Innovative SACMI white finishing solution takes 4.0 factory logic to the next level by providing yet another advantage: complete elimination of dust-related risks in the workplace
Innovative robotic finishing technology constitutes the latest step towards a sanitaryware factory that follows 4.0 logic from body preparation to final product. This is SACMI RobotClean, now installed by Hatria (Teramo), one of the first high-profile ‘Made in Italy’ sanitaryware companies to place their trust in this technology following the success of the first units supplied to the Italian ceramic-making industry in 2021.
There are several advantages to this solution, which is used to complete the vital white finish on sanitaryware items. That finish is a crucial, delicate factor in the aesthetic quality of the final product. It’s also a potential health risk as it can expose workers to the harmful crystalline silica dust typically generated at this stage.
Working in conjunction with handling robots that automatically perform loading and unloading, the solution supplied to Hatria plays a key role in the company’s ambitious drive towards automation, a strategy they’ve pursued for more than a decade. More specifically, RobotClean is designed to replicate the most complex piece finishing tasks - traditionally done by hand - and make them fully repeatable.
Equipped with task-specific tools, the finishing station is controlled by programming software; this allows offline management of all the parameters and finishing recipes for the different articles. Completely isolated from the surrounding environment, the cleaning station is also equipped with water curtain filters to aid removal of any residual dust, thus ensuring the robot work area is perfectly clean at all times.
Moreover, like other SACMI solutions installed at Hatria (e.g. a recent expansion of the casting department and new laser-guided vehicles), RobotClean is designed for native interconnection with the factory supervisor to provide users with advanced tracking functions, performance monitoring and detailed production data records.