Development of an automated and dedicated measuring system for straightness evaluation

Abstract

This work presents an automated and dedicated system aiming at the measurement of straightness errors of mechanical components, using an industrial robot. A multi-probe error separation technique was used to make measurements independent from the coordinate system of the robot. A mathematical model that takes into account the readings from three sensors was specifically designed for the proposed measurements and produces inspection results by means of the solution of a system of linear equations, in only one operation. Also in this work, a new approach was developed to minimize the influence of the zero-adjustment errors of the sensors, which represent the major source of errors in the separation process. Experimental tests applied to the measurement of straightness errors of mechanical components were accomplished, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the employed methodology.