October 7, 2008

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

Featured Products

NEW! EasyPallet™ Pendant - allows even inexperienced programmers to quickly and easily create robust robot palletizing jobs. Palletizing patterns are independent of box sizes. This allows a box size to be applied to any stacking pattern to create a unique layer configuration. Patterns adjust to changing box and pallet sizes, saving programming time.

NEW! TruPath Controller -- drives Motoman robot direct from CAM, providing complex machining, finishing processes.

ArcWorld® C-50S – this extremely compact and affordable workcell includes a six-axis SSA2000 “Super Speed Arc” welding robot, NX100 controller with menu-driven arc welding application software, integrated welding package, integrated tooling on one or two MH-180 headstock(s), operator station, one or two powered roll-up door(s), and a total safety environment.

ArcWorld® IV-6200 - provides HyperProductivity® with dual SSA2000 “Super Speed Arc” welding robots with multiple robot control, a high-speed three-axis trunnion positioner (MRM2-250M3X), integrated welding package, operator interface and a total safety environment.

MedWeld 5000 - low-cost spot welding timer digital interface provides the ability to program and monitor information from the Medar 5000 timer via a teach pendant application and Ethernet connection. Windows and pull-down menus on the teach pendant are used to insert Medar instructions into programs on the timer. Sequencing the timer is performed by I/O instructions on a DeviceNet network. The digital interface supports up to four timers networked from a single NX100 controller.

Modular FabWorld® – Designed with one or two extended-reach robots for large parts (up to 3-4 m long) that require medium to heavy-deposition welding, Modular FabWorld is a flexible approach that allows customers to configure the fully integrated robotic arc welding solution that best meets their needs from standard, pre-engineered modules.

Corporate News

Motoman Brazil Celebrates Expansion with Open House – More than 250 people attended an open house held by Motoman Robotica do Brasil in Sao Paulo on October 3 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their new expanded facility, which is staffed by 24 full-time employees. Several Yaskawa Electric Corporation and Motoman officers were among the speakers at the event, including: Mr. Gen Kudo, Motoman’s Chairman of the Board and CEO of Yaskawa Electric America. Mr. Yoichi (Jack) Sagara, Motoman Board member and VP of Finance for Yaskawa Electric America, Motoman’s President and COO, Mr. Steve Barhorst, and Vice-President of International Sales and Marketing, Mr. Roger Christian.

Motoman Offers Robot Training at Satellite Facility in Greensburg, Indiana -- Several ANSI/IACET-accredited robot training courses are now being offered at a new 5,200 sq. ft. Motoman Technical Education Center Remote Training Facility located at 806 Randall Street in Greensburg, IN.

Motoman has several new brochures relating to key focus areas for our Advanced Systems Group (ASG):

Stack, Pack & Palletize – Motoman has extensive knowledge and experience in providing unique robotic solutions for a variety of loose-load stack, pack and palletizing applications. With our comprehensive line of material handling and palletizing robots, infeeds, outfeeds, grippers, software and sensors, we can provide a customized solution that delivers enhanced quality, productivity and ROI.

Press Tending Solutions – Motoman has a comprehensive line of press tending robots and is an experienced provider of turnkey press tending solutions for automotive, appliance and general industries.

Click on the links below to access new brochures on other ASG focus areas:

• Bottle Pack
• Heavy Weldments
• Auto Components
• Machine Tending
• Specimen Processing

Click on links below to see Motoman’s latest ads:
“Machine Tending Made Easy”
“Pick It, Pack It, Stack It”
“Finish First”

Editorials, Case Studies & Articles

“Robotic Welding at LB Steel/Coburn Steel Products Improves Quality and Productivity” – Robotics Online – August 20, 2008 – Robotic welding is helping this fab shop beat foreign competition. Three Motoman robot cells weld very large, heavy components for the construction, railroad and mining industries.

“Three Robots Perform Tandem-Arc, Heavy-Deposition Welding on Manitowoc Cranes Outriggers” – Robotics Online Newsletter - October 2008 Early Edition – Manitowoc Cranes is achieving stellar results using three Motoman HP20 robots equipped with Fronius tandem-arc packages to weld large construction crane outrigger beams. They’ve been able to improve productivity and bring out-sourced production back in-house.

Customer Satisfaction & Training

Motoman’s Technical Education Center (MTEC) is offering a special 15% discount off of the list price of training classes taught at Motoman Headquarters between October 1 and the end of the 2008 calendar year. For more information, contact the Training Coordinator at 937.847.3307.

MTEC will be offering a 4.0-day NX100 Basic Programming class at the Greensburg, Indiana, Training Facility the week of Oct 27 (Monday through Thursday). This class is open to the public and requires a minimum of six students to convene. Maximum class size is 12. Standard Training Credits will be accepted. For more information contact the Training Coordinator at 937.847.3307.

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 web site.

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

Helpful Hints

Save that BIN file!!!

Problem: How can I quickly back up all of the files on my NX100 controller so that I can reload them if needed?

Solution: Memory in the NX controller can be saved in several formats. Most (*.CND, *.DAT, *.LST, etc) are individual files that can be opened in any text software and loaded individually. Some, for example, CMOS.HEX files, are saved in a hexadecimal format and are save/load only (not readable).

Motoman strongly recommends saving a Binary (BIN) file. This file is all inclusive, with the exception of the controller software. The entire file can be reloaded as needed. Motoman Service will occasionally ask for the CMOS.BIN file to be e-mailed.

To save the CMOS.BIN file, perform the following:

1. Install a CF Memory card in the pendant.
2. Hold the MAIN MENU key and power ON.
3. Choose TOOL.
4. Choose PC CARD.
5. Move the cursor to CMOS SAVE and press SELECT.
6. Choose YES in the confirmation box.

In less than a minute, the system will be completely backed up. Reloading files also takes about a minute.

NOTE: If the .BIN file is loaded after a software upgrade, the loaded file may change parameters or cancel other improvements the software upgrade has addressed. The .BIN file restores the system to its state as it was saved and does not completely eliminate the need to save individual files in all cases.

Trade Shows

Motoman products and services will be exhibited at the following trade shows and expositions in 2008. If you plan to attend these shows, please visit our booth:

FABTECH – October 6-8, 2008 – Las Vegas, NV – Booth #13049. Fabtech 2008 is in process now. If you would like a copy of the post-show mailer sent to you, email your request to info@motoman.com and include “Request Fabtech PSM” in the subject line.

PackExpo – November 9-13, 2008 – Chicago, IL – Booth #1594.

G2E – November 18-20 – Las Vegas, NV -- Booth #N324.

If you’d like a copy of the post-show mailer for the IMTS show held September 8-13 in Chicago, IL, click here:
http://www.motoman.com/motomedia/shows/highlights/IMTS%202008%20PSM.pdf

If you’d like to see Motoman exhibit highlights for trade shows you might have missed this year, click here.
http://www.motoman.com/about/calendar.php

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 Wednesday, October 15, 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 a Motoman EA-Series “Expert Arc” welding robot or an embroidered Motoman baseball cap.

The winner of the August MotoQuote drawing was Patrick Taylor, Manufacturing Director at Merrill Manufacturing Corporation in Merrill, WI. He received a scale-model of a seven-axis Motoman ES165 robot.

Clues: Our company’s name and some form of the word for our primary product appear somewhere in the encrypted puzzle phrase. If you need more help, W=L.

Phrase:

KSPSO HCE HAWSAM “UMWG IMWW USLJEG” OH TMWY

GMOMERSAM UTSIT YEM-MAVSAMMEMG RHOHRJA

JEIUHEWG HE BJDUHEWG PHWCOSHA DMPO PCSOP FHCE

EHDHOSI UMWGSAV JYYWSIJOSHA EMXCSEMRMAOP.