Advancements in the robotic industry have brought about the designs of many collaborative robots today. Since these robots work alongside humans, they must maintain safety.
CNC machining helps ensure robot parts are lightweight, precise, safe, and reliable. In this post, we explore all you should know about lightweight CNC parts for collaborative robots.
What are Collaborative Robots?
Collaborative robots, also known as cobots, are industrial robots designed to function safely along with humans in the same space.
They are made with advanced sensors that allow them to detect contact or an event, thereby preventing accidents. Because they operate along with humans, they must maintain lightweight CNC parts to ensure safety and accuracy.
Importance of Lightweight CNC Parts for Collaborative Robots
Boosting Payload Capacity
Lightweight robot arm, end effectors, joint housings, and other CNC-machined parts help significantly reduce the overall weight of the robot, thereby improving the payload capacity. As such, the robot can be able to carry a heavy weight load.
Improving Safety Response
With lightweight CNC parts, collaborative robots are able to detect or sense collisions faster. As such, they can stop movement faster since they have low mass, thereby preventing accidents.
Improving Energy Efficiency
Lightweight CNC parts are more likely to consume less energy than heavyweight components. As such, the operating cost of the robot is minimal even when performance is high.
Extending Motor Life
Lightweight CNC parts for collaborative robots help extend motor life by ensuring that low heat is generated, preventing wear of motor parts, and improving performance.
Heavy-weight parts are likely to operate at full capacity, at high temperatures, thereby reducing the lifespan of motor parts.
Designing Lightweight CNC Parts for Collaborative Robots
Here are a few Design for Manufacturing strategies for achieving lightweight CNC parts in collaborative robots.
Structural Honeycombing Methods
Rather than using solid metal material, the interior honeycomb structure can be optimized. This helps improve the strength-to-weight ratio of CNC parts while still maintaining stiffness.
Thin Wall Optimization
With CNC machining, thin-walled parts can be optimized. As such, wall thickness can be reduced as much as possible while still maintaining the structural integrity of the components.
Integrated Part Geometry
By reducing the number of parts that need assembling or fastening, more weight can be saved. By integrating several components into one complex unit, the chances of failure can also be eliminated
Materials for Lightweight Collaborative Robot CNC Parts
Here are some essential materials used for lightweight CNC Parts production.
Aluminum 7075-T6
Aluminum 7075-T6 offers an excellent strength-to-weight ratio and ease of machining, and it’s commonly used for robot parts like robot arm links, joint enclosures, motor mounts, etc
Magnesium AZ31B Alloy
This is suitable for lightweight CNC parts due to its extremely low density. It also offers a relatively good strength and ease of machining. It’s suitable for actuator housing, non-load frames, etc.
Titanium Grade 5
Titanium also offers a high strength-to-weight ratio and fatigue and corrosion resistance, and as such, it is used for parts like joint components, structural brackets, etc.
Carbon Fiber Composites
Carbon fibre composites are also extremely lightweight but with high stiffness and low thermal expansion. They are valuable for lightweight CNC parts like robot arm links, end effector frames, etc.
PEEK Engineering Plastic
Also offers temperature and chemical resistance, a low weight-to-strength ratio, and is valuable for end-of-arm tooling, sensor housing, electrical insulation components, etc.
Engineering Strategies for a Lightweight Collaborative Robot Arm
Here are specific strategies for ensuring lightweight robot arm design.
Optimizing Load Paths
With the help of tools like Finite Element Analysis, engineers can discover the load paths for collaborative robots.
With that, they can identify how force is being distributed within a component, such as to gauge areas where material usage should be reduced.
Skeletonized Link Design
By using 5-axis CNC milling, skeletonised link design can be optimized to remove material from intricate regions or angles so that a lightweight robot arm can be achieved.
Integrated Thermal Management
Rather than designing a separate heat sink, internal heat control or ventilation channels can be included in the collaborative robot arm. This helps reduce overall weight while enhancing thermal management.
How CNC Enables Lightweight Collaborative Robot Arms
Precise Material Removal
CNC machining allows for the precise removal of material, ensuring every robot arm produced meets the same weight requirements and other specifications, which is important for balanced collaborative robots control.
Tight Tolerance Machining
Thin-wall machining is vital for robot arm components in order to eliminate excess weight. As such, parts must maintain a tolerance range of ±0.005mm for accurate alignments, which is usually made possible with CNC machining.
Complex Internal Channels
Many collaborative robots today come with internal cooling, sensors, and electronic channels. CNC machining allows these channels to be included directly into the interior structure, thereby eliminating excess weight.
Precision Machining for Lightweight CNC Parts for Collaborative Robots
Precision machining is crucial for achieving lightweight CNC parts. Here are some techniques to note.
High Speed Milling
High-speed spindle allows for quicker material removal with low milling forces. This ensures that tight tolerances, thin walls, and smooth surface finishes are maintained during the machining process.
Advanced Toolpath Strategies
Advanced toolpath techniques like dynamic milling and trochoidal toolpaths provide balanced milling forces and decrease the heat that affects part accuracy. This is vital in ensuring lightweight CNC parts maintain precision.
Vibration Dampening Techniques
When machining lightweight CNC parts, vibrations could affect dimensional accuracy. Measures like the use of fixtures, optimized milling parameters, etc., can be used to reduce vibration, thereby preserving precision.
Lightweight CNC-Machined Parts for Collaborative Robots
End Effectors
End effectors are the tools or equipment attached to the end of collaborative robots’ arms, including grippers, welding heads, etc.
By using lightweight materials like PEEK and aluminum, the robot arm can perform at a fast speed and with high accuracy.
Joint Housings
This provides protection for the motors, encoders, bearing etc located in the robot joints. CNC machining process helps reduce its weight while retaining strength.
Compact Actuator Mounts
These hold the transmission systems and drive gears securely in place. With CNC machining, lightweight actuator mounts eliminate excessive load on the robot drive structures.
Integrated Motor Brackets
Integrated motor brackets allow for a single structure instead of several mountings. This helps reduce multiple parts while enhancing the lightweight collaborative robots’ design.
Skeletonized Link Arms
Skeletonized link arms are the bones of the robotic system. When designing them, materials must be strategically removed from the arm links to achieve a lightweight, high-strength structure.
Gear Housings
This provides protection for the robot’s gear and transmission systems. CNC machining helps ensure that the gear housing maintains accurate alignment while also reducing weight.
Conclusion
Beyond ensuring safety, lightweight CNC parts help ensure collaborative robots are energy efficient, work with accuracy, increase payload capacity, and maintain performance over a long period of time.
RobotCNCParts specializes in producing precise and high-quality robotic components. With our advanced CNC machining facility, high-grade metals and plastics, and a team of professionals, we’ve worked with many clients across the globe. We offer no MOQ policy and a fast turnaround time. Get a Quote Now.
