Robotic machining from programming to process control

This paper presents the critical issues and methodologies to improve robotic machining performance with industrial robots. A complete solution using active force control is introduced to address various issues arouse during the robotic machining process. Programming complex contour parts without a CAD model is made easy using force control functions such as lead-through and path-learning. The problem of process control is treated with a novel methodology that consists of real-time deformation compensation for quality and controlled material removal rate (CMRR) for process efficiency. Experimental results show that higher productivity as well as better surface quality can be achieved, indicating a promising and practical use of industrial robots for machining applications that is not available at present.