Pint-sized robot promises precision

By Karen Hanna 

A robot weighing less than 10 pounds could offer plastics processors a hand in a broad array of activities, including kitting, picking and placing parts, and machine tending, according to manufacturer Mecademic Robotics.  

“It’s going to be among the smallest, most compact four-axis robots in the world, not only in industry, but also in the world,” said Ahmed Mostafa, director of sales and strategy for Mecademic, which touted the MCS500 at Automate in June in Detroit, ahead of its release in the next few months.  

The SCARA robot has a payload of up to 1.1 pound when moving at maximum speed and fully extended at a maximum reach of about 8.9 inches; under other conditions, it can lift as much as 2.2 pounds. It represents the next evolution for the company, which started in 2013 and three years later released its first — and only other — industrial robot, the similarly sized, six-axis Meca500.  

Designed for flexibility and ease of use, the MCS500 and Meca500 work within a symmetrical envelope of space, allowing both models to be mounted either right-side-up or upside-down; the Meca500, which moves with a precision to within 5 microns, can even be mounted sideways. 

Mostafa said the robots could have applications among processors that produce parts for the medical, dental, photonics, optics and electronics industries. Though not manufactured in clean rooms, the robots have a design that could suit stringent sanitary expectations.