Lightweight aluminium brackets and housings for robotic arms
Boyang Hardware machines robotics / industrial automation parts to customer drawings in Zhongshan, China. The photographs below are from production archives; the route, material and finish listed are typical for this part family and are confirmed at quotation.
What the part does
Brackets, clevis mounts, joint links and motor housings for industrial robotic arms and automation cells. These parts connect actuators to links and need to be stiff in the directions that matter, yet as light as possible everywhere else.
Why this geometry is demanding
- Robotics is extremely weight-sensitive: every gram at the end of an arm reduces payload and accelerates motor wear.
- The two bores in the clevis bracket must be coaxial within a tight tolerance; misalignment causes binding and premature bearing failure.
- Black anodising gives a hard, wear-resistant surface on moving aluminium joints.
Typical material and finish
AL7075-T6 for high-strength links and brackets; AL6061-T6 for housings and less loaded parts. Finish is typically black anodising or hard anodising on wear surfaces.
Process route
- 3-axis roughing of the profile and pockets from extruded or rolled billet
- Finish milling of bores, slots and mating surfaces
- Drilling and reaming of pivot holes for bearing fit
- Deburring and edge breaking
- Black anodising or hard anodising
Inspection and quality control
Pivot bores and bearing seats are checked for diameter and position with the CMM. Surface finish on sliding or bearing contact areas is inspected against a control sample. Coaxiality between paired bores is reported when specified.
Quality approach for this part family
Pivot bores and bearing seats are checked for diameter and position with the CMM. Surface finish on sliding or bearing contact areas is inspected against a control sample. Coaxiality between paired bores is reported when specified.
Common questions about robotics / industrial automation machining at Boyang
Why AL7075 for robotic links instead of AL6061?
AL7075-T6 has roughly double the strength of AL6061-T6 for only a small weight penalty. That makes it the default choice for loaded links and brackets where stiffness matters. Housings and covers often use AL6061 because it is easier to machine and anodise.
How is bore coaxiality controlled?
When the two bores must be aligned, they are finish-machined in the same set-up or checked on the CMM with a common datum. The drawing tolerance drives whether reaming or boring is the final operation.
Can Boyang assemble bearings and fasteners before shipping?
Yes. Sub-assembly is part of the value-added service described in the company capability statement; parts can be delivered kitted or pre-assembled to the bill of materials.