ABB Robotics high pressure water deburring system reduces costs by 87%

Aug. 9, 2010 - PRLog -- For as long as manufacturers have been drilling and grinding metal, they have faced the problem of burrs, grit and cutting oil left behind after the machining operation. This unwanted material has to be removed, and industry has always gritted its teeth in frustration at the cost, time and mess associated with part cleaning. Assuring this washing/deburring operation is done well has become ever more critical, especially with high-precision cylinder blocks and other engine components of modern automobiles. Just one small burr could damage the engine right after assembly, requiring a rework of the part and jeopardizing the long term durability of the engine.

ABB Robotics has examined the large, inefficient washers being used currently and has committed engineering resources to finding a better way. Existing washers are inline single-path chemical systems that are large, energy gulping, unreliable and wasteful. The result of the ABB Robotics research was a brand new generation of robotic flex washers that have revolutionized high pressure water deburring.

The new ABB FlexWasher achieves significant savings in power draw, fresh water usage, waste processing and consumable chemicals and can reduce annual operating cost by upto 87 percent.

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ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people.

About ABB Robotics
ABB Robotics (www.abb.com/robotics) is a leading supplier of industrial robots – also providing robot software, peripheral equipment, modular manufacturing cells and service for tasks such as welding, handling, assembly, painting and finishing, picking, packing, palletizing and machine tending. Key markets include automotive, plastics, metal fabrication, foundry, electronics, pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries. A strong customer focus helps manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety. ABB has installed more than 175,000 robots worldwide.