Made4CNC launches automatic CNC door opening system for robots

Thursday, 26 August, 2021

Danish company Made4CNC has developed what is claimed to be the world’s first completely automatic door opening solution for robotic machine tending, fitted to any robot and CNC machine in under an hour. The company says that its technology solves a well-known and previously unsolvable challenge in the metal industry.

Currently only a small percentage of the industry’s CNC machines are automatically fed components. Most of the world’s CNC machines rely on either the operator or the robotic arm having to physically open and close the machines’ heavy doors every few minutes. Investing in a new fully automatic CNC machine or upgrading an older model can be a tall order, both in practical and financial terms.

Made4CNC’s first official product, the new Safedoor SD100 removes the barriers to the automation of component feeding at machine shops.

Safedoor SD100 opens CNC doors that are up to 1 m wide and weigh 400 kg, at a speed of 500 mm/s. The door opener can connect to any robot and CNC machine brand via galvanically insulated digital inputs and outputs.

The team behind Made4CNC, Thomas Visti, Lasse Kieffer and Peter Nadolny Madsen, are three professionals well-known for disrupting the robot industry, having played integral roles in the success of Danish robot companies Universal Robots, OnRobot, Purple Robotics and Mobile Industrial Robots.

Automation must speed up

When automating CNC machines today, integrators often build homemade door opening solutions. But that risks errors, stoppages, and hazardous situations because the solutions typically require compressed air and are neither standardised nor tested.

These challenges are overcome with Made4CNC’s fully electric Safedoor SD100 with built-in safety functions that enable the integrator to adjust the speed of the CNC door, making risk assessments easier to conduct.

“Around the world the need for faster and greater automation is a major trend, and for it to succeed, less time must be spent on each installation,” said Peter Nadolny Madsen, CEO at Made4CNC. “With the SD100, we have integrated safety and robustness in a user-friendly solution, which we believe is the key to optimal productivity.”

Madsen adds that integration of collaborative robots or light industrial robots together with existing CNC machines makes a lot of sense, since the automation of existing machines generates low risk and a short payback period for the customer.

Global expansion in 12 months

Together with investors Thomas Visti and Lasse Kieffer, Peter Nadolny Madsen established Made4CNC in January 2021. Investor Lasse Kieffer has contributed with his deep technological expertise, while investor Thomas Visti has provided market insight.

“Made4CNC has understood what is required to make the process easier,” Visti said. “It’s win-win-win for the end customer, employees, distributors and the manufacturer. I therefore expect that Made4CNC will have established itself via robot distributors and integrators around most of the world in the next 12 months.”

Better flow and better work environment

Made4CNC has just entered into agreement with its first American distributor, Thinkbot Solutions.

“Safedoor SD100 makes having a job as a machine feeder much more pleasant and easy-going, while the employer will be able to optimise and get a better work flow,” said Philip Courtois, president of Thinkbot Solutions.

“Others have tried unsuccessfully to develop a user-friendly door opener. Made4CNC has completely succeeded. I have chosen to distribute SD100 because attention is given to all of the details in terms of the mechanics, software and safety.”

He adds that SD100 is certified by collaborative robot company Universal Robots. “The UR+ certification ensures completely seamless integration with robots from Universal Robots. All operation can be done through the robot’s teach pendant.”