At International Robot Exhibition 2022 (iREX2022) held in March in Tokyo, electronic components manufacturers pitched their products for robot control and teaching assistant. 

SANMOTION C S500 Controller

Sanyo Denki Co., Ltd. demonstrated the SANMOTION C S500 Series compact and high-performance controller for seven-axis articulated robots. 

The controller is optimum for robots, transfer equipment, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. It can be connected to diverse open networks, and control various robots in a wide range of fields.

Sanyo Denki has integrated the development environment for robot control and machine control. This set up enables the movements of the entire equipment to be simulated under single development environment. Thus, the time required for the development and maintenance of equipment has been significantly reduced. 

The SANMOTION C S500 Series controls up to 64 axes at high speed at a 1msec period at the shortest. Thus, it enables high-precision position control. It can simultaneously control multiple robots, such as assembly and sorting robots, with a single controller. 

The SANMOTION C S500 Series comes in three models: SMC520, which can control up to four robots; SMC507, which can control up to two robots; and SMC505, which can control one robot. At the show, the company promoted the wide-ranging lineup. It also showcased an AC turbo motor under development.

Teaching Pendant

 Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Ltd. (JAE) promoted various connectors and antennas with the theme of “Connectivity” technology, which contributes to the future of the robot industry. 

Among the company’s extensive exhibits was a teaching pendant. A teaching pendant is used for online programming of industrial robots. Recently, lightweight is given importance to reduce the burden on workers, as well as design. JAE’s product meets these requirements.

JAE has been developing next-generation teaching pendants. The company has adopted new materials that enable weight reduction, while maintaining rigidity in this development. The company has also been pursuing ease of use in cooperation with industrial designers. Furthermore, the company also showcased a flight controller for drones under development. 

Venture companies and research institutions also showcased various products. For its part, Keio University highlighted real haptics-related products that facilitate automation from remote locations.