Computer Assisted Robotic Fettling of Cast Iron Product

Abstract

Robots in the industrial environment are mostly used for repetitive, pre-defined tasks with little variance and adaptability .Industrial robots have a great inherent flexibility due to their kinematical degrees of freedom and the versatility of manageable tools, sensors and other periphery devices. The effort needed to program and configure the entire robot system. The accuracy and working of the robot determines the result of the applications. One such application is fettling operation. Fettling is the process of removing excess material from castings. This excess material is often formed at the die’s parting lines during the casting process as molten material is injected into the die at high pressure. By using a robot as a positioning tool for the fettling operation, the process can be carried out safely and with consistent results. Fettling is a highly arduous and man power intensive metal removal process. Automated fettling involves programmed motion in several axes to simulate manual operation. Fettling cells are designed specially to suit to operation requirements. They have a robust mechanical design along with state of the art electronics and software. The actual advantage of fettling cells lie not only in the fact that you can save on man power- it also increases quality, reproduces work, processes precisely and ensures that production remains flexible.