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Robotic Machinist

COAD85

Plastic
Joined
Mar 21, 2022
I do not come from the machinist space so I am going to apologize upfront for my ignorance. I am curious about the need to add a robot to a CNC machine and how difficult it is to not only integrate but also maintain. I know doing this would be helping provide a better list of job duties to the employees, however with the addition to the robot require them to learn an entire new skill ? Is the integration of the machine tool and robot difficult and is this something I can learn how to do with free trainings on line to help keep cost down when integrators are not an option.
 
I'm going to suggest that integrating a robot handler with a CNC machine is not a DIY or learn-on-the-job activity.

After the robot is integrated into the system, then it will be practical for machine operators to (de)activate the robot control, and it may be practical for personnel qualified for job programming to make changes to the robot control.
 
You can do it. If you do it right it's about as hard for the operator as running a bar fed lathe.

Cheap, it is not gonna be, though. Realistically, you need a robot (15-50k, depending) some sort of work handling (grippers, blank nests, finished part nests) an auto door of some description (I guess you can have the robot open the usual door, but then your robot and your setup guy have to be able to coexist, which makes everything harder)

You need some sort of automatable work holding. I like the Schunk KSP series for this, as it avoids hydraulics and my parts tend to be small. Cheap, they are not.

You need tool and workpiece probing. There's no value to making a bunch of parts unattended if you just make a bunch of scrap.

Everything needs to be waterproof, which runs up the cost.

You either need to go with a cobot (more $$$) or have adequate guarding and safeties. Possibly both.

If you know what you're doing but it is a new build, figure three man-months for a $100k a year employee, plus fifty to a hundred grand out of pocket.

If you don't know what you're doing, a year of dedicated time will probably get you there, at what you cost.

All that is to say, this is not cheap and you aren't likely to save any real money vs buying a robot load system off the shelf.

Good luck!
 
My robot machinist/helper should have my toast and coffee hot and ready when I walk in the door and I do not want my toast cold.
All of you that do automation in a net world think about that.
How hard can this be?
Bob
 
My robot machinist/helper should have my toast and coffee hot and ready when I walk in the door and I do not want my toast cold.
All of you that do automation in a net world think about that.
How hard can this be?
Bob

That's just a toaster, a timer, and a coffee pot.

You could even use a current sensor to synchronize the coffee pot and toaster
 








 
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