Fully Automatic Robotic Grinding and Polishing Machine for Automotive Aluminum Parts

Automotive aluminum parts are produced at a pace and mix that no manual finishing line can sustain: dozens of part numbers, tight surface specifications, IATF traceability requirements, and a customer base that demands perfection.

The LR-GP-AUT is a fully automatic robotic grinding and polishing cell built for the aluminum automotive supply chain. It runs unmanned through a shift, switches between part models by recipe, handles die-cast and forged aluminum families, and generates a per-part process record that meets automotive supplier traceability requirements.

Fully automatic means the machine finishes parts. Not the operator.

The transition from grinding to polishing is the manual step that kills automation on most competitor cells. On the LR-GP-AUT, the robot visits an automatic tool-change rack between phases:

• Each tool position carries one abrasive or buffing tool (belt head, flap disc, sisal wheel, cotton wheel)
• The robot executes tool changes rapidly – faster than any manual swap
• Each tool position carries a wear counter: when the counter hits the replacement threshold, the cell raises a maintenance flag
• No operator needed between grinding and polishing phases on any part

Automotive supplier lines run many part numbers through the same cell. The LR-GP-AUT recipe library stores one complete finishing programme per part number:

• Geometry paths, phase sequence, per-face force, alloy flag, Ra target and tool selection
• Changing from one part number to another is fully automated
• Barcode/RFID scan identifies the part number and calls the matching recipe automatically
• First part starts within minutes of part identification

Between pallet loads, yes. The operator loads parts onto the pallet/conveyor, selects the job, and the cell identifies the part number, calls the recipe, changes tools, finishes the part, checks the surface and logs data – all without operator input. The operator returns for the next pallet load and to action any maintenance flags. Overnight and weekend operation is standard with the pallet loading option.

Yes – but programming a new part number is efficient using our offline programming system (path derived from CAD data or teaching on sample parts). Once programmed, the recipe is permanent in the library. For parts with similar geometry, path-scaling tools reduce programming time significantly. We program your initial part family at commissioning; new models are added remotely or on-site.

A380 scratch risk comes from wrong approach angle, wrong force, and wrong belt speed. The LR-GP-AUT A380 recipe applies: approach-angle control, A380-specific force limit, and belt-speed settings tuned to A380's cutting response. The result is material removal without scratch introduction. We confirm the envelope on your sample parts before finalizing the recipe.