We are joined by Ryan T. Zboril, CEO of Pitts & Spitts. Pitts & Spitts is an American fabrication shop that focuses on smokers and grills. He stopped by the studio to talk about the company’s new collaborative robotic system from ARC Specialties.
I have worked in manufacturing in Houston, Texas for the last 43 years. I can pick up the phone and get advice, equipment, and referrals if I’m ever in a jam. This cooperation is present even among competitors here in Houston. I love this country!
I have benefited from this open, supportive attitude for my entire career. So I always agree to host tours of ARC Specialties to show others how Dave Hebble conducts research in our lab. William Saxton and the other engineers design our machines. How John Tovar and the machinists make the parts. How Esteban Vazquez and the welders fabricate the machines. How Joe Lopez and the technicians assemble these machines. How Kevin Sevcik and the programmers write the code. And finally, how Nicholas Augustine, John Martin, and the other project managers put it all together.
Yesterday, the Greater Houston Manufacturers Association visited ARC Specialties for lunch and a facility tour. They saw robots working on drill ships, sand screen machines that make 100 welds per second, a mobile welding robot that goes and finds work, ultrasonic inspection robots, and additive manufacturing printing 50 pounds of steel per hour!
If you would like a tour, please contact me.
ARC Specialties thrives on problems. Send us yours.
– Dan Allford
When you install a single tool on a robot’s wrist, you limit your ‘bot to just one function. Multiple tools allow robots to do more. Automatic tool changers are the enabling technology. To show you how I’m showcasing one of John Martin‘s latest projects, this is a double robot bolting system with many unique challenges.
The jobs at ARC Specialties keep getting bigger and so do the robots.
Jim is too modest. His automatic gaging and welding software is too cool. Rather than the 2 programs which were originally necessary, Jim created a single adaptive program that uses touch work to determine the position AND version of the part. Using this data Jim’s program adapts to any dimensional inaccuracies.
In April ARC Specialties committed to the September 2021 Fabtech tradeshow in Chicago. We did not know what to expect. Would the show be canceled, would anyone attend? Watch the video below for my AAR. Spoiler: we were relieved that the show DID go on. And pleasantly surprised by the number of attendees.
When your job is bigger than your ‘bot, you need an RTU or Robot Travel Unit.
When the robot’s working envelope is too small for your project you need a RTU. At ARC we design and build RTUs to fit your needs.
Eight is (much) greater than six when it comes to robot axes. In this episode, we showcase how a two-axis part positioner with coordinated motion will allow your six-axis robot to do things no human can.
Join Gary Kowalski, Senior District Manager at FANUC AMERICA, and Dan Allford, President of ARC Specialties, as they reminisce on some of their past projects. They will go over some of their failure, successes, and proudest achievements in the robotics industry.
