Seventeen variants of the F series robots are available, including 11 for materials-handling applications and four for arc welding. The modular units can be installed on the floor, ceiling or wall. Unlike traditional motors, Sodick's AM35L and AM55L linear motor servo systems operate without ball screws, couplings and other mechanical parts that can cause backlash and lost motion. As a result, the company says, EDMs have better speed, acceleration and torque for faster, more accurate metal removal and finishing. The strong commercial building market in the United States is a magnet for Japanese makers of construction equipment hurting for business elsewhere.
Cranes are a particular focus.
The boom of the CK1000 can lift up to 200,000 pounds, while the maximum lifting capacity of the jib is 24,000 pounds. It can operate with the boom section extended to 190 feet and the jib at 60 feet. To help achieve this goal, it has set up a parts depot and is in the process of expanding the number of dealers that handle Kobelco equipment. If sales hit their target, Kobe Steel will consider assembling the CK1000 at its Calhoun factory starting in 2001. For the last decade, the plant has made hydraulic excavators.