URC Custom

In reality, most robotic systems are custom designed to an extent.

However the machines listed here were designed for a specific process that needed to be designed and built from the ground up rather than using a pre-designed robot as part of the system.

Off the shelf sub assemblies are always used when possible but sometimes a specially designed component is the only course of action.

URC has experience in 'one-of-a-kind' machines for special processes.

URC is not offering these specific machines for sale.

These custom machines are shown for the purpose of showing the scope of experience URC has in designing machines for various processes.

The systems here can only be described in general terms and some pictures cannot be shown.

The Linear Machines, Robot Tools and Fixture areas show some of the many sub-assemblies that URC has designed and built as part of our robot systems.

Custom Machines

URC Automation has designed and built custom automated machines for Research & Development, proto-typing and 'One of a Kind' process machines.  Some of these machines include:

• Three robot cell with induction heating and forming of metal shells.  Robots were controlled by a custom URC cell controller running under Windows NT.  The cell controller calculated robot paths and downloaded the paths to the robots.  One robot would heat up the metal shell to 2000° F.  The other two robots would then form the shell into a pre-determined shape.  Infra-red, analog, digital and serial I/O was integrated to control the process.  Data logging in real time for post-forming analysis was also done.

• Custom hydraulic bending controls and back-gauge for forming metal furniture frames. Many of the furniture frames at Walt Disney World were formed on this machine.

• Three axis hydraulic servo controlled machine for testing nerve gas decontamination procedures on a chemical demilitarization process.  Machine was used as part of a General Atomics process for the US Army.

• X-Ray inspection of cast aluminum wheels and other automotive components.  URC integrated robots into existing manual X-Ray cells to automate handling of parts and reduce radiation exposure to the operators.

• Integration of robot into 'foam-fill' gasketing process for lighting fixtures.

Here are a few pictures of URC Custom Machines.  Other pictures can be seen in the 'Pictures/Brochures' section.

This is a moisture testing machine built to weigh the difference between wet and dried samples. The system is mobile and can be moved with a fork truck or rolled on castors. It is completely enclosed with sides and a roof. The sampling conveyor dumps an amount of wet material on a plate.  The material on the plate is smoothed out and weighed to within ±0.1 gram. The plate is placed within a laboratory grade oven and 'cooked' a pre-determined time.  After cooking, the plate is weighed again and moisture content is determined within ±0.01% The data is serially communicated to a process control which adjusts the moisture of the material.