About Automated Material Removal
Robotic material removal can be integrated into a wide range of manufacturing processes, including sanding, deburring, polishing, and grinding. Industries such as automotive, aerospace, metal fabrication, and general manufacturing can all benefit from the precision, consistency, and efficiency that robotic material removal provides.
Automated Material Removal Applications
Automated Polishing
Robotic polishing provides manufacturers with a consistent, high-quality surface finish while reducing the labor intensity of manual polishing. By automating this process, companies can improve product appearance, extend tool life, and increase throughput without sacrificing precision.
Key Advantages:
-
Delivers uniform surface finishes with repeatable accuracy
-
Reduces operator exposure to dust, vibration, and repetitive strain
-
Handles complex geometries and contours with 6-axis robots
-
Improves throughput and reduces rework/scrap
-
Easily adaptable to different materials and part types (metal, plastic, composites)
Robotic Deburring
Robotic deburring removes sharp edges, burrs, and excess material from machined or cast parts with speed and repeatability. Automating this process improves quality control and worker safety while keeping up with high-volume production demands.
​​Key Advantages:
-
Consistent, high-precision edge finishing across every part
-
Reduces labor costs and manual effort in repetitive deburring tasks
-
Improves safety by removing workers from hazardous hand tools
-
Scales easily for high-volume production runs
-
Adaptable to a wide range of materials and part geometries
Automated Sanding
Robotic sanding delivers smooth, uniform surfaces while eliminating the inconsistency and strain of manual sanding. Automated sanding ensures reliable preparation for painting, coating, or finishing across a variety of materials.
Key Advantages:
-
Consistent, repeatable surface preparation with uniform pressure
-
Improves finish quality and reduces downstream rework
-
Enhances operator safety by removing exposure to dust and vibration
-
Capable of sanding flat panels, curved surfaces, and complex shapes
-
Easily reprogrammable for different parts, coatings, or production runs
What Type of Robot is Best for Automated Material Removal?
Most material removal applications are handled by either collaborative robots (cobots) or industrial robots, depending on part size, throughput, and safety needs.
Cobots for Automated Material Removal
Strengths: can works safely alongside humans, easy to deploy and redeploy, smaller footprint than industrial robots ​​​
Tradeoffs: Limited payload, slower movement speed
Best suited for: Light to medium material removal tasks, processes with slower cycle times​​
.png)
Cobots - able to work alongside humans and are easier to reprogram and redeploy.
Industrial Robots for Automated Material Removal
Strengths: Handles heavier tooling with higher movement speed, high precision and repeatability for complex 3d paths ​​​
Tradeoffs: requires extra safety guarding, higher upfront cost, less flexible for reconfiguration/ redeployment​
Best suited for: High-throughput applications, medium to large material removal processes, applications with complex geometries​​
.png)
Industrial robots - can handle applications that require a heavier payload or more force.