Our customer has helped SMEs and small businesses in Wales to advance digital and sustainable manufacturing. By delivering programmes on energy measurement and working with the country’s most innovative companies, they are driving technological adoption, fostering creativity, and accelerating economic growth. They approached SP for a demonstration system after seeing ours at an exhibition.
• X-Planar module: 6 tiles, 4 movers, configured for Stores and Build pallets
• UR16e cobot on dockable trolley with vacuum end-effector (no external air required)
• Manual product loading via light curtains
• Vision system for build inspection
• 10 pre-drilled locations for future stations
• 3 Hold Station assemblies
• Inspection camera for verifying build patterns
• HMI for machine control and dashboards (additional monitors optional)
• System designed for easy transport
The system was constructed around a Beckhoff X-Planar platform, serving as a scaled tabletop emulation of a smart factory. Its modular architecture allowed reconfiguration to simulate a wide range of manufacturing scenarios, integrating conventional processes with advanced automation and control systems.
Operators load“Stores” and “Build” pallets, with build pallets pre-populated with coloured discs (red, green, blue). Build patterns are selected via a Beckhoff HMI interface. A collaborative robot (cobot) transports the pallets between loading stations and the X-Planar workspace. The X-Planar movers, functioning as AGVs, navigate predefined trajectories between production cells (Hold Stations), controlled via EtherCAT with sub-millisecond synchronisation for precise positioning. Vacuum fixtures at each cell hold discs until the build pallet is aligned correctly.
PLC logic coordinated pallet movement, build sequencing, and inter-device communication, while sensors, including proximity, optical, and torque feedback, ensured safety and accuracy. A machine vision system performed high-resolution inspection, verifying disc placement and pattern fidelity. Completed builds and store pallets were offloaded automatically.
To see the range of Universal Robots cobots, visit our UR Cobots page
