Robotic Orbital Sander
December 6, 2021Comments
The AOV-10 robotic orbital sander from ATI Industrial Automation reportedly is ideal for robotic surface preparation and finishing, and built-in compliance makes it well-suited for many different robotic application types—even those that require a light touch, according to company officials.
Manual material-removal operations depend upon skilled people’s ability to feel and visually inspect subtle changes in surface conditions, which allows them to instinctively adjust forces to compensate for variations and produce a uniform process on the workpiece. This technology provides an alternative. For systems using the AOV-10, a pneumatically-actuated, adjustable compliance mechanism provides dynamic control of contact forces, ensuring ideal, repeatable results and accommodating a variety of applications.
The axially compliant sander can be used as a direct replacement for manual surface-preparation and -finishing techniques to ensure high-quality results without safety hazards or compromised labor. The compact and lightweight design suits a range of robot sizes and types, from collaborative robots to industrial models. Double-acting motion reportedly offsets the weight of the AOV-10 to produce the desired finish no matter how the tool is configured. Users can mount the AOV-10 directly to their robots or fixtures in any orientation, including upside-down, and also integrate ATI’s Auto Media Changer for hands-free exchange of sanding media.
ATI’s robotic sander is optimized with 3M abrasives and includes a curated 3M media kit of sanding discs and backup pads.
See also: ATI Industrial Automation, 3M Abrasive Systems Division
Technologies: Finishing
