66 protection as standard. The robot is available with ABB’s IRC5 robot controller.