Guyson Corp. has introduced a robotic shot peening system that changes blast heads to automatically perform multiple peening operations without manual adjustments or other human intervention. According to the company, a single robotic shot peener can do a variety of metallurgical shot peening processes that would otherwise require two or more automated blast machines.
The tool-changing robot blast machine features a slotted rack inside the shot peening chamber, where the blasting tools are stored by the nozzle manipulator when not in use. The assortment of tools required is determined by the range of components to be shot peened and the peening process specifications, but may include straight nozzles of different bore sizes, a lance with an angled nozzle for ID peening, a rotary lance tool for small ID peening or a blasting tool that delivers a different size of peening shot.
Critical to compliance with stringent aerospace shot peening specifications, the robotic nozzle manipulator is capable of repeatably following the contours of complex-shaped components while constantly and accurately maintaining the correct stand-off distance, nozzle angle and surface speed required for the precisely controlled cold-working metal treatment process.