A Study on the Development of a Specialized Prototype End-Effector for RDSs(Robotic Drilling Systems)

摘要

Robotic Drilling Systems(RDSs) set the standard for the factory automation systems in aerospace manufacturing. With the benefits of cost effective drilling and predictive maintenance, RDSs can provide greater flexibility in the manufacturing process. The system can be easily adopted to manage very complex and time-consuming processes, such as automated fastening hole drilling processes of large aircraft sections, where it would be difficult accomplished by workers following teaching or conventional guided methods. However, in order to build an RDS based on a CAD model, the precise calibration of the Tool Center Point(TCP) must be performed in order to define the relationships between the fastening-hole target and the End Effector(EEF). Based on the kinematics principle, the robot manipulator requires a new method to correct the 3D errors between the CAD model of the reference coordinate system and the actual measurements. The system can be called as a successful system if following conditions can be met; a. seamless integration of the industrial robot controller and the IO Level communication, b. performing pre-defined drilling procedures automatically. This study focuses on implementing a new technology called iGPS into the fastening-hole-drilling process, which is a critical process in aircraft manufacturing. The proposed system exhibits better than 100-micron 3D accuracy under the predefined working space. Based on the proposed EEF fastening-hole machining process, the corresponding processes and programs are developed, and its feasibility is studied.