Automotive Aftermarket

From nerf bars and exhaust tips to billet grilles and truck bumpers, Acme serves automotive aftermarket manufacturers with cost-effective robotic finishing cells that meet low and mid-volume production demands. With high repeatability, Acme systems perform operations such as cut and color buffing, and polishing…creating the stand-apart appearance features that help both new entrepreneurs and large industry veterans to gain more of this fast-growing, discretionary market.

Materials include extruded aluminum, steel, and stainless.

Featured on the right: Truck Stack Polishing Cell

Depending on the part to be finished, the robot can take the part to the finishing heads, or it can take the finishing tools to the part. When very large parts are being processed, such as truck step bars or aircraft skin, buffing wheels and motors are mounted right to the robot and moved to a stationary part in a fixture.

Featured to the right: Aluminum extrusions for truck panels are buffed on Acme systems

aluminim extrussion for truck panel buffing

Cost Savings

Switching from manual to robotic automation finishing alone can give you three to four times longer media life, as a result of contact efficiency (time on the part), constant work pressure, cycle time repeatability, and part path programming capability. Flexible, automatic force control, with variable-speed spindle motors, optimizes compliance (response and reaction) of the finishing heads to suit the operation.

Off-line programming and simulation (Roboguide) speeds up the program development process and increases utilization. Universal tooling concepts developed by Acme reduce system design, build and operation costs. All equipment is built to RIA and CE specifications.

QRobotic-Truck-Bumperc

Unattended operation, with custom part queuing
options, reduces labor content. Maintenance
time and costs are minimized with on-line
diagnostics and documentation. Troubleshooting
can be performed via modem and/or internet,
with Ethernet host support.

Media Life Management and Control

Automatic media wear compensation software ensures consistent performance throughout the life of belts and buff wheels by adjusting cell process parameters (such as cutting rate and force) to match the performance and lifespan of the media.

Featured on the right: Powertrain Parts

ACME Manufacturing