When a SCARA robot needs to operate in contact with corundum, even the smallest abrasive particle poses a direct threat to high-precision mechanics. To secure the installation of a FANUC SR-12iA, an industrial integrator in Poland reached out to Eclore, following a direct recommendation from the manufacturer.
The goal: protect the Z-axis prior to commissioning in this dust-laden environment.
Here is a look back at a custom solution integrated right from the design phase.
The technical challenge: operating a SCARA in an abrasive environment
Integrating a robotic cell at an industrial site requires analyzing the robot’s cycle rate, as well as the physical constraints imposed by its environment.
The impact of corundum on robotic components
Corundum is one of the hardest and most abrasive minerals used in industry. Applied in stripping, sandblasting, or surface machining, it generates highly volatile dust that sneaks into the smallest machine crevices.
In this industrial scenario in Poland, the continuous presence of these suspended particles directly threatened the equipment’s longevity.
The risks of unprotected exposure
The lack of suitable protection on guideways and moving axes exposes the robot to premature degradation:
- Material buildup on the Z-axis rod that accumulates and hardens over operating cycles.
- Wear or contamination of mechanical components, leading to play, backlash, seizing, and path inaccuracies.
- More frequent maintenance interventions, increasing operating costs and unnecessarily tying up technicians.
- Major risks of production downtime, stopping the line and reducing overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
Eclore's response: a custom protection kit for the FANUC SR-12iA
Recommended directly by the FANUC teams, Eclore stepped in alongside the integrator during the study phase to engineer a custom solution.
A protective bellows designed for the 450 mm stroke
The FANUC SR-12iA SCARA robot features a 450 mm stroke on its Z-axis, combining vertical movements with high-speed rotation.
Eclore developed a custom protection kit that preserves the robot's native agility without restricting its working envelope:
- Targeted protection: The bellows encloses critical mechanical parts to isolate the ball screw and rod from dust splashes and buildup, while smoothly accompanying the robot's movements.
- High-resistance polymer folding: Selection of a flexible, sealed material that withstands continuous abrasion caused by corundum.
- Seamless integration: Designed to fit perfectly without altering trajectories or placing mechanical strain on the motors.
By anticipating the constraints of a dust-heavy environment, this Polish integrator turned a potential failure risk into a robust and durable robotics project.
Eclore's expertise in polymer folding provides this targeted sealing without compromising the performance of SCARA kinematics.
