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To give robots a longer range, they are often placed on tracks. SimKon by Vansichen has now developed ‘vertical tracks’ for an application using robots to 3D-print compact houses. These are lifting masts with a stroke length of 2.3 m.

Limburg-based family company Vansichen Linear Technology is a well-known name when it comes to tracks and portals used to move robots horizontally, but a vertical axis is something else.

The lifting masts in the picture each have a platform on the side to which a Comau NU290-3.0 robot will be attached. The application was developed and built on behalf of the Dutch company CEAD, which specialises in large-format 3D printing technology.

The end customer is a company in the US that wants to use the robots to 3D-print so-called tiny houses. In 3D printing of large objects, robots are often used in which the extruder used in printing sits on the robot as a tool. At CEAD, this is integrated into their Flexbot machine. By placing the robot on a lifting mast, its reach in height can be increased by 2.3 m in this case.

Finite element method

“Each mast gets its own robot,” explains Pieter Vansichen of SimKon by Vansichen. “Those robots weigh 2.2 t and need to be moved in height to give them the necessary reach. The positioning here requires an accuracy of 0.2 mm, which is needed to print very precisely.”

Linear movement in the lifting masts is achieved with a ball screw drive controlled by a servo motor. There is also a brake on that motor that can be used to lock the position of the axis once the robot has been raised to the desired height. The major difference with horizontal axes is that the robot exerts a moment on the axis due to its weight. Moreover, that moment constantly varies during the robot’s movements.

“It’s the structure of the lifting mast that catches that moment,” says Pieter Vansichen. “We used the finite element method in the design to verify that the structure provides sufficient stiffness in all of the robot’s positions. That stiffness is needed to achieve the desired positioning accuracy. The servo motor and ball screw drive were also chosen because of the high accuracy required in this application.”

Protection from dust and dirt

The masts have a height of 4 m with a stroke length of 2.3 m. Each mast weighs 4.3 t on its own and the robot’s 2.2 t weight will soon be added. Folding bellows were placed over the moving parts of the masts to protect the mechanism inside from dust, dirt, and other environmental factors so that less maintenance will be required and a long service life can be guaranteed.

Vansichen and CEAD have been working together to develop innovative solutions for 3D printing technology for some time. For example, two horizontal tracks of 43 m each were previously installed in Dubai. The control of linear axes is integrated into the robot controller as with the new lifting masts for the US.

Source: automation magazine

SimKon will participate in the 2025 edition of automatica, the internationally trade fair for automation and robotics, taking place in Munich. This marks our third appearance at the fair.

Visit our booth in Hall B6 • 60 m² of technology

• Where: Hall B6, Stand 530
• When: Tuesday to Friday (June 24–27, 2025)
• Who: Seven dedicated sales experts from SimKon and Vansichen will be on site throughout the week, available to discuss your automation needs and answer any questions.

On display

Discover live demonstrations and explore how our solutions can be customized to optimize your operations across industries from assembly to packaging and beyond.

Want to join us?

If you’d like tickets, please contact our team at info@simkon.de. We look forward to welcoming you to our stand and discussing how we can help elevate your automation strategy.

Titan robots ‘Type: KR1000’ are the most powerful KUKA robots for heavy payloads. The 6-axis robot moves the heaviest parts and components safely and precisely, even over long distances. At SimKon, we offer a complete range of travelling axes Titan robots to further increase the reach of these Titan robots. Whether with or without a console, covered or open design – our travelling axes Titan robots solutions are engineered for maximum flexibility and performance. Also available for many other robot manufacturers!

Interested? Please contact us!

We have extensively renovated our offices to make them more modern, efficient and sustainable. Additional space in total: 120 m²!

What can you expect? A visitor area where we can welcome customers and partners in style, a modern office space offering our teams greater flexibility, a fully equipped kitchen for added convenience, and a refurbished main entrance that significantly improves accessibility to our offices.

Vansichen Linear Technology, the parent company of SimKon by Vansichen, was named national SME of the Year 2024 at UNIZO’s Top Seminar in Antwerp. An exceptional achievement that we proudly celebrate!

The independent jury praised Vansichen for their innovative strategy, financial robustness, and sustainable vision focused on the manufacturing industry. At SimKon by Vansichen, we are proud to make our contribution to this success, including by actively participating in product innovation and international growth.

Proud of shared success

Pieter Vansichen (General Manager at Vansichen) and his brother Thomas (HR, Finance & Marketing at Vansichen) accepted the award. Pieter said: “It is quite an honour for us and the team to win this title. We have made great strides in product development and internationalisation in recent years. This award motivates us to continue on this path.”

At SimKon too, we feel the motivation to continue playing a leading role in the manufacturing industry together with Vansichen. Our close cooperation, based on innovation and quality, is a key driver for the success of both our companies.

Leadership in the manufacturing industry

The jury highlighted Vansichen’s future-oriented business plan, which extends to 2030, and its focus on innovation and sustainability. Jury president Pieter Vandekerkhof (UHasselt professor) stated: “Vansichen shows leadership in the manufacturing industry with their strategic approach, modern work culture, and strong vision for continuity and growth.”

At SimKon, we are proud to be part of this progressive vision. Together with Vansichen, we continue to build an innovative future for linear systems and robottracks.

Hasselt – Vansichen Linear Technology once built a rail track for the largest robot in the world. Now the Hasselt-based technology company has also found a new home, specifically in the old waffle factory in Kiewit/Hasselt, a stone’s throw from the Corda Campus.

Family and friends of the staff members are expected to visit the new, sustainable Vansichen Linear Technology building on Saturday. Although the tech company has mostly young employees, you won’t find a ping-pong table, snooker, or table football there. “We asked our people what they themselves thought was important in their new workplace. And no, such entertainment games were not among them,” says Maxime Vansichen, who founded the company with his wife Vera Landmeters in 1993.

The company initially specialised in the distribution of components for linear systems. Think of tracks (or rails) over which robots ride in a production environment, for example in the automotive industry. Later, the company also started designing its own linear systems, which earned high marks internationally. In 2019, Vansichen Linear Technology was allowed to design and build a 12-metre track for the largest and heaviest robot in the world, together with metalworker and loyal supplier Pollers in Heusden-Zolder. Meanwhile, two sons – Pieter (38) and Thomas (35) – have also become active in the family business, so the second generation is ready and willing.

Growth

Now the technology company has swapped its site on Herkenrodesingel in Hasselt for the totally renovated and expanded building of the former waffle factory in Kiewit: 1,120 m² of production halls and 1,150 m² of offices, all set up with growth in mind. After all, there is room for a total of 40 employees. Vansichen currently has 24 staff members, with another 7 in its German subsidiary. “We work for the big players in the industry: not only in automotive, but also for manufacturers of 3D printers, packaging machines, welding applications, woodworking machines, and battery manufacturers,” says Maxime Vansichen. “We are also now much more able to show our customers what we are capable of.”

The new building also meets the latest sustainability requirements, with a roof full of solar panels and geothermal energy with 11 ground borings up to 145 metres deep. “We also owe that to our customers,” Vera Landmeters explains.

Originally appeared in Het Belang van Limburg.

Task:

Ulrich Rotte Anlagenbau developed an extensive system to assemble gate controls for Hörmann, the door and gate specialists. The system is designed for parallel production and consists of manual and fully automatic processes. Two FANUC robots should take care of the order picking.

With its 45 kg payload and wide reach, this model is ideally suited for box, pallet and panel handling.

The compact LRMate 200iD delivers high throughput and short cycle times, making it an ideal all-rounder for industrial robotics applications.

3D Vision Sensor uses structured light projection to create 3D maps. It uses these to identify and pick parts based on what the integrated part manager decides to be the fastest picking option.

But what makes Rotte facilities so special? Project manager Daniel Bürgermeister opens up: “Each facility is customised specifically to the customer’s requirements”. In this respect it is difficult to describe a common feature. But what they all have in common is high facility availability and at the same time maximum flexibility. The problem-solving expertise with which the Rotte project teams realise their facilities can also be explained in that there is no focus on a particular industry: Automobile, solar and rubber industry, wood technology and laminates are just a few of the most diverse fields of work. “The mix of industries promotes lateral thinking, keeps us on our toes and makes it easier for us to carry over innovative solutions.” In doing so, future-oriented system partners like FANUC play an important role – including in Rotte’s strong international business.

A 3D system delivers the position information required for grabbing and also determines information on the fill level of the respective load carrier. In addition, the camera was installed independently of the robots on its own linear axis above the pallet spaces. The big benefit lies in that the information can be recorded independently from the robots. A camera on the robot’s wrist joint would lengthen the robot’s cycle time. From experience with other Vision Systems, Daniel Bürgermeister reports: “It is significantly easier to work with a system in which CAD models are stored instead of defining image features which have to be checked each time. I’m not a programmer, and I was able to operate it within a few minutes. 2D systems have their strengths and legitimacy for other requirements.”

Benedikt Rotte
+49 5258 9789-0
benedikt.rotte@ulrich-rotte.de
www.ulrich-rotte.de