New on the market are robots with both larger capacity and a longer reach. The MegaBot line of robots from Vulcan Engineering Co., a provider of engineering, manufacturing, and installation of equipment for the metalcasting, steel and forging industries, consists of both servo-driven electric models as well as hydraulically-driven models.
The all electric five axis 3350 series offers models with capacities up to 1670 kg and reaches out to 4.3 meters. The six axis 3360 series offers greater reaches with slightly less payload capacity, as its variants offer up to 4.7 meters of reach and 1284 kg payloads. For the ultra high payload and reach requirements, Vulcan has hydraulically-powered robot. The 2860R model has a payload of 3175 kg and reach is 6.5 meters.
Designed mainly as a material handling robot, the MegaBot will see applications in the automotive, construction material, bottling/packaging, and truck industries. "Thats one of the great things about robots," says Sutherland, "Their amazing flexibility leaves only our imagination to constrain what they can do."