TAL shows off indigenous industrial robot that matches human
labour functions
It
looks like any other industrial automation machine, but ‘Brabo’ is more than
just that. Designed and manufactured by TAL, a Tata Motors subsidiary, it is
touted as India’s first indigenously made industrial articulated robot for
micro, small and medium enterprises. Part of the Make In India drive, it took
TAL three years to develop it, but the Pune-based firm, which unveiled the
robot to the public on Tuesday, says it already has 55 Brabos out in the
market: 25 installed after an outright sale, while the remaining 30 are in
factories and manufacturing units on a six-month trial basis.
Brabo
can handle payloads of up to 10 kg, mapping it to human lifting potential. Its
arm length was also chosen to compare well with that of a human. TAL
representatives said in Mumbai that it can manage raw material as well as
product packaging in the final stage. The manufacturer has released two
variants for payloads of 2 kg and 10 kg.
R.S.
Thakur, non-executive director and chairman of TAL, said, “The introduction of
India’s home-made robots will take ‘Make in India’ to a new level. The robots
will ensure product quality is maintained, and this, in turn, will improve
competitiveness. As a consequence, Indian industry at the small and medium
enterprise level will grow.”
Ashish
Gandhi, director of CPG Industries, a manufacturer of two-wheeler components
and someone who has purchased these robots, said, “We wanted robots to do the
work that humans cannot. The component industry is precision-oriented.
Therefore, robots make a significant difference. Our obvious choice was the
Brabo, because it is also cheaper than imported robots.”
At ₹5
lakh to ₹7 lakh, it is up to 40% cheaper than imported robots. Mr. Thakur told The Hindu,
“Since it is indigenously developed, the spare parts and annual maintenance
will be cheaper. Both the machines are available with a payback period of 15-18
months .” Except for the driver and motor, all other components are made in
India.
TAL
says it has applied for intellectual property certification, and “we will get
it soon,” according Amit Bhingurde, Chief Operating Officer. He added that TAL
has inked a collaboration with R.T.A. Motion Control Systems to further
indigenise the robot and develop newer variants.
From
the time it has been launched, TAL has found buyers such as Mahindra &
Mahindra, Diebold, CPG Industries, Hydromatik, SGK Industries, BITS Dubai
Campus, Suparna Plastics, Micromax Systems, Twin Engineers, AM Ecosystems
Kaziranga University, and Tata Motors.
Source: THE HINDU-12th April,2017
