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Robotics in Aerospace Automation

Looking for a highly precise automation solution to increase output and reduce costs? Mecademic’s robot arms help aerospace manufacturers and researchers achieve these goals and more. In an industry where programs can take decades to develop, Mecademic helps lower costs-per-part and improve lead times for both short and long term ROI. Discover our small and easy to use automation components and learn more about Mecademic robotics in aerospace automation.

What are the benefits of Mecademic robotics in aerospace automation?

High precision inspection, testing, and micromanipulation

The aerospace robotics industry calls for extreme precision to meet strict tolerance requirements, safety standards, and micromanipulation needs. Mecademic’s aerospace clients, ranging from NASA’s Johnson Space Centre to rocket manufacturing industry leaders, benefit from unmatched precision when automating with our Meca500 robot arm. The robot is commonly commissioned to assemble delicate aerospace electronics, perform quality inspections and testing, precision-machine small components, and even micro-manipulate extraterrestrial materials. With its 5 µm repeatability, the robot guarantees that each task is performed reliably, identically, and at the same rate. Equip the robots with vision systems and sensors for added precision at high work rates.

Increased throughput at minimal automation costs

In an industry with expensive equipment, high costs, and significant financial risk, keeping costs leveled is a priority for our aerospace clients. Automating with Mecademic creates positive cash flow and shortens lengthy manufacturing and testing processes. Compared with other automation solutions, our robots need significantly shorter integration time, development, and training. The robots are easy to reconfigure to different tasks, giving more flexibility to create multiple workstations without additional costs. Since the robots guarantee consistent quality across products and tasks, they lower the scrap rate, preventing costs of rework. With their reduced down-time and high-output design, our robots ensure higher production speeds without compromising precision.

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Common applications in aerospace robotics

Ultrasonic NDT and inspection

Mecademic robots are often used for inspecting and testing small engine parts and avionics systems. They can be easily integrated with other equipment and software for non-destructive ultrasonic inspection. Pair the robots with a vision system or 3D scanning technology to ensure nothing gets overlooked in dimensional checks.  

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Micromanipulation in confined spaces

Aerospace robotics is ideal for inspecting parts inside non contact inspection such as Tomography. Our robots’ small size and precision make them especially well suited to manipulate small parts in confined spaces. Their ability to be mounted in any orientation lets them access such spaces from multiple positions. 

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Connector assembly

Connectors for aerospace and defense are subjected to stringent MIL standard requirements. The operation-critical signal integrity can only be achieved by assembling the connectors with extreme levels of precision. With their 5 micrometer repeatability, Mecademic robots are ideal for such operations. They can precisely assemble tiny interconnected pins in high-density connectors, achieving consistent reliability from part-to-part.

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Laser marking

Components manufactured for the aerospace industry often need to be marked for traceability. Mecademic robots add more flexibility to laser marking processes. They can be integrated inside laser marking machines for manipulating parts for marking or used as machine tending automation systems which offer increased autonomy in the process while reducing human errors and exposure for the employees to the hazards associated with laser systems.

Precision-machining small components

Maintenance-free operation, easy programming, and precision are some of the reasons our clients choose to automate machining with Mecademic. Easy set-up means that line change-overs can be done quickly and without additional costs. Mecademic robots are often used in lights out factories to take advantage of nights and weekends for maximum efficiency. Watch this example of the Meca500 in a machining application, wearing a protective cover like the HoroBot B500 from HoroSys.

Automated kitting, picking, and fastener sorting

Looking for a solution to transfer, pick and place, or perform sorting of nuts, bolts, or washers? Ease of integration, small size, and precision are just a few factors that make the Meca500 robot ideal for such tasks. Pair it with a vision system to automate the handling of large amounts of irregular SKUs, which would otherwise require massive labor efforts and costs. Watch this bin-picking example featuring Solomon, in an application designed for a Europe-based aerospace manufacturer.

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Fiber optic alignment

Precision is priority when it comes to working with fiber optic alignment of sensors. Our Meca500 robot has a movement resolution of 1 µm in linear displacements, and 0.001° in angular displacements, offering reliable positioning for applications with no room for error. 

Sealing and dispensing

Our robots are commonly employed to apply sealants and dispense adhesives and other materials. Their high repeatability reduces the amount of sealant wasted in production.

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