Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation
Milling with Robots
Robots as Tool Machines: Machining with Industrial Robots (RoboCasting)
he extreme flexibility of industrial robots and the increasingly improved path accuracy are opening new possibilities for using robots apart from established jobs such as pick&place, welding and deburring.
The Robotic Systems Business Unit develops new methods for various processes of erosive and generative machining.
Our development work emphasizes:
- Tool development for and integration in the widest variety of manufacturing processes
- Robot control system programming based on 3-D CAD/CAM data
- Sensor integration for quality control and increased adaptability of industrial robots
- Development of mobility and safety equipment for flexible robot use
Development of industrial robots for the following applications:
- Milling large-volume components and foundry molds
- Cutting and handling PU sheets for automatic model making
- Generative laminated production of functional models for model making and prototype construction
The numerous advantages of industrial robots are apparent in all our developments:
- Cost savings over conventional CNC machine tools
- Larger machining space and exploitation of the large number of degrees of freedom for complex shapes
- Flexible and combined use of various tools