Sharper edges, higher output: GoFa™ helps Andover Process 500 optical filters in under four hours
Nick Sullivan, director of engineering at Andover Corporation in Salem, New Hampshire, and Ray Kelly, robotics engineer at Minuteman Automation, describe how a GoFa collaborative robot improved optical-filter chamfering at Andover.
In this talk
- 0:03
Why Andover moved beyond hand chamfering
Andover manufactures optical filters and was approaching its 50th anniversary. Nick Sullivan says manual chamfering caused operator wear, was less accurate and repeatable, and could not keep up with workflow demands.
- 0:30
Precision shaped the automation choice
Ray Kelly says precision was the project's biggest challenge, and GoFa's smooth motion addressed it. Sullivan says the robot suited the low-weight parts and could work near people without a cage.
- 0:44
Vacuum handling and collaboration
Andover used vacuum to pick up the parts, relying on GoFa's precise motion for the application. Kelly credits Andover's willingness to adopt the technology as a key factor in the project.
- 1:04
More capacity and future applications
Sullivan says the robot met the performance metrics Andover wanted and lets the company process larger orders without capacity concerns. After learning programming, setup, and operation with Minuteman Automation, Andover plans to explore more robotic applications, especially tending CNC machines that fabricate its filters.
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