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ROBOTICS


Other lightweighting strategies include using aluminum, which necessitates new ways of joining aluminum to steel while avoiding corrosion. That also has led to using robotic laser devices more, he said. “In the last few years, we’re seeing more of the US name-


plates doing what the Europeans have been doing probably for a decade: taking aluminum structures and gluing them to a galvanized sheetmetal and riveting it to something else,” he said. “Those things are really coming around.” FANUC is involved with production of General Mo-


tors Co.’s Cadillac CT6, which uses a mix of aluminum and high-strength steels. The luxury four-door is the lead application for a GM-developed steel-to-aluminum spot- welding process. With lightweighting and using new materials, “it’s


very effective for people to apply robotics in those ap- plications,” Sharpe said. “Lasers have gone down [in cost]. Material science is being proved, and that allows them to apply the technologies together and make bet- ter vehicles for us.”


Aerospace use jumps Advancements in laser robotics have spurred increased


use in aerospace, he said. “A lot of the stuff we’re doing is specific to hard facing


the struts and the screws of a turbine,” Sharpe said. For re- pair work, a laser process “with powdered metal or a wire fed system” can be used “to build those back up.” Also, with composite materials, lasers can be used to clean surfaces before applying adhesives, he said.


Prima Power Laserdyne worked with FANUC on a


system for an aerospace customer that VanderWert de- clined to identify. They used a FANUC robot to load and unload parts.


“Normally one doesn’t think of low-volume production as a case for robotic load and unload,” he said. But the customer found that a machine went underutilized. “Invari- ably, the operator would be on break when the part was finished,” and so the customer wanted to automate the load and unload of parts. Prima originally started by making articulated arm


robots for inspection applications, then entered into laser systems using Cartesian robots with three linear axes and two rotary axes.


AM has processing needs Laser robotic systems also have an opportunity with


increased 3D printing output of parts. 3D printing produces parts directly from a digital design. However, many 3D-printed parts still have rough surfaces that require additional work. “Laser robotics can be used for processing: machining, smoothing, grinding or whatever,” FANUC’s Sharpe said. “We are experts at motion and motion planning and con-


trol,” he said. “We also have an expertise in laser process and controls. Our scope is to bring that together to market, but we also work together with others as customers require.” One of FANUC’s priorities is improving precision of its


robots. Increased precision expands the number of appli- cations, Sharpe said.


The automotive segment in particular pushes the use of robotics in part because of familiarity with the technology. Here, aluminum laser welding is performed at a General Motors plant.


52


March 2017 Photo courtesy of FANUC


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