Publications Details
Intelligent tools and process development for robotic edge finishing: LDRD project final report
This report describes a project undertaken to develop an agile automated, high-precision edge finishing system, for fabricating precision parts. The project involved re-designing and adding additional capabilities to an existing finishing work-cell. The resulting work-cell may serve as prototype for production systems to be integrated in highly flexible automated production lines. The system removes burrs formed in the machining process and produces precision chamfers. The system uses an expert system to predict the burr size from the machining history. Within the CAD system, tool paths are generated for burr removal and chamfer formation. Then, the optimal grinding process is automatically selected from a database of processes. The tool trajectory and the selected process definition is then downloaded to a robotic control system to execute the operation. The robotic control system implements a hybrid fuzzy logic-classical control scheme to achieve the desired performance goals regardless of tolerance and fixturing errors. This report describes the system architecture and the system`s performance.