Smart Factory cubes use CombiTac connectors to create modular production lines
10 September 2020
CombiTac connectors are playing an important part in the innovative Smart Cubes project from the Korea Smart Factory Association (KOSF). The modular CombiTac connectors from Stäubli are being used to link the Smart Cubes together so that they form a customised production line.
The connectors transfer data, signal information for man-to-machine communication, power and compressed air between the cubes. Each cube performs a dedicated production task, such as robotic assembly, testing, quality inspection, packaging etc.
The wheeled cubes have plates on their left- and right-hand sides which house the CombiTac connectors as well as two large guide pins and two claws to hold the cubes together. This enables them to be quickly interconnected, with all connections being made at the same time.
The connectors need to be able to compensate for any misalignment during mating as well as being robust, safe and very reliable. As they are modular, they can be modified or expanded as the cubes evolve.
"The modularity of the CombiTac solution combined with its robustness and reliability is the perfect match for the interconnection of our Smart Cubes," said Chan-Hee Jang, Project Manager at KOSF.
The cubes are an integrated element for smart factories, where simulation and modelling of the entire manufacturing process can be analysed in advance, thus optimising time and costs.
KOSF is a federation supported by the Korean government to develop solutions in the field of industrial machinery and process automation. By providing key technologies and solutions to advance and define the concepts of the Smart Factory and Manufacturing 3.0 and Industry 4.0, it enables small and medium-sized enterprises to increase their productivity and gain a foothold in their target markets.
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