Keeping Pace with Automation

In high-speed manufacturing environments, precision and timing are everything, especially when parts are moving continuously on a conveyor. To meet this challenge, Epson has Conveyor Tracking technology for its industrial robots. This system enables Epson robots to accurately identify, pick, and place parts from moving conveyors with seamless synchronisation and speed.

Epson Conveyor Tracking is a vision- or encoder-based system that allows Epson robots (including SCARA and 6-axis models) to interact with parts moving on a conveyor belt. Instead of waiting for a part to stop, Epson robots can dynamically track and manipulate objects in motion, increasing throughput and minimising cycle times.

This capability is ideal for automation processes that involve continuous flow production, especially in industries like packaging, electronics, food processing, and pharmaceuticals.

The Epson Conveyor Tracking system relies on either:

• Vision-Based Tracking: A camera identifies and tracks part positions in real-time, sending location data to the robot as the parts move down the conveyor.
• Encoder-Based Tracking: An encoder attached to the conveyor monitors the belt’s movement and speed, enabling the robot to calculate the exact location of each part over time.

Once the robot receives this data, it synchronises its movements with the conveyor’s motion, enabling precise pick-and-place, sorting, or assembly actions without needing to stop the line.