Fuzzy feed rate controller for a machining robot

Abstract

A cast metal is generally produced by using a sand mold. A foamed polystyrene mold is used as the master mold for making the corresponding sand mold. Recently, the development of a flexible machining robot for foamed polystyrene materials is expected in the cast metal industries because of the high cost and inefficiency of conventional large-sized CNC machine tools. In this paper, a flexible machining system integrated with an industrial robot is proposed for foamed polystyrene materials. A compact and light weight tool is developed and attached to the arm tip. The tool's feed rate is skillfully regulated by a fuzzy reasoning method. The design of the flexible machining robot controlled using the developed fuzzy feed rate controller is presented for foamed polystyrene materials.