May 21, 2020 - Optomec announced it is now offering integrated robotic automation for its Huffman line of production 3D Metal Additive Repair machines. The solution combines Optomec’s Huffman line of production laser cladders together with a Fanuc LRMate 200, a compact, six-axis industrial robot with the approximate size and reach of a human arm. This robotic integration automates the loading and unloading of parts into the chuck of the laser cladder, allowing the system to operate at faster cycle times by working from trays and racks that contain a dozen or more components.
Though the automation scheme is especially suited for high volume repair of turbine blades and vanes, it can be applied to a number of industrial applications such as the repair of sealing surfaces of diesel engine components, or the addition of hardfacing materials to industrial valve parts. Optomec’s 3D Metal Additive systems use Directed Energy Deposition (DED) - a form of metal 3D Printing that enables repeatable repairs of components and delivers metallurgy at a lower cost as compared to hand TIG-welded repairs.
The combination of the Huffman line of laser cladders with the Fanuc LRMate 200 and Optomec’s AutoCLAD vision and adaptive process software takes automated laser cladding to the next level of throughput, making it ideal for high volume, high-accuracy, high-acceleration applications.
