Anca launches new robot arm

Anca has launched its first industrial robot – a selective compliance assembly robot arm, or SCARA.

Anca is better known for its computer numerical control machines, and supplies the automotive, electronic, medical, aerospace and many other manufacturing verticals.

The company says it spends 10 percent of its annual turnover on research and development projects and often collaborates with universities to develop its latest technology.

The new SCARA robot is part of the company’s “Aha!” roadmap, and is the result of a new method of collaboration within the company as well as working with external partners.

Tom Nathan, new product development manager at Anca, says: “To develop the best robot, we worked closely with our local suppliers on aspects such as electronics, pneumatics and consumables.

“Industry-Based Learning programs also important to us and the engineers from those placements have made a major contribution to our new robot offering.

“There was a lot of failing fast over the product’s development cycle. We’d never built a robot before.

“From system architecture to mechanical design to electrical design to software, it was all from scratch, spanning three generations of machine and countless iterations over these.

“At the end of it, we’ve learned a lot, and have arrived at a world-class product with awesome and far-reaching potential.

“This is the next step in Anca’s proud history of investing in developing new technology that will ultimately help our customers get ahead in their markets.”