R E V O RLOUBTOIOTNICASRY Using image processing in robotics for transporting
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DRIVES, CONTROLS & AUTOMATION | ROBOTICS
Until recently, robotics has
been used in the individual
production steps of
semiconductor automation.
With its Semi Mobility Solution, on
the other hand, Kuka has created a
mobile robot that is also responsible
for transporting the highly sensitive
wafers from station to station. Key
to this is that onboard the robot is
an image processing system from
Cognex that is high-performing, yet
compact in size.
Semiconductors’ performance
dictates the pace of innovation.
This applies just as much to
industrial automation as to digital
communication via cell phones,
laptops, smart building technology,
and the automobile industry. And
the market is continuing to grow. In
2018, the international semiconductor
industry achieved $481 billion in
sales revenue and this figure is set
to reach $525 billion as early as 2022
according to a study by PwC.
The robotics industry is also
taking advantage of this trend, as,
for example, the latest generation
of controls and controllers offer
additional functions. Conversely,
however, the innovative capacity
of robot manufacturers is also
accelerating the efficiency and
productivity of microprocessor
manufacturers.
highly sensitive wafers is proving a decisive step in
semiconductor production.
For example, KUKA offers a wide
range of extremely flexible robots
that can also be quickly tailored
to a whole variety of handling
requirements, as the life cycle of
semiconductors is short and the
market correspondingly volatile.
Using robotics, individual
production steps can be
automated very well and to a
high-quality standard.
However, up until
now, robotics have
not been used
to transporting
semiconductor
substrates (wafers)
from one workstation
to the next. Ideally,
semi-conductor
manufacturers
would prefer endto
end automation,
because pristine
cleanroom conditions
can be much better achieved with
‘unmanned production’. Until now,
however, this aspect of the process
was untenable due to the lack of
precision with which mobile robots
move and grasp.
KUKA has now developed
the world’s first single-source
solution for the automated
transport and handling of
semiconductor cassettes:
the ‘Semi Mobility
Solution’. In this instance,
a lightweight robot from
the LBR iiwa series is
mounted on a KMR
200 CR autonomous
automated guided
vehicle (AGV). The AGV
can maneuver in the
smallest of spaces and
KUKA’s engineers have
developed a sophisticated
gripper system for the
handling.
DECEMBER 2020 | WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK 21
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