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Robotic blast system adapted for processing aircraft turbine blades

Guyson Corp. has designed and built the RB-10-TC robotic grit-blasting machine, adapted for processing aircraft turbine blades in production lots. Developed for lightly attended operation, the machine blasts an entire pallet-load of components without human intervention.

A FANUC M-10iA robot, mounted on a pedestal inside the 60- by 60-in. blast enclosure, is fitted with a custom-engineered gripper as end-of-arm tooling. A single suction-blast gun or pressure-blast nozzle is bracketed in position within reach of the component-manipulating robot. To enable regripping of blades to obtain uniform coverage of areas obscured by the robot’s part-holding gripper, a stationary auxiliary clamp or gripper is provided.

The design incorporates a servomotor-driven linear actuator on a rigid stand attached to one side of the blast cabinet that carries a transfer cart in and out of the process chamber. Custom-designed pallets or fixture trays cradle the blades in the correct location and orientation for robotic picking.