One could argue that the growth of additive manufacturing (AM) adoption proceeds at the pace at which the barriers to entry involved in post-processing are lowered. In other words, the cheaper the post-processing becomes, the easier it is to sell AM to new users.
Many of the approaches to that challenge have revolved around design strategies that aim to limit as much as possible the need for post-processing after a part is printed. But there are also companies, like the UK’s Rivelin Robotics, that aim to lower the cost of the post-processing phase by automating the task.
Leading global robotics firm Italy’s Comau Robotics is also now entering that arena as part of the CONVERGING project, a smart manufacturing initiative funded by the European Union (EU). The first R&D goal Comau aims to achieve is to create a medium-payload version of the company’s MyCo robot that can be used alongside human labor to streamline post-processing of 3D printed parts.
Additionally, Comau is planning a second project that will leverage “a collaborative remote inspection robot” to complete non-invasive inspection of aircraft wing components, including those that have been 3D printed. Earlier this year, Comau announced a number of different partnerships it has formed in recent years with AM users. The company also formed a partnership not long after with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Roboze, which specializes in high-throughput machines compatible with high-strength thermoplastics.
In a press release about Comau’s development of robotic arm systems for post-processing and quality inspection as part of the EU’s CONVERGING project, Nicole Clement, the company’s Chief Advanced Automation Solutions Officer, said, “The CONVERGING project reflects a strategic effort to enable next-generation manufacturing by promoting reconfigurability, efficiency, and human-centric automation. By leveraging our extensive expertise in robotics and industrial automation together with our new cobots and AMRs [Autonomous Mobile Robots], Comau aims to contribute to the development and deployment of innovative technologies that will redefine the future of manufacturing and maintenance processes.”
As 3DPrint.com’s Joris Peels noted in his March 2024 article about Rivelin Robotics, “While depowdering has seen automated solutions like Solukon machines, and parts can be placed into vibratory and other finishing machines, automation tools for build plate, part, and support removal are limited and scarcely used.” While it’s not yet clear exactly what the Comau solution will entail, the fact that it also features robotic arm systems suggests it may perform similar functions.
While the AM industry has seen an increasing amount of robotic arm systems used for printing parts, there have been far fewer publicly announced examples of robotic arms dedicated to other phases of AM-centered production lines. However, as the scale of output of printed parts continues to expand, there is likely to be increased demand for automation of functions like post-processing and quality inspection.
In fact, that could ultimately turn out to be something of an X factor in determining how quickly the AM industry is able to grow over the next decade, insofar as it’s a perfect scenario for leading to the emergence of a positive feedback loop. As printed part output scales, the demand for automation increases, lowering the cost of ownership for AM-dedicated robotic arm systems and thereby incentivizing further growth in overall AM adoption.
In any case, the rise of applications centered on automation of post-processing is itself an indicator of market demand for it. With the constantly increasing ubiquity of robotic arm systems, I think we’ll likely see more such applications in the near future.
Images courtesy of Comau
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