Chair
Sanding Cobot
Automate the most labour-intensive step in furniture manufacturing. Consistent pressure, repeatable paths, and multi-grit progression — on every chair, every shift.
Built for the
Complexity of Chairs
Chairs are one of the hardest furniture pieces to automate — dozens of curved surfaces, tight angles, and varying profiles. Our system is purpose-built for exactly that.
Complex Geometry Handling
Programmed paths follow curved rails, turned spindles, tapered legs, and seat pans — surfaces that defeat flat-bed sanders and exhaust human finishers.
Consistent Pressure Control
Force-controlled end effector maintains the exact contact pressure across every contour — no gouging on edges, no skipping on curves. Every chair finished the same way.
Multi-Grit in One Cycle
Automatic abrasive progression — from stock removal to fine finish — within a single automated cycle. No manual re-chucking or station transfers between grits.
Operator Safety
Removes workers from prolonged dust exposure and repetitive sanding strain. Operators load, unload, and monitor — no sanding contact required.
Quick Model Changeover
Switch between chair styles — dining chairs, bar stools, rockers — with a program swap. No mechanical retooling. Ideal for mixed production lines with short runs.
Higher Throughput
A cobot works at a steady, optimized pace every minute of every shift. Typical deployments see 2–4× more pieces per operator-hour versus manual sanding.
What's
Included
A complete, ready-to-run system — everything from the cobot arm to dust collection is engineered, integrated, and delivered as one turnkey unit.
- State of the art cobot with force control on all joints
- Multiple selection of sanders (orbital, brush, triple head)
- Holding jig that can take unlimited chair models
- Servo controlled chair indexing system
- Heavy duty industrial steel base
- Dust collection unit
- Automatic sanding paper changing system
- Runs on 110V single phase
- Dust proof control cabinet
- Unlimited chair model programs
- Operator HMI
How the System
Operates
Load & Fixture
Operator places the chair frame in the custom fixture. The cobot confirms part presence via sensor before starting.
Automated Sanding Sequence
The robot follows pre-programmed paths across all surfaces — rails, legs, spindles, and seat frame — with controlled force and speed.
Unload & Inspect
Operator removes the finished chair. Quality is consistent enough that spot-check inspection replaces 100% manual review.
Finishing Touch Up
Operator manually finishes the corners where the cobot can't reach and any other areas that need a bit more love — keeping final quality fully in human hands.
Who This System
Is Built For
Designed for furniture manufacturers running medium-to-high volumes of wood chair production. Whether you're building dining chairs, bar stools, rockers, or contract seating, this system integrates into your existing line.
- Solid wood & engineered wood chair manufacturers
- Contract furniture producers (restaurants, hotels, offices)
- Custom furniture shops looking to scale finishing capacity
- Operations dealing with skilled sanding labour shortages
- Plants where manual sanding is a health & safety concern
Calculate Your
Return on Investment
Enter your production data and we'll email you a personalized ROI study — showing exactly how fast this system pays for itself in your operation.
Systems We Installed
For Real Clients
See how our ChairMate system brings repeatability and efficiency to a high-end solid wood furniture maker.
The Challenge
Direct D'la Shop produces high-end solid wood furniture. As volumes grew, manual chair sanding became a bottleneck — repetitive, physically demanding, and increasingly hard to staff due to the shortage of skilled labor. They needed automation that fit their existing shop layout without disrupting their workflow.
The Solution
Camex designed and built a compact cobot sanding cell with a compliant end-of-arm sanding tool, a custom rotating fixture that presents each chair surface at the correct angle, and a full dust containment enclosure with vacuum extraction. Model changeovers are done via a simple touchscreen — no re-programming required. Camex handled fixture design, robot programming, dust enclosure integration, and on-site commissioning.
The Results
Consistent finish quality across all chair models, eliminating the operator-to-operator variation that caused rework after staining. Manual sanding operators were reassigned to finishing, inspection, and assembly. Air quality in the sanding area improved significantly — reducing particulate exposure for the whole shop floor.
Ready to Automate
Your Sanding Line?
Talk to our team. We'll assess your parts, volumes, and floor space — then propose a system that fits your operation.