3D Printed Zortrax Dancing Robots Tip Their Hats to KUKA

Moving in a synchronized ballet of 3D printed parts, Zortrax brings their flagship product to market with a real showstopper: their own 3D printed robots. Catering to designers and engineers, they are really showing off what they can do with this industrial-style performance, modeled in the style of robotics made famous by longstanding German company, KUKA.

Highlighting the use of the Zortrax M200 and durable Z-ULTRAT filament, the three axis dancing robots are composed of eighteen different parts, and featuring:

• Head which can be replaced by by another gripper or electromagnet.
• 3D printed longitudinal bearing, allowing  360° rotation.
• Industrial versatility for welding, sorting, painting.

As a sort of ‘mini-KUKA,’ the Zortrax robot is fully functional.

“Layer plastic deposition technology together with dedicated software and firmware allows for such precise elements as bearings to be printed,” Olga Bojarska of Zortrax told 3DPrint.com. “On a Zortrax M200 you can 3D print functional prototypes saving thousands of dollars.”

The Zortrax robot was built with:

• An independent mechanic system
• Open-sourced firmware
• G code, a normalized programming language for writing CNC machine commands, used in numerical milling machines and 3D printers

While inspired by KUKA, the Zortrax robots also demonstrate that Zortrax possesses the resources and innovation to move into the automated future — with companies, like KUKA, which have demonstrated a long history of dedication in exploring technology and putting truly revolutionary ideas into action — and bringing them to market.

Zortrax points out that the M200 3D printer is an excellent resource for 3D printing detailed mockups for presentations, functional prototypes, and creative designs, as well as models for scientific innovations and projects.

KUKA robot in use

KUKA, one of the world’s leading suppliers of robotics, as well as plant and systems engineering, points out that “compared with other technical innovations, the robot is still relatively young.”

With that perspective, the 3D printing market is still in the newborn phase. Zortrax chose a perfect combination of technologies with 3D printing and robotics, in a display of inspired mechanics and creativity, while showing what their Zortrax M200 3D printer can do.

As KUKA continually works to rise to new challenges in robotics, they are inspiring the newcomers as well.  With no question that they are a company to look up to, and with technology standards to aspire to, German company KUKA employs about 8,000 people and has been an industry leader in mechanical and systems engineering for over 100 years. They say that ‘automation is the key to tomorrow’s markets’ and Zortrax is tipping their hat to them as they begin their journey in a showstopping way.

KUKA’s robots are very flexible and highly adaptable to many uses:

3D printed robots are fully articulate and dance for their dinner:

What do you think of the Zortrax dancing robots inspired by KUKA? Tell us about it in the Zortrax Dancing Robots forum at 3DPB.com.