Thomson Industries Cobot Transfer Unit Features Collision Detection

Thomson Industries Inc. has released what is said to be the first ever true collaborative extension of cobots. The Movotrak cobot transfer unit (CTU) seventh axis features collision detection settings for programming and control benefits.

Adding a horizontal operating range up to 10 meters, the Movotrak CTU features collision detection that stops the cobot when it encounters an obstacle, facilitating collaboration and increasing productivity.

Also known as a range extender, the Thomson Movotrak CTU seventh axis features a Kollmorgen servo motor and linear-unit-driven guide rails that move a cobot assembly from one task location to another. However, unlike other seventh axes, the Movotrak CTU has collision detection functionality similar to a cobot joint. Users can adjust collision sensitivity settings on a control tablet during setup, and the Movotrak CTU motor drive and digital I/O manage the collision monitoring and shutdown.

The collision detection system also monitors current continuously, detecting position errors in the motor, and providing comprehensive anti-collision capabilities along the entire seventh axis. The system includes a small reverse-move feature that eliminates pinch points following a stop.

The Movotrak CTU seventh axis integrates seamlessly with many cobot sizes and brands, including Universal Robots (UR), which allows all programming to be done directly through a URCap interface on their UR Teach Pendant. All collision monitoring and safeguard logic runs in the Thomson drive, so bandwidth competition with the UR controls is minimal.

Similar to the freedrive of cobot joints, the Movotrak CTU seventh axis freedrive functionality enables hand-driven setting of linear waypoints during programming. Users manually slide the cobot where they would like it to be in a sequence along the seventh axis and register that with a simple push button.

The Movotrak CTU seventh axis’ dual-linear unit solution is said to deliver exceptional load capacity and stiffness. The seventh axis can be mounted in a horizontal, inverted or wall-mounted configuration, making it an adaptable choice for diverse applications. The Movotrak CTU seventh axis is compatible with large cobots, such as the UR20 and UR30.