ATI Industrial Automation Inc. today announced the MC-50 Manual Tool Changer, which it claimed “provides unmatched performance, reliability, and quality for the manual exchange of robotic tooling.”
The patent-pending MC-50 has an intuitive design and ergonomic lever operation to enable fast changes of robotic end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) by hand, said the company. It also includes a safety latch button on the lever to provide secondary locking for increased safety and prevention of involuntary uncoupling, ATI noted.
MC-50 designed for compatibility, endurance
The compact Tool Changer is intended to be robust and supports application payloads up to 25 kg (55.1 lb.) on collaborative robots, added ATI. The MC-50 can also support payloads up to 10 kg (22 lb.) on small industrial robot arms, the Apex, N.C.-based company explained.
The MC-50 features an ISO 50 mm (1.9 in.) mounting interface on the master side and tool side, and it mounts directly to most cobots. ATI said its low-profile Tool Changer “seamlessly integrates with many common cobot marketplace grippers and end effectors.”
In addition, the MC-50 supports a variety of electrical and pneumatic utilities for downstream EOAT through four M5-integrated pneumatic pass-through ports and a mounting flat for optional ATI Utility Modules.
ATI said it is offering the new Tool Changer to industry segments including electronics, aerospace, automotive, and general industry. The company recently won a FANUC America Corp. “Innovative System of the Year Award” for 2023 for how its tool changers and robots helped Transocaean automate drilling riser connections on oil rigs to improve worker safety.
About ATI Industrial Automation
Founded in 1998, ATI Industrial Automation said it is a leading developer of robot accessories and multi-axis force/torque sensors, utility couplers, manual and automatic tool changers, collision sensors, and compliance devices. The company said its EOAT can enhance the productivity and flexibility of automation across a wide spectrum of industries.
ATI said the Robotic Tool Changer, its flagship product, is a wrist coupling that locks and unlocks automatically, allowing a single robot to perform many different tasks. ATI said thousands of applications around the world, including material removal, metalwork, and surface finishing, use its end-effector products.
In June, ATI announced its CGV-900, a compliant angle grinder for automated finishing processes. In August, the company said its force/torque sensors are compatible with FANUC's robots and Force Control Software.
Organizations including including NASA, Ford, Honda, and Johns Hopkins University use ATI products, said the unit of Novanta Inc.
Want to learn more about cobot arms? This article was featured in the April 2024 Robotics 24/7 Special Focus Issue titled “Collaborating with robot arms, platforms.”
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