Seventh Axis Slide Extends Reach of Robotic Arm

Customer's Problem

A robot integrator would like to extend the reach of a robotic arm, so it can be used more effectively. Robotic arms are typically mounted in a fixed location, limiting their work envelope to the reach of the arm.

Robots are ideal for repetitive assembly operations, such as drilling, fastening, composite layup, welding, trimming, routing, painting and coating. Unlike gantry systems and other large, heavy fixed automation systems, robots can be quickly deployed and offer much more flexibility.

Robotic arms are a popular choice due to the low cost and high flexibility, but because of the large size of some aircraft assemblies, they usually require additional axis to extend their reach.

ATLANTA's Solution

To extend the reach of the robotic arm, it was placed on a support carriage on a seventh axis slide and rack & pinions were chosen to drive the axis. ATLANTA selected high-precision helical rack & pinions were selected to handle the high dynamic loads and required accuracy.

By using rack & pinions in their modular base design, unlimited travel lengths could be achieved by mounting them end-to-end. To lubricate the gearing and reduce contamination, a felt gear was used to provide continuous lubrication. The felt gear meshed directly with the pinion, ensuring a thin film of grease at the tooth flanks.

In the end, a flexible robotic system was achieved with a work envelope large enough to handle large aircraft assemblies. Another advantage to seventh axis robotic slides is that more than one robotic arm can be placed on the same slide for additional productivity and flexibility.