February 22 , 2008

Welcome to the February 2008 issue of Motoman Direct, containing news, product information, and updates from Motoman Inc. 

Featured Products

LoadWorld
Ideal for high-production applications or job shops with smaller lot sizes, LoadWorld is a pre-engineered standard robot solution for machine tending that can be integrated with new or existing machines...

EPH-Series "Expert Press Handling" Robots
Nearly 22 percent faster, these robots set a new standard for speed with a large robot and are specifically designed for the rigors of high duty-cycle press tending...

Corporate News

“The Business Case for Robotics,” a white paper presentation by Ron Potter, Motoman’s Senior Director, Distribution & Emerging Robot Markets – presents a compelling case about how robots can keep American manufacturing strong here at home at costs that rival low-cost labor rates in off-shore countries.

Robot System Value Calculator – This downloadable spreadsheet calculator details the DRAMATIC COST SAVINGS that occur over the 10-15 year life span of a Motoman robot when compared to the costs for manual operations, including robot operating and maintenance costs...

Click on the following links to see Motoman's latest ads:

• NEW!!! CAN Compete
• SSA2000 - 15% Faster Welding. No Additional Cost
• "ArcWorld V"
• "Customer Satisfaction"
• "EPL-Series Palletizing Robots"
• "Motoman Points the Way"
• "Push Your Presses"

Editorials, Case Studies, & Articles

“Assembly in Action: Robots Pay for Themselves in Seven Months"
Assembly (online) – December 17, 2007 – January issue (pages 32-33). Automotive air and fuel-line supplier Keihin IPT Mfg. Inc. (Greenfield, IN) uses five Motoman HP20 robots to perform a series of loading and unloading operations to add heat inserts and collars to plastic intake manifolds...  

Continuing 100 Years of Innovation:  Automation Shines at Grote Industries.
Robotics Online - Jan 21, 2008 - Grote Industries (Madison, IN) uses Motoman robots working in close proximity with human operators to assemble vehicle lighting products twice as fast...

"How to Use Arc Welding Peripherals to Improve Robot Uptime and Quality" by Chris Anderson
Manufacturing News – January 2008.  Learn how $5,000 to $10,000 in peripheral equipment can provide several more minutes of production per shift from your $100,000+ robotic welding cell, leading to significant benefits...

More articles...

Helpful Hints

Each issue of Motoman Direct includes "helpful hints" designed to provide bits of practical advice and programming tips that will help our customers maximize the productivity of their Motoman robots. 

QUESTION:  How do I set up the NX100 Pendant's Number Keypad to manually operate Universal Outputs and/or Analog Outputs?

ANSWER: Use Key Allocation (SIM) setup to designate a hot key for customized manual operation of Universal or Analog Output(s)in conjunction with the INTERLOCK Key.  This function is called ALLOCATE SIM KEY.  The Key Allocation (SIM) for output operation setup is accessible only in the Management Mode Security Level.

The following choices are available:

• ALTERNATE OUTPUT - Toggles an output ON/OFF.
• MOMENTARY OUTPUT - output is ON as long as key is depressed.
• PULSE OUTPUT - output stays ON for a set period of time designated in seconds (TIME: 0.01 to 655.35 sec).
• 4 BIT OUTPUT - sets output half group status (0 to 15).
• 8 BIT OUTPUT - sets output group status (0 to 255).
• ANALOG OUTPUT - sets an analog output channel to a specific voltage (0.00 to +14.00) or (0.00 to -14.00).
• ANALOG INC OUTPUT - increases/decreases analog output voltage by designated amount (1.00 or -1.00) each time the key is pressed.

To set up KEY ALLOCATION (SIM), complete the following steps:

1. In the SETUP icon menu, choose KEY ALLOCATION.
2. Choose the DISPLAY menu and choose ALLOCATE SIM. KEY.
3. Cursor to a desired key for allocation; press SELECT.
4. Cursor to the desired setting from the choices listed above; press SELECT.
5. Cursor to and SELECT other specifications depending on selection such as NO., TIME:, sec, OUT:, or INC:.  Enter the necessary data; press ENTER.

  NOTE: To operate the Output(s) after SETUP of the ALLOCATE SIM KEY function, hold the INTERLOCK key, then press the desired allocated key on the number keypad.  

For more helpful hints, click here.

Customer Satisfaction & Training

Students who successfully complete training offered by Motoman’s Technical Center receive ANSI/IACET-accredited Continuing Education Units. Motoman was the first robotics company to provided IACET-certified robot training, and our classes meet the even more stringent new ANSI/IACET requirements that measure all aspects of an educational providers program development to a nationally-recognized standard.

Motoman has added the following courses to better serve our customers’ training needs:

• NX100 Basic Programming with Material Handling
• NX100 Basic Programming with Servo Motor Spot Gun
• Complete course descriptions can be found on Motoman’s website.

Classes generally book at least 60 days in advance, so register now.  

Register Online for Motoman Training Classes
You can register for all Motoman training classes in the U.S. and Canada on-line through Motoman's website.

Motoman's on-line Customer Care Center offers enhanced E-commerce functions and much more.  Available 24/7, the site enables you to order spare/replacement parts, software, and manuals; check order status; and register for training at the Motoman Technical Education Center or for our growing offering of web-based training.  It also features product information, technical resources and tools to help you manage your Motoman products.  Please follow the link below to complete your registration and begin using the site!
https://ecommerce.motoman.com/opencms/customercare/motoman/index.html

Trade Shows

If you missed Motoman's exhibit at ATX in January and would like a copy of the individual post-show mailer, click on the following links:
http://www.motoman.com/motomedia/shows/highlights/ATX_2008_Highlights.pdf

Preliminary plans call for Motoman products and services to be exhibited at the following trade shows and expositions.  If you plan to attend, please visit our booth:

Seatrade – March 10-13, 2008 – Miami, FL – Booth #2437.

MetalForm – April 1-3, 2008 – Birmingham, AL – Booth #805.

AACC – July 29-31 – Washington D.C. – Booth #TBD.

IMTS – September 8-13, 2008 – Chicago, IL – Booth #6400.

FABTECH – October 6-8, 2008 – Las Vegas, NV – Booth #13049.

PackExpo – November 9-13, 2008 – Chicago, IL – Booth #1495.

G2E – November 18-20 – Las Vegas, NV -- Booth #TBD.

MOTOQUOTE PUZZLE

Decipher the following encrypted "MotoQuote" phrase (a puzzle in which one letter has been substituted for another) and e-mail the answer, along with your name, company name, company address, and work phone number to marykay.morel@motoman.com.  On February 29, we will draw a winner from eligible respondents who correctly solve the MotoQuote puzzle.  The lucky winner will be sent his or her choice of a scale model of Motoman’s unique seven-axis IA20 robot, EA-Series “Expert Arc” welding robot or ES-series “Expert Spot” welding robot.

Clues: Our company’s name and the word for our company’s primary product appear somewhere in the puzzle phrase.  If you need more help, E=P and B=W.

FPW TCGKLWGG INGW VHM MHTHFKIG KG IHSEWUUKLA:

SHFHSNL MHTHFG PWUE OWWE NSWMKINL SNLCVNIFCMKLA GFMHLA NF

IHGFG IHSEWFKFKRW BKFP UNTHM MNFWG KL HVV-GPHMW IHCLFMKWG.