Catherine Elie showcases Robotiq's new Sanding Kit as we get ready to delve into the world of sanding, polishing, deburring and grinding with cobots. 

Finishing processes are difficult, time-consuming, repetitive and potentially hazardous to your health.  This makes processes such as deburring, polishing and sanding ideal candidates for automation through human-robot collaboration.  

However, until now, collaborative sanding systems took days, weeks --and sometimes even months-- to set up.  

With the launch of Robotiq's new Sanding Kit all that has changed. 

As the only hardware and software sanding solution for Universal Robots, Robotiq's Sanding Kit enables you to set up and deploy a collaborative sanding job in just minutes. 

Join Catherine Elie as she showcases a Sanding Kit demo from Automate 2019...

****

Sanding is one of those tasks where the three Ds of robotics --the dull, dirty, and dangerous-- really come together.  The time-consuming and repetitive nature of sanding tasks present obvious challenges for human attention spans.  And so, the introduction of automation leads to immediate gains in productivity and product quality. 

All that said, one of the strongest cases for the adoption of cobot sanding solutions is in the area of worker safety. 

The hazards faced by people performing sanding tasks range from noise pollution and dust exposure to potentially serious hand and eye injuries. 

Furthermore, over years of regular sanding work, many people end up suffering from hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) --"a constellation of vascular, neurological and musculoskeletal signs and symptoms that may occur in workers who use handheld vibrating tools." 

Enter Robotiq's Sanding Kit, the  only hardware and software sanding solution for Universal Robots. 

Designed to free human hands from the time-consuming and potentially dangerous work of sanding, this all-in-one sanding solution radically reduces workers' exposure to the hazards typically associated with sanding tasks.

Robotiq's Sanding Kit in action.  Credit: Robotiq

With a built-in path generator and Finishing Copilot software, the Sanding Kit ensures consistent force at each cycle, ensuring consistently high product quality.  The kit can be used with wood, plastic, metal, fiberglass, solid surfaces and carbon fiber.

Credit: Robotiq

By combining the flexibility and versatility of Universal Robots' cobots with Robotiq's specialist Sanding Kit, your set up time is a matter of minutes --enabling you to quickly deploy collaborative sanding solutions when and where your business needs them. 

And it all means a safer environment for workers too. 

Credit: Robotiq

So, things are going to get gritty on this blog over the coming weeks and months as we explore the benefits of collaborative sanding solutions.  We'll compare traditional automated sanding offerings to those built on flexible, safe cobot technology.  We'll share tips and insights for getting the most out of your Sanding Kits. 

We also have advice and information on polishing, deburring and grinding to come.  Join in the conversation about finishing in our discussion forum too.