Material removal is one of the most common processes to begin with when implementing automation, and the reason for that is because the tasks are commonly very repetitive, dirty, and can even be dangerous. The labor shortage that everyone is still seeing in the manufacturing environment is an additional factor!
When considering implementing robotic material removal into the process, you can expect to yield the following benefits:
Eliminate ergonomic strain on employees performing operations with hand tools
Mitigate health risks from particle emissions (e.g. abrasive dust or chips)
More consistent quality of the machining results
Reduction of machining time and increasing machining capacity
Regarding the specific application, you're likely dealing with one of the following activities:
Sanding / Grinding - Removal of coarser material or to prepare surfaces for downstream surface finishing
Polishing - Process to give workpiece a desired finish
Deburring - Removal of burrs and chamfering of sharp edges after the actual workpiece machining is complete
Over the past few months, our team at BlueBay Automation has partnered with Schunk to bring even more options to our customers when it comes to material removal.
For deburring, the tools from Schunk ensure heightened process reliability and optimization due to continuous process monitoring and feedback on the spindle load and speed of rotation. We've listed a few products of interest below:
For grinding and polishing, the tools from Schunk allow you to apply and monitor a constant contact force, leading to extremely consistent results. Working with Schunk, our combined team of engineers provide comprehensive support, advice, and testing of different materials and process parameters to ensure the optimal solution for your application. You can learn more about our material removal solutions on our material removal page.
If you're looking to test out your application, Schunk has a new Co-lab in Morrisville, NC that performs complimentary testing for a variety of material removal applications such as the ones listed above. If you'd like for our team to set up your application in a testing environment, reach out to us and we'll be in contact shortly!
Material Removal Resources