Development of a Robot System for Advanced High Quality Manufacturing Processes

Abstract

Grinding and polishing are standard operations in material processing which are nowadays automated with the help of industrial robots in order to relieve human labour and optimize the profitability of production. However, it is expensive to adapt present systems to the production of other part geometries and operation cycles, and therefore adaptations are economically applicable only for large batch sizes.This project develops an “intelligent” robot system that obtains sensory skills due to the linkage of innovative robot technology and image processing systems via new software. With this system even the smallest error on highly-polished, mirror-like surfaces can be detected objectively and reproducibly. In addition, the system will be capable of establishing an optimum error compensation strategy dependent on the error data, as well as generating and realizing operating programmes. For this purpose it is given a manual-learning skill. A new offline-programming and simulating system for exacting operation processes makes it easier to set up, change and optimize robot programmes, thus making it useful for the operator.