RAD's Ultimatic™ Collision Sensors provide crash protection and increased safety by mechanically detecting when the robot arm* has encountered an obstruction, absorbing the crash energy and quickly signaling the robot to stop - thus preventing costly damage to equipment and tooling.

RAD's Ultimatic™ Pneumatic Collision Sensor minimizes the potential for costly damage to the robot arm or tooling in the event of a crash and maximizes uptime by automatically returning to within 0.0005" (0.013mm) of its starting position once it has been separated from the source of the crash.

The Ultimatic™ Collision Sensor is RAD's patented mechanical collision sensor that:

• Stops the robot* within 2 to 10ms of a collision to minimize costly damage to the robot arm and/or tooling. RAD's collision sensor provides protection even if the robot arm itself is not moving.
• Absorbs the crash energy without releasing the air pressure in the collision sensor. Keeping the air in the collision sensor prevents tooling 'sag' and eliminates the effects of compressed air being released into the environment.
• Automatically resets to within ± 0.0005" (0.013mm) in x, y, and z dimensions and to within ± 0.017º rotationally to maximize uptime and eliminate the need for human intervention.
• Offers 8º of angular compliance (please see RAD's Pneumatic High-Angle Collision Sensor for information on collision sensors with 13º of angular compliance).
• Allows pneumatic adjustment so the user can easily change the amount of resistance the unit must encounter before signaling a collision.
• Has a compliance adjustment feature that lets the user determine the amount of deflection allowed before a signal is sent to the robot's E-stop or controller.

Operating Principle
RAD's Ultimatic™ Collision Sensor works by establishing the minimal points of contact required to restrain all degrees of freedom (movement) in normal operation. When a collision occurs and external forces upset this balance, the collision sensor provides angular, rotational and compressive compliance. This event opens a normally closed switch sending a signal to your system's E-stop or controller.

Note: The Ultimatic™ Collision Sensor can be used as a compliance (alignment) device rather than a collision sensor by simply mounting the unit without wiring it to the robot. Please see the Compliance Device section for more end-effector compliance options.

* can also be used on linear actuators, pick & place machines, and other automated equipment.