Material removal

Reduce waste and increase accuracy by using a UR robot for material removal applications. Whether you are sanding, drilling, or grinding surfaces, collaborative robots can perform with highly precise movements and consistent pressure, resulting in high-quality and effective material removal on intricate shapes.

Cut costs, polish accuracy

Material removal is a critical step in manufacturing, as it transforms raw components into precise, high-quality units that seamlessly integrate into complex systems. Whether it is focused on refining a new product to meet stringent performance and safety standards or restoring worn and faulty items, material removal requires exceptional accuracy—carefully processing material to meet exact specifications while optimizing waste management.

However, the task is far from simple. It demands skilled operators and involves high risks, particularly when working with tough materials, completing long cycle times, and handling potential hazards such as cutting tools and high temperatures. Cobots with force and torque sensing provide the perfect solution, ensuring precision, minimizing waste, and streamlining the entire process—from grinding to drilling—while maintaining a safe, cost-effective operation.

Material removal cobots in action

Faster, more productive

Kal Plastics, a Los Angeles-based contract manufacturer, transformed its operations with the UR10e cobot, cutting trimming time by nearly 50% and eliminating overtime. This innovation boosted productivity and reduced late shipments to under 1%, making Kal Plastics the first plastics thermoformer to adopt collaborative robot technology—dramatically reducing costs and enhancing workplace safety.

Boosting profits

'Sandrew', as the employees of Vermont-based woodworking manufacturer Andrew Pearce Bowls affectionately call the UR5e cobot, has become a key asset in meeting skyrocketing demand and boosting profits. Handling the entire finishing sanding process from top to bottom, Sandrew, equipped with Robotiq’s sanding kit and an AirPick gripper, effortlessly switches between various product sizes and shapes.

Reduce downtime

Faced with a shortage of skilled labor for material removal, leading aluminum car parts manufacturer Rivimetal saw a dramatic hit to its productivity. A modular automated solution powered by UR 10 cobots boosted Rivimetal’s productivity by an impressive 82%, adding hundreds of production hours annually and resulting in an extraordinary return on investment in just 15 months.

Increase safety and consistency

Material removal operators face numerous hurdles, including tough materials, long cycle times for large-scale and high-precision jobs, and issues like vibrations and instability in workpieces. With built-in force and torque sensing, collaborative robots deliver pinpoint accuracy, ensuring consistent tool placement and reducing waste and scrap. Whether it’s grinding, deburring, milling, routing, or drilling, cobots streamline operations and boost cost-effectiveness.

Sanding

Traditional sanding requires manual labor and can be tiring, time-consuming, and repetitive work. Robot arms can be programmed to smooth and polish a material's surface prior to painting or finishing, producing consistent and precise results for extended periods. Human employees can be freed up for more skilled tasks.

Drilling

Drilling is demanding, repetitive work that can lead to fatigue and strain. UR collaborative robots provide consistent precision over long periods, freeing workers to focus on more skilled, less physically taxing jobs. This approach enhances productivity and prioritizes worker well-being by reducing manual workload.

Grinding

Cobots can grind with highly precise movements and consistent pressure, resulting in evenly ground surfaces every time. UR robots can perform complex, multi-directional grinding patterns with ease, and critical parameters such as speed, pattern, and pressure can be calibrated. Added-value hardware and software, such as integrated force sensors, can also allow cobots to self-regulate grinding pressure to prevent damage.

Complete your cobot

Our collaborative, industrial robots require add-ons to reach their full potential. This worlds of additional products in an entire ecosystem on its own. We at Universal Robots take the high pride in our ecosystem, which is called UR+.

Application kits

Application kits are useful for those who can install their own solution but are looking for a compatible set of end-effectors, software and other accessories

Components

Components are single products that can be combined with our UR robot to create an entire solution. This includes items such end-effectors, 7th axis, software or teach pendants.

Solutions

Solutions are flexible and easy to integrate and typically allow for variation in the choice of grippers and all the necessary accessories. These pre-assembled packages are ideal if you are looking for a plug-and-play solution with low risk, a manageable budget and on-site setup.

Tried. Tested. Trusted.

Universal Robots has deployed over 90,000 cobots into every manufacturing industry. Companies of all sizes, from Fortune 500 giants to local contract machine shops, are leveraging our 6th generation cobots to increase productivity and quality and improve job satisfaction for their manufacturing teams.

Flexible

UR cobots meet the demands for flexibility head-on with industry-leading ease-of-use, intuitive programming, and a powerful back-end for OEMs and developers to add value and meet specific needs. UR cobot-based systems generate ROI that is usually measured in months, not years.

Worker-safe, worker-friendly

Universal Robots has developed the most complete set of safety tools and functions in the industry. Our safety protocols can be configured to meet the varied safety requirements of your plant or facilities and your application risk assessment, letting your manufacturing team work safely side-by-side with UR cobots.

Get in touch with Universal Robots

Thousands of businesses rely on Collaborative Robots to...

- Increase productivity
- Adapt to changing product demand
- Improve employee well-being and retention
- Staff through labor shortages