# **Robotic Fiberglass Sanding for Marine**

Close the gap on hard-to-staff finishing roles. Viam’s robotic sanding solution keeps production moving, delivers consistent finish quality, and gets smarter with every job. Built and powered by Viam.

50% of marine manufacturers cite workforce attraction as their #1 challenge. Sanding is where it hits hardest.

SurfaceAI is a robotic workstation that fits into existing work cells and plugs into standard power. Built for high-dust, high-mix marine manufacturing environments, it handles repetitive fiberglass surface prep so your skilled team can focus on the craft.

## From Manual Variability to Production Certainty

Run multiple sanding stations with one operator.

Sanding crews are the hardest roles to hire and the first to turn over. SurfaceAI lets one operator supervise multiple sanding stations while skilled teams focus on the craft.

Use the right sanding method for every part.

Most robotic systems default to one sander for everything. SurfaceAI can deploy block, long board, or orbital sanding depending on the part, maintaining a fair surface without overworking the material.

Sand to the surface, not the timer.

SurfaceAI uses computer vision to read guide coat in real time. It keeps sanding fiberglass until the surface is fair and the blue is gone — eliminating cross-hatching waviness that shows up after paint, reducing rework cost.

Get better with every job.

SurfaceAI is delivered through a Robotics-as-a-Service subscription configured for your process. The system you run a year from now outperforms the one you deploy today.

## Fit your floor. Evolve with your operation.

We begin every deployment with an onsite assessment of your parts, workflow, and floor space. SurfaceAI is tuned to your production from day one, and gets smarter from there.

1. **Two industrial robotic arms** with custom sanding end-effectors
2. **Integrated vacuum system** for source dust collection
3. **Operator station** for job start, progress monitoring, and parameter adjustment
4. **One camera/imaging device** per robotic arm for AI-powered vision

## What are you sanding?

### Small Components
- **Hardware**: UR7e or similar compact collaborative robot
- **Use Case**: Parts up to 1200mm (Hatches, panels, molded composite parts, furniture components)

### Hull Sections & Transoms
- **Hardware**: UR20e or similar long-reach collaborative robot
- **Use Case**: Parts between 1200mm - 2400mm (Transoms, hull sections, deck components)

### Custom Solutions
- **Hardware**: Any major arm manufacturer - based on your specifications
- **Use Case**: Parts over 2400mm or complex multi-surface geometries (Large hulls, decks, liners, custom builds)

## Your line keeps moving

SurfaceAI is delivered as a fully supported production system.

### Continuous Monitoring & Remote Resolution

Every station is monitored in real time through Viam’s cloud platform. Issues are flagged early and resolved remotely.

### Enterprise-Grade Security & Ownership

Your process data stays yours, encrypted in transit and at rest, never locked inside proprietary hardware.

### Customized through Partnership

Work directly with our team to keep your system tuned to your workflows and quality standards.

### Surface AI runs on

- **Adapts in Real-Time**: Computer vision reads each part and adjusts automatically, reducing manual calibration and costly resets.
- **Continuous Performance Growth**: New capabilities are delivered through over-the-air software updates, so your workstation becomes smarter over time.
- **No Hardware Lock-In**: New capabilities are delivered through over-the-air software updates, reducing downtime and manual intervention.

## Viking Takes First Steps Toward Sanding Automation

_Viam’s solution enables more consistent and efficient fiberglass sanding, addressing a major manufacturing challenge across marine and other sectors._

“Fairing is one of the most labor-intensive and critical parts of the build process. If we can maintain Viking’s standard of finish while reducing physical strain and reallocating our skilled techs to other areas, that’s a win. This isn’t about replacing people—it’s about evolving the process to support them and the long-term quality of the product.” — Daniel Thompson-Rhodes, Industrial Engineer at Viking Yachts

## IBEX Announces Winners of 2025 Innovation Awards

IBEX 365 News recognizes Viam’s robotic block sanding system in the 2025 Innovation Awards, highlighting how it can improve efficiency and consistency in marine surface finishing.

## Seeing is believing. Send us your part for free sanding.

1. Tell us about your manufacturing facility and sanding process.
2. Choose a sample part to send to our lab, or come onsite to see it live.
3. See the results and explore automation with our team.