As Comau celebrates its 50th anniversary, it has been shaping innovation to respond to the rapidly growing global market for traditional vehicles and beyond with its sustainable, advanced automation solutions
MATE-XB: A low-back wearable exoskeleton that provides support for workers while bending and lifting
Hyperflex: A pioneering mobile factory that increases the efficiency of solar panel installation
An easy-to-use mobile robot that autonomously performs steel welding for higher production efficiency and quality
MI.RA/Picker: A fully automated high-speed random sorting system capable of autonomously identifying, locating and grasping randomly placed objects
Electric vehicle solutions: battery assembly, disassembly and recycling
Comau is demonstrating its power to shape innovation by taking digitally-driven advanced automation to new heights with powerful new solutions that accelerate deployment, improve quality and ensure sustainable productivity both inside and outside the smart factory. At Automatica 2023 (booth B4-109) in Munich, Germany, Comau, which has just celebrated its 50th anniversary, showcased a range of advanced solutions, including new technologies to improve the efficiency of solar panel installation. Wearable exoskeletons that help workers bend over, lift heavy objects and perform repetitive tasks, and mobile robot solutions that improve productivity and quality of work in unstructured environments. These innovations make their world debut in Automatica 2023.

Based on a strong commitment to sustainability and a full range of supporting products, technologies and digital solutions, Comau is able to meet the changing production needs in a rapidly changing environment. Comau’s unique technology is driving advanced automation that makes production simpler, more intuitive and easier to operate.

Automatica is also an ideal platform for Comau to launch a new wearable exoskeleton. The exoskeleton was jointly developed by IUVO and Comau, with Esselunga being one of the first partners to use and validate the test. The lower back exoskeleton assists the lower body as the worker bends, lifts and performs repetitive movements. MATE-XB is lightweight, breathable and can be used in extreme outdoor environments, including corrosive Marine environments. The scheme is further proof of Comau’s commitment to specialising in wearable robotics, with Comau wearable robotics solutions now able to provide wearers with full support for both the upper and lower body.

To improve the efficiency of on-site installation of solar panels at new and existing photovoltaic power plants, Comau presents its Hyperflex outdoor mobile factory solution. This patented automation solution is a new model in the field of automation and can directly assemble tracker components in the photovoltaic sector, helping to promote green energy production and improve process quality, overall productivity and working conditions for operators.

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In addition, Comau presented an unprecedented autonomous mobile welding system, which is seen as a new model for bringing automation to unstructured environments. This cutting-edge mobile robot innovation solution was developed by Comau in collaboration with a key partner and is suitable for a wide range of application scenarios across a wide range of industries.

By leveraging enhanced vision systems, sensors, neural networks and powerful robot control interfaces, Comau’s advanced automation solutions are being applied to very complex, non-linear processes that are both open and intuitive. The first MI.RA/Picker and MI.RA/Depalletizer solutions are designed to automate product sorting, receiving and picking operations, which are often performed manually due to the wide variety of parts and products. Advanced industrial robotic systems can automatically detect and distinguish items, thereby streamlining a company’s various processes, increasing flexibility and minimizing production losses. When connected to MI.RA/Depalletizer, it can also integrate Comau’s patented in.Grid iot solution for data collection and line/unit/product/process monitoring.

Finally, the company demonstrated its broad range of electric vehicle solutions that automate manual processes and applications that are difficult to reach with traditional robotics, including battery production, battery disassembly and battery reuse.

Similarly, Comau has launched an efficient robotic welding training solution based on E.Tech Educational Robotics and Seabery Soldamatic technology. This innovative virtual learning module addresses the limitations of traditional welding training. Traditional welding training is often expensive, time-consuming, and requires specialized safety equipment. By providing a multi-sensory interface that includes sight, sound and touch, this precisely calibrated and parameterized system creates the most realistic welding training experience outside of actual welding.

“The demand for automation is growing by more than 10 percent every year, and the growth is even more rapid in new areas where automation has barely existed before,” explained Pietro Gorlier, CEO of Comau. “Comau shapes innovation by integrating its long-standing expertise and working closely with the world’s leading companies in various fields to continuously develop diverse technologies based on advanced robotics and digitalization, thereby making production processes in many industries more efficient and sustainable. This is all driven by our commitment to advanced automation and the value our people have continued to create for the company over the past 50 years.”