Adept introduces robots controlled from Allen-Bradley PLC

Adept Technology Inc. has introduced a new family of PLC-controlled robots that combine a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA) robot with a programmable logic controller (PLC) server. This solution simplified integration by allowing direct programming of the robot via a DF-1 serial connection from Rockwell Automation's Allen-Bradley PLCs, including its PLC-5, ...

By Staff October 1, 2003

Adept Technology Inc. has introduced a new family of PLC-controlled robots that combine a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA) robot with a programmable logic controller (PLC) server. This solution simplified integration by allowing direct programming of the robot via a DF-1 serial connection from Rockwell Automation’s Allen-Bradley PLCs, including its PLC-5, SLC-500 and Logix.

Initial robots in the family will include the four-axis SCARA Adept Cobra PLC600 and the Adept Cobra PLC800. Adept manufactures flexible automation for the semiconductor, electronics, fiber-optic, telecommunications, and life sciences industries.

“Connecting robots to a PLC is nothing new,” says Charlie Duncheon, Adept’s executive VP. “What’s unique about the Adept Cobra PLC robot family is that the robots are programmed and controlled directly from the customer’s PLC. The user simply connects the Adept PLC server to their PLC, and programs the robot directly from the PLC’s native programming environment. Adept PLC’s server approach is unique in that no emulation of ladder logic is performed and no soft PLC is used. This is direct control of the robot by the PLC. This new robot product line will enable us to expand into markets where industrial robots were traditionally perceived as too complex to implement and maintain.”