Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 5

Advances in robot technology are continually making a significant impact in the grinding rooms of foundries across the globe. Most foundry processes require some form of material removal and due to the dangers of manual grind- ing, the stricter work environment rules and the increasing difficulties of getting and retaining people to perform these tasks, robots are increasingly called on to perform these operations. Technological advancement is rapidly transform- ing the foundry cleaning room. Manual grinding is an extremely tough job. The work is hard, heavy, repetitive, dirty and nasty. As the older workers that cur- rently perform this work retire, it has become increasingly difficult to find younger workers willing to fill positions in the grinding room. Alongwith this agingof the foundry workforce the demand for inno- vative and robust grinding solu- tions is also growing. Luckily, all the advancements in technology are providing more viable robotic options for the foundry industry to decide upon and create the foundry of the future. ROBOTIC GRINDING AUTOMATION IN THE FOUNDRY OF THE FUTURE Palmer Manufacturing Palmer Maus North America www.palmermaus.com Article Takeaways: 1. CNC vs robotic grinding 2. Benefits of force control, laser inspection and vision technology NORTH AMERICA 18 SIMPLE SOLUTIONS THAT WORK! Advances in vision technology probably offer the greatest potential for current and future improvements in robotic grinding. When incorporated with a robotic grinding cell, the foundry has an extremely robust, productive and reliable tool