KUKA recently demonstrated its Roboforming process with two KR 500 FORTEC robots. Leveraging these precision industrial robotics and AI-driven process control, this process rapidly shapes sheet metal into large, complex parts that are extremely expensive and slow to produce with conventional manufacturing tools.
Developed by Machina Labs and best suited for larger parts up to 12' long, Roboforming produces deep-drawn parts up to 4' in depth. It is able to shape structural sheet metal parts as thick as 0.250" with sub-millimeter precision.
For Roboforming, Machina's Robotic Craftsman agile manufacturing platform integrates the KUKA 7-axis robots, autonomous sheet loading and fixturing along with advanced AI process models and closed-loop controls that enable several manufacturing processes at the click of a button. The robots have the ability to change tools and sensors instantly to perform a variety of operations such as Roboforming, scanning and trimming on a wide range of materials. The platform is continuously upgraded to improve existing capabilities and add entirely new ones.
KUKA's KR 500 FORTEC is a versatile heavy-duty robot suitable for a wide range of applications. In particular, the machine tool variant of the robot is suited for milling applications in the high payload range, while the foundry variant performs heavy-duty tasks for foundry work.
As with all KUKA automation solutions, the Roboforming cell and other products are backed by the company's expert service and support for training, complete system engineering and simulation, readily available spare parts, robot refurbishment and more, all of which are accessible through the my.KUKA.com site. KUKA maintains corporate offices and production operations, along with integration partner facilities, conveniently located throughout North America to provide responsive customer service and support.
For more information contact:
KUKA Robotics Corporation
51870 Shelby Parkway
Shelby Township, MI 48315-1787
866-873-5852
kukainfo@kukarobotics.com
www.kuka-robotics.com