AV&R has developed robotic polishing systems for manufacturing parts with controlled material removal. These parts are:

  • Gas Turbine Parts
    Our robotic systems work on the airfoil surface finish, the platform, the shroud radius, the fillet radius and the three-dimensional airfoil-platform transition. They can also perform pin removal on cored airfoils, profile the leading edge and thin the trailing edge.
  • Orthopaedic Implants
    Our machines polish different surfaces of prosthesis implants such as knee box and hip stem.

For average material removal between 25 and 125 µm (between 1 and 5 mils), our automatic polishing equipment ensures a consistency of ± 15 µm (± 0.6 mil) from one part to another.

Our team has developed this automated polishing equipment to polish manufacturing parts ensuring a consistent surface finish that keeps within your tight tolerances. These systems use closed-loop with inspection feedback, depending on the type of finish to be performed.

Automated Polishing Benefits

When you replace manual polishing or surface finishing by a fully capable robotic system, you:

  • Increase production quality and repeatability
  • Reduce the risk of worker injuries
  • Minimize the harmful effects of dust with an integrated dust collector
  • Optimize tool use resulting in reduced abrasive costs
  • Get faster cycle times
  • Reduce labour costs
  • Save time and ensure quality by combining automated inspection and validation in the same system

Main Technologies for Gas Turbine Parts

  • Polishing airfoil, the platform, the fillet radius and pins
  • Tri-plane blending (tri-blend)
  • Thinning the trailing edge
  • Leading edge and trailing edge profiling
  • Chord length feedback
  • Wall or coating thickness feedback

Options

  • Ultra-polishing, creating a mirror-surface finish
  • Part cleaning after the polishing operation
  • Integrated dust collection
  • Automated tool change

Contact us for more information!

Automating the finishing of used parts requires a powerful vision system and fast data processing software. AV&R has installed several robotic polishing systems for used gas turbine engine repair (MRO) plants. These systems inspect the piece as it enters the machine and calculates the work to be done according to its actual shape and the design plans of the original piece. They work on all sections of used blades, without removing parent material, critical to the service life of the part.

Since the surface finish is often difficult to achieve, automating this process is the best way to ensure its performance. Our robotic polishing equipment with controlled material removal ensures, for average removals between 25 and 125 µm (between 1 and 5 mils), a consistency of ± 15 µm (± 0.6 mil) from one part to another.

Our innovative systems are a breakthrough in the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industry. Scalable, they currently use the closed-loop and inspection feedback, and we continue to develop adaptive technologies that can be inserted, once proven. Using BrainWave software, you control the system and can adapt your production in real-time.

Benefits of Automated Polishing

A competent robotic system for polishing, blending or surface finishing will:

  • Improve the quality and repeatability of your production
  • Increase the life of your parts and reduce the number of discarded parts since the system does not remove any parent material
  • Optimise the use of tools resulting in reduced abrasive costs
  • Reduce the risk of injury for workers
  • Minimize the harmful effects of dust with an integrated dust collector
  • Reduce labour costs
  • Save time and quality by combining automated inspection and validation in the same system

Main Technologies

  • Polishing the foil, platform and fillet
  • Blending of the airfoil-platform connection
  • Profiling of leading and trailing edges
  • Thinning the trailing edge
  • Tri-dimensional blending (in development)
  • Chord length feedback
  • Wall or coating thickness feedback

Polishing is an operation which requires precision. Work with a team of precision experts to ensure that the automation of this process will meet the technical sheet requirements and work in your production environment.