OREANDA-NEWS. July 09, 2015. Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson," TSE: 6724) recently completed development work on the C8XL, the first product in the company's new C8 series of vertical six-axis industrial robots aimed at manufacturers of auto parts, electronic equipment and other products. The C8XL will begin shipping from autumn 2015 and is the first in a series of new products. Epson is also developing the new TP3 teaching pendant that will offer better-than-ever operability for robot teaching.

Heavier payloads

Robots in the new C8 series boast an 8-kg payload capacity, double that of the smaller C4 series. The higher transport load was achieved with the slimline arm thanks to Epson's unique vibration control technology. The higher payload capacity will allow the robots to use items such as heavier multi-grippers and tool changers, and will also enable the transport of heavy objects and the simultaneous transport of multiple workpieces.

Slimline arm with a maximum operating radius of 1,400 mm

Despite weighing only 62 kg, the C8XL - Epson's first long-arm model - boasts a maximum operating radius of 1,400 mm. The slender arm is better able to slip past surrounding objects without touching them, making this robot perfect for tasks that require the arm to enter confined spaces, such as is the case when removing parts from machine tools or molding machines. These features make the C8XL the best model for machine tending in the auto parts and electronic industries.

Flexible installation

Thanks to its lighter weight, the C8XL is still a table-top robot unlike many competitors that require ground fixing. It can be substituted for heavier robots with a similar reach.

TP3 teaching pendant with large color touchscreen

The TP3 is a feature-rich tablet-type teaching pendant that has a 10.1-inch color touchscreen panel and an intuitive interface. Intuitive touch operation makes the panel far easier to operate than other pendant-based panels, and users will easily be able to teach even complex six-axis robots tasks. Users will also be able to use the TP3 to make robot parameter changes, a task that used to require a PC, thus contributing to improved efficiency of robot setup.

"We are delighted announce our new series of C8 vertical six-axis robots," said Michiya Hirasaki, general manager of robot sales at Epson. "With this series we are proud to offer new benefits to customers such as long reach with low weight and vibration. With its enhanced capability and ease-of-use, the new series helps lowers the barriers to automation and increase production line efficiency."

New product release and pricing information

Product name Price Release date*1
C8XL six-axis robot Please contact your local dealer From autumn 2015*2
TP3 teaching pendant From autumn 2015

*1 Market release dates may differ by location.
*2 Market release date for both standard and cleanroom classes. Protection class (IP67) will be available at a later date.

* See the attachment for the main specifications of the C8XL and TP3. PDF (28KB)