Measurement assisted automated robotic edge deburring of complex components

Abstract

Aero engine components are often subjected to high stress levels and vibrations during operation The mechanical integrity of these machined components may be compromised by the presence of burrs and sharp edges. Therefore the removal of burrs and the creation of rounded edges is necessary. To do this manually is time consuming and costly and may have potential quality issues. The application of robots to deburring has been limited by the difficulties in achieving the required degree of quality, controlling reaction forces during metal removal and the lack of tooling designed specifically for robots. The work presented in this paper provides a potential solution to these problems using standard industrial robots, hard point tooling, non-contact metrology systems mathematical processing and a cell control system. The approach uses an inprocess measurement sensor to determine the component's exact location prior to the deburring operation. The core of the system is a set of algorithms capable of fitting and generating the required robot path relative to the feature to be profiled. The paper describes the development of the process for a simple straight edge feature and its application to more complex ones. The algorithms were evaluated using representative test pieces made from Titanium, RR1000 and super CMV alloys using a spindle attached to an industrial robot.