Fan Blade Inspection and Repair Courtesy of AV&R

Friday, March 24, 2023

FANUCS’s Authorized System Integrator AV&R designed an innovative robotic inspection and repair system for its aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) customers. Previously a manual and very time-consuming process that could take several days to complete, the automated system now takes 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the part.

The system uses a FANUC LR Mate 200iD robot to inspect various large and heavy engine turbine parts (fan blades, disks or shafts), and an M-20iB/25 equipped with a FANUC 300 kg. single-axis servo positioner to finish and repair the parts.

This automated solution provides a wide range of benefits including:

  • Fast ROI due to improved throughput over manual process.
  • Less scrapped parts - a huge savings since the parts can cost from $20K to $1M.
  • Reduced downtime for aerospace engines while being repaired.
  • Accomplishes two critical processes using one system.

FANUC LR Mate 200iD

FANUC’s popular LR Mate 200iD series of tabletop industrial robots include ten models with various wrist speeds and reaches to accommodate small workspaces. Small but mighty, the LR Mate robots can be equipped with intelligence features, including FANUC robot vision & force sensing functionality for even higher levels of accuracy and productivity.

FANUC M-20iB/25

The M-20iB/25 is part of FANUC’s M-20i series of medium-payload robots. The robot combines a lightweight hollow upper arm and wrist with advanced servo technology to achieve faster cycles and increased throughput. Fully encapsulated to IP67 standards, the M-20iB/25 can operate in wet, dirty and harsh processes such as automatic deburring.

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