Robots – like people – need new challenges. The KUKA “titan” can hold its own among the really big hitters. With a payload capacity of 1000 kilograms and a reach of 3200 mm, it is the largest and strongest 6-axis industrial robot in the world. For KUKA Roboter GmbH, this is fresh proof of the company’s innovative drive, earning it a place in the Guinness Book of Records. At a special event, guests helped to load up the new robot with a total of 1000 kilos, thereby demonstrating that it really is the strongest. For customers, the “titan” opens up many new fields of application for this new automation solution – wherever power, reach and precision are required.

What customers are looking for is solutions, not individual products. They know exactly what they want: market-oriented solutions, not off the rack, but tailored to the precise needs of the company. With the KUKA “titan”, the development team at KUKA Roboter GmbH took up the challenge of combining power, speed, reach and precision into a single high-tech, high-performance machine. With this unique development – the culmination of over a year of research, programming and testing – one of the leading manufacturers of industrial robots has reacted quickly to customers’ wishes for a new robot model suitable for lifting large, heavy or bulky components.

KUKA “titan” – the heavyweight champion  
 
The KUKA “titan” has been developed for the really heavy work. It will therefore find its place in such sectors as the building materials, automotive or foundry industries. For example, it is capable of moving whole car bodies entirely unaided.

Hitherto this was only possible using at least two robots – or more usually with complex special kinematic systems for heavy loads. In the building materials sector it can lift concrete staircase segments, taking the place of a crane weighing many times more than the “titan”. Meter-thick panes of glass or large castings are likewise no problem for the heavyweight champion. It is strong and robust, without compromising on precision or accuracy. At full stretch, it reaches a height of over four meters. Next to this giant, its predecessor the KR 500 – a powerful lifter in its own right – appears almost small and delicate. 
 
Nine drive units with the power of a mid-sized car  
 
A total of nine motors are installed, which together deliver the power of a mid-sized car. As a result, its design called not only for a robust steel base frame but also for a completely new drive concept. In axes 1 and 3, two motors feed into a single gear unit. Axis 2 is likewise powered by two motors, each with its own gear unit. Furthermore, the KUKA titan can withstand a static torque of 60,000 newton meters (Nm). This is all the more remarkable if you consider that a powerful car has a maximum drive torque of only 600 Nm (just one percent of the power of the “titan”). With a work envelope of 78 cubic meters, it thus puts its fellow robots in the shade.

KUKA look & feel

For all the record-breaking new features, KUKA Roboter has remained true to its principles with regard to the look & feel of the robot, offering all the regular advantages of the KUKA family – from the wrist right down to the control concept. From its modular construction to programming and intuitive control, the KR 1000 has all the standard features.

With its user-friendly design, the “titan” has an excellent weight-to-payload ratio of less than 5. The KR 1000 can thus be transported in a standard container and can be installed in any industrial production shop thanks to corresponding mounting plates. Shipment is due to begin in the second half of 2007.