KUKA Roboter GmbH:
A success story about tapping new sectors of the market
KUKA Roboter GmbH is a company which manufactures robot systems. With the aid of the Fraunhofer IPA, KUKA Roboter GmbH wanted to pave the way for implementing their conventional high load-bearing robot in contamination-sensitive manufacturing environments - with great success as shown by the following chronology of events:
September 2002:
Workshop at KUKA Roboter GmbH on the subject “Manufacturing under clean conditions”.
January 2003:
Manz Automation AG is a company on the look-out for suitable robot systems to use in order to fulfil future handling requirements in their manufacture of flat panel glass substrates. In the process, the attention of Manz Automation AG was drawn to the robot systems manufacturer KUKA Roboter GmbH which has already established itself and become renowned in the field of conventional applications.
April/ May 2003:
Investigation of the cleanroom suitability of the robot system “KR 180 Standard Edition” (actual status at that point in time). Test results: ISO Class 8 in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14644-1, equating to Class 100.000 in accordance with US. Fed. Std. 209E.
Video des robot system vor der Optimierung
[2,29 MB, avi (divx5.11-mpeg4)]
July/ August 2003:
Activities running in parallel concerned with other robot systems (KR 16) made by KUKA Roboter GmbH in order to be able to considerably extend the range of application of the robot systems with regard to their use in cleanrooms.
August/ September 2003:
Workshop held to determine the detail modifications necessary in order to adapt the robot system “KR 180 Standard Edition” to Manz Automation AG’s cleanliness requirements.
October/ November 2003:
Technical realization of the modifications by KUKA Roboter GmbH - as a result of these modifications, the robot system “KR 180 Cleanroom Edition” is born.
February/ March 2004:
Final certification of the robot system “KR 180 Cleanroom Edition”. The renewed classification showed an improvement by three ISO classes to ISO Class 5 in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14644-1, equating to Class 100 in accordance with US. Fed. Std. 209E. This means a reduction in particle emission from the robot system by a factor of 1000.
Video des robot system nach der Optimierung
[7,20 MB, avi (divx5.11-mpeg4)]
