Machining-based coverage path planning for automated structural inspection

The automation of robotically delivered nondestructive evaluation inspection shares many aims with traditional manufacture machining. This paper presents a new hardware and software system for automated thickness mapping of large-scale areas, with multiple obstacles, by employing computer-aided drawing (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)-inspired path planning to implement control of a novel mobile robotic thickness mapping inspection vehicle. A custom postprocessor provides the necessary translation from CAM numeric code through robotic kinematic control to combine and automate the overall process. The generalized steps to implement this approach for any mobile robotic platform are presented herein and applied, in this instance, to a novel thickness mapping crawler. The inspection capabilities of the system were evaluated on an indoor mock-inspection scenario, within a motion tracking cell, to provide quantitative performance figures for positional accuracy. Multiple thickness defects simulating corrosion features on a steel sample plate were combined with obstacles to be avoided during the inspection. A minimum thickness mapping error of 0.21 mm and a mean path error of 4.41 mm were observed for a 2 m² carbon steel sample of 10-mm nominal thickness. The potential of this automated approach has benefits in terms of repeatability of area coverage, obstacle avoidance, and reduced path overlap, all of which directly lead to increased task efficiency and reduced inspection time of large structural assets

Acquisition and reconstruction of 3D objects for robotic machining

With the evolution of the techniques of acquisition of Three-Dimensional (3D) image it became possible to apply these in more and more areas, as well as to be used for research and hobbyists due to the appearance of low cost 3D scanners. Among the application of 3D acquisitions is the reconstruction of objects, which allows for example to redo or remodel an existing object that is no longer on the market. Another rise tech is industrial robot, that is highly present in the industry and can perform several tasks, even machining activities, and can be applied in more than one type of operation. The purpose of this work is to acquire a 3D scene with low-cost scanners and use this acquisition to create the tool path for roughing a workpiece, using an industrial robot for this machining task. For the acquisition, the Skanect software was used, which had satisfactory results for the work, and the exported file of the acquisition was worked on the MeshLab and Meshmixer software, which were used to obtain only the interest part for the milling process. With the defined work object, it was applied in Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software, Fusion 360, to generate the tool path for thinning in G-code, which was converted by the RoboDK software to robot code, and this also allowed to make simulation of the machining with the desired robot. With the simulation taking place as expected, it was implemented in practice, performing the 3D acquisition machining, thus being able to verify the machining technique used. Furthermore, with the results of acquire, generation of toolpath and machining, was possible to validate the proposed solution and reach a conclusion of possible improvements for this project.Com a evolução das técnicas de aquisição de imagem 3D tornou-se possível aplicá-las em cada vez mais áreas, bem como serem utilizadas por pesquisadores e amadores devido ao surgimento de scanners 3D de baixo custo. Entre as aplicações de aquisições 3D está a reconstrução de objetos, o que permite, por exemplo, refazer ou remodelar um objeto existente que não está mais no mercado. Outra tecnologia em ascensão é o robô industrial, que está muito presente na indústria e pode realizar diversas tarefas, até mesmo atividades de fabrico, e ser aplicado em mais de um tipo de operação. O objetivo deste trabalho é adquirir uma cena 3D com scanners de baixo custo e utilizar esta aquisição para criar o caminho da ferramenta para o desbaste de uma peça, utilizando um robô industrial nesta tarefa de usinagem. Para a aquisição foi utilizado o software Skanect, que obteve resultados satisfatórios para o trabalho, e o arquivo exportado da aquisição foi trabalhado nos softwares MeshLab e Meshmixer, os quais foram utilizados para obter apenas a parte de interesse para o processo de fresagem. Com o objeto de trabalho defino, este foi aplicado em software CAM, Fusion 360, para gerar o caminho de ferramentas para o desbaste em G-code, o qual foi convertido pelo Software RoboDK para código de rôbo, e este também permitiu fazer simulação da maquinação com o rôbo pretendido. Com a simulação ocorrendo de acordo com o esperado, esta foi implementada em prática, realizando a maquinação da aquisição 3D, assim podendo verificar a técnica de maquinação utilizada. Além disso com os resultados de aquisição, geração de toolpath e maquinação, foi possível validar a solução proposta e chegar a uma conclusão de possíveis melhorias para este projeto

Postprocesamiento CAM-ROBOTICA orientado al prototipado y mecanizado en células robotizadas complejas

The main interest of this thesis consists of the study and implementation of postprocessors to adapt the toolpath generated by a Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) system to a complex robotic workcell of eight joints, devoted to the rapid prototyping of 3D CAD-defined products. It consists of a 6R industrial manipulator mounted on a linear track and synchronized with a rotary table. To accomplish this main objective, previous work is required. Each task carried out entails a methodology, objective and partial results that complement each other, namely: - It is described the architecture of the workcell in depth, at both displacement and joint-rate levels, for both direct and inverse resolutions. The conditioning of the Jacobian matrix is described as kinetostatic performance index to evaluate the vicinity to singular postures. These ones are analysed from a geometric point of view. - Prior to any machining, the additional external joints require a calibration done in situ, usually in an industrial environment. A novel Non-contact Planar Constraint Calibration method is developed to estimate the external joints configuration parameters by means of a laser displacement sensor. - A first control is originally done by means of a fuzzy inference engine at the displacement level, which is integrated within the postprocessor of the CAM software. - Several Redundancy Resolution Schemes (RRS) at the joint-rate level are compared for the configuration of the postprocessor, dealing not only with the additional joints (intrinsic redundancy) but also with the redundancy due to the symmetry on the milling tool (functional redundancy). - The use of these schemes is optimized by adjusting two performance criterion vectors related to both singularity avoidance and maintenance of a preferred reference posture, as secondary tasks to be done during the path tracking. Two innovative fuzzy inference engines actively adjust the weight of each joint in these tasks.Andrés De La Esperanza, FJ. (2011). Postprocesamiento CAM-ROBOTICA orientado al prototipado y mecanizado en células robotizadas complejas [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/10627Palanci

STEP-NC-compliant implementation to support mixed-control technologies applied to stone-processing machines based on industrial automation standards

STEP-NC (Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data–Numerical Control) for metal milling and turning is not implemented by industrial computer numerical controllers. Solutions reported are prototypes based on post-processing in G-code. Moreover, minority machining processes, such as stone cutting, have not yet been contemplated in the STEP-NC standard. This article takes that sector as a use case. An extended STEP-NC model for circular saw stone-cutting operations is proposed, and a prototype automation implementation is developed to work with this extended model. This article shows how modern technological resources for coordinated axes control provided by many industrial controllers for the automation of general-purpose machines can speed up the processes of implementing STEP-NC numerical controllers. This article proposes a mixed and flexible approach for STEP-NC-based machine automation, where different strategies can coexist when it comes to executing STEP-NC machining files, so controllers do not need to implement the standard in an exhaustive way for all the possible features, but only at selected ones when convenient. This is demonstrated in a prototype implementation which is able to process STEP-NC product files with mixed-feature types: standard milling and non-standard sawblade features for stone processing

Kinematic analysis and optimization of robotic milling

Robotic milling is proposed to be one of the alternatives to respond the demand for flexible and cost-effective manufacturing systems. Serial arm robots offering 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) motion capability which are utilized for robotic 5-axis milling purposes, exhibits several issues such as low accuracy, low structural rigidity and kinematic singularities etc. In 5-axis milling, the tool axis selection and workpiece positioning are still a challenge, where only geometrical issues are considered at the computer-aided-manufacturing (CAM) packages. The inverse kinematic solution of the robot i.e. positions and motion of the axes, strictly depends on the workpiece location with respect to the robot base. Therefore, workpiece placement is crucial for improved robotic milling applications. In this thesis, an approach is proposed to select the tool axis for robotic milling along an already generated 5-axis milling tool path, where the robot kinematics are considered to eliminate or decrease excessive axis rotations. The proposed approach is demonstrated through simulations and benefits are discussed. Also, the effect of workpiece positioning in robotic milling is investigated considering the robot kinematics. The investigation criterion is selected as the movement of the robot axes. It is aimed to minimize the total movement of either all axes or selected the axis responsible of the most accuracy errors. Kinematic simulations are performed on a representative milling tool path and results are discusse

From CAD-Design to Force Controlled Robot Manufacturing

This Master Thesis presents the necessary steps to manufacture a piece, starting from the draw in the software Pro/ENGINEER and then processing the generated G-code to create a RAPID program understandable for the robot. Some additions required to make the code work on the Teach Pendant of the IRB 2400-16 are explained in detail. Apart from the RAPID program, the robot is also controlled with the help of a Simulink controller created to avoid collisions and to assure a compliant behaviour with the environment. An extra application is included in order to obtain information about the shape of the workpiece that the robot will machine

Development of Two Cooperative Stewart Platforms for Machining

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Augmented reality in robot programming

Industrial robots have been traditionally programmed using teaching pendants, whereas offline programming methods are getting increasingly popular in recent years. Although the above two methods are widely-used in the industry, they both have certain disadvantages. For instance, the teaching pendant method requires a shutdown of the production line during the programming process, while offline programming method requires 3D CAD models of both the robot and the workpiece. In this paper, an augmented reality (AR) application which alleviates the aforementioned problems was proposed for robot programming purposes. The application is created using commercially available AR software, with the addition of our JavaScript code. The use of commercially available software allows an easier sharing and widespread adoption of the application

Reconfiguration and tool path planning of hexapod machine tools

Hexapod machine tools have the potential to achieve increased accuracy, speed, acceleration and rigidity over conventional machines, and are regarded by many researchers as the machine tools of the next generation. However, their small and complex workspace often limits the range of tasks they can perform, and their parallel structure raises many new issues preventing the direct use of conventional tool path planning methods. This dissertation presents an investigation of new reconfiguration and tool path planning methods for enhancing the ability of hexapods to adapt to workspace changes and assisting them in being integrated into the current manufacturing environments. A reconfiguration method which includes the consideration of foot-placement space (FPS) determination and placement parameter identification has been developed. Based on the desired workspace of a hexapod and the motion range of its leg modules, the FPS of a hexapod machine is defined and a construction method of the FPS is presented. An implementation algorithm for the construction method is developed. The equations for identifying the position and orientation of the base joints for the hexapod at a new location are formulated. For the position identification problem, an algorithm based on Dialytic Elimination is derived. Through examples, it is shown that the FPS determination method can provide feasible locations for the feet of the legs to realize the required workspace. It is also shown that these identification equations can be solved through a numerical approach or through Dialytic Elimination using symbolic manipulation. Three dissimilarities between hexapods and five-axis machines are identified and studied to enhance the basic understanding of tool path planning for hexapods. The first significant difference is the existence of an extra degree of freedom (γ angle). The second dissimilarity is that a hexapod has a widely varying inverse Jacobian over the workspace. This leads to the result that a hexapod usually has a nonlinear path when following a straight-line segment over two sampled poses. These factors indicate that the traditional path planning methods should not be used for hexapods without modification. A kinematics-based tool path planning method for hexapod machine tools is proposed to guide the part placement and the determination of γ angle. The algorithms to search for the feasible part locations and γ sets are presented. Three local planning methods for the γ angle are described. It is demonstrated that the method is feasible and is effective in enhancing the performance of the hexapod machine. As the nonlinear error is computationally expensive to evaluate in real time, the measurement of total leg length error is proposed. This measure is proved to be effective in controlling the nonlinear error

A Novel Method for Adaptive Control of Manufacturing Equipment in Cloud Environments

The ability to adaptively control manufacturing equipment, both in local and distributed environments, is becoming increasingly more important for many manufacturing companies. One important reason for this is that manufacturing companies are facing increasing levels of changes, variations and uncertainty, caused by both internal and external factors, which can negatively impact their performance. Frequently changing consumer requirements and market demands usually lead to variations in manufacturing quantities, product design and shorter product life-cycles. Variations in manufacturing capability and functionality, such as equipment breakdowns, missing/worn/broken tools and delays, also contribute to a high level of uncertainty. The result is unpredictable manufacturing system performance, with an increased number of unforeseen events occurring in these systems. Events which are difficult for traditional planning and control systems to satisfactorily manage. For manufacturing scenarios such as these, the use of real-time manufacturing information and intelligence is necessary to enable manufacturing activities to be performed according to actual manufacturing conditions and requirements, and not according to a pre-determined process plan. Therefore, there is a need for an event-driven control approach to facilitate adaptive decision-making and dynamic control capabilities. Another reason driving the move for adaptive control of manufacturing equipment is the trend of increasing globalization, which forces manufacturing industry to focus on more cost-effective manufacturing systems and collaboration within global supply chains and manufacturing networks. Cloud Manufacturing is evolving as a new manufacturing paradigm to match this trend, enabling the mutually advantageous sharing of resources, knowledge and information between distributed companies and manufacturing units. One of the crucial objectives for Cloud Manufacturing is the coordinated planning, control and execution of discrete manufacturing operations in collaborative and networked environments. Therefore, there is also a need that such an event-driven control approach supports the control of distributed manufacturing equipment. The aim of this research study is to define and verify a novel and comprehensive method for adaptive control of manufacturing equipment in cloud environments. The presented research follows the Design Science Research methodology. From a review of research literature, problems regarding adaptive manufacturing equipment control have been identified. A control approach, building on a structure of event-driven Manufacturing Feature Function Blocks, supported by an Information Framework, has been formulated. The Function Block structure is constructed to generate real-time control instructions, triggered by events from the manufacturing environment. The Information Framework uses the concept of Ontologies and The Semantic Web to enable description and matching of manufacturing resource capabilities and manufacturing task requests in distributed environments, e.g. within Cloud Manufacturing. The suggested control approach has been designed and instantiated, implemented as prototype systems for both local and distributed manufacturing scenarios, in both real and virtual applications. In these systems, event-driven Assembly Feature Function Blocks for adaptive control of robotic assembly tasks have been used to demonstrate the applicability of the control approach. The utility and performance of these prototype systems have been tested, verified and evaluated for different assembly scenarios. The proposed control approach has many promising characteristics for use within both local and distributed environments, such as cloud environments. The biggest advantage compared to traditional control is that the required control is created at run-time according to actual manufacturing conditions. The biggest obstacle for being applicable to its full extent is manufacturing equipment controlled by proprietary control systems, with native control languages. To take the full advantage of the IEC Function Block control approach, controllers which can interface, interpret and execute these Function Blocks directly, are necessary