Clinton Township-based Kuka Robotics Corp. is unveiling the Kuka 1000 Titan to the North American market at the upcoming Cast Expo 2008 from May 17-20 in Atlanta, Ga.

The Kuka KR 1000 Titan is the company's latest product and with its heavyweight capabilities has earned an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. The KR 1000 Titan is the world's first industrial robot that can lift a payload of 1,000 (2,200 pounds) with a reach of 4,000 mm (13.1 feet).

"Kuka developed this product based on understanding its customers' requirements and responding to market needs," said Stu Shepherd, Kuka Robotics president. "By understanding future market needs, Kuka can develop working ideas that break all the records. The Titan can handle the heaviest of payloads over the greatest of distances with unrivaled flexibility."

Kuka developed the Titan after more than a year of research, programming and testing, which means one of the leading manufacturers of industrial robots reacted quickly to customers' wishes for a new robot model suitable for lifting large, heavy or bulky components.

For example, the Titan is capable of moving whole car bodies entirely unaided. Prior to the Titan, this was only possible using at least two robots -- or by using complex special kinematic systems for heavy loads. In the building materials sector it can lift concrete staircase segments, taking the place of a crane that is much heavier than the Titan.

In addition, the Titan can handle large castings or meter-thick panes of glass. At full stretch, it reaches a height of over four meters.

Kuka Robotics is a subsidiary of Augsburg, Germany-based Kuka Roboter GmbH.

More at www.kukarobotics.com.