Many products used by us in our daily life have a damaged surface during the manufacturing process and they are subjected to surface perfection. The most efficient and economical of the surface perfection processes is sanding and polishing operations.
The sanding process is the preliminary preparation for the polishing process to be applied to recover the surface defects caused by the manufacturing on the product. While the polishing process may be done directly to get a bright surface, it may be applied to prepare the surface before coating.
Since it is not possible to correct the errors that may occur during sanding and polishing in later stages, it is necessary to work very carefully during these processes. Requiring precision, sanding and polishing process may be performed with industrial robots in one time and without errors.
While sanding and polishing process may be done by moving the abrasive equipment connected to the robot on the workpiece, it may also be performed by moving the workpiece over the fixed abrasive equipment. If sanding and polishing process that is a labor-intensive and unhealthy process for humans is carried out with robots, operators may be evaluated in a more qualified and more comfortable working environment.
Reducing human errors and providing an opportunity for the transition to production without waste, sanding and polishing robots maintain quality with high accuracy and repeatability. Ensuring increase in the production amount and decrease in the cost per piece with working in three shifts without a break, sanding and polishing robots provides a more regular production, better production planning, customer continuity, new market and timely delivery.
All requests and demands of the customer are collected for the transition to robotic sanding and polishing system and the following steps are followed:
- The compatibility of the products to be sanded and polished is checked for the transition to the robotic system.
- Sanding and polishing robot is determined which has suitable cycle times, speed, reach and load capacity for process, through analyzing the parts on the simulation which to be sanded and polished.
- If more than one robot is required to sand and polish the products, the system is set up with a line-shaped stations.
- Gripping and centering equipments are selected to be suitable for aseembly work that will provide the highest efficiency.
- In addition to the main equipments, other peripheral equipment such as tool changer are used.
- Electricity, automation and plc infrastructure is created according to the project scope.
- Upon request, the entire system is provided in the sanding and polishing cabinet or a cell.
- The suitability of the designed system is finalized as a result of the studies conducted with the customer, and the system is formed into its general shape.
- The prepared system is equipped with compatible equipment for occupational health and safety and then it is commissioned.
- After the completion of commissioning process, the system is maintained through after-sales services.
