Halcyon Robotics

01 Problem

4 am. Crate after crate.

Today two bakers lift every crate of bread off the line and stack it on a pallet by hand, bending and twisting from the first batch to the last.

02 Entry

Bolted down. Taught by hand.

A HAL-C6 is bolted to a stand at the end of the conveyor. The baker guides it to the pick and the first place, and the Pendant records each point.

03 Running

Every crate, same pattern.

The cobot lifts each crate off the line and builds the pallet layer by layer in the taught pattern. It slows if anyone steps into its reach.

04 Result

Pallet ready by five.

A full, square pallet waits for the truck. The bakers check the load on the Pendant, wrap it and go back to the dough.

• Example: 600 crates stacked a shift
• Example: 0 crates lifted by hand

01 Problem

Heavier than it looks.

Today the fitter crouches under the car with a wheel held at arm's length and lines up the studs by feel. Backs and fingers pay for it, car after car.

02 Entry

It holds. You fit.

A HAL-C6 on a wheeled stand parks beside the lift. On the Pendant the fitter sets the hub height once for the car.

03 Running

Lifted, turned, lined up.

The cobot takes the wheel from the rack, raises it to the hub and turns it until the studs line up. The fitter guides the last few millimetres.

04 Result

Four wheels. No strain.

The fitter stands upright and torques the nuts in a star while the arm fetches the next wheel.

• Example: 4 wheels in about 8 minutes
• Example: 0 wheels held at arm's length

01 Problem

The long walk for stock.

Today a nurse leaves the ward to push a loaded stock cart from the store to the dispensary, down the corridor and back, many times a day.

02 Entry

Shown the route once.

A HAL-M1 Lift runner maps the building on its first drive. On the Pendant the store team drops the stops: store, dispensary, charge.

03 Running

Under, up and away.

It slides under the cart, lifts it and drives the route. When someone crosses, its scanner sees them and it stops, then carries on.

04 Result

Stock arrives. Nurses stay.

The cart is docked at the dispensary and the runner is back on charge. The nurse never left the patients.

• Example: 3.2 km of walking saved a day
• Example: 22 runs a day, store to dispensary

01 Problem

Tweezers, a loupe, all day.

Today a technician places small parts onto boards by hand under a loupe. Hours of close work, and a part put in the wrong way round is found late.

02 Entry

The board sets the origin.

A HAL-R4 SCARA and an overhead camera go on the bench. The Pendant finds the board's two fiducial marks and loads the placement list.

03 Running

Pick. Look. Place.

The SCARA picks a part from the feeder, shows it to the camera and places it on its pads. Each placement is checked before the next.

04 Result

Checked before it leaves.

The finished board leaves with a check for every part. The technician takes the rework and the next order.

• Example: 1,400 parts placed an hour
• Example: 100 % of parts seen by the camera

01 Problem

The same seam, all day.

Today a welder in a mask runs every joint of a burglar-bar gate by hand, bent over the table in the fumes, seam after seam, frame after frame.

02 Entry

Teach the seam, not the code.

A HAL-C6 with a welding torch is bolted to the table. The welder hand-guides the torch along the first joints and the Pendant records each seam.

03 Running

Bead after bead.

The cobot welds the frame in the taught order at a steady speed and angle, while the welder fits the next set of bars in the jig.

04 Result

One done. Next jigged.

A finished gate comes off the table. The welder grinds, checks and loads the next frame. Burglar bars and trailer chassis are taught the same way.

• Example: 22 seams in about 20 minutes
• Example: 2 tables run by one welder

01 Problem

Every orange, by eye.

Today packers stand at the line all season, picking blemished fruit out by eye and packing cartons by hand, shift after shift.

02 Entry

The camera learns the grade.

A HAL-R4 SCARA goes beside the line under a camera. On the Pendant the packhouse sets the carton pattern and shows the camera what a reject looks like.

03 Running

Graded. Picked. Packed.

The camera grades every fruit as it passes. The SCARA lifts class one fruit into the carton in pattern and lets the rest run on.

04 Result

Cartons full. People on quality.

Full cartons run on to the palletiser. The packers watch quality and handle the exceptions.

• Example: 40 fruit packed a minute
• Example: 1 camera grading every fruit