ABB’s new GoFa CRB 15000 collaborative robot features intelligent sensors in each joint to support close human and robot collaboration, enabling what the company claims is class-leading reach and speed for payloads up to 5kg
ABB is expanding its collaborative robot portfolio by introducing the new 6-axis GoFa CRB (Collaborative RoBot) 15000, to support the growing demand for a collaborative robot capable of handling heavier payloads to enhance productivity and flexibility.
Designed to safely work directly and continuously alongside humans and to be very easy to install and use, GoFa will help businesses automate processes involving heavier loads and longer reaches to assist workers with repetitive and ergonomically challenging tasks.
With a reach of 950mm, and offering speeds up to 2.2 m/sec, GoFa offers an effective solution for a variety of applications, including material handling, machine tending, component assembly, packaging and inspection, as well as laboratory automation.
GoFa incorporates a range of features that allow it to be used directly alongside human workers without the space and expense associated with physical barriers or fences. Enabling a robot and human to continuously share the same workspace and cooperate on the same tasks, without jeopardizing speed and safety, allows for maximum flexibility and efficiency.
GoFa features intelligent torque and position sensors in each of its six joints to offer superior power and force limiting performance. These joints eliminate the risk of injury to human workers by sensing any unexpected contact between the cobot’s arm and a human to bring the robot arm to a stop within milliseconds.
“Our new GoFa cobot builds on the success of ABB’s YuMi family, which has been helping businesses safely automate key tasks since YuMi launched in 2015. With its greater payload capability and class-leading reach and speed, GoFa is a gamechanger for collaborative robotics. It will significantly expand the potential for cobots globally, by safely and accurately supporting a range of new tasks and applications,” said Andie Zhang, Global Product Manager, Collaborative Robotics for ABB Robotics.
Pronounced ‘go-fa’, GoFa is designed to help businesses ‘go further and do more’ with a robotic helping hand. With a payload 4.5 kg higher than YuMi, GoFa unlocks opportunities for both new and established users, from SME’s to larger companies, by enabling easy automation without the need for in-depth programming skills or prior training.
Users can easily program GoFa via lead-through programming and ABB’s new Wizard easy programming software. Based on simple graphical blocks, Wizard makes it easy for non-specialists to automate their applications. The blocks represent actions such as ‘move to location’, ‘pick up an object’, and ‘repeat task’, making it easy and intuitive to build a series of simple processes for the robot to perform.
“With their ease-of-use digital tools, integrated safety features and higher payloads, our new cobots represent the future of human and robot collaboration. This next generation will enable even more businesses to automate repetitive, mundane and dangerous processes, to enhance productivity and flexibility while leaving employees free to do more value-add activities,” concluded Andie Zhang.
