Engel Introduces iQ Motion Control at Fakuma: Safer Early Starts & Automated Path Planning for Linear Robots

At Fakuma (October 12‑16) in Friedrichshafen, visitors to Engel’s booth (Hall A5, stand 5204) will discover iQ motion control – the latest addition to our range of smart assistance systems for the viper series linear robots.

iQ motion control enables the viper robots to perform a safe, early start and to benefit from fully automated, optimized path planning. According to Engel, this delivers a two‑fold benefit for molders: time savings during programming and shorter production cycles.

By allowing the robot arm to begin moving into the mold while the platens are still in motion, cycle‑time savings are achieved. To keep the robot’s motion perfectly parallel to the platen, each movement point – along with speed and acceleration – must be specified during programming. In legacy systems, the trajectory was defined manually. With iQ motion control, the teaching phase is reduced to just a few clicks; the software calculates the optimal motion for the part‑removal process, cutting overall cycle time even further.

Parallel motion requires that the molding machine and robot share data – a capability already integrated into Engel’s systems. The early‑start feature built into iQ means the robot does not have to wait for the mold to open completely. The system recommends an early‑start position based on the robot and press parameters displayed on the iQ motion‑control screen, making it accessible even for less experienced operators. A two‑stage safety system guarantees that no collision can occur between the robot and the moving platen.

Beginning in October, iQ motion control will be available for all new linear robots in the viper series. Regardless of machine type or part‑removal process, molders can expect efficiency gains – especially in applications with large mold‑opening strokes such as deep housings, boxes or containers with extended mold cores.

iQ motion control works with automatically optimized track planning, reducing the time required for programming and machine cycle.