Novel surface optimization for trajectory reconstruction in industrial robot tasks

This study presents a novel algorithm implementation that optimizes manually recorded toolpaths with the use of a 3D-workpiece model to reduce manual error induced. The novel algorithm has three steps: workpiece declaration, manual toolpath declaration, and toolpath optimization using steepest descent algorithm. Steepest descent finds the surface route wherein the manually recorded toolpaths traverse over a 3D-workpiece surface. The optimized toolpaths were simulated and tested with an industrial robot showing minimal error compared to the desired optimized toolpaths. The results obtained from the presented implementation on three different trajectories demonstrate that the proposed methodology can reduce the manual error induced using as a reference the CAD-workpiece surface.

Surface Qualification Toolpath Optimization for Hybrid Manufacturing

Hybrid manufacturing machine tools have great potential to revolutionize manufacturing by combining both additive manufacturing (AM) and subtractive manufacturing (SM) processes on the same machine tool. A prominent issue that can occur when going from AM to SM is that the SM process toolpath does not account for geometric discrepancies caused by the previous AM step, which leads to increased production times and tool wear, particularly when wire-based directed energy deposition (DED) is used as the AM process. This work discusses a methodology for approximating a part’s surface topology using on-machine contact probing and formulating an optimized SM toolpath using the surface topology approximation. Three different geometric surface approximations were used: triangular, trapezoidal, and a hybrid of both. SM toolpaths were created using each geometric approximation and assessed according to three objectives: reducing total machining time, reducing surface roughness, and reducing cutting force. Different prioritization scenarios of the optimization goals were also investigated. The optimal surface approximation that yielded the most improvement in the optimization was determined to be the hybrid surface topology approximation. Furthermore, it was shown that when the machining time or cutting force optimization goals were prioritized, there was little improvement in the other optimization goals.

The effect of changes in depth of cut and cutting speed of CNC toolpaths on turning process performance

In this article, a novel approach to computer optimization of CNC toolpaths by adjustment of cutting speed vcand depth of cut apis presented. Available software works by the principle of adjusting feed rate on the basis of calculations and numerical simulation of the machining process. The authors wish to expand upon this approach by proposing toolpath optimization by altering two other basic process parameters. Intricacies and problems related totheadjustment of apand vcwere explained in the introductory part. Simulation of different variant of the same turning process with different parameter values were conducted to evaluate the effect of changes in depth of cut and cutting speed on process performance. Obtained results were investigated on the account of cutting force and tool life. The authors have found that depth of cut substantially affects cutting force, while the effect of cutting speed on it is minimal. An increase in both depth of cut and cutting speed affects tool life negatively, although the impact of cutting speed is much more severe. An increase in depth of cut allows for a more significant reduction of machining time, while affecting tool life less negatively. On the other hand, the adjustment of cutting speed helpsto reduce machining time without increasing cutting force component values and spindle load.

THE EFFECT OF CHANGES IN DEPTH OF CUT ON SURFACE ROUGHNESS IN MACHINING OF AISI 316 STAINLESS STEEL

Currently, process optimization is an important part of design of CNC toolpath, allowing overall process improvement in accordance to a range of criteria. Available CAE software for CNC toolpath optimization works only by changing the feed rate value specified in the base toolpath. The authors are planning to devise a solution allowing for optimization of other process parameters, including depth of cut. In some cases, it would be important for surface roughness to remain unaltered after optimization by means of increasing depth of cut. In this work, the effect of depth of cut on surface roughness was investigated. Depth of cut was altered for the roughing pass, while technological parameters for the finish pass remained constant. Roughness measurements were performed on-machine after rough turning and finish turning. The authors have found that depth of cut has a noticeable effect on investigated roughness parameters, both in the case of rough turning and subsequent finish turning operations.

An efficient 5-axis toolpath optimization algorithm for machining parts with abrupt curvature

The kinematical behavior of 5-axis machine tool introduced by toolpath calculation has a close relation with processing efficiency and quality of parts. For the category of sculptured surface parts with abrupt curvature, such as turbine blade and fixed guide vane, the most commonly utilized spiral contouring toolpath modes usually encounter some trouble during actual machining, the reason lies in the difficult tool orientation control near the edge of such parts. However, the global optimization for the spiral toolpath means increased computation burden, and so it is time consuming. In this paper, an efficient 5-axis toolpath optimization algorithm is presented, and the objective is to smooth the rotary axes’ motion caused by drastically changed tool orientation on spiral toolpath for abrupt curvature parts machining. To reduce the computation burden, only path segments on the spiral trajectory-owned weak kinematic performance are selected for further optimizing. To obtain smoother motion for rotary axes, the specific optimization computation for the selected path segments is conducted in the Machine Coordinate System (MCS) instead of the Part Coordinate System (PCS). The optimization model is constructed and a related solution method is presented to ensure the high-performance optimization. The complete optimization algorithm is demonstrated on a spiral 5-axis toolpath for the turbine blade finish machining, and the result shows that only 25.9% optimization computation is needed compared with global optimization algorithm. And then, the actual machining experiments are carried out by using paraffin as cut material, and the machining time with optimized toolpath is decreased by 19.7% compared with initial toolpath. In addition, the surface quality of parts is significantly improved after conducting the optimization. This study proves that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the processing efficiency and surface quality of parts with abrupt curvature and provides an efficient method to optimize the spiral 5-axis toolpath used for finish machining parts with abrupt curvature.