Roose Automation’s ‘ChocoMatic’ comes to life with igus 7th Axis

When customers tap a screen to choose their favourite chocolates, Roose Automation’s ‘ChocoMatic’ robot arm travels along a linear track, selects each chocolate, and delivers them without human intervention. Behind this playful, hygienic automation lies a clever piece of engineering: the 7th axis from igus.

Roose Automation wanted to give its robot arm the freedom to move across multiple chocolate dispensers inside a compact vending unit. A standard 6-axis robot couldn’t cover the full range and integrating a linear axis often means weeks of additional programming.

With the ready-to-install 7th axis from igus, a robot’s working range is quadrupled, and it also connects directly to its controller with the company’s “plug-to-program” interface. “In projects like ChocoMatic, it’s about simplicity,” says Adam Sanjurgo, Automation Product Manager at igus. “You install it, the controller recognises it, and it just works.”

The igus axis forms the backbone of the ChocoMatic system. Mounted beneath the robot, it allows precise horizontal movement over multiple trays, powered by a toothed-belt drive that delivers up to 0.6 m/s speed and ±0.3 mm positioning accuracy.

With the plug-to-program system, Roose Automation integrated the axis directly into the robot’s control software. No extra coding, no complex interface design. The result:

• Weeks saved in development time
• Thousands of pounds saved in programming costs
• Flawless operation and increased productivity

The success of ChocoMatic goes beyond chocolate. It shows how smart, modular automation can unlock new applications for SME’s. The igus linear axis lets a single robot do more. Serving multiple machines, workstations or products, all without sacrificing precision or control.