Robotics, Grippers, and Valves for Automation

Often considered a subset of “automation and assembly”, there is more to the robotics industry than meets the eye. Robotic components require many special finishes and painted coatings to match the environments they will be deployed in. These machines themselves are made of an extensive assortment of grippers (known as EOAT, or End of Arm Tooling), components, hardware and hydraulic or pneumatic valves.

At Reliable Plating, we finish thousands of valve bodies for manufacturers of this automation equipment every year. Some are large and some are no bigger than a quarter. One of our customers supplies components to the largest “online” retailer in the world. They use these robots and automation to increase sorting, efficiency and productivity in their thousands of warehouses.

Typical processes used in this industry include:

Anodizing of aluminum parts provides similar corrosion protection and can be done in assorted, non-standard colors, and specifications. Clear and black anodize are the standard processes we provide; and the most common coating requested by our customers.

Zinc chromate coatings on steel parts that provide protection from rust, but also provide an exceptional substrate for painting.

Electroless Nickel is another durable, protective finish for components in the robotics industry. Nickel will stand up well to abrasion and many disinfection methods.

Copper plating is ideal for buss bars and internal parts as it is ideal for carrying electricity as well as adding durability to the part. Copper also has a natural antibacterial property.