Deburring Robots



Deburring is a finishing process involving the removal of imperfections such as burrs, edges, fins, or any other inconsistencies from parts. Manual deburring is a painstaking process that is often tedious and time consuming. Manufacturers once thought this process could not be automated, but thanks to advances in robotic vision systems, force sensors, and fixturing it is now a reality. Deburring robots like the FANUC M-710ic/70 are fitted with customized EOAT (end-of-arm tooling) designed to apply the correct amount of force to deburr materials. The addition of deburring robots to manufacturing operations leads to smooth uniform products and increased precision that simply cannot be beat by human workers.

Types of Deburring Tools

Robot deburring tools can be guided either electronically or by air with a variety of speed options to perform any finishing application. Types of deburring tools that can be automated with robots such as the ABB IRB 6650-125/3.20 include:

  • Deburring Blade - These tools can perform various deburring applications and are suitable for plastic, aluminum, brass, or steel materials.
  • Radially-Compliant Tools - These deburring tools are ideal to complete finishes for removing flash or parting lines on materials due to their flexible design and gentle touch.
  • Axially-Compliant Tools - Air tools consisting of axially floating spindles that perform best for deburring applications requiring low speed levels. Axially tools are ideal for removing burrs from part edges on materials such as aluminum and plastic.

Why Automate with Deburring Robots?

Manufacturers are eager to find ways to improve their production operations while saving on costs and eliminating the dangerous jobs their employees face. The development of deburring automation for robotics has helped companies find solutions to many of the issues they face with manual manufacturing.

When deburring is performed manually it is a tedious process often involving the operation of heavy equipment. This heavy equipment must be manipulated over and over leading to employee fatigue and slow productions. When an employee loses concentration or tires this increases the risk of serious injury. There is also the potential risk of debris from the part being deburred coming in contact with the worker causing injuries or long-term health effects. Employee injuries that occur on the job are costly to companies since they can halt operations and could lead to a potential lawsuit. Adding a Yaskawa Motoman HP50 to the production line eliminates the risk of worker injury because robots are designed to work thousands of hours and to perform applications that can be dangerous to humans without failure.

The precision delivered by robots such as the KUKA KR 16 results in high product quality that is unmatched by human workers. Manual deburring is laborious and often results in errors especially if the part is complex. Trying to correct these errors can lead to even more imperfections. Robots are designed to perform the same task repeatably without deviating from accuracy and at faster rates than humans. Their precision and efficiency result in high quality products reaching consumers at faster rates. Faster production time with increased quality leads to a quicker return on investment for businesses. Having a quicker ROI with deburring robots means manufacturer profitability will also increase and that is perhaps one of the biggest driving factors for automating with deburring robots.

Contact us by email mm@robotsdoneright.com or phone (440) 724-6568 today to discuss buying or selling a deburring robot.


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