Flexxbotics, delivering digital solutions for robot-driven manufacturing at scale, and IPR Robotics, a global leader in robot peripherals, announced a partnership to deliver IPR’s innovative StackTrax dual-rail robotic transfer unit (RTU) as an option with the Flexxbotics™ solution. Now, the robot’s effective reach is further extended across multi-machine rows with Flexxbotics orchestrating advanced robotic machine tending autonomy for lights out operation.
With Flexxbotics robot-to-machine compatibility for over 1000 makes & models of factory equipment and StackTrax 7th axis multidirectional robotic tending motion, companies can quickly automate a wide range of machines for processes with multiple operations. The partnership’s design collaboration also resulted in a new level of standardization for greater maintainability and operational safety.
“StackTrax combines our standard rails into a compact, flexible dual-rail solution which is highly configurable and reliable for the diverse types of advanced machine tending where Flexxbotics is used,” Anthony Leo, President of IPR Robotics. “StackTrax works together seamlessly with Flexxbotics to enable robotic automation of many different machines where space constraints make gantry infeasible.”
“This partnership makes each robot even more productive, especially when using Flexxbotics with multiple StackTrax at several factory locations,” said Tyler Bouchard, CEO & Co-Founder of Flexxbotics. “We’re providing real-time feedback to StackTrax from Flexxbotics for autonomous process control to keep robots running with closed-loop coordination.”
Combined Solution Benefits
Extended Reach, Smaller Footprint – StackTrax dual-rail motion lets one robot reach multiple machines along a line without the large footprint of full gantries.
Machine-to-Robot Interfacing at Scale – Flexxbotics multi-machine compatibility accelerate commissioning and standardize integration across automation cells and sites.
Automated Changeover – Coordinated program loading for machines, robot, and StackTrax motion enables automation of high-mix part/job changeover.
Autonomous Process Control – Flexxbotics communicates with the robot, machines, and StackTrax providing control logic and macro updates for longer unattended runs.
Digital Thread Compliance – Full traceability of robot & rail actions, part production, and process adjustments supports audits and regulated environments.
Using StackTrax with Flexxbotics is ideal for new factories and plant modernization initiatives where gantry systems and H-gantries are impractical due to space, structural or ceiling constraints. Additionally, advanced robotic machine tending of multiple machines in a line for high-mix production environments that involve changeovers across families of parts and where robot flexibility, reach, and travel distance matter.
Flexxbotics solution with StackTrax is available immediately in North America through Flexxbotics and IPR Robotics both direct to manufacturing customers and system integrators.
