Collaborative Robot Joint Connectors: Aluminum Alloy CNC Machining + Hard Anodizing, Passing 2000-Hour Durability Test

Customer Background

A startup company developing a lightweight 6-axis collaborative robot needs to produce prototype joint connectors for structural strength verification and durability testing.

Challenges

Material Requirements: 7075-T6 aluminum alloy must be used, consistent with mass production materials, to verify real mechanical performance.
High Precision: The connector involves multiple bearing installation holes and positioning pin holes, with concentricity requirements of 0.02mm.
Wear Resistance: Due to frequent joint movements, the surface requires hard anodizing (HV400 or higher).
Quantity: 30 sets are required (6 joints per robot, total of 5 robots).

Solutions

Machining Process: All features are machined in one setup using 5-axis CNC to avoid cumulative errors from multiple setups.
Post-processing: Sandblasting to remove tool marks, achieving a uniform matte black hard anodized surface with a thickness of 35μm and hardness of HV420.
Inspection: Full inspection of critical dimensions using a coordinate measuring machine, with FAI report provided.

Results

30 sets of joint connectors were delivered on day 8, all dimensions were qualified.
After assembly, the customer conducted 2000 hours of continuous durability testing, with no wear or deformation of the connectors and intact anodized layer.
The robot was successfully launched into the market, receiving hundreds of orders.
The customer also entrusted us with mass production of other metal parts such as motor mounts and end-effector brackets.

"Yiruida's hard anodizing process is very stable; there were no signs of surface wear after 2000 hours of testing."