Integrating Collaborative Robots onto CNC Machine Tools

Who is Machine Tending Solutions?

After almost 30 years of repairing and maintaining machine tools, the team at Machine Tool Service is expanding its services to integrate UR collaborative robots into any new or used CNC machine tool through Machine Tending Solutions, a proud Certified Systems Integrator (CSI) of Universal Robots.

Why buy a collaborative robot?

  • Difficulty Staffing

    Finding, training, and managing operators is very difficult in today’s environment. Many shops are woefully short-handed. Piles of parts sitting in front of a machine that could be loaded and unloaded with a robot.

  • Employee Costs

    Costs of employees are going up quickly. So the return on investment of a robot cell is quicker than ever before, most ROIs are between 6-12 months depending on shifts running and the capability of the cell.

    Check out our ROI Calculator

  • Simple Interface

    The user interface on the Universal Robots pendant is easier than ever. Programs that would take days with a traditional industrial robot will only take hours on a Universal Robots collaborative robot.

Introducing TendArm

The TendArm is Machine Tending Solutions’ turnkey robot cell for integrating collaborative robots into CNC machines. Each automation cell we integrate includes at least the following three components:

1) Robot

Each cell comes with one of 5 Universal Robots models based on the required reach and payload.

2) Part Grippers

Gripper options are as varied as the parts to be loaded. Options include servo-driven grippers; pneumatic two, three, and four jaw grippers; vacuum cups; and electro-magnets. Grippers can also be configured in single or dual gripper formats.

3) Cell Base

What the robot is mounted on also needs to be versatile. For light-duty, flexible operations, there is a mobile extruded aluminum option. For heavy-duty, fixed operations a welded tube steel module or a pedestal can be secured in front of a machine to ensure rigidity and repeatability in high-momentum situations.

Are these easy to integrate?

Machine Tending Solutions is a certified systems integrator (CSI) for Universal Robots and will prove an all-in-one turnkey solution for any CNC application. This includes consultation, selection, installation, and integration of the following:

  • Cart/pedestal

  • Robot

  • Gripper(s)

  • CNC machine interface

  • Installation

  • Programming of the first part

  • Onsite technical support

  • Service and support

  • Retooling/future solutions

Automation is the competitive advantage you need

Manufacturers around the world are turning to automation to help solve labor shortages, increase productivity and improve product quality. Collaborative robots provide a cost-effective, flexible, and safe automation solution for a wide range of production tasks.

Built on honesty and integrity

Established in 1994, Machine Tool Service set out to meet the growing need for reliable machine tool repair. Since that time we’ve expanded our services to include machine tool automated tending.

We’ve been in too many machine shops over the years where there are CNC machines on the shop floor not running, with in-process parts in front of it. The story is always the same, “we don’t have operators to run these machines”. At the same time, Universal Robots approached us and wanted to partner with us to integrate their robots into CNC machine tools.

Machine Tending Solutions is now a Certified Systems Integrator for Universal Robots. We’ve also developed our own tending cart (called the TendArm) that the robots can work off of.

Our team is equipped and ready to show you just how much of a game-changer automated machine tending can be for your business.

The Team

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