1977 Yasnac RB 1980 Yasnac RG 1983 Yasnac RX 1988 Yasnac ERC

MOTOMAN-L10 1983 MOTOMAN-L10W 1985 MOTOMAN-L106 MOTOMAN K10S

MOTOMAN robot history

1994 Yasnac MRC 1998 Motoman XRC 2004 Motoman NX100 2006 MOTOMAN-IA20
MOTOMAN-SK16 MOTOMAN-UP20 MOTOMAN-EA1400N MOTOMAN-DA20
MOTOMAN-ES165N
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 Yasnac RB and MOTOMAN-L10
MOTOMAN-L10
Introduced in 1977
Five axes
Maximum workload 10 kg (including gripper)
Weight 470 kg

Control system RB
1. The programming unit was used to Programming capacity 250 positions, could be extended to 600
move each robot axis and save its position. and 350 instructions
When running the program the robot 16 input signals and 15 output signals
would assume each position in the very
99 robot jobs in magnetic memory
same order that they were recorded.
63 welding parameters
Dimension 1600x650x700 mm
Weight 350 kg

The very first Motoman robot

Motoman L10 was the first robot which Yaskawa introduced on
the market. Its control system was equipped with a separate pro-
gramming pendant used to record the robot’s position one by one.
The control system had a magnetic memory which did not require
a backup.

New positions, points, could be added or moved, but it was impos-

sible to erase any of them in the recorded program. Four finished
programs could be accessed from separate keys on the program-
ming unit.

Using a few points to calculate a straight line or a circle (so called

interpolation) was not possible. Consequently it was necessary to
record quite a lot of points in order to complete a welding line.

2. RB control cabinet.

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 Yasnac RG and MOTOMAN-L10W
MOTOMAN-L10W MOTOMAN-L10WA
Introduced in 1982 Introduced in 1983
Five axes Six axes
Maximum workload 10 kg Maximum workload 5 kg
Weight 280 kg Weight 280 kg
3. Motoman L10WA with a sixth “A”-axis.
Control system RG
Introduced in 1980
Controls up to six axes
Programming capacity 1000 pos (600 instructions).
99 robot jobs in magnetic memory (external memory on tapes)
22 input signals and 21 output signals
127 welding parameters
Linear and circular interpolation possible
4. With circular interpolation only three
Dimensions 1600x650x700 mm
points (two for linear) are needed for the
control system to complete a welding line.
Weight 350 kg

Many improvements to robot and controller

The work area in the new Motoman L10W was increased by 80%
and the robot wrist is more narrow. The robot was made of a light
aluminum alloy which helped reduce the size of its motors.

The model L10WA, with its extra wrist axis called A, was the
world’s first six axes robot. The control system RG could handle
either this robot model, or the ordinary L10W and an external axis.
However, the L10W-models were almost exclusively used with the
next generation controller RX.

The later versions of RG control system enabled circular and

linear interpolation, three dimensional shifting of a robot job and
pendular motion. It was even possible to control it from an exter-
nal computor, but that was not put to much practical use.
5. The RG controller cabinet.

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 Yasnac RX and MOTOMAN L-series
MOTOMAN-L106
Introduced in 1985
Six axes
Maximum workload 10 kg
Weight 350 kg

Control system RX
Introduced in 1983
6. The RX controller was the first system
Controls up to eight axes (the robot’s six plus two external axes)
with a monitor and English text.
Programming capacity 2,200 pos and 1,200 instructions (could be
extended to 5,000 pos)
249 robot jobs in memory
48 input signals, 24 output signals plus 2 analogue outlets
127 welding parameters
Dimensions 700x1100x580 mm
Weight 200 kg

Other models in the series

L15, L30, L60 and L120

Introducing a whole robot series

This meant several robot models that could be operated with the
same type of control system. The L-series included robots able to
handle workload up to 120 kg. There was direct drive on the three
wrist axes RBT.

The later versions of the RX controller were equipped with

“modern” functions like COM-ARC (seam tracking), multi layer,
3D-shift, parallell shift etc. In order to synchronise robot welding
with a rotating manipulator the TRT function was developed.

7. The RX controller and programming Operator safety features included automatic low speed during pro-
pendant. gramming and a teach-lock mechanism which prohibits operation
through other equipment than the programming unit.

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 Yasnac ERC and MOTOMAN K-series
MOTOMAN-K10S
Introduced in 1988
Six axes
Maximum workload 10 kg
Weight 300 kg

Control system ERC

Controls up to 12 axes
8. Screen display with the new
Programming capacity 2,200 pos and 1,200 instructions, could be
robot programming language INFORM. extended to 10,000 pos and 5,000 instructions.
55 input signals and 35 output signals (could be extended to
96/44)
Dimensions 700x1140x580 mm

Other robots in the series

K3S, K6SB, K30WSB, K60S and K100S

Advanced functions
The K-series of robots had a direct drive on all six axes. This
meant that the power was transferred to the axes directly and not
through long chain transmissions or link-arms.

The ERC control system was able to control more axes than any
other controller at the time. It had a lot of improved features
like electronic seam tracking (ComarcII) and Multi Layer functions
which meant that external sensors and seam tracking devices were
no longer necessary. Other smart features were user coordinates, a
step by step position control (forwards and backward,) fine adjust-
ment of speed etc.

The programming pendant weighted only 0.9 kg and was equipped

9. The ERC control cabinet with the opera- with a small display (12 characters) and a three positions dead-
tor’s panel on top. mans handle.

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 Yasnac MRC and MOTOMAN SK-series
MOTOMAN-SK16
Introduced in 1994
Six axes
Maximum workload 16 kg
Weight 280 kg

Control system MRC

10. With the MRC control system followed a series Controls up to 21 axes
of PC-software for file transfer, job editing and Synchronised control of two robots (patented)
simulation tools. Programming capacity 2,200 pos (could be extended to 60,000
pos)
48 input and 48 output signals (could be extended to 144/144)
Dimensions 900x1600x650 mm
Weight 190 kg

Other robots in the series

SK6 C, SK16-6, SK45-30, SK120, SK300 and SK-16

Improved performance
With the introduction of the robots in the SK-series the maximum
workload was increased by 300%. The system could control more
axes as the previous one, and it could also synchronise the motions
of two robots.

The MRC introduced some new functions well suited for machine
handling and necessary when synchronising two robots: e.g. Multi
tasking, servo float and S-move.

MRC also made it possible to edit robot jobs from an ordinary PC,
so called offline programming. Allthough it had been possible to
read robot jobs as text files before, it was only now possible to
11. The MRC control system could control two
return changes made in the PC or even send completely new pro-
robots in synchronisation with each other. grams to the controller.

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 Motoman XRC and MOTOMAN UP-series
MOTOMAN-UP20
Introduced in 1998
Six axes
Maximum workload 20 kg
Weight 280 kg

Control system XRC

Controls up to 27 axes
12. Offline programming tools can help Synchronised control of three (four) robots
reduce cycle times and calculate the Programming capacity 5,000 pos and 3,000 instructions, can be
production cost.
extended to 60,000 pos and 20,000 instructions
40 input and 40 output signals (can be extended to 256/256)
Dimensions 800x900x650 mm
Weight 190 kg

Other robots in the series

UP6C, UP20-6, UP20M, UP50, UP130, UP165, UP165-100,
UP200 and UP350

Increased usability
The XRC control system has a Windows oriented interface with
directories and folders. Several types of PC-software for job edit-
ing, file transfer or offline programming and simulation are avail-
able.

Some interesting new features introduced with XRC are Form

Cutting (used in laser-, plasma or water cutting), shock sensor
functions and the ability to have acceleration/retardation in any
point.
13. The programming pendant
received an award in 1998 for its user
friendly design (Ministry of International
Trade and Industry in Japan.)

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 NX100 and application dedicated robots
MOTOMAN-EA1400N MOTOMAN-ES165N
Introduced in 2004 Introduced in 2004
Six axes Six axes
Maximum workload 3 kg Maximum workload 165 kg
Weight 130 kg Weight 1100 kg

Control system NX100

Controls up to 36 axes
Synchronised control of four robots
Programming capacity 60.000 pos and 10.000 instructions
40 input and 40 output signals (can be extended to 1024/1024)
Dimensions 800x1000x650 mm
Weight 170 kg

Other robot series

EA-series (arc welding)
EPL-series (palletizing)
ES-series (spot welding, general application)
HP (general application)
14. The NX100 programming pendant has
a touch screen display and is based on PX-series (painting)
Windows CE operative system.
Application dedicated robots
Each robot series is specially designed for its specific applica-
tion, such as arc welding, palletizing or painting. In many of these
models the supply cables are fitted into the upper robot arm, rather
than hanging on the outside, which significally increases the robot’s
freedom of movement. In 2006 the brand new robot models:
human sized single armed MOTOMAN-IA20 and dual armed
MOTOMAN-DA20 are taking this concept one step further with
15. A quantum leap in robot technology: all of the supply cables hidden in the robot arm.
single- and dual armed robot models with
all the supply cables hidden in the robot arm
itself.

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