A U.S. manufacturer of custom hinged rivet assemblies needed to reduce operator strain, improve part consistency, and keep up with growing demand. Their manual process was meticulous, repetitive, physically taxing, and unsustainable.
CNC Engineering designed a robotic solution that could take over the core assembly steps without compromising the precision required. The result: a custom FANUC LR Mate robot cell that’s now assembling parts five times faster, with improved repeatability and less wear on the team.
The Challenge: Skilled Labor, High Demand, and Repetitive Strain
Before automation, the customer relied entirely on manual labor to assemble complex components to strict military specifications. The process involved:
- Careful placement of a calibrated shim
- Rivet insertion and actuation with a pneumatic gun
- Snipping and grinding the rivet tail to exact tolerances
- Applying a protective coating to each finished rivet
Every step required accuracy, consistency, and physical effort—resulting in operator fatigue, potential injury, and slow part turnover. Labor shortages compounded the issue, limiting production capacity and increasing the risk of costly errors.
The Solution: Custom FANUC Robot Cell Integration
CNC Engineering designed and delivered a fully customized robotic cell featuring two FANUC LR Mate 200iD/7L Robots, working side-by-side.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Custom End-of-Arm Tooling (EOAT) for holding specialized tools with precision offsets
- Multiple robot coordination for parallel operations
- In-house fixture design and build to ensure secure, repeatable part positioning
- User-friendly HMI screens to simplify robot operation and diagnostics
Although no CNC machine interface or vision system was required, the complexity of the assembly demanded a high degree of mechanical and controls engineering collaboration—an area where CNC Engineering’s experience made the difference.
The Results: 5X Faster Assembly with Greater Consistency
Since the system went live, the customer has seen significant improvements, including:
- 5X increase in assembly throughput
- Improved repeatability and part quality
- Reduced operator strain and injury risk
- Lower scrap and rework rates
Initial results have exceeded expectation and demonstrated the power of well-executed, application-specific automation.
Why CNC Engineering?
This project marks another milestone in a longstanding relationship between CNC Engineering and the customer. From FANUC CNC retrofits to probing systems and troubleshooting, CNC Engineering has consistently delivered value—and this robot cell was no exception.
As automation becomes more strategic in defense and high-spec manufacturing, solutions like this showcase what’s possible with the right integration partner.
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