Grant: Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants

The integration of robotics into modern production lines has become essential in today's manufacturing. There is significant industry pull for various robotic applications in Manitoba and in Canada. Red River College (RRC) has positioned itself in the fore-front of both robotic training and applied research in robotics and automation. The Technology Access Centre (TAC) at RRC is requesting funds for the purchase of end-of-arm tools for the existing Motoman SDA 10D dual arm and MH5 robots to support product assembly and a high-speed imaging system to support quality improvement for robotic arc and laser welding at the Centre for Aerospace Technology and Training (CATT).The end-of-arm tools are intended for use in applied research / technology demonstration on vision-guided assembly-type robotic applications. The use of vision-guided robots with part-handling capability for product assembly and verification is expected to enhance productivity and assist in quality assurance. This is important for medium and small scale manufacturing companies that engage in large production runs.Also, the high-speed imaging system being proposed will be integrated with the existing robotic welding systems at the CATT. This would allow real-time weld seam monitoring to support current effort on process optimization for manufacturing of high-quality parts for aerospace, automotive and other applications.The acquisition of the proposed hardware will enhance existing College capabilities to support innovation for manufacturing in Manitoba.