Welding, grinding, and polishing are tasks ideal for automation, but they require specialized end-of-arm tooling. ATI Industrial Automation has developed the RCE-710 radially compliant electric material-removal tool, which it said is its first all-in-one, electrically-powered material removal tool.
Apex, N.C.-based ATI Industrial Automation develops robotic accessories and robot arm tooling including tool changers, multi-axis force/torque sensing systems, and utility couplers. It also develops manual tool changers, robotic deburring tools, robotic collision sensors, and compliance devices.
The company said its end effectors are made in the U.S. and are found in thousands of applications around the world. Its flagship Robotic Tool Changer, is a robotic wrist coupling that locks and unlocks automatically, allowing a single robot to perform many different tasks.
Users of ATI products include Ford, Honda, and Johns Hopkins University. ATI Industrial Automation has also worked with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratories to develop a custom force/torque sensor for the Perseverance Rover, which is on its way to Mars.
The RCE-710 material removal tool. Source: ATI
RCE-710 designed for welding, polishing tasks
The RCE-710 features large bearings, a shaft designed for demanding robot applications, and a variable speed motor with a range of 0 to 13,000 rpm. It is built to handle a diverse array of robotic material removal tasks such as rust and weld spatter removal, blending, polishing, and light grinding, said ATI.
The new electric tool also features built-in compliance to simplify and streamline the programming process. In addition, it can compensate for part and fixture misalignments. The motor rotates clockwise and counterclockwise and produces continuous torque on the work piece.
Available as a complete end-effector package, the RCE-710 includes the deburring tool, power and signal cables and connectors, and an easy-to-use controller. ATI said its material-removal system can perform a wide array of tasks with carbide burrs, brushes, flap wheels, unitized wheels, and a variety of other cutting, grinding, and polishing media.
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