Robotized machining : of a dovetail in construction steel

Abstract

The purpose for this thesis is to present a design proposal for a robot cell that machines dovetails in steel. The discussed topics will range from how to make the robot cell a suitable part of a production line to choosing cutting parameters for a specific machining operation. This includes the design of a robot tool that enables the robot to hold the work piece through the whole process. The machining operations consist of milling, drilling and threading. These will all be addressed even thou the focus will be on evaluating the milling and drilling operations. The evaluation includes calculating the cutting forces to be able to give recommendations on which cutting data, tool and type of insert to use. To relieve the robot from process forces fixtures are a important part of the solution. The fixtures are custom made in SolidWorks to support the robot appropriately. To determine whether the proposed robot cell is economically suitable for use in production an investment appraisal is done where the current value and the payback time are calculated. Furthermore a simulation is made in RobotStudio to approximate the cycle time. To summarize the result the robot cell seems to be a viable alternative both economically and production wise. Experiments will have to show if the robot cell is able to produce dovetails according to desired specifications.