AutoTend™ Robotic Automation Solution By Mid Atlantic Global

One of the greatest challenges in modern metal fabrication right now is the availability of skilled labor to tend it. Maintecx offers the AutoTend™ system by Mid Atlantic Global, a modular robotic machine-tending system designed to help your shop transition from manual operation to full-scale automation. Our team of experts works closely with you to identify production bottlenecks and implement the specific AutoTend™ package that fits your shop's needs.

By leveraging advanced cobot technology, AutoTend™ automates repeatable loading and unloading tasks, freeing your skilled operators for higher-value work. Whether you’re tending a press brake, a CNC mill, or a deburring station, AutoTend™ provides a scalable path to lights-out production without the complexity of traditional industrial robotics.

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Collaborative Robot (Cobot) Packages

Mid Atlantic Global partners with Universal Robots, the industry leader in collaborative robotics, as a certified systems integrator. Unlike traditional industrial robots, cobots feature pressure-sensing technology that automatically stops the robot upon contact. This eliminates the need for extensive safety guarding and allows for a significantly smaller footprint on your production floor.

The AutoTend™ Press Brake Operator Package

The most popular solution combines flexible, modular robotics with the fixed machine tools found in fabrication shops worldwide.

  • Patent-Pending Gripper Technology: Ensures safe and secure handling of complex parts.

  • Rapid Programming: Move from part to part quickly to maintain productivity in high-mix environments.

  • Heavy-Duty Modular Cart: The entire system is redeployable, allowing you to move the robot between different machines in your shop as needed.

  • Complete Integration: Every package includes a safety scanner, professional installation, and on-site training.

Additional Specialized Packages

  • Pick and Place Package: Includes the UR10e Robot, Pendant Armor, screen protector, and the heavy-duty modular robot cart.

  • Vacuum Grippers & Pneumatics Package: Includes the Robotiq AirPick, MAM modular rotary/vacuum grippers, and a full filter/regulator and pneumatic fittings kit.

Versatile Automation for Every Machine in Your Shop

AutoTend™ is not limited to a single application. Through an easily integrated, standardized interface, these robotic solutions can control and manage a wide variety of machines in your facility, including:

  • Press Brakes (including TRUMPF)

  • Deburring & Finishing Machines (including FINISHLINE)

  • CNC Machining Centers

  • Stamping Presses & PEM Insertion

  • Welding, Sanding, & Grinding Equipment

  • Quality Inspection Stations

By automating these work centers, you save time and money on essential tasks such as material loading/unloading, forming, bending, and vision-based quality inspection.

Why Fabricators Choose AutoTend™ Automation

Implementing an AutoTend™ system makes your operation more responsive, more flexible, and more profitable. Our customers see immediate impact through:

  • Increased Throughput: Run machines longer with minimal downtime.

  • Reduced Labor Costs: Reassign skilled operators to high-value tasks while the robot handles the repetition.

  • Enhanced Safety: Integrated safety scanners and cobot limit-sensing technology enable the robot to operate safely in close proximity to human operators.

  • Improved Quality: Eliminate human error with repeatable, mechanical precision on every cycle.

  • Mobility & Flexibility: The heavy-duty modular cart allows you to move the AutoTend™ unit from one machine to another as your production schedule changes.

  • Simple Programming: Using a machinist-first interface, your existing team can teach the robot new parts in minutes. No advanced coding knowledge is required.

  • Proven ROI: Most shops see a return on investment in less than 12 months by reclaiming lost CNC runtime and reducing manual handling errors.

We look at your shop floor as a single, connected organism. AutoTend™  links to our other world-class brands:

  1. TRUMPF Bending: AutoTend™ manages the repetitive loading of blanks into your TruBend press brake.

  2. FINISHLINE Deburring: The robot can be redeployed to feed parts into a FINISHLINE system for consistent edge rounding.

  3. STOPA Storage: Integrate your tending robot with automated storage to create a fully autonomous material cycle.

How AutoTend™ Completes the Maintecx Ecosystem

FAQs About Robotic Machine Tending

  • No. AutoTend uses an intuitive touch-screen interface designed for fabricators. If you can operate a CNC machine, you can learn to program AutoTend™ in a few hours.

  • Yes. The system is mounted on a heavy-duty modular cart with precision leveling feet, making it easy to redeploy from a press brake to a CNC mill or deburring machine.

  • AutoTend™ utilizes a Universal Robots cobot and integrated area scanners. When the scanner detects a human nearby, the robot slows down or stops, allowing it to operate in open floor plans.

  • The UR20-based package supports payloads up to 20kg (44 lbs), covering a vast majority of sheet metal and machined part applications.

Your Partner in the Automation Journey

Maintecx provides regional expertise, dedicated engineers, and responsive service to stay up to date on the latest technological advancements. With years of experience in the machine tool industry and a unique market position in sheet metal and structural markets, we help you make the business case for automation and deliver on ROI with AutoTend™ from Mid Atlantic Global.

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