New Erowa SmartChucks Make Workholding Industry 4.0-Ready
Erowa unveils smart workholding and automation products at IMTS.
The new SmartChuck is Erowa's nod to Industry 4.0, giving users connectivity to workholding operation status and clamping equipment data in the shop or remotely via a smart device.
Robot Six is a six-axis robot designed for pallet- and blank-part handling in the metalworking industry. The robot can be seen in action in the Erowa Technology booth.
Erowa Technology Inc., a full-service supplier of palletization and automation systems for the North American manufacturing market, is sporting a fully redesigned booth with a more dynamic backdrop and large video screens running eye-catching multimedia displays. Bob Davila, sales and marketing specialist for Erowa, says it is all part of the company’s continuing focus on Industry 4.0 and the unveiling of its newest line of SmartChucks.
“SmartChucks combine Erowa’s renowned precision and stability with wireless signal transmission,” Davila says. The new design includes an integrated LED strip that displays the status of the chuck while it is in operation, letting the user know if the chuck is open, closed, improperly clamped or has insufficient clamping force—all at a glance. A mobile app developed by Erowa for the SmartChuck enables users to retrieve clamping equipment data from a smartphone or other smart device. “Status requests and additional information regarding the lifecycle can be checked at any time using Bluetooth technology,” he says.
Also tied into the Industry 4.0 theme is Erowa’s new Robot Six, which can be seen in action in the booth. Robot Six is designed for pallet- and blank-part handling in all aspects of metalworking. The six-axis robot, which according to Davila is a first in Erowa’s line of automation solutions, can operate in a fixed position or on a rail system with standard magazines.