Application of Enhanced Sensor-based Robots to Improve the Automation of Grinding and Deburring Tasks

摘要

The use of industrial robots to automate grinding and deburring tasks often leads to the basic problem that a solution is only possible by adding external sensors which detect the tolerance deviations inherent in the process. However, industrial robot controllers mostly do not offer the necessary sensor functios and/or still have cycle times which are too long. This paper illustrates an approach using external sensor-actuator components which are combined to form an integral system. It is mounted at the wrist of the robot and allows for fast and accurate compensation of random variations occuring during deburring. The design has been carried out with particular emphasis on the consideration of industrial needs such as robustness and easy use. The approach is illustrated by analysing the task to automatically deburr steering wheels for the car industry. Experimental results of a prototype system are presented.