Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 5

advancements in force control technology that applies the proper amount of force onto the part. Force feedback allows the robot to constantly apply the proper pres- sure in the correct area on the part as the robot’s position changes. The force control technology pro- vides the robot with the ability to feel when it goes around a part’s corner while maintaining a con- stant force. Force control is similar to when you close your eyes and run your hand along the edge of a part, when your hand gets to the corner, you instinctively apply more pressure to keep your hand on the edge of the part. The advances in laser inspec- tion technology allow the robot to inspect the part prior to initiat- ing the grinding process. The laser inspection provides the ability to identify the part and stop the process if it is not the correct part. It will also verify that the part is in the proper orientation for grind- ing and stop production if it is not. Finally, the laser will also spot check several critical points on the casting, compare the dimensions to a pre-programmed drawing dimension and then adjust the grinding program so that every casting is ground to exactly the same dimensions. Advances in vision technol- ogy probably offer the greatest potential for current and future improvements in robotic grind- ing. The capabilities of vision tech- nology continue to advance at an extremely rapid pace with the advancements in camera, lighting and computer technologies. The current state of vision technol- ogy allows the foundry to identify, orient and separate different parts, identify types and dimensions of defects and scrap versus repairable parts all in less than one second. As a result of these advancements, when incorporated with a robotic grinding cell, the foundry has an extremely robust, productive and reliable tool. Automatic grinding technology continues to advance and become more and more user-friendly. The advances our world has experi- enced in everyday technology has also greatly impacted the advance- ment of automatic grinding tech- nology for the foundry. By choos- ing a robotic grinding solution, the foundry can save time and pro- duction costs while improving the integrity of each part’s unifor- mity. The use of robotic grinding cells available today can improve process times for the grinding of castings from between 40% to 75%, provide quick change- overs for continuous operation, improve workplace health and safety, reduce material waste and increase yield, provide consistent quality and performance while reducing manpower requirements and retention issues. Contact: Palmer Manufacturing [email protected] NORTH AMERICA SEE IT IN ACTION! TAP FOR VIDEO 20