Robotic Fabrication Lab
Robotic Fabrication Lab at The Bridge Studios, UWE Bristol
The Bridge Studios has a fleet of collaborative and industrial robotic arms and a range of tooling and position equipment to work with them. Our prototyping equipment enables researchers, academics and technicians to turn concepts into reality.
Highlights include:
- AMR mounted cobot: Mounting a collaborative robot arm (safe to operate around humans) on top of an Automated Mobile Robot (AMR) creates new opportunities for human and robot interaction.
- Industrial robot arm for manufacturing: KUKA KR120 robotic arm with separate tools for machining and for 3D printing, with a pellet-fed extruder head. Combined with the large reach of the robot arm and an external positioning axis, this pushes what is possible in both additive and subtractive manufacturing.
- Meltio metal 3D printing: A new Direct Energy Deposition (DED) metal 3D printing head situated within a HAAS five-axis CNC machine provides new manufacturing capabilities by allowing for the printing of materials like stainless steel, titanium and copper, along with the ability to machine them back to precision tolerance. This piece of equipment is one of only three in the country.
Applications
Additive manufacturing
3D printing heads for additive applications using robotic arms, including pellet, filament and paste-fed systems. The largest of these is a 120kg payload industrial robot arm enclosed in a custom-built room. With a reach beyond three metres, it allows for large volume 3D prints.
This cell makes use of revolutionary AI-driven, non-planar printing software and an external positioning table to open new exciting possibilities for 3D printing.
Subtractive manufacturing
Our subtractive manufacturing tools compliment our additive manufacturing facilities. They allow robots to machine away at large parts of stock to create new parts.The added flexibility and manoeuvrability of the robot arms gives an extra capability beyond traditional CNC machines and means that the technology can be deployed in new environments that a bulky fixed CNC machine cannot reach.
The large industrial robot cell includes a machining head which can be combined with the additive manufacturing process to enable hybrid processing.
Picking and placing
Our inger- and vacuum-based gripper tools enable robots to interact with objects in their surroundings.
Vision systems
Machine vision equipment enables robots to see the environment around them and make smarter decisions. We are used to seeing this sort of equipment used in factories to process goods, and the prospect of opening this technology to the creative sector offers exciting possibilities.
Positioning systems
Positioning equipment increases the operating areas of our robots. Equipment includes linear rails, which allow robots to travel up to five metres and a mobile base, capable of moving in any direction, which can turn an entire room into an operational area.
Collaborative applications
Most of the robots within The Bridge Studios are collaborative, which means they are designed to operate around humans without the need for separate rooms or enclosures. This capability allows creatives to explore new possibilities for performances with robotics.
Fabrication
Our suite of advanced equipment, including a full suite of general fabrication tools, enables rapid prototyping.
Additive manufacturing
Our range of SLA and FDM printers means we can be self sufficient.
Our Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Meltio metal 3D printing head is one of only three in the country.
It works in combination with a CFPR Haas CNC machine, enabling hybrid metal 3D printing and machining within the same system and with a variety of metals, including steel, titanium and gold.
Rapid prototyping
A large-bed Trotec laser enables quick 2D fabrication of sheet materials to assist with projects.
Robotics equipment
Robots
- Omron TM12 Cobot Arm – 12kg payload, 1300mm reach
- Universal Robots UR5e Robot – 5kg payload, 850mm reach
- Universal Robots UR10e Robot – 10kg payload, 1300mm reach
- Universal Robots UR10e Robot – 10kg payload, 1300mm reach (on Robotnik Mobile Base)
- Fanuc Collaborative Robotic Arm CRX25IA – 25kg payload, 1889mm reach
- MyCobot Pro 600 x 2 – 2kg payload, 600mm reach
- MyCobot 320 – 1kg payload, 350mm reach
Robotic software
- AIBuild Software License
End of arm tooling
- End of arm tool changers
- Smart sensor gripper/torque sensor
- Concrete 3D printing pump
- Evo3D pellet fed 3D printing head for KR120
- Machining spindle toolhead for KUKA KR120
- Machining spindle toolhead for Fanuc CRX25IA
- Robotiq EPick vacuum gripper
- Robotiq sander for UR
- Robotiq 2F-85 adaptive two finger gripper
External axis and positioning
- Igus DLE-UR 3000mm external linear axis
- Igus ZLW 5000mm external linear axis
- Igus RL-D-50 rotary axis
- RB-Kairos autonomous omni-directional mobile robot (with mounted UR10e)
- External vacuum table for robot machining
Robotic vision systems
- Pickit 3D vision system
Fabrication equipment
3D printers
- Bambu Lab X1 carbon printer with AMS x 3
- Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K resin 3D printer
- Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K resin 3D printer
- Formlabs 3L resin printer
- Formlabs 3 resin printer
- Formlabs 3+ resin printer
- Meltio Metal 3D printing engine (integrated into HAAS CNC Mill)
Machinery
- Trotec Speedy laser cutter 400
- Warco WM290v lathe
- Rotary 5th Axis (integrated into HAAS CNC mill)
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Facilities and equipment
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Projects
Research and innovation at the Bridge Studios, UWE Bristol.
Contact us
How to find The Bridge Studios at UWE Bristol.