What is Robotic Deburring?
Robotic Deburring is defined as the use of robots to remove burrs, sharp edges, or fins off metal parts. Manufacturers make use of robotic deburring to increase precision in the deburring process. Robotic deburring helps enhance part quality as the robots can be programmed to a custom EOAT to apply the right type and right amount of pressure in each area. It leads to a perfect and faster finish.
These robots help to resist the unavoidable effects of dust and chips. Due to the health and safety risk associated with manual work, and the fact that this tedious work could lead to inconsistent quality of the finished part, many manufacturers have decided to give robots a chance.
Despite its advantages, robotic deburring is very difficult to perform due to its high degree of quality. It is complex and also limited to an extent making it difficult to meet the overall quality goals. However, its advantages outweigh its disadvantages as manufacturers can now create quality finish in a shorter time with fewer hazards.
The application areas of deburring industrial robots include;
- Deburring of automotive engine blocks, crankshafts, and camshafts.
- Deburring and finishing of die casting products.
- Polishing and buffing of kitchen products.
- Cutting and drilling of plastics.
The Tools for a robot Deburring System
A robot deburring system majorly consists of
- The Spindle Motor for Deburring
A spindle motor is responsible for the rotation of the deburring tool and the oscillation of the tool in the axial direction. There are also times it rotates the workpiece when it is small and lightweight. You can group spindle motors by speed into three categories.
- A high-speed motor (15,000 rpm and higher) used for rotating files;
- A middle-speed motor (10,000 – 15,000 rpm) for operation by brush with 60 mm diameter or less
- A low-speed motor (500 – 1,500 rpm) used to deburr the inside of a hole.
- A Deburring Tool
Deburring tools could either be belt and brushes. The belts are made from abrasive materials like paper and clothes. The brushes are made of silicon carbide or aluminium oxide impregnated on steel or nylon. The brush tip is very effective. They are used in working on corners while the belt is efficient for making straight-line edges.
The tool selection is purely dependent on material type, geometry, location, and the volume to be removed.
- Tool Holders
Tool Holders do not usually absorb the reaction in the process of burr removal. The hardness and volume of the burrs are not uniform as well. Hence, the results are not as uniform as the spindle and robot are exposed to unexpected shock. In cases like this, the robot may give error messages and stop working.
Tool Selection for Robot Deburring.
The following are criteria considered before the selection of robot deburring tools.
They include:
- The selection of tool profile based on geometric accessibility to burrs.
- A decision of the correct tool compliance based on burr size and location.
- A study of tool cutting data considering cutting force and speed, tool RPM, and material property.
- A selection of spindle type and specification based on the cycle time and the manufacturing cost.
- The Rotation-Type Burr Tool (A Solid rotating file) The most common tools for deburring are rotating burrs. A rotating burr gives precise and predictable results. Also, the tool is small, has a long life, and various shapes and materials are readily available. Therefore, the selection of tools is also important.
Why Manufacturers switch to Robotic Deburring of Production Parts.
Consistency is a very important part of industry profitability. Its high levels of consistency can only be achieved with high levels of throughput. Manual deburring processes are error-prone and are much slower. It has a negative ripple effect on the productivity and profitability goals of a manufacturer.
Robots are very diverse and they are capable than they have ever been. They are infused with new vision programmes, fixturing technologies and sensors. It makes it even easier to automate the deburring process. Hence robotic deburring makes it easier, faster while delivering 100% productivity and ROI
Tips for Application of Carbide burrs of Robot Application
The following are tips to follow during the application of deburring robots.
1. Speed Control
Control the robot speed to avoid excessive contact force with the material. It avoids damage to the material.
2. Algorithm Control
Burrs come in different shapes and sizes. Hence, an adaptive control algorithm of a robot path is applied to variable burr sizes.
3. Force control of the robot should be adopted.
4. Burr size Deviation
Note that the burr size deviation must fall in the range of 1 to 4 mm. If the deviation exceeds that, remove it in a previous stage.
5. Make sure that the robot is securely mounted.
6. Mount the Workpiece Properly
If the workpiece is not tightly clamped, productivity will reduce. Dust or dirt on the workpiece could be responsible for the loose clamping of the workpiece. Hence clean the workpiece properly before you mount.
7. There are times that the tool dislocates from its original position. It could be as a result of the robot servo lag and this causes inconsistent chamfer. You can solve this using simple tool geometry and reducing the speed.
8. Minimize the number of tools used for the robot.
9. Keep the tool centre close to the robot wrist centre. It helps to achieve a quick and efficient work process.
10. It is advised not to engage in heavy deburring. It restricts accessibility, speed and accuracy.
Benefits of Robotic Deburring
Robot Deburring is the automated process of removing burrs, sharp edges, or fins off parts `using robots. They help to increase the quality of the product as a result of their precision. It is faster and efficient than manual deburring. In the end, they meet the goal at a lesser time with a more precise finish. With the extra vision, working sensors and fixturing, robots can effectively remove burrs. Manual deburring isn’t as effective as robots. Humans do not have the patience for the task.
The Cost is no more an issue with the robotic deburring systems. They are very much affordable today and are easily infused into existing production lines. One of the benefits of deburring using robots is that you can use the robot for other tasks.
Other benefits include;
- Safer Process
Robotic deburring is a very safe process; this is one of the benefits of automation. Work hazards are expensive and should be avoided. Production stops, equipment is damaged and even lawsuits could happen. The use of a deburring robot will eliminate this risk
- Higher Quality of Part
With deburring robots, you get a consistent dose of high-quality parts. Robots are very good at doing repetitive works consistently. This automatically means precision, high quality and consistent deburring processes.
- Increase in Throughput
An increase in output is one of the benefits of using robots. Robots never get tired. They are faster than manual processes and can work continuously. They only need breaks when they need maintenance. Their speed and consistency are what leads to increased output.
- Reduced Waste and Less Rework in General
No matter what size the enterprise, over welding is a scourge: It’s one of the biggest sources of waste for any deburring project can cost a lot of money. Robots can use ultra-precise specifications to ensure reduced. A robot never feels the need to “play it safe” with an oversized weld bead, no matter how complex the task.
- Drastically Reduced post-weld Cleanup
Some post-weld cleanup is unavoidable in any project. However, less wasted material translates to a faster cleanup. Less weld spattering means there’s virtually no system downtime between projects. Seams can be clean and neat, helping meet the requirements of even the most exacting clients.
Conclusion
Deburring is still not the most common application for robots, but it is becoming popular day by day as more people see its benefits over manual deburring. For a fast, accurate and efficient deburring process, integrating a deburring robot into your production line is the right way to go.