Painting in the aerospace industry is yet another example of menial labor that is successfully being automated.
In the video above, we look at how FANUC America is tackling this application with their silver robots, like the P350iA Paint Robot.
“The robots for these applications will be silver because it is intrinsically safe with spark-proof aluminum and purged out motor cavities,” explained Larry Marino, technical specialist at FANUC America Corporation. “The P350iA Paint Robot actually has the highest kilogram payload of a Class 1 Division 1 hazardous environment robot at 45kg.”
The reason these robots have an unconventionally high payload is that they’re programmed to change end effectors throughout their work cycle.
“Boeing has two of these in their facility right now, performing sanding, solvent spray and prepping the fuselage for painting,” added Marino. “Encore Engineering actually did the design of the end-of-arm tools and paper changer.”
Given the curved structure of the sides of a plane, the P350iA uses between nine and eleven axes to maximize coverage and consistency. FANUC America’s offline simulation programming, which uses the CAD file of the airplane, teaches the robots their paths of motion.
The P350iA has also seen use in munitions handling applications, due its safety rating and spark-proof aluminum body.
For more information, watch the video above and visit the FANUC America website.