Robotic Digital Fabrication
Custom digital fabrication solutions built on industrial robots
BAT Partners Inc. develops custom digital fabrication solutions built around articulated industrial robots. Centered on robotic additive and subtractive processes, our work opens up new applications across manufacturing, construction, design, art and other creative fields.
01About
BAT's robotic fabrication solutions serve a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, architecture, design and art.
Drawing on our expertise in robotic additive and subtractive manufacturing across many materials, and on GERTY, our in-house OLP software framework, we aim to turn a single industrial robot system into a hybrid fabrication platform.
Accuracy, freedom of motion, scale and hybrid processing — one robot, many ways to make.
Additive manufacturing is drawing attention across many fields, and industrial robots extend its reach further through their strengths: accuracy, freedom of motion, scale and hybrid processing. BAT identifies and implements effective applications for robotic additive manufacturing, and develops control software that end users from diverse backgrounds, including engineers, designers and artists, can put to work directly.
All robot solutions provided by BAT are built on ABB robots through our partnership with ABB Korea.
02Solutions
Hardware and software solutions for hybrid processing with industrial robots, spanning additive manufacturing (AM) and subtractive manufacturing (SM).
Wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a metal additive manufacturing solution that combines industrial robots with arc welding technology.
Pairing the freedom of motion and wide working envelope of an industrial robot with the versatility and speed of arc welding, it is well suited to medium- and large-scale metal deposition.
System components
Wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a metal additive manufacturing solution that combines industrial robots with arc welding technology.
Pairing the freedom of motion and wide working envelope of an industrial robot with the versatility and speed of arc welding, it is well suited to medium- and large-scale metal deposition.
System components
Partners
03Projects
Robotic fabrication and engineering projects, from custom fabrication with robotic processes to robot toolpath programming and fabrication testbeds.
2025 · Research / Installation
Robotic WAAM
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2020 · Research / Installation
Robotic Milling, Robotic WAAM
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2019 · Exhibition + Demo
Robotic 3D Printing
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2019 · Installation / Exhibition
Robotic Milling
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2018–2019 · Exhibition + Demo
Robotic WAAM
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2018 · Installation / Fabrication
Robotic WAAM
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Installation
Robotic Milling, Robotic Clay 3D Printing
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Installation / Fabrication
Robotic Grinding and More
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Fabrication
Robotic Hotwire Cutting
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Installation / Fabrication
Robotic Bricklaying
View project04Software
GERTY is an OLP/CAM software framework for industrial robots that runs as a plugin for Rhino and Grasshopper. It covers the whole offline programming workflow for both additive (AM) and subtractive (SM) manufacturing on one platform: toolpath generation matched to the robot arm and external axes, motion simulation and robot program generation.
01 / 07
Rhino · Grasshopper · OLP/CAM
Installed as a plugin for Rhino and Grasshopper, GERTY runs the entire workflow, from design to robot motion programming to fabrication, within a single CAD environment. Toolpath generation, robot targets, simulation and program output are all linked as Grasshopper components, so any change to a design parameter is immediately reflected in the robot motion.
02 / 07
Surface Slicing · Solid Slicing
Slices surface and solid geometry to generate the additive toolpaths 3D printing requires, including outer walls, infill and supports. Layer height and width, first-layer shift, seam position, and infill pattern and angle are all adjustable as Grasshopper component parameters.
03 / 07
Tilting Weight · Non-Planar · Reinforcement Layers
Non-planar slicing tilts each slice layer to follow the slope of the geometry according to the Tilting Weight value, generating additive toolpaths with reduced overhang even on inclined forms. Reinforcement toolpaths are added repeatedly at intervals specified for each overhang-angle range across the geometry. In cells equipped with a 2-axis positioner, anti-overhang deposition control using the external axes can also be applied.
04 / 07
Dynamic Control · TCP Rotating / Tilting / Re-Orientation
Whenever the workpiece position or geometry, or a toolpath's target planes, change, GERTY recalculates the robot motion interactively. Dynamic control rotates one or more external axes in sync with the robot so that each target on the toolpath is aligned with a specified TCP direction vector. TCP rotation, tilt and re-orientation can also be adjusted, so optimized robot programs can be produced quickly.
05 / 07
Static Control · Single / Multi Axis · CPlane
Simulates and controls complex robot cells that include external axes such as 2-axis positioners and linear tracks. When the work area is divided into zones, each with its own reference plane (CPlane), GERTY calculates the external-axis pose so that the TCP approaches every zone from a consistent direction. This static control method, which works zone by zone with the external-axis pose held fixed, applies to configurations from a single-axis positioner to multi-axis setups. In milling, roughing and finishing toolpaths can be coordinated with rotary external axes to machine complex geometry.
06 / 07
Approach / Retract · Continuity · Pick & Place
Generates fly-by toolpaths that link one working path to the next. Approach and retract directions and distances, along with curvature-continuity conditions, are set as parameters to smoothly connect repetitive moves such as travel between weld paths or between Pick & Place targets.
07 / 07
LAN / WAN · RAPID · Tool / Wobj / I/O Data
GERTY connects to multiple robot controllers over LAN / WAN. It exchanges RAPID code, tool, work object (wobj) and I/O data, MOC configuration, and robot and external-axis data with the controllers, and can scan the tool data registered on an ABB controller and import it directly as tool definitions in Grasshopper.
01 / 07
Support
The GERTY documentation covers the plugin's components, features and usage in detail.
05Process
We provide consulting, hardware/software delivery, operator training and technical support for clients adopting robotic fabrication solutions.
We review your application, materials, geometry and scale with you, and recommend the right robotic process: WAAM, 3D printing, milling, hotwire cutting and more.
We design the core hardware configuration, including the ABB robot and positioner (6+2 axes), end-effectors and control box. Peripheral components beyond the essentials are adjusted to suit each project.
Using GERTY, our in-house OLP software, we generate toolpaths, simulate robot motion and carry out offline programming.
We deliver and install complete hardware and software solutions, or carry out related R&D and fabrication projects ourselves.
We provide operator training and technical support, and continue to support GERTY users through the online documentation.
06Contact
Have a question about our solutions or services? Click Contact us below and tell us about your project.
Call us +82 32 512 2182
Room C-711, U1 CenterIncheon Techno Valley236 Jubuto-ro, Bupyeong-guIncheon 21330, Republic of Korea
