Robots are increasingly used in a strategic industrial sector such as aerospace, declining in a very wide application spectrum and introducing their valuable contribution to automation. In line with this trend, Roboticom decided to join the AEROMART Digital, December 1-3 2020, the international business convention for the aerospace industry that will connect the global aerospace ecosystem through a virtual exhibition, B2B meetings and live conference sessions.
Click on the following link to connect to the event, visit our digital booth and meet with our team! https://virtual.bciaerospace.com/en/aeromartoulouse/
Over the past 20 years, AEROMART has established itself as the global event for the aerospace industry. Constantly evolving to meet industry demands, AEROMART connects OEMs and their Tier 1 & 2 suppliers with manufacturers and service providers from both civil and defense aviation, through a series of individually tailored, one-to-one meetings
Robotic solutions make it possible to automate a large number of processes: the first uses are recorded in assembling and drilling operations, but robotic technologies have quickly begun to appear inside more complex phases, such as profile and surface finishing processes. Robots have always been renowned for their repeatability, but considered a step behind machine tool when accuracy and precision were needed. Things have changed drastically today.
SandRob’s applications in the aerospace industry: precision and reliability
SandRob fits into this application perimeter, effectively responding to the precision and reliability needs of the aerospace industry: the multi-purpose robotic system of Roboticom is able to process complex geometry objects respecting the highest quality standards and ensuring total control over the process. The operation that SandRob can perform are:
- Cutting and Couturing
- Sanding
- Polishing
SandRob’s answers to the aerospace industry needs
SandRob’s ability to work on complex shapes is a very important aspect for the aerospace industry whose structures tend to be composed of a large number of complex geometry parts.
The global aerospace robotics industry has witnessed rapid growth in recent years: the reasons that encourage the development of robotic manufacturing systems such as SandRob are due to the growing production criticalities such as:
– the difficult environmental conditions of production
– the repetitiveness and wear of the operators caused by manual processing
– the very high production performance necessary to compete on a market that imposes production programs that are difficult to sustain
– the increase in the cost of labor around the world
So, let’s see in detail the commercial advantages that come from the use of robotic systems within an industrial production cycle:
– increase in production rates
– long-term spreadable investment cost, immediate and significant containment and control of operating costs is achieved
– process optimization thanks to traceability
– improvement of health and safety at work
– reduction of material waste
– space saving
– improvement of the quality of work for employees
Improvements of safety and working conditions for the protection of workers’ health
A big contribution of robotics in a production line is to relieve the operator from repetitive and strenuous tasks and thus to be assigned to light duty. The impact of robotics on employment is then positive. To support of this thesis, many studies have been conducted to show how robots improve the competitiveness of a company, leading to an increase in the commercial activities of the company itself which will thus be able to maintain or even increase the employment level.
Roboticom’s input to increase the industrial automation in the aerospace field
Roboticom offers to the aerospace manufacturing companies its know-how in process automation with robotics, developing a multifunction robot SandRob for typical finishing operations on metal, carbon fiber and plastic complex shaped parts, ensuring maximum precision and accuracy.
This is a list of examples of specific applications of SandRob to the aerospace industry:
- Polishing of painted surfaces
- Mirror polishing of metal parts, such as helicopter blades and rotors, or aircraft wing leading edge; polishing of the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of aircrafts and helicopters
- Cutting and trimming of carbon parts
- Sanding of carbon components
Robotic polishing of metal and plastic materials: ARPP® and the force compensation system are the added values of SandRob
The polishing process is usually carried out mainly by hand since the quality of the work depends on the operator’s experience and skills. It is a particularly arduous task for the workers, as they are exposed to significant health and injury risks related to the repetition of the movements and to breathing chemicals.
The quality of the polishing results is strongly linked to the regularity of the movement of the polishing machine on the surface: it removes the geometric defects and modifies its roughness, a fundamental physical characteristic for aerodynamics. The success of a polishing robotic system lies precisely in the ability to obtain this uniformity in execution.
This brings us to the two most significant added values of SandRob: the ARPP® programming software and the force compensation system equipped on the end effector.
- ARPP® software: in-house developed, it guides the user from loading the external 3D file up to the graphic simulation of the robot’s movements, passing through the automatic generation of tool paths and the management of tool changes from the dedicated store.
- the sophisticated compensation system works in synergy with the automatic paper change system or the automatic cream dispenser. It is possible to switch from one operation to another with the automatic end-effector change system (rotary sander, roto-orbital pneumatic sander, shaped sander, polishing pads, cutter for trimming, waterjet) for excellent performances.
For all the features and pluses listed above, SandRob represents a solution in line with the needs emerging from the aerospace industry: Roboticom team will be available to the AEROMART Digital visitors to show all the details. Below is the link to register for the event and to discover how SandRob can help you in the aerospace production processes. Don’t miss it! https://virtual.bciaerospace.com/en/aeromartoulouse