Robotic machining of composite materials

TRIMMING COMPOSITE POLYESTER PARTS

The part is held by vacuum cups on a wheeled trolley. The robot trims the parts on demand according to the demold pace. The trolley is indexed on a turntable that can handle large parts: 2.5m x 2.5m x 2m.

Robotics CAM software provides the programs, but these can also be learnt.

The robot is equipped with a 12KW electrospindle with automatic toolchange.

HIGH-SPEED CUTTING OF SMALL PARTS

Two robots work simultaneously on one or more parts when short cycle times are needed as in the automotive industry.

The parts are loaded onto a swinging turntable in hidden time.

Waste products are evacuated automatically in order to achieve high availability rates.

TRIMMING CARBON COMPOSITE PARTS

On high-value parts, compliance with tolerances also depends on consideration of the post-curing geometry of the part. Our robots are fitted with a mechanical touch probe or laser that measures the parts’ exact position and shape.

Trimming paths are executed after a best-fit recalibration and, on some usercase, after applying a morphing algorithm that matches the toolpath to the actual shape. This technology is particularly efficient on large, flexible parts that would otherwise require very expensive tooling.