Path Planning under Force Control in Robotic Polishing of the Complex Curved Surfaces

Abstract

Surface polishing is required in many manufacturing sectors. Currently, it demands a large amount of manual work, which is time-consuming, error-prone, and costly. Additionally, it creates hazards for the workers as it may result in many deadly respiratory diseases. Robotic polishing is the solution to these problems. It can improve productivity, eliminate the defects, and provides consistent product quality. In this paper, an effective approach is presented for the robotic polishing of the complex curved surfaces. The key part of the presented method is the tool path planning with controlled force and polishing parameters optimization evaluated using design of experiments (DOE). The tool path planning is aimed at improving the surface quality and the contact area per path. The constraints of joint limits and productivity are also considered. Moreover, its jerk avoidance strategy allows the robot to move swiftly while ensuring a smooth trajectory. The presented method is verified for the polishing of an eyeglass frame. A considerable improvement of 90% on the average roughness is achieved with the maximum acceptable roughness set at 0.02 µm. The polishing operation takes just 79 secs and the average glossiness of 76 G is achieved on the final product along with the successful elimination of scratches on the surface.