Paint Expo 2022 — ADENTE Composite Robotic Arm

We are at the Paint Expo 2022 fair in Germany. One of our group companies Ha-Tec Automation and our composite robotic arm are waiting for you!

Visit us at Hall 3 Booth 3149 at the Exhibition Center Karlsruhe Germany.

Automation robots are used in almost all industries that require automation. They are crucial for fast production. These robots are usually made of steel or aluminium. In recent years, alternative materials such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers became more available for these products. Although a full carbon fiber robot is not commercially viable, some parts such as end-of-arm tooling are being made with carbon fibres. Generally, the filament winding process is used to manufacture these parts.

Robotic arms are used to carry various products in the industry. Their main performance parameter is the mass of the payload carried per kilowatt of energy. There are several factors that affect this parameter. Specific strength is one of them. Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) robot arms have a significantly higher specific strength. In addition, because of the nature of the filament wound composite materials, the robot arms could be optimized for certain stresses which allow for a better fatigue life as well.

Furthermore, composite robotic arms could be designed to have a better damping coefficient compared to steel or aluminium. This makes the dynamic motion more stable and creates fewer vibrations. The composite robotic arms act as a mechanical fuse. The composite arm fails before yielding, so in case of an unexpected crash the composite arm fails before the press or the robot gets damaged. This reduces the maintenance cost.

As the steel and aluminium prices increase, the composite alternative will become more viable. Thus, in the robotics industry, it is expected that more composite parts is going to be implemented in assembly lines.