We’ve all heard the phrase; “work smarter, not harder” but Saksit Suetrong, CEO and Owner of iA-ROBOTICS gives it a whole new meaning. Developing and integrating optimized manufacturing solutions, iA-ROBOTICS specializes in intelligent robotic automation systems. The California-based engineering group is also a Level 4 FANUC Authorized Integrator and the only Certified Servicing Integrator on the West Coast. Suetrong and his team at iA-ROBOTICS thrive on making the impossible a reality through custom robotics and automation.
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Recently, iA-ROBOTICS is using ATI’s Radially-Compliant Deburring Tools to change the way aluminum wheel makers manufacture their products. Wheel manufacturing utilizes both manual and machine processes. A consistent challenge manufacturers face is recruiting and retaining skilled laborers to perform the tedious manual tasks. One such task is the removal of flash material from the wheel castings. Otherwise known as deburring, this process requires operators to manipulate heavy equipment by hand for hours on end. Not only monotonous, the soft alloy material and specifications for the finished product also require a high level of accuracy. In a situation like this, there are many things that can go wrong and disrupt the flow of product. Operator fatigue, inconsistencies due to lack of training, and other instances of human error all add up to one thing: process downtime.
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Deburring is one of the final stages of the wheel manufacturing process, so if there is a problem or defect with a unit at this point, it usually has to be scrapped. This can result in higher raw material and finished goods costs for the manufacturer. iA-ROBOTICS optimizes this manual process with FANUC robots and ATI’s Deburring Tools. Pairing the accuracy and repeatability of ATI’s low-maintenance Deburring Tools with an industrial robot enables operators to focus on more specialized tasks, eliminates many safety concerns, and most importantly-increases production capabilities.
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Suetrong and his engineering team at iA-ROBOTICS explored various deburring options in the market, but they ultimately chose ATI’s RC-300 Radially-Compliant Deburring Tools. Suetrong indicated that ATI’s product quality, compliant technology, and support made the RC-300 ideal for this job. He says “The environment is very harsh. There's contamination in the air. There's coolant, there's smog from the machining process. We've performed actual production tests utilizing the ATI Deburring Tool and it has proven to work in that environment.” He goes on to say that they haven’t had a single maintenance issue in the last 8 months of their customer’s production runs.
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iA-ROBOTICS Application Designer, Matei Lichti states that, “The best tool we found was ATI’s Radially-Compliant Deburring Tool, which allowed us to cut the softer material but also keep the quality and aesthetics that were required. We have a specific tolerance and the Radially-Compliant Deburring Tool allows us to control that force.”
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Partnering with ATI Industrial Automation has helped iA-ROBOTICS deliver two-fold production increases to its wheel-making customers. By transitioning tiresome processes into 24/7 production runs, iA-ROBOTICS is reshaping the industry. The company sees a future for similar automated deburring systems in the aerospace and furniture manufacturing industries as well.
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Click here for more information on iA-ROBOTICS.
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Click here for more information on our Robotic Deburring Tools.
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