Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2023 - MD-14

Turnkey Yet Versatile Cobot Design Improves
Sanding, Grinding, Finishing
W
hen asked about the most dreaded
tasks on the manufacturing floor,
many teams point to sanding, grinding,
or polishing. These unforgiving tasks can
be tedious, time-consuming, and hazardous,
leading to respiratory illnesses and
repetitive motion injuries. In today's economic
climate, finding workers willing to
perform these taxing jobs can be challenging.
Yet, they are often necessary
when assembling metal, composite, or
other parts into manufactured products.
But what if this sanding, grinding, and
finishing work could be automated?
Manufacturing teams in multiple industries,
from aerospace to oil and gas, are
finding relief in the form of new collaborative
robots (cobots), like Kane
Robotics' GRIT ST and GRIT XL, that
can sand off coatings, grind welds, or
polish metal finishes in half the time and
more safely than humans.
Kane's cobots are easy to integrate
into manufacturing operations due to
their low price point, small footprint,
and simple reprogrammable interface.
This automation reduces healthcare
costs by avoiding repetitive motion injuries
for workers and saves time and
money on constantly hiring new employees
for these dull, strenuous, and dangerous
tasks.
The concept for Kane's cobot solutions
started with a request for automation
that could free skilled workers from
wearing protective suits to sand aerospace
parts for hours on end. The solution
had to be lightweight, mobile, compatible
with 110V electrical sockets, simple
to use, versatile for multiple tasks,
affordable, and safe.
GRIT's modular design combines off-the-shelf robotic
arms, end effectors, end-of-arm tools, and abrasives
into one preprogrammed turnkey solution. (Image:
Kane Robotics)
14
Kane engineers took on the job. The
design aimed to replicate the motions
used by humans when sanding, so Kane
configured a robotic arm mounted on a
mobile cart or larger chassis with customizable
end-of-arm tools that met the
sanding job specifications. With a choice
of a small (30 " x30 " up to 6'x14'), large
(30 " x30 " up to 6'x 14' with 7th axis
available), or vertical platform, the GRIT
solution is a cobot alternative to human
sanding and grinding equipped with
preprogrammed instructions based on
client specifications and sensors to ensure
safe operation. Designed for the
aerospace industry, GRIT is now used in
oil and gas, EV assembly, and other manufacturing.
Kane's
design is purposefully simple.
While some automation designers attempt
to automate all activities associated
with a manufacturing project, Kane
emphasizes the core tasks of making the
cobot sand, grind, or polish more efficiently
and safely than a human could.
" We can add the bells and whistles,
the extra functionality, later, " Kane COO
Alan Hiken tells clients. " At the end of
the day, unnecessary design can overcomplicate
things. We keep it simple
and solve the main pain point. "
Kane engineers designed the GRIT
cobot solution to be simple in functionality
and operability. By making it mobile
and 110V-compatible, GRIT operates on
a manufacturing shop floor in almost any
location. Unlike traditional industrial automation,
GRIT is small, lightweight, and
reconfigurable for multiple purposes by
changing the position of the mounting,
the attachments for loading and holding
parts, and the end-of-arm tools.
GRIT's modular design combines offthe-shelf
robotic arms, end effectors,
end-of-arm tools, and abrasives into one
preprogrammed turnkey
solution,
avoiding the need to reinvent the entire
solution for each customer. As a result,
GRIT can be up and running within 1-2
days of delivery.
GRIT's hardware is easily modified to
meet individual specifications, make the
solution easier to use, or comply with
unique safety regulations. Safety features,
like GRIT's auto-stop sensors, can
be augmented with light screens or
other safety measures.
For one aerospace client, Bell
Helicopter, Kane designed a safer way
for the GRIT system to grab, hold, and
flip a specific rotor blade while sanding.
Operating instructions are tailored
to meet client's unique specifications.
To preprogram GRIT, Kane engineers
initiate the process with a CAD model
design, running simulations to determine
the robotic arm's path, speed of
movement, degree of pressure, and
end-of-arm tool rotation speed.
Afterward, they load the program onto
the cobot and conduct tests to identify
the exact motions and suitable abrasive
media necessary to achieve the
desired finish.
While designed ready-to-use, the standard
GRIT ST or GRIT XL solutions are
configured in collaboration with clients
by Kane's domain expert engineers to
arrive at the optimal sanding, grinding,
or finishing cobot solution.
Oil and gas equipment manufacturer
Summit Casing Equipment recently
contracted Kane Robotics to design a
cobot solution that grinds welds on centralizers
- metal parts that line an oil
well pipe and center the well casing in
the borehole.
Kane engineers selected the appropriate
robotic arm, table size, height, and
orientation to handle the centralizers.
They mounted the robot's pedestal on
the righthand side of GRIT's 4-wheel
base and designed fixtures to hold the
centralizers in place.
Kane designed, built, and tested the
GRIT ST prototype, built customized
production fixturing,
delivered the
Motion Design, October 2023
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2023

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