Assembly applications
With Integrated Force Control automated assembly tasks are now possible using traditional robot automation. Compared with expensive hard automation, robotic solutions offer a lower cost investment and greater degree of flexibility. Assembly is a very demanding application in which parts with small tolerance’s must fit together. With ABB’s Integrated Force Control technology parts with very small tolerances can be assembled repeatability without requiring highly accurate and expensive fixtures. Integrated Force Control significantly reduces the risk of assembly failures which may result in production problems or damaged parts. A force controlled robot can be programmed to mimic the movements of a human arm, applying search patterns to find the correct position to assemble the part.
Machining applications
Force Control can be use to improve robotic machining applications such as grinding, polishing, deburring and deflashing. One of the software’s features, FC Pressure, allows a robot to grind, polish or buff parts whilst maintaining a constant force between the tool and the work piece. Another feature, FC SpeedChange, enables a robot to deburr or deflash partlines and surfaces of parts at a controlled speed, thereby slowing down when encountering excessive burrs or casting flash. This functionality reduces programming time and cycle times in demanding machining applications, and can also considerably increase tool life.