Advanced Machining with Industrial Robots

Let’s first understand what is machining?

Machining is a terminology broadly used to describe a phenomenon of material removal from any workpiece. Machining can be further classified into different categories: 

Traditional Machining:

  1. Turning
  2. Milling
  3. Drilling
  4. Grinding

 Non-traditional Machining:

  1. Waterjet cutting
  2. ECM: Electrochemical Machining
  3. EDM: Electrical discharge Machining
  4. AFM: Abrasive Flow Machining
  5. USM: Ultrasonic Machining





Since the early days, machining is mostly by using a turning or a milling machine. The milling process requires a tool that rotates at the desired RPM and takes away material from the stationary part. The turning machine operates exactly the opposite, the part is rotated around an axis and the tool stands still (most of the time) and removes material from the rotating part. There are other intricacies, but this is fundamentally how it operates. We have industrial metal working tools also 

If we look at the construction of the machines, these machines can be huge and are normally placed on a shop-floor with an appropriate power supply, air supply, and coolant fluids. Different parts are placed ''inside'' the machines. So the machining area can be limited to this sometimes much smaller space. 

There are other machines that are a little advanced which are called CNC machines. These are automated machines and operate on a particular program and work on the part that is placed in the workspace. The CNC market is always evolving, by bringing in new models, adding axes and ways to do the job more efficiently. Nowadays, CNC machines are also furnished with pallet changers as well as tool changers, which helps in the seamless flow of operations. 

Machining through robots

The manufacturing industry is utilizing the above methodologies since ages. However, the birth of disruptive technologies like machining through robots has provided a huge leap ahead. The machining industry has been familiar with the robots for a little while now, mostly to do production work.  Although, with a lot of technological advancement, industrial robots are now ready to take over the machining. In other words, the use of Industrial robots for machining complex parts and shapes with various rigidities is the best alternative.

Robot machining can be a game changer when there is a requirement of more complex shapes in the manufacturing process. Sometimes, it gets very tough to achieve the desired geometry using the traditional machines. On the other hand, in some applications it is not possible to use milling or turning as the part which has to be machined is too big to be fit on to the traditional machines.

After looking at the above situations, the best solution is to use industrial robots with more than 5 axis. Depending upon the application, a lot of rigidity may be required. While using the robot, one can omit the problem of complexity but will face the problem of accuracy. You want the robot to be as accurate as possible and the factors including backlash and robot warmup have to be regularly monitored and reoriented for best results. To make it more precise one can use vision system, it will help the robot to get to the right spot at the right time.

Visionary systems

For achieving best results in machining, the machine should be rigid and that is the key part. Using Robots for work poses some challenges, as the force applied is huge and it creates some kick back. This can result in compromise of accuracy. Hence, to omit those errors robots has to be repositioned exactly. 

Exclusive Tips : lathe chuck jaws

To achieve this, external vision systems have been developed, which will reposition the robot at the right spot when problems occur. The path of the robot for the operation is pre-programmed and the vision system helps the robot to remain to be on the desired path for better accuracy and precision.

Aerospace machining using robot milling

On an aircraft, rivets are used to fix the cabin to the aircraft frame. Earlier, this was performed manually using drills by the workers. These days composites like titanium are used in the manufacturing of aircraft and it is nearly impossible to drill the hole manually. Manufacturers are now using advanced robots for performing the process with ease. Also, they are using a vision system to make it more precise. 

This is just the beginning, as more and more complexity in machining will be witnessed and we will have to opt for new disruptive technologies to stay ahead of the game.

Also Read This Blog Post : Brief Information About Collet jaws ?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Expert Tips on Different Machine Shop Tools

Image
Machine shops often have professional performing cold-metal work. This work involves an operator using tools to remove a portion of the metal, subsequently shaping it to some specified form or size. US Shop tools are designed to perform functions such as threading, boring, turning, and facing. The use of tools in a machine shop varies substantially for both large and small jobs.  metal working tools These highly specialized and advanced machines can be operated manually or may be powered electronically, depending on the model. Depending on the machining service conducted, the  Machine Shop tools  used may differ. By knowing the possibilities and limitations of the tools, a machinist is able to design the intended object more effectively. People operating machine tools must first learn the safety regulations and precautions for each instrument. Understanding the basic concepts of the various tools helps in identifying its usage. Below is a basic guide on machine shop tools.   machine t
Read more

Round Jaws Supplier In USA

Image
We " US Shop Tools " Manufacturer & Supplier Of Best Round Jaws , Lathe jaws,Strong Chuck jaws,Soft & Hard jaws,Nuts,Machine tools,Metalworking,etc.based in USA For More : Nanotechnology in the Machine Shop A  chuck  is a specialized type of clamp used to hold an object with radial symmetry, especially a cylinder. ... Often the  jaws  will be tightened or loosened with the help of a  chuck  key, which is a wrench-like tool made for the purpose. For CNC Machine Knowledge Kindly Click on them Three jaws chucks  are made in various sizes from 1/8-16 inch in diameter. They are usually provided with two sets of  jaws , one for outside chucking and the other for inside chucking.  Self-centering  three - jaw chuck  and key with one  jaw  removed and inverted showing the teeth that engage in the scroll plate. The scroll plate is rotated within the  chuck  body by the key, the scroll engages the teeth on the underside of the  jaws  which moves the  three jaws  in unison, to
Read more

10 Ways The Manufacturing Industry Will Change In 2021

Image
2020 brought changes to the manufacturing industry that few, if any, foresaw; a global pandemic, a trade war, a pressing need for employees to work from home. Barring any ability to foresee the future, what can we assume about the changes 2021 will bring? In this article, we’ll look at 10 ways the manufacturing industry will change or continue to change in 2021.  1.) Influence of remote work Manufacturers already faced well-known issues with finding qualified workers for management and support roles. The emergence of a global pandemic in the first half of 2020 only accelerated that trend, as more and more workers were encouraged to work from home. Know about Alloy .  The question that remains is how much the emphasis on remote work will influence the day-to-day operations of a manufacturing plant. Will management be able to supervise plant workers adequately without being physically present? How will the continued development of workplace automation impact the push to work from home?
Read more