Grinding system and use method thereof

Abstract

A robotic grinding system is presented that includes a robotic arm that contacts a workpiece with an abrasive article according to a set of operating parameters for a grinding operation. The system also includes a pre-operation topography capture device that captures a pre-operation surface topography of a portion of the workpiece. The system also includes a post-operation topography capture device that captures a post-operation surface topography of the portion of the workpiece. The system also includes a wear calculator that calculates a level of wear of the abrasive article after the grinding operation. The system also includes a controller that generates a grinding strategy based on the pre-operation surface topography, the grinding strategy including the set of operating parameters and a calculated wear level.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Abrasive articles can be used to shape, finish or grind a variety of materials and surfaces such as wood, metals (e.g., particularly non-ferrous metals such as aluminum that tend to clog grinding wheels), and burrs. There is a continuing need to improve the cost, performance and / or life of coated abrasive articles. Summary of the invention

[0002] The present invention provides a robotic grinding system, which includes a robotic arm that contacts a workpiece with an abrasive article according to a set of operating parameters for a grinding operation. The system also includes a pre-operation topography capture device that captures the pre-operation surface topography of a portion of the workpiece. The system also includes a post-operation topography capture device that captures the post-operation surface topography of the portion of the workpiece. The system also includes a wear calculator that calculates the wear level of the abrasive article after the grinding operation. The system also includes a controller that generates a grinding strategy based on the pre-operation surface topography, the grinding strategy including the set of operating parameters and the calculated wear level.

[0003] Systems and methods for detecting when an abrasive article is about to end its useful life are described herein. Some systems and methods herein can improve the use efficiency of an abrasive article as the abrasive particles wear. However, the systems and methods herein are not limited to measuring the wear of abrasive particles. They can also be used to detect the wear of a resin matrix, such as in a nonwoven or bonded abrasive article, where the entire article wears during use. Some systems and methods herein can be particularly useful in robotic grinding systems, where there is no human operator to detect the end of life by noticing changes in grinding efficiency.

[0004] The above summary of the present disclosure is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or each implementation of the present disclosure. The following description more specifically illustrates exemplary embodiments. Therefore, it should be understood that the following description should not be construed as an undue limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 is a top-down schematic illustration of an exemplary coated abrasive article.

[0006] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary coated abrasive article.

[0007] Figure 3 A robotic grinding system that may benefit from embodiments herein is shown.

[0008] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C Turbine blades and grinding strategy are shown.

[0009] Figure 5 A method of evaluating the efficacy of an abrasive article according to embodiments herein is shown.

[0010] Figure 6 A closed-loop feedback system for a robotic grinding system according to embodiments herein is shown.

[0011] Figure 7 and FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C A robot-centric unit for grinding according to embodiments herein is shown.

[0012] FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B A brush grinding operation that may benefit from embodiments herein is shown.

[0013] FIG. 10A to FIG. 10B A grinding operation using a grinding wheel that may benefit from embodiments herein is shown.

[0014] Fig.11 A method of grinding a component using an automated grinding system according to embodiments herein is shown.

[0015] FIG. 12A to FIG. 12B A method of evaluating the wear level of an abrasive article according to embodiments herein is shown.

[0016] Fig.13 A robotic grinding system according to embodiments herein is shown.

[0017] Fig.14 It is the defect detection system architecture.

[0018] Fig.15 An exemplary computing device that can be used in the embodiments shown in the previous figures is shown.

[0019] Fig.16 and FIG. 17A to FIG. 17D An embodiment described in more detail herein is shown.

[0020] Reference symbols used repeatedly in the specification and drawings are intended to represent the same or similar features or elements of the present disclosure. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can design many other modifications and embodiments that fall within the scope and essence of the principles of the present disclosure. The drawings may not be drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Throughout this document, values ​​expressed in a range format should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the values ​​explicitly listed as the limits of the range but also all individual values ​​or subranges encompassed within the range, as if each value and subrange were explicitly listed. For example, the range "about 0.1% to about 5%" or "about 0.1% to 5%" should be interpreted to include not only about 0.1% to about 5%, but also individual values ​​(e.g., 1%, 2%, 3% and 4%) and subranges (e.g., 0.1% to 0.5%, 1.1% to 2.2%, 3.3% to 4.4%) within the indicated range. Unless otherwise indicated, the expression "about X to Y" has the same meaning as "about X to about Y". Similarly, unless otherwise indicated, the expression "about X, Y or about Z" has the same meaning as "about X, about Y or about Z".

[0022] In this document, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the terms "a", "an", or "the" are used to include one or more than one. Unless otherwise indicated, the term "or" is used to refer to a non-exclusive "or". The expression "at least one of A and B" has the same meaning as "A, B, or A and B". In addition, it should be understood that the words or terms used herein and not otherwise defined are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. Any use of section headings is intended to facilitate understanding of the document and should not be construed as limiting; information related to a section heading may appear within or outside that particular section.

[0023] In the methods described herein, except where times or operating procedures are explicitly enumerated, various actions may be performed in any order without departing from the principles of the invention. In addition, specified actions may be performed simultaneously unless explicit claim language implies that they are performed separately. For example, a claimed action of performing X and a claimed action of performing Y may be performed simultaneously in a single operation, and the resulting process will fall within the literal scope of the claimed process.

[0024] As used herein, the term "about" can allow, for example, a certain degree of variability in a value or range, such as within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of the stated value or limit of the stated range, and includes the exactly stated value or range.

[0025] As used herein, the term "substantially" refers to a majority or majority, such as at least about 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, 99.9%, 99.99%, or at least about 99.999% or more, or 100%.

[0026] As used herein, the term "shaped abrasive grains" means that at least a portion of the abrasive grains has a predetermined shape, and the predetermined shape is replicated by the mold cavity for forming the shaped precursor abrasive grains. Except in the case of abrasive fragments (e.g., as described in U.S. Patent Application Publications 2009 / 0169816 and 2009 / 0165394), the shaped abrasive grains will generally have a predetermined geometry that roughly replicates the mold cavity for forming the shaped abrasive grains. As used herein, the shaped abrasive grains do not include the abrasive grains obtained by mechanical crushing operations. Suitable examples of the geometry with at least one top include polygons (including equilateral, equiangular, star-shaped, regular and irregular polygons), lens shapes, half-moon shapes, circular shapes, semicircular shapes, elliptical shapes, circular sectors, circular arcs, drop shapes, and hypocycloids (e.g., superelliptical).

[0027] For the purposes of the present invention, geometric shapes are also intended to include regular or irregular polygons or stars, wherein one or more sides (peripheral portions of the faces) may be arcuate (either towards the inside or towards the outside, wherein the first alternative is preferred). Thus, for the purposes of the present invention, triangular shapes also include three-sided polygons wherein one or more sides (peripheral portions of the faces) may be arcuate. The second side may include (and preferably is) a second face. The second face may have an edge of a second geometric shape.

[0028] For purposes of the present invention, shaped abrasive grains also include abrasive grains with faces of different shapes, for example, on different faces of abrasive grains. Some embodiments include shaped abrasive grains with opposite sides of different shapes. Different shapes can include the difference of the surface area of ​​two opposite sides, for example, or the different polygonal shapes of two opposite sides.

[0029] The shaped abrasive particles are typically selected to have an edge length in the range of 0.001 mm to 26 mm, more typically 0.1 mm to 10 mm, and more typically 0.5 mm to 5 mm, although other lengths may be used.

[0030] However, it is expressly contemplated that the systems and methods herein may be used with abrasive articles that do not contain precisely shaped particles or contain a mixture of precisely shaped particles and crushed particles.

[0031] The embodiments herein describe systems and methods for tracking the wear of abrasive articles and adjusting operating parameters in response to the detected wear level. Systems and methods utilizing abrasive belts are described herein. However, it is expressly contemplated that abrasive discs, bonded abrasive wheels, and other suitable abrasive articles may also be used with such systems.

[0032] Human operators cannot see very low levels (e.g., μm) of material removal on complex geometries. Human operators are also not as sensitive to changes in sound, temperature, vibration as robotic systems. Systems and methods are needed that can sense such changes and use them as process inputs in an adaptive process operating window.

[0033] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary coated abrasive disc 100 according to the present disclosure is shown in which shaped abrasive particles 130 are fixed to a backing 110 in a precise position and Z-axis rotational orientation. In one embodiment, the shaped abrasive particles 130 are triangular prism shaped particles that appear rectangular when viewed from above. Figure 1 A coated abrasive disc is shown, but it is expressly contemplated that the systems and methods herein may also be used with abrasive belts, nonwoven pads, brushes, or abrasive wheels. For example, FIGS. 9 to 11 show a coated abrasive disc. Fig.11 Embodiments related to other abrasive articles are shown.

[0034] Generally speaking, the coated abrasive article 100 includes a plurality of abrasive particles embedded in a primer that secures the abrasive particles to a backing. For example, the backing can be formed by any known flexible coated abrasive backing. Suitable materials for the backing include polymer films, metal foils, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, paper, nonwovens, foams, screens, laminates, combinations thereof, and processed versions thereof.

[0035] Abrasive particles 130 may be embedded in an abrasive layer, which may include a multilayer construction having a make layer 120 and a size layer 140. If desired, a coated abrasive article according to the present disclosure may include additional layers, such as, for example, an optional top size layer superimposed on the abrasive layer, or a backing antistatic treatment layer if desired. Exemplary suitable binders may be made from heat curable resins, radiation curable resins, and combinations thereof.

[0036] The primer layer 120 can be formed by coating a curable primer layer precursor onto the major surface of the backing 110. The primer layer precursor can include, for example, glue, phenolic resin, aminoplast resin, urea-formaldehyde resin, melamine-formaldehyde resin, urethane resin, multifunctional (meth) acrylates that can be polymerized in a free radical manner (e.g., aminoplast resins with pendant α, β-unsaturated groups, acrylated urethanes, acrylated epoxy resins, acrylated isocyanurates), epoxy resins (including bis-maleimide and fluorene-modified epoxy resins), isocyanurate resins, and mixtures thereof. Among these, phenolic resins are preferred.

[0037] Generally speaking, phenolic resins are formed by the condensation of phenol and formaldehyde, and are generally classified as resol or novolac phenolic resins. Novolac phenolic resins are acid catalyzed and have a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of less than 1:1. Resole / resol phenolic resins may be catalyzed with an alkaline catalyst and have a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of greater than or equal to one, typically between 1.0 and 3.0, so that hydroxymethyl side groups are present. Alkaline catalysts suitable for catalyzing the reaction between the aldehyde and phenol components of resol phenolic resins include sodium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, organic amines, and sodium carbonate, all as catalyst solutions dissolved in water.

[0038] Resols are typically applied as solutions with water and / or organic solvents (e.g., alcohols). Typically, the solution contains about 70% to about 85% solids by weight, but other concentrations may be used. If the solids content is very low, more energy is required to remove the water and / or solvent. If the solids content is very high, the viscosity of the resulting phenolic resin is too high, which typically leads to processing problems.

[0039] Phenolic resins are well known and readily available from commercial sources. Examples of commercially available resol phenolic resins that can be used to practice the present disclosure include those sold by Durez Corporation under the trade name VARCUM (e.g., 29217, 29306, 29318, 29338, 29353); those sold by Ashland Chemical Co., Bartow, Florida, under the trade name AEROFENE (e.g., AEROFENE 295); and those sold by Kangnam Chemical Company Ltd. of Seoul, South Korea under the trade name PHENOLITE (e.g., PHENOLITE TD-2207).

[0040] The make layer precursor may be applied by any known coating method for applying a make layer to a backing including methods such as, for example, roll coating, extrusion die coating, curtain coating, knife coating, gravure coating, and spray coating.

[0041] The basis weight of the make coat used may depend, for example, on the intended use, the type of abrasive grains, and the properties of the coated abrasive article being prepared, but will typically be in the range of 1, 2, 5, 10, or 15 grams per square meter (gsm) to 20, 25, 100, 200, 300, 400, or even 600 gsm. The make coat may be applied by any known coating method for applying a make coat (e.g., a make coat) to a backing, including, for example, roll coating, extrusion die coating, curtain coating, knife coating, gravure coating, and spray coating.

[0042] Once the make coat precursor is coated on the backing, the triangular abrasive particles are applied to the make coat precursor and embedded therein. The triangular abrasive particles are nominally applied to the make coat precursor according to a predetermined pattern and Z-axis rotational orientation. Using known orientation methods, such as electrostatic or magnetic orientation, the abrasive particles can be oriented relative to the backing to improve the performance of the particles.

[0043] However, although Figure 1 to Figure 2 Coated abrasive articles are shown, but it is expressly contemplated that the systems and methods herein may also be adapted to understand the use and wear of other abrasive articles, such as bonded abrasive articles having a resin or vitreous binder matrix, nonwoven abrasive articles, brushes, or other abrasive articles.

[0044] Abrasive articles can be used in a variety of contexts. A specific configuration of a robotic grinding unit with a closed loop feedback system is described herein. However, it is expressly contemplated that the systems and methods described herein can be implemented in different automated grinding configurations.

[0045] Different use scenarios for abrasive articles present different issues with regard to the use of the article over time. For example, an experienced human operator can usually "feel" when an abrasive article loses its cutting effectiveness over time and adjust accordingly by applying more force or adjusting the angle.

[0046] In contrast, a robotic system may not be aware of the wear or loading occurring on an abrasive article and may not make the necessary adjustments or replace the abrasive article without intervention when necessary. For example, knowing the amount of wear on the abrasive article, process parameters may be modified to maintain grinding efficacy and / or while maintaining a desired material removal rate throughout the useful life of the abrasive article. The systems and methods herein may also be used in other contexts.

[0047] Figure 3is a schematic diagram of a robotic arm that may benefit from the embodiments disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the robotic repair unit 200 has a base 210, which may be fixed. In other embodiments, the base 210 may move in any of six dimensions, translation, or rotation around an x-axis, a y-axis, and / or a z-axis. For example, the robot 200 may have a base 210 fixed to a track system that is configured to travel with a moving substrate being repaired. Depending on the particular operation, the robot 200 may need to move closer to or further away from the substrate, or may need to move higher or lower relative to the grinding area. The movable base 200 may thus increase functionality.

[0048] The robotic arm unit 200 has one or more tools 240 that can interact with the work surface. In one embodiment, the tool 240 may include a support pad 250, or another suitable grinding tool. During the grinding operation, the tool 240 may have a grinding disc or other suitable abrasive article that is attached using an adhesive, hook and loop, clamp system, vacuum or other suitable attachment system. However, when the abrasive article moves in conjunction with the support pad 250 to which it is attached, the abrasive article is not necessarily considered to add additional degrees of freedom to the movement of the robotic repair unit 200. When mounted to the robotic repair unit 200, the tool 240 has the ability to be positioned within the degrees of freedom provided by the robotic repair unit 200 (6 degrees of freedom in most cases) as well as any other degrees of freedom (e.g., compliance control 230 unit).

[0049] Support pads 250 are coupled to tool 240 which has tracks that provide some additional degrees of freedom. In most tools, a single degree of freedom is provided by a rotational axis with or without some offset. Tool 240 is coupled to force control 230 unit output. Force control flange 230 provides a soft (i.e., non-rigid) displacement curve. In most force control units, a single degree of freedom is provided by a sliding (prismatic) joint along an axis of motion. Force control 230 is coupled to flange 220. Movement of components 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 are all controllable using a robotic controller (e.g., robotic controller 270).

[0050] In addition to moving the components 210-250 based on the parameters of the grinding operation, the robot controller 270 can also adjust the parameters based on the information received from the abrasive product use assessment 260. For example, if the assessment system 260 indicates that the abrasive product has reached the end of its life, the controller 270 can instruct the system 200 to stop the grinding operation, replace the old abrasive product with a new abrasive product, and then continue the grinding operation. In addition, for example, the controller 270 can provide new parameters for grinding based on feedback from the system 260. For example, if the abrasive product is loaded, the controller 270 can increase the coolant flow to flush the accumulated chips. If the abrasive product is capped, the controller 270 can initiate a dressing process to reduce the detected metal capping. If the abrasive product is worn, but has not reached the end of its life, the controller can increase the force applied by the force control unit 230, or can adjust the angle of the tool 240 relative to the substrate. Such adjustments are described in more detail with reference to the following figures.

[0051] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C A jet engine turbine blade and grinding strategy are shown. Figure 4A A molded part 400 is shown having multiple gates 402 that need to be removed and surfaces 404 that need to be treated. Currently, jet engine turbines such as Figure 4C The finished product shown requires more than 14 hours of manual grinding, going through multiple steps, to obtain the finished product. And, in many cases, more than half of the finished products are discarded because they cannot be properly stabilized. This is partly due to the fact that it is cheaper to complete the process manually than to perform quality checks between steps. Metric-based quality control is typically contact-based, which requires additional time. The process is time-consuming, in part because of the precision required for the final product to remain stable and the different grinding processes that must be performed. Similar blades are also used in land-based power turbines. Other industries that may also benefit from the systems and methods described herein may include other precision grinding operations, such as orthopedic implants. Other processes may also benefit from the automation described herein.

[0052] Figure 4B The grinding strategy for part 400 is shown. Any ceramic casting remnants can be blown away. The casting gate 412 is removed using a grinding wheel and abrasive belt. The root gate is removed, which requires 3mm to 4mm of material removal. For gate removal, the tolerance for material removal is looser than in subsequent steps.

[0053] In a second step 414, the pins are ground to smooth the surface to the final airfoil surface + / - 40 μm. However machining is important at this point.

[0054] A final polishing step 416 is performed prior to sandblasting, etching, and tumbling. Polishing can also be extended to the root and platform areas. Previously this step involved manual finishing because the finish should be within the specification of 0.7 μm. A consistent finish is desired on the airfoil surface. Extending the polishing area to the root and platform areas is also beneficial. Better finishing during this stage saves time in the downstream sandblasting, etching, and tumbling steps.

[0055] The final result is Figure 4C 430 has a precisely ground smooth surface. As previously mentioned, the current manual process can take over 14 hours and result in 50% of the turbines 430 being scrapped at the end due to unrepairable defects. A process with a higher yield is needed, and increased speed is also preferred.

[0056] Automation of precision grinding of parts such as turbine 430 has proven challenging, in part because the wear rate of the abrasive article changes the material removal rate, and each time the abrasive article is used, the abrasive particles break and wear away. This can cause the same abrasive to perform differently during the 10th use than during the 1st use. For example, by adjusting parameters such as force or movement speed to compensate for wear, the same performance can be achieved in the 10th use. In order to accurately remove material on a contoured surface, it is important to know the current wear of the abrasive article in real time.

[0057] It is also desirable to obtain an indication of wear for an abrasive article in situ during the grinding process. Offline systems, such as FEA, particle swarm, or electron microscopy, require the abrasive article or the part being ground to be removed from the grinding operation and sent to a laboratory for processing and imaging. In contrast, an in-situ system is needed that can provide an indication of abrasive wear without interrupting the grinding operation and preferably without contacting the abrasive article. Systems and methods for providing in-situ feedback and real-time estimation of abrasive wear are described herein.

[0058] Although a grinding process for turbine blades is described herein as one exemplary process that may benefit from the systems and methods described herein, it is expressly contemplated that the systems and methods herein may be used for other high precision grinding operations, such as precision cast and forged components, pipe fittings, or other components with multiple grinding steps that would benefit from quantization of intermediate steps.

[0059] Figure 5 A method of evaluating the effectiveness of an abrasive article according to embodiments herein is shown. In some embodiments, the evaluation can be done automatically using method 500 .

[0060] In block 510, an abrasive article is mounted on a tool. For example, the abrasive article can be coupled to a back-up pad or directly to a tool of a robotic grinding unit. The abrasive article can be any suitable abrasive article for a given grinding operation, such as a coated abrasive article, a bonded abrasive article, an abrasive belt, a brush, or another suitable abrasive article.

[0061] In block 520, the abrasive article engages the workpiece and performs a grinding operation. As the workpiece is ground, the abrasive particles of the abrasive article experience wear. They may also experience metal capping, loading or other degradation.

[0062] In frame 530, assessment is performed after grinding. Assessment can be performed after grinding on abrasive article 532, on ground workpiece 534 or in another way 536. Determine the grinding efficacy of abrasive article. Because accurate grinding parameters are known, such as how abrasive article contacts the workpiece, how much applied force contacts the workpiece, how much speed contacts the workpiece, so how abrasive article changes over time can be modeled. However, in this embodiment, the wear modeled is confirmed by checking the working surface and comparing the images before and after grinding to determine the actual material removal amount. Then it can be compared with the expected material removal rate, and based on this comparison, actual wear can be calculated. Grinding efficacy can also include checking the abrasive surface profile of abrasive article and comparing it with the desired surface profile. For example, some abrasive articles are shaped so as to give a specific shape to the workpiece.

[0063] In block 542, if the abrasive article's abrasive efficacy is still at an acceptable level, it can continue to be used for another abrasive operation. Figure 4B As noted, some grinding steps have tolerances for material removal rates (e.g., initial gate removal, etc.). Therefore, it is acceptable to proceed with the currently programmed parameters. In some embodiments, new operating parameters are provided 544 based on a detected decrease in grinding efficacy between evaluations. The new parameters may be implemented automatically.

[0064] In block 546, if the grinding efficacy is below an acceptable level, then treatment may be performed as indicated in block 550, such as by conditioning the abrasive article to remove metal capping, washing or cleaning the abrasive article to remove loading, or reconditioning to reestablish the desired surface profile. However, in some embodiments, the method 500 returns to block 510 and a new abrasive article is installed.

[0065] Figure 6A closed-loop feedback system for a robotic grinding system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As described herein, a vision system captures before and after wear inspection images between steps of a multi-step operation or between programs of a multi-program operation. Information from the captured images can then be used to correlate the appearance of the abrasive article or workpiece with the actual wear rate of the abrasive article.

[0066] The systems and methods herein collect data from multiple sources and then structure the data for software analysis to predictively simulate abrasive wear rates and material removal rates. This will allow for extended grinding life through improved efficacy and accurate material removal. This will increase the yield of correctly manufactured parts.

[0067] Therefore, if Figure 6 As shown, the closed loop feedback system can improve grinding efficiency and extend the life of the abrasive article. The robotic grinding system 610 includes one or more consumable abrasive articles 602 that contact and grind a substrate 604. For example, as described with respect to Figure 7 As depicted, the robotic arm may bring the part 604 into contact with the abrasive belt 602. However, in other embodiments, it is expressly contemplated that the robotic arm brings the abrasive article into contact with the substrate.

[0068] The system 610 may have sensors 606, which may include optical sensors, accelerometers, pressure sensors, and settings readers that can detect the current settings of the tool. In some embodiments, the sensor 610 includes an optical scanning system that captures images before and after the grinding operation. For example, the sensor 610 may include one or more cameras or video cameras. The system 610 may also have other features 608.

[0069] The grinding system 610 can automatically provide information to the data storage 630, such as sensor data 620 obtained from the sensor 606 of the system 610 or from other places in the production line (e.g., an upstream or downstream vision system). In addition, the data storage 630 can receive setting data 620 from the grinding system 610. The data storage 630 can also include information about the abrasive products used, parameter settings of the system 610 during any or all steps of the grinding operation, and feedback from operators or other quality control systems. The data storage 630 can also include material removal curves 634, such as those obtained or generated by using the sensor 606 in previous grinding operations. The abrasive wear curve 632 can be simulated or constructed using historical data of multiple abrasive products 602. For example, historical operation results 636 can be stored in the data storage 630. The operation results 636 can include physical results of the grinding operation and / or whether the final product is considered acceptable. Substrate information 638, such as material, initial surface profile, and / or final surface profile, can also be stored. The data storage 630 can contain other information 639. The data store 630 may also have other information, such as information received from a number of different grinding systems 610 and / or from a number of different grinding operations.

[0070] The analyzer 650 may retrieve the data 640 and the job specifications 642 from the data storage 630. The analyzer 650 may be part of a controller (such as an application controller, for example), or may be communicatively coupled to the data storage 630 and / or the grinding system 610. The job specifications may be retrieved based on an identification of a part to be ground. The job specifications may be based on a desired final surface profile of the tool, or based on detected defects that need to be resolved. The analyzer 650 may have one or more machine learning algorithms 652 that generate parameter sets based on the information in the data storage 630. The analyzer 650 may be powered by a decision tree regressor algorithm, for example, which produces a decision tree that best represents the training data. However, other machine learning algorithms or techniques may be used.

[0071] Although Figure 6 A closed loop system 600 is shown where information about the grinding system 610 is stored in a data store 630 and then retrieved from the data store 630 by an analyzer 650, but in some embodiments, the feedback loop 600 shows steps performed by an algorithm stored on a processor of a controller. For example, as sensor data 620 is collected, an abrasive wear curve 632 is generated for the abrasive article 602, and settings are adjusted based on the amount of wear to maintain the desired material removal. For example, the dwell time, speed, or force may be increased to achieve the desired material removal.

[0072] Based on the information retrieved from the data store 630 and the job specification, the analyzer 650 may use machine learning techniques 652 to select parameter settings 664 within the constraints of the parameter range 658 to achieve the job specification 642 .

[0073] Controller 670 takes a set of settings 664 and uses command generator 672 to generate commands 684. When received by the robotic grinding system, commands 684 change operating parameters in situ.

[0074] In some embodiments, it is not possible to adjust the setting immediately. In some embodiments, command 684 includes a time delay or other indication of when the setting should be changed, such as gradually increasing the force from the current setting to the new setting, or waiting until the next grinding step to begin increasing the force.

[0075] Figure 7 and FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C A robot-centric unit for grinding according to embodiments herein is shown. Figure 7 A top-down view of a robot cell 700 is shown. The cell 700 includes all of the components necessary for processing of the turbine 400. However, it is expressly contemplated that while the robot 702 is shown in a cell with multiple grinding tools 722-726, it is expressly contemplated that the systems and methods herein may be used with a robot 702 interacting with a single grinding tool.

[0076] In the robotic cell 700, the robot 702 is in a fixed position with a radial arm reach 750. However, it is expressly contemplated that the robot 702 or any component shown may be a powered component. An operator places the turbine 700 on a pick position 704 where the robotic grinding system 702 picks up the turbine. In a first grinding operation, the part is delivered to a first grinding station 722, which in the illustrated embodiment is a spindle. The spindle 722 removes the gate. Two rear supports 724, 726 are shown, each having a different grade of grinding belt mounted thereon. In the illustrated embodiment, the rear supports 724, 726 and the spindle 722 have a force control unit that adjusts the force applied to the turbine held by the robot 702. Although in Figure 7 , but it is expressly contemplated that there is only one abrasive article, there are two abrasive articles, and more than three, such as four or more. In a second grinding operation, the robot 702 may bring the part to the grinding unit 724. In a third grinding operation, the robot 702 may continue to bring the part to the grinding unit 726.

[0077] Although only a single belt is shown on the grinding elements 724, 726, it is expressly contemplated that each grinding element may have multiple grades or types of grinding elements, such as belts with progressive grades from coarse to fine, etc. The abrasive article may include micro-replicated particles (e.g., under the trade name TRIZACT TM The grinding units 724, 726 may have multiple belts and / or sheets.

[0078] The part is imaged before and after some or all of the grinding operations. Figure 7 Two imaging components 732, 734 are shown in FIG. However, in other embodiments, only one imaging component or more than two imaging components are possible. In one embodiment, the first imaging device 732 is used for coarse material removal, while the second imaging device 734 is used for imaging after more delicate operations. Figure 7 8, component 732 is a hexagonal scanner and component 734 is a profilometer. However, it is expressly contemplated that other optical sensors may be used.

[0079] Before any grinding is performed, an initial scan is performed by the part 732 to understand the geometry of the part when it is being held by the robot. The position and relative configuration of the parts are needed to generate a trajectory of how the robot approaches one of the grinding devices 722, 724 or 726 so that the parts are correctly angled. The initial scan can be performed using a preset scheme. The scan is compared with a reference (e.g., a rendering of the "optimal" turbine or the desired final profile). Based on the scan, the difference between the current part (e.g., part 400) and the desired final product is recorded. In some embodiments, the imaging component 732 has its own data storage and controller to manage the data captured during the scan and analyze the scan to determine the grinding strategy, thereby removing the necessary material to obtain the final product.

[0080] Between each grinding step, the part is brought back to part 732 or 734 for the imaging step. This is done to confirm that the previous grinding operation was successful and whether the part needs to "redo" the previous step to remove additional material removal, or whether the part can proceed to the next step. Based on what is successful and what is not, a machine learning algorithm can be used to "learn" better ways to measure and react to the wear of the abrasive article. In addition, because the wear of the abrasive article is better understood, it is possible to both achieve better efficiency in each grinding step and reduce the wear rate and extend the service life of the abrasive article.

[0081] Second imaging component 734 can be used for more delicate operations. Second imaging component 734 can be used to replace or assist component 732. In some embodiments described herein, component 734 is a profilometer for identifying topography. Two techniques for identifying and characterizing surface topography are confocal fusion and focus variation.

[0082] However, while a Hex scanner and S Neox profilometer are shown, it is expressly contemplated that other imaging technologies may be used, including but not limited to 2D cameras, 3D cameras, video cameras, etc. In some embodiments, fringe projection, white light interferometry, deflectometry, or structured light multi-stereo scanners may also be used, or in conjunction with the vision systems discussed herein.

[0083] The controller 760 may control the robot 702 and one or more of the components 722, 624, 726 and / or imaging components 732, 734. However, it is expressly contemplated that some or all of these components may have their own controllers.

[0084] The controller may apply a machine learning algorithm to the scans obtained from the imaged parts 732, 734 to determine the order of the grinding operations and the set of parameters to use for each operation and during each operation. For example, it may be appropriate to remove the gate first, or it may be beneficial to keep one gate attached until closer to the end so that the robot has room to couple to (e.g., "grab") the part. One part may require 3 grinding steps to remove the gate and bulk material, while a different part may require 4 grinding steps.

[0085] FIG. 8A to FIG. 8B Images of the robot unit are shown from a first view 800 and a second view 820 . Figure 8C A front view and profile view of a scanning system 840 of a metrology system for obtaining the topography of a part undergoing a grinding operation are shown.

[0086] FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B A brush grinding operation that may benefit from the embodiments of the present invention is shown. Some operations, such as gear shaping, have a specific final surface profile. Using a brush that is not shaped for the current working surface curvature may result in different contact and removal rates, and may result in a final working surface profile that does not match the desired curvature. Due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the brush during use, the bristles extend outward from the brush, potentially resulting in a grinding profile that is different from the grinding profile expected by the robotic grinding system. The brush is intended to be flexible, but it may be important to ensure that the contact profile is as expected, particularly for robotic grinding operations that require precise and accurate grinding profiles. In addition, the brush changes size due to wear - the bristles may break or wear, which should be tracked to ensure that the desired wear rate and profile are maintained.

[0087] Fig. 9A Operation 900 is shown, which includes a brush 902 that will contact and abrade a work surface 920. The brush 902 has a plurality of bristles 910, each of which contains abrasive particles or has an abrasive surface. As the brush 902 moves against the surface 920, material is removed by abrasion. However, due to the curved surface, the bristles 910 will not all contact the surface 920 at the same angle. This will result in uneven pressure and uneven wear on the bristles 910. In addition, this may result in undesirable and uneven wear on the surface 920 when the bristles are forced into unintended directions and some areas will experience more contact than expected while other areas will experience less contact than expected.

[0088] On the contrary, Fig. 9B , operation 950 includes a brush 952 having bristles 960 that have been pre-shaped such that the bristle length is sized to conform to a curve in a surface 970 .

[0089] FIG. 10A to FIG. 10B A grinding operation using a grinding wheel that can benefit from embodiments of the present invention is shown. The grinding wheel can be formed by a bonded abrasive (abrasive particles in, for example, a resin, vitreous or polymeric binder) or using a nonwoven material containing abrasive particles. The nonwoven material can be wrapped into a cylinder, which can then be cut into separate wheels. Such one-piece grinding wheels can be used in a variety of applications.

[0090] Such wheels may extend in diameter due to the centrifugal forces generated by the rotation of the abrasive article during use. In addition, there may be axial runout, which may result in an unknown relative position of the abrasive article relative to the robotic grinding unit, which may result in an unsuccessful grinding operation, off target, or damage to the workpiece. Therefore, periodic re-adjustment of the grinding wheel may be necessary or helpful. However, removing the wheel from the robotic repair operation to repair, cut or dress the wheel takes time and is not always feasible. In addition, dimensional changes due to wear require adjustment of grinding parameters to maintain the desired wear rate.

[0091] Fig. 10A A grinding operation 1000 is shown in which an abrasive article 1010 is about to come into contact with a working surface 1020. The article 1010 is sized to interact with the shaped surface of the working surface 1020. As the abrasive article 1010 wears, the z position 1002 of the article relative to the surface 1020 changes. Additionally, the profile along the x-axis may change due to the rotational speed.

[0092] Fig. 10BA top-down view of the grinding wheel 1050 is shown. The rotational speed 1052 may change during operation, resulting in circumferential expansion of the article 1050. Additionally, as the article wears, the surface condition 1052 may change.

[0093] In some embodiments, the systems and methods herein include a dressing or processing station that receives an abrasive article after one or more grinding operations. The dressing or processing station can automatically process or re-dress the abrasive article. For example, based on the next step, a brush or grinding wheel is processed. The brush can have a surface profile imparted thereto. The grinding wheel can be measured to ensure that the placement and applied force are accurate.

[0094] The dressing or treatment station may include a sensor configured to capture the current state of the abrasive article, such as detecting capping, loading, dimensional changes due to wear, etc. The sensor may be an optical sensor, such as a camera, a laser, etc. The sensor may also be a weight sensor or a force profile sensor. The dressing or treatment scheme may be performed based on the sensed information about the abrasive article. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the dressing or treatment scheme is performed based on operator instructions.

[0095] In some embodiments, the processing station may include a cutter or cutting plate. In some embodiments, the processing station may include a polycrystalline diamond component, a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride component, or another dressing device. Other dressing or processing options may also be used.

[0096] In some embodiments herein, the dressing / processing station may be located within the range of motion of the robotic grinding device. The dressing / processing station may have its own controller or receive control signals from a robotic controller.

[0097] In some embodiments, when the robotic grinding system is in the grinding position, the gap detector detects the gap between the abrasive article and the expected working surface. The gap detector can sense the difference between the expected position of the abrasive surface (e.g., in contact with the working surface) and the actual position. The gap detector may include an optical sensor, a laser, or another suitable sensing system capable of detecting and measuring the gap. In some embodiments, the position of the robotic arm responsible for moving the abrasive article is adjusted until the actual grinding position matches the expected position. Based on the detected difference, information about the actual wear rate since the last gap detection was performed.

[0098] Additionally, based on the actual robot coordinates, gap signals and relative movement from the forming / conditioning process, the controller can define new positions and recalculate sizing process parameters.

[0099] In some embodiments herein, wear detection and calculation is performed by a system controller that receives sensor signals from gap detectors and / or dressing stations and provides an indication of wear that can be used to update process parameters of the robotic operation.

[0100] The systems and methods herein allow for accurate conditioning and shaping of abrasive articles using suitable dressing materials, such as cutting blades or rotary tools. Abrasive articles used with such systems can be conditioned more frequently and thus maintain condition, size, and shape. Fluid cooling systems can be used for shaping and / or conditioning to prevent heat-related problems on grinding wheels or brushes. The systems and methods herein measure the actual wear and actual size of abrasive articles, which improves grinding accuracy throughout the operation.

[0101] In some embodiments herein, the system includes a closed-loop process for defining the shape, position, and condition of grinding wheels and brushes in a robotic application.

[0102] Fig.11 A method for grinding a part using an automated grinding system according to embodiments of the present invention is shown. Method 1100 describes the operation of a self-contained robotic unit. For example, in some embodiments, the unit 700 described with respect to 700 can be operated according to method 1100. However, other robotic units with different parts and / or configurations can also be operated using method 1100.

[0103] Method 1100 may be particularly useful for high precision grinding operations. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C As described, the turbine is time consuming and labor intensive. Automation using method 1100 can be used to automate other precision grinding operations. For example, cast and forged products such as implants, surgical tools and instruments, golf clubs, plumbers hardware, tools, gears, and cutters.

[0104] In box 1110, the part to be ground is imaged. In some embodiments, the part is picked up by a robotic arm and brought to an optical sensor, a camera array, a topography mapper, or other suitable surface topography capture system for imaging. The robotic arm can move the part to one or more positions relative to the imaging system, and the imaging system can move or remain stationary so that a complete 3D surface profile of the part can be constructed. However, in other embodiments, the part to be ground remains stationary, and the robotic arm moves the topography capture system relative to the part. In some further embodiments, both the part and the topography capture system move relative to each other.

[0105] In block 1190, a grinding strategy is generated. Based on the topography captured in block 1110, the controller generates a multi-step grinding strategy. The multi-step grinding strategy may include a coarse material removal step such as cutting or grinding, and a fine material removal step such as sanding or polishing. As shown in method 1100, the controller generates the grinding strategy based on machine learning applied to data obtained from previous grinding operations.

[0106] In block 1120, a first step of the grinding strategy is performed using a first abrasive article and material is removed from the component. The target material removal may be, for example, to grind 3 mm of material off the surface.

[0107] The part is imaged again in block 1130. The same imaging system used in block 1110 may be used in block 1130, or a separate imaging system may be used.

[0108] In box 1140, the imaging of box 1130 is compared with the imaging in box 1110, and the efficacy of the grinding step of box 1120 is evaluated. For example, when 3mm was intended to be removed, only 2.8mm was removed. This difference provides a way to estimate the wear rate of the abrasive article. The difference between the applied force, the moving speed and the dwell time of the contact between the abrasive article and the component and the target material removal rate and the actual removal amount is known. This information allows the actual wear level of the abrasive article to be calculated. All of this information is stored (as shown in box 1150), and machine learning (as shown in box 1170) is applied in box 1190 to provide a set of improved parameters for the next grinding operation.

[0109] In block 1160, based on the knowledge that only, for example, 2.8 mm of material was removed instead of 3.0 mm, the parameter settings of the robotic grinding system are changed. For example, if the next grinding step is to proceed to a finer grind to remove 0.4 mm of additional material; new parameters are selected so that 0.6 mm of material is removed. Changing the parameters may include changing the force, dwell time, travel speed, angle of attack, abrasive article, lubricant or grinding aid, or any other suitable parameter.

[0110] Even when the target material removal rate is achieved (e.g., exactly 3.0 mm of material is removed), the settings may be changed in block 1160 to reduce the wear rate of the abrasive article. In block 1130, imaging may also capture information about the surface finish. In block 1160, the settings may be changed to achieve an improved surface finish, such as reduced haze, improved clarity, etc.

[0111] As described herein, a robotic cell can use imaging of the abrasive surface, component, or a combination of both, along with process information from sensors and known process parameters, and can correlate these with chronological usage data of the abrasive to understand the wear state of the abrasive media. The robotic system can then acquire optical, processing, and environmental information to characterize the best way to utilize the abrasive to achieve maximum life.

[0112] The system can extend the grinding life by adaptively processing with the grinding hardware to ensure that finished parts are produced. The construction of data and the deployment of machine learning models can be performed by following the steps of method 1100 over time. When the robotic grinding system performs the grinding task, the controlled process parameters (such as contact force, feed rate, etc.) and uncontrolled environmental conditions (such as ambient temperature, local temperature, vibration acceleration and frequency, etc.) are recorded. For example, the central unit controller sends commands to the robotic arm and the processing tool to perform certain tool paths and grinding operations according to predetermined processing parameters, while actively sensing the processing parameters and environmental conditions, and automatically recording the results.

[0113] For example, the central unit controller sends commands to the robotic arm and inspection equipment to execute inspection tool paths and predefined inspection and analysis protocols (which in turn can be executed on the host PC for the inspection hardware).

[0114] The results of the analysis are returned to the central unit controller which stores them (along with the process parameters) in a central database. The process is repeated until the useful abrasive consumable life has been exhausted, and then repeated using a different set of parameters. The database is built up using successive trials, each time becoming broader and deeper in its coverage of process parameter combinations and their impact on process output.

[0115] FIG. 12A to FIG. 12B A method of evaluating the wear level of an abrasive article according to embodiments herein is shown. Fig. 12A A method of providing a wear indication is shown.

[0116] Observations made about the grinding process output can be contextualized along with monitoring of the process inputs to build some understanding of the underlying behavior of the process. For example, the amount of material worn away from a component can be a function of several monitored / controlled process inputs P, environmental factors E, and non-monitored / non-controlled process inputs U:

[0117] Material removal = f(P,E,U) Equation 1

[0118] It may be the case that some of these inputs to the function f act independently of the others and can therefore be characterized individually as another function or functions, while some may interact with other parameters and must be considered as a set of combined inputs to a single function. For example, the material removal rate may simply be the contact force F, the process time T, and the belt speed V. f In this case, the material removal rate can be simply defined as follows:

[0119] Material removal rate = f(F,T,V f ) Equation 2

[0120] For example, the terms within function f may describe simple or complex mathematical operations by which the input parameters affect the material removal rate.

[0121]

[0122] In cases where the material removal rate is affected by additional factors, the above equation is simply expanded to take into account these additional effects.

[0123] Additional process parameters such as the remaining grinding life A, the accumulated process time ∑T and the belt temperature T belt ) may affect each other, or may affect the output of function f in other ways, these can be expressed as other functions and can also be used in conjunction with the main function to determine the process output:

[0124] Material removal rate = f(F,T,V f ,g) Equation 4

[0125] in.

[0126] Grinding life consumption = g(A,T belt ,∑T) Equation 5

[0127] The exact form and nature of these relationships may be determined by machine learning techniques, and may not be "human readable." For example, in some embodiments, the deployment of machine learning may result in decision making such that an operator sees inputs and outputs, but the actual algorithmic decision making process is opaque. However, the amount of abrasive life that will be consumed as a result of conducting a new process, or that has been consumed through all historical use of a particular instance of an abrasive consumable, may be predicted.

[0128] For both approaches, the process of generating “seed” data to build a model and then deploying the model to predict grind life follows the same procedure. FIG. 12A to FIG. 12B A process similar to the process shown in .

[0129] In block 1210, the component is scanned by one or more topographic or optical scanners so that a surface profile is obtained.

[0130] In block 1220 , the amount of material removal is determined by comparing the obtained surface profile to a previous surface profile obtained prior to the grinding operation.

[0131] The material removal is compared to the expected material removal in block 1230. For example, if 100 μm of material was expected to be removed, but only 70 μm was removed, then in block 1240 the forces, relative movement and dwell time, environmental and other factors, and the actual results are stored.

[0132] These parameters are characterized as an operational fingerprint. The only remaining variable is the wear of the abrasive belt, which can then be calculated. In block 1250, an indication of the calculated abrasive wear is provided.

[0133] These operational fingerprints stored during the life of the abrasive article can be used to generate a wear curve for the article, which will help provide a detailed understanding of the wear rate of the article and help provide seed data for machine learning models to improve grinding efficacy (e.g., changing parameters so that more than 95 μm is removed in the first pass next time) and extend the service life of the abrasive article.

[0134] Although block 1210 describes scanning the component, it is expressly contemplated that in some embodiments, the abrasive article may also provide information directly. For example, an image of the abrasive belt may be taken, and the surface temperature of the belt may also provide insight into abrasive wear, or understanding why actual abrasive wear deviates from expected wear (e.g., due to loading or capping). The robotic grinding system may include optical sensors, thermal sensors, or other sensors that detect the surface condition of the abrasive article.

[0135] This approach can also be used to predict abrasive life by populating the actuated knowledge base behind the model with information describing how much of the recorded life of a specific abrasive consumable is consumed by operating the grinding process with specific process and environmental parameters.

[0136] like Fig. 12B As shown, based on information collected from multiple grinding operations, a tree 1260 may be constructed to determine how different process variables contribute to the process outputs 1270 of material removal rate and abrasive wear rate.

[0137] A number of process parameters 1262-1268 are shown which may be varied during different experiments to provide seed data for the machine learning model.

[0138] Once enough data is generated, the decision tree 1260 can be queried to provide a prediction of how much grinding life will be consumed when the operation is performed with some known process and environmental parameters. Using such a data set, the operator can choose to maximize material removal rate, minimize abrasive wear rate, or choose a balance between them.

[0139] However, it is expressly contemplated that after the machine learning algorithm has received sufficient seed data, it continues to learn further with each new operation performed and new sensor data received.

[0140] Fig.13 A robotic grinding system according to embodiments herein is shown. System 1300 may be an automated robotic grinding unit that performs grinding operations on workpiece 1312 using abrasive article 1320. Unit 1300 may operate on a closed loop feedback loop such that machine learning model 1346 uses data stored in data storage 1340 to incrementally improve setting generator 1362. However, while unit 1300 is shown as a stand-alone unit in FIG. 1300, it is expressly contemplated that in some embodiments, components may be remote from one another and communicatively coupled using a wired, wireless, or cloud-based network.

[0141] The robotic grinding system 1310 includes a robotic arm 1302 that causes interaction between an abrasive article 1320 and a workpiece 1312. It is expressly contemplated that in some embodiments, the robotic arm 1302 is coupled to the abrasive article 1320. However, in other embodiments, the robotic arm is coupled to the workpiece 1312. In some embodiments, the robotic grinding system 1310 includes multiple robotic arms 1302, such as one robotic arm coupled to the abrasive article 1320 and a second robotic arm coupled to the workpiece 1312. Other suitable arrangements are expressly contemplated. The robotic grinding system 1310 includes one or more movement mechanisms 1304. The movement mechanisms 1304 may include mechanical joints that allow the robotic arm 1302 to move from a first position to a second position, as well as movement mechanisms 1304 that allow the robotic grinding system 1310 to physically move within a cell.

[0142] The abrasive article 1320 is a consumable abrasive article that includes particles 1322 that wear or break during use, and a backing or resin structure bonded to the abrasive article. The abrasive article 1320 may include other features 1326, such as grinding aids, a second set of particles 1322, etc. As described herein, the particles 1322 can be crushed abrasive particles, shaped abrasive particles, shaped abrasive particles, or micro-replicated abrasive surface features.

[0143] Workpiece 1312 has a surface profile 1314 that changes as it is ground. Workpiece 1312 is composed of material 1316 or more than one material 1316. Workpiece 1312 may have other features 1318.

[0144] The sensor system 1330 can be used to obtain status information of the abrasive article 1320 and / or the workpiece 1312 during the grinding process. For example, in some embodiments, the robot system 1310 can bring the sensor system 1330 to the abrasive article 1320 and / or the workpiece 1312. In other embodiments, the robot system 1310 brings the abrasive article 1320 and / or the workpiece 1312 to a suitable position relative to the sensor system 1330. In other embodiments, the sensor system 1330 is fixed in position to capture information about the abrasive article 1320 and / or the workpiece 1312. Although only a single sensor system 1330 is shown in the unit 1300, it is expressly expected that multiple sensor systems 1330 may exist in the unit 1300, for example, each having a different purpose. In addition, a single sensor system 1330 may include one or more sensors 1332. The sensor 1332 may be an optical sensor, a thermal sensor, or other suitable sensor. The sensor 1332 may include a profilometer, a 2D camera or video camera, a 3D camera or video camera, a camera or video camera array, or another suitable sensor. The sensor 1332 may include a gap sensor that detects the gap between the expected position of the abrasive article and the actual position of the abrasive article.

[0145] The sensor system 1330 may include a motion controller 1334 that controls the motion mechanism (not shown) of the sensor system 1330 or the motion mechanism 1304. The sensor signal communicator 1336 may transmit the captured sensor signals to the system controller 1350, or the data storage 1340, or another receiving device. The sensor system 1330 may also include other features 1338. For example, the sensor system 1330 may include a light array to improve the quality of the captured photos.

[0146] The robotic unit 1300 also includes or is communicatively coupled to a data store 1340. The data store 1340 includes a plurality of historical operation fingerprints 1342. Each operation fingerprint 1342 may include some or all of the following: operation parameters (e.g., force, dwell time, movement speed), environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity), and other grinding parameters (e.g., abrasive products, lubricants used, grinding aids used), target operation results (e.g., target abrasive wear rate, target material removal), and operation results (e.g., actual abrasive wear, actual material removal rate). The data store 1340 may also include job specifications 1344, such as a final surface profile 1314 of the workpiece 1312. The job specifications 1344 may also include a target abrasive wear rate and / or a target operation time (e.g., wear rate for all abrasive steps).

[0147] Machine learning model 1346 in Fig.13 1340. However, in some embodiments, the machine learning model is hosted on a processing unit of the system controller 1350 and accesses the data within the data storage 1340. As described herein, the machine learning model 1346 can learn from the seed data about the number of grinding operations performed and the actual wear and material removal rates produced by the known operating parameters. The machine learning model 1346 can then be used to inform the setting generator 1362, which selects the settings for the next grinding operation.

[0148] The data store 1340 may also include other information 1348, such as before and after operation images, surface profiles, renderings, etc. The other information 1348 may also include information about other options that may be used with the robotic grinding system, such as other abrasive articles or materials that may be used.

[0149] The system controller 1350 includes a specification acquirer 1352 that acquires a job specification 1344, a sensor signal acquirer 1354 that acquires a sensor signal directly from the system 1330 or an operation fingerprint from the data storage 1340. The material removal calculator 1356 can compare the current operation fingerprint 1342 with the previously captured operation fingerprint 1342. The previous surface profile 1314 is compared with the current surface profile 1314 to determine the actual material removal amount in the final grinding step.

[0150] Wear rate calculator 1358 generates an abrasive wear rate and / or actual abrasive wear of abrasive article 1320 based on the actual material removal rate and information from the current operational fingerprint.

[0151] The setting generator 1362, informed by the machine learning model 1346, selects operating parameters, and therefore operating settings, of the robotic grinding system 1310 for the next grinding pass 1362. The setting generator 1362 may determine that the current surface profile 1314 is insufficient to move to the next grinding step (e.g., from sanding to polishing, or from grinding to sanding), and may instead instruct to repeat the last grinding step with new parameters (e.g., dwell time and force selected based on calculated wear of the abrasive article, etc.). However, the setting generator 1362 may also determine that the current surface profile 1314 is not the target surface profile, but is sufficient to proceed to the next grinding step, but with adjusted parameters to "catch up" with the desired target surface profile.

[0152] The command generator 1364 generates movement instructions and setting adjustment instructions for the controllers and components within the cell 1300. For example, in some embodiments, the command generator 1364 can send commands to the movement mechanism 1304 and directly to the movement controller 1345. However, in some embodiments, it is specifically contemplated that the robotic grinding system 1310 has a local controller that receives commands from the command communicator 1366 and causes the commands to be executed locally. Similarly, the sensor system 1330 can also have a local controller.

[0153] In some embodiments, the unit 1300 has a display component 1370 for viewing by a human operator during operation. The display component 1370 can present a user interface generated by the graphical user interface generator 1368 based on information in the data storage 1340 or generated by the system controller 1350. The display component can present the current operating parameters or settings 1372 of the robotic grinding system 1310. The display component can also present a surface profile 1374 of the workpiece 1312. In some embodiments, this can be the surface profile 1314 of the most recent operation fingerprint 1342, or in other embodiments, it can be a video feed of the workpiece 1312, or in other embodiments, it can be a target surface profile set by the job specification 1344. In some embodiments, the display component 1370 can also display status information 1376 about the abrasive article 1320, such as type, brand, expected wear amount for the current step (e.g., the next grinding step will consume 2% of the total grinding life), or expected remaining service life (e.g., 88% remaining grinding life, or 56 cycles remaining until the next abrasive article replacement). Other information of interest 1378 can also be presented.

[0154] The robotic cell 1300 enables acquisition of 3-dimensional geometric and topographical measurement data of the work surface through targeted inspection and in-process telemetry, allowing the system controller 1350 to predict the amount of useful work that the abrasive consumable can perform. The prediction is measured in terms of percentage of wear or total time to perform wear.

[0155] The impact of the grinding process on the part being ground can be measured through macro and micro three-dimensional (3D) geometry and surface topography inspection data. Techniques that can be used include: coordinate measuring machine (CMM); structured light scanning; laser scanning; laser photogrammetry; white light interferometry; confocal microscopy; and focus variation. When used appropriately, each of these techniques can collect accurate point cloud data that provides insight into the target surface of the part and detects the impact of the grinding process on both the part and the properties of the consumable grinding material.

[0156] Environmental and grinding process parameters may be measured by in-process telemetry. Sensors may include those suitable for recording (as analog voltage or current signals, or encoded digital signals); ambient temperature, humidity, sound pressure level, local vibration frequency, acceleration, temperature, contact force and tool speed.

[0157] The systems and methods herein provide a more direct assessment of consumable wear using a machine vision system that captures digital images of abrasive articles and / or the parts being ground during the grinding process. As a direct result of the recorded process parameters, the vision system can identify changes between subsequent grinding steps and identify wear stages. Through analysis, this information can be correlated with part quality metrics obtained through geometric and surface topography inspections. This provides an understanding of the limits of consumable material wear, given the tolerances of the parts, and therefore provides the expected life cycle of the consumable for its intended mission.

[0158] For example, a particular grinding belt may be selected for performing several consecutive grinding processes on a component.

[0159] For example, starting with a new belt with no previous use, several grinding processes can be performed during which the primary parameters are controlled and the secondary parameters are monitored. The quality of the process output is recorded (by geometric and / or topographic inspection) after each individual grinding process or process step. This provides a sum of all previous uses of the abrasive consumable (e.g., the cumulative amount of time the belt has been in contact with the part, with the weight of this time being a function of the process parameters). Over time, this can be used to understand the conditions required to bring the abrasive consumable to the point where it no longer produces useful results.

[0160] This relationship between historical usage and measured output quality can then be used to minimize or reduce the "life" consumption of new instances of abrasive consumables (i.e., replacement belts after the initial belt has completely worn out) when used in a controlled grinding process. Using abrasive articles to their full useful life and extending the useful life of abrasive articles can improve the overall efficiency of the robotic cell 1300, even if individual steps take longer because the robotic cell 1300 experiences downtime each time an abrasive article needs to be replaced, processed for loading or capping, etc.

[0161] Using the systems and methods described herein, process parameters may be selected to find a compromise between process quality output (eg, material removal and process speed) and abrasive life consumption.

[0162] The systems and methods herein enable visualization of such cutting performance and commensurate life. For abrasive articles without visible particles, micro-replicated abrasive block height can be detected, which is directly related to the life of the product. Process outputs such as sound, vibration, and temperature can potentially inform the degradation state of the abrasive surface. However, for all abrasive articles, knowing the "end of life" of the article prevents the final product from being damaged by an abrasive that is about to reach the end of its life in the middle of a robotic cycle.

[0163] Fig.14 A networked architecture for a setting selection system for an automated robotic grinding system is shown. Fig.14 1400 is a networking architecture for setting selection system 1410. Architecture 1400 shows one embodiment of a specific implementation of system 1410, however other embodiments are possible. In various embodiments, the remote server can deliver these services over a wide area network (such as the Internet) using appropriate protocols. For example, the remote server can deliver applications over a wide area network, and they can be accessed through a web browser or any other computing component.

[0164] The software or components and corresponding data can be stored on a server at a remote location. The computing resources in a remote server environment can be consolidated at a remote data center location, or they can be dispersed. The remote server infrastructure can deliver services through a shared data center, even if they appear as a single access point for users. Therefore, the components and functions described herein can be provided from a remote server at a remote location using a remote server architecture. Alternatively, they can be provided by a conventional server, installed directly on a client device, or provided in other ways.

[0165] As described herein, the setting selection system 1410 selects operating settings for components of the robotic grinding system based on information received from one or more sensors 1480, which can detect information about an abrasive article, a workpiece, or other operating information about the robotic grinding system 1470. As shown, in some embodiments herein, the setting selection system 1410 can communicate directly with the settings 1480 and the robotic grinding system 1470.

[0166] Fig.14 It is specifically shown that the system 1410 can be located at a remote server location 1402. Thus, the computing device 1420 accesses those systems through the remote server location 1402. The operator 1450 can also use the computing device 1420 to access a user interface 1422. For example, the user interface 1422 can provide an indication of the degree of wear of the abrasive article, changes to be made to any networked systems 1404, or suggested changes to the operator's operations—such as increasing force, increasing RPM, etc.

[0167] Fig.14 It is shown that it is also envisioned that some elements of the system described herein are set at a remote server location 1402, while other elements are not set at the remote server location. By way of example, storage devices 1430, 1440 or 1460 or robotic grinding systems 1470 may be set at a location separate from location 1402 and accessed by a remote server at location 1402. Regardless of where they are located, they can be directly accessed by computing devices 1420 through a network (wide area network or local area network), hosted by a service at a remote site, provided as a service, or accessed by a connection service residing in a remote location. Moreover, the data can be stored in essentially any location and can be intermittently accessed by interested parties or forwarded to interested parties. For example, physical carriers can be used instead of electromagnetic wave carriers, or in addition to electromagnetic wave carriers, physical carriers can also be used.

[0168] It should also be noted that the elements of the system described herein or their portions can be disposed on a variety of different devices. Some of these devices include servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, embedded computers, industrial controllers, tablet computers or other mobile devices, such as handheld computers, cellular phones, smart phones, multimedia players, personal digital assistants, etc.

[0169] Fig.15 An exemplary computing device that can be used in the embodiments shown in the previous figures is shown. Fig.15 is an example of a computing environment in which elements or (for example) portions of the systems and methods described herein may be deployed. Fig.15, an exemplary system for implementing some embodiments includes a general purpose computing device in the form of a computer 1510. Components of the computer 1510 may include, but are not limited to, a processing unit 1520 (which may include a processor), a system memory 1530, and a system bus 1521 that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit 1520. The system bus 1521 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The memories and programs described with respect to the systems and methods described herein may be deployed in Fig.15 in the corresponding part of .

[0170] Computer 1510 typically includes a variety of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 1510, and includes both volatile / non-volatile media and removable / non-removable media. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media can include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media is different from, and does not include, modulated data signals or carrier waves. Computer storage media include hardware storage media that include volatile / non-volatile and removable / non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical disk storage, cassettes, tapes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and can be accessed by computer 1510. Communication media can embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a transport mechanism, and include any information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal.

[0171] The system memory 1530 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and / or nonvolatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) 1531 and random access memory (RAM) 1532. A basic input / output system 1533 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer 1510 (such as during startup), is typically stored in ROM 1531. RAM 1532 typically contains data and / or program modules that are immediately accessible to and / or currently being operated on by the processing unit 1520. By way of example and not limitation, Fig.15 Operating system 1534 , application programs 1535 , other program modules 1536 , and program data 1537 are shown.

[0172] The computer 1510 may also include other removable / non-removable and volatile / non-volatile computer storage media. By way of example only, Fig.15 Shown is a hard disk drive 1541 that reads from or writes to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media, a non-volatile magnetic disk 1552, an optical drive 1555, and a non-volatile optical disk 1556. The hard disk drive 1541 is typically connected to the system bus 1521 through a non-removable memory interface, such as interface 1540, and the optical drive 1555 is typically connected to the system bus 1521 through a removable memory interface, such as interface 1550.

[0173] Alternatively or in addition, the functions described herein can be performed at least in part by one or more hardware logic components. For example, but not limited to, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (e.g., ASICs), application specific standard products (e.g., ASSPs), systems on chips (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), etc.

[0174] Discussed above and in Fig.15 The drives and their associated computer storage media shown in FIG. 1 provide storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the computer 1510. Fig.15 , for example, hard disk drive 1541 is shown as storing operating system 1544, application programs 1545, other program modules 1546, and program data 1547. Note that these components may be the same as or different from operating system 1534, application programs 1535, other program modules 1536, and program data 1537.

[0175] A user may enter commands and information into the computer 1510 through input devices such as a keyboard 1562, a microphone 1563, and a pointing device 1561 (such as a mouse, trackball, or touch pad). Other input devices (not shown) may include a joystick, a game pad, a satellite dish, a scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are typically coupled to the processing unit 1520 through a user input interface 1560 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interfaces and bus structures. A visual display 1591 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 1521 via an interface such as a video interface 1590. In addition to the monitor, the computer may also include other peripheral output devices such as speakers 1597 and a printer 1596, which may be connected through an output peripheral interface 1595.

[0176] Computer 1510 operates in a networked environment with one or more remote computers, such as remote computer 1580 , using logical connections, such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).

[0177] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 1510 is connected to the LAN 1571 through a network interface or adapter 1570. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 1510 typically includes a modem 1572 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 1573 (such as the Internet). In a networking environment, program modules may be stored in the remote memory storage device. For example, Fig.15 Remote application programs 1585 are shown as being residing on remote computer 1580 .

[0178] By collecting macro- and micro-scale 3-dimensional geometry and topography data via target inspection and in-process telemetry, the systems and methods herein can be used to extend the amount of useful work that an abrasive consumable can perform. This extension in work is typically measured in the number of parts processed or the total time that wear is performed.

[0179] Geometric and topographic inspection techniques that may be used include structured light scanning, laser photogrammetry, white light interferometry, confocal microscopy, and focus variation), and in-process telemetry sensors may include those suitable for recording (as analog voltage or current signals, or encoded digital signals): ambient temperature, humidity, sound pressure levels, and local vibration frequencies and accelerations, temperature, and tool speed.

[0180] By performing several controlled grinding processes and monitoring primary process parameters (belt surface speed, belt feed speed, contact force, abrasive particle type and size) and secondary process parameters (belt / part surface temperature, ambient temperature, vibration and noise levels, etc.), the performance of the abrasive consumable (measured by its effectiveness in producing the desired result on the part being processed) can be correlated to the process parameters.

[0181] Then, by understanding how well the abrasive consumable performs in achieving the desired processing result (geometry or topography) on the part, an approximation of the percentage of useful abrasive "life" consumed as a function of a range of processing parameters can be determined in the context of all historical use the abrasive consumable has experienced.

[0182] Objects and advantages of this disclosure are further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples, but the particular materials and amounts thereof recited in these examples, as well as other conditions and details, should not be construed to unduly limit this disclosure.

[0183] The present invention proposes an automated abrasive product evaluation system, which includes a sensor signal acquirer that acquires a pre-operation signal and a post-operation signal for a grinding operation. The system also includes a specification acquirer that acquires a set of operating parameters for a grinding operation. The system also includes a material removal calculator that compares the pre-operation signal with the post-operation signal and determines the amount of material removal. The system also includes a wear rate calculator that calculates the amount of wear of the abrasive product used in the grinding operation based on the amount of material removal and the set of operating parameters. The system also includes a wear communicator that transmits the amount of wear to a non-transitory storage medium.

[0184] The system may be implemented such that the pre-operation signal is a pre-operation image, and wherein the post-operation signal is a post-operation image.

[0185] The system may be implemented such that the pre-operation signal comprises a pre-operation topography, and wherein the post-operation signal is a post-operation topography.

[0186] The system may be implemented such that the pre-operation signal includes a first workpiece surface profile before the grinding operation, and wherein the post-operation signal includes a second workpiece surface profile after the grinding operation.

[0187] The system may be implemented such that the pre-operation signal includes a first abrasive surface topography of the abrasive article prior to the lapping operation, and wherein the post-operation signal includes a second abrasive article topography.

[0188] The system may be implemented such that it includes a job specification acquirer that acquires a target workpiece surface profile, and compares the second workpiece surface profile to the target workpiece surface profile, and provides a deviation indication based on the comparison.

[0189] The system may be implemented such that the wear communicator transmits the amount of wear to the display component.

[0190] The system may be implemented such that the wear communicator transmits the wear amount to a controller of a robotic grinding system associated with the grinding operation.

[0191] The present invention provides a robotic grinding system, which includes a robotic arm that contacts a workpiece with an abrasive article according to a set of operating parameters for a grinding operation. The system also includes a pre-operation topography capture device that captures the pre-operation surface topography of a portion of the workpiece. The system also includes a post-operation topography capture device that captures the post-operation surface topography of the portion of the workpiece. The system also includes a wear calculator that calculates the wear level of the abrasive article after the grinding operation. The system also includes a controller that generates a grinding strategy based on the pre-operation surface topography, the grinding strategy including the set of operating parameters and the calculated wear level.

[0192] The robotic milling system may be implemented such that the pre-operation topography capture device is a post-operation topography capture device.

[0193] The robotic grinding system may be implemented such that the robot is removably coupled to the workpiece.

[0194] The robotic grinding system may be implemented such that the robotic arm moves along a movement path to bring the workpiece from a pick-up position to a capture position. The capture position includes the workpiece at a capture location relative to a pre-operation topography capture device.

[0195] The robot grinding system may be implemented such that the controller generates a grinding strategy in situ, and the robot arm performs a grinding operation after the grinding strategy is generated.

[0196] The robotic milling system may be implemented such that after a milling operation, the robotic arm moves along a second movement path from a milling position to a post-operation capture position. The post-operation capture position includes the workpiece in a post-capture location relative to the post-operation topography capture device.

[0197] The robotic milling system may be implemented such that it includes a material removal calculator that compares the post-operation surface topography with the pre-operation topography and calculates the actual material removal based on the comparison.

[0198] The robotic grinding system may be implemented such that it includes a grinding operation evaluator that acquires a target surface topography and compares the post-operation surface topography to the target surface topography and generates a deviation indication based on the comparison.

[0199] The robotic grinding system may be implemented such that the controller generates a grinding strategy based on the deviation indication.

[0200] The robotic grinding system can be implemented such that the grinding operation is a first grinding operation in a grinding program, and for a second grinding operation in the grinding program, the controller obtains a template grinding strategy for the second grinding operation and generates a second grinding strategy by modifying the template grinding strategy based on the deviation indication and the wear level.

[0201] The robotic milling system may be implemented such that the pre-operation topography capture device includes a camera array, a profilometer, a coordinate measuring machine, a structured light scanner, a laser scanner, a confocal microscope, or a white light interferometer.

[0202] The present invention proposes an automated grinding system, which includes a robotic arm configured to contact an abrasive article with a workpiece for a grinding operation. The grinding operation includes contact between the abrasive article and the workpiece at a moving speed under an applied force for a dwell time. The system also includes a sensor system that captures a first sensor signal before the grinding operation and a second sensor signal after the grinding operation. The system also includes a product evaluation system that: receives the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal; receives the applied force, the dwell time, and the moving speed; and calculates the wear level of the abrasive article based on the received sensor signals, the received applied force, the dwell time, and the moving speed. The system also includes a robotic controller that generates a second applied force, a second dwell time, and a second moving speed for a second grinding operation based on the calculated wear indication and the second sensor signal.

[0203] The system can be implemented so that the robot controller generates a second applied force, a second dwell time, and a second movement speed by: acquiring a target surface topography of a workpiece for a grinding operation; using a second sensor signal, generating an actual surface topography of the workpiece; comparing the target surface topography with the actual surface topography; detecting a deviation between the target surface topography and the actual surface topography; and modifying the planned second applied force, the planned second dwell time, and the planned second movement speed to take into account the deviation.

[0204] The system can be implemented such that the grinding operation is a first grinding step in a grinding program, and further includes: the robotic controller obtains a set of operating parameters for a second grinding step, and modifies the set of operating parameters to a second applied force, a second dwell time, and a second movement speed based on the calculated wear level.

[0205] The system may be implemented such that the applied force, the dwell time, the movement speed, the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal are stored as a first operation fingerprint in a data memory.

[0206] The system may be implemented such that the data storage includes a plurality of historical operation fingerprints, and wherein the robot controller includes a machine learning model that generates a second applied force, a second dwell time, and a second movement speed based on the plurality of historical operation fingerprints.

[0207] The system may be implemented such that the first sensor signal includes an image of the abrasive article.

[0208] The system may be implemented such that the first sensor signal comprises an image of the workpiece.

[0209] The system can be implemented such that the first sensor signal includes a topography of the workpiece.

[0210] The system may be implemented such that the first sensor signal includes a rendering of the workpiece.

[0211] The system can be implemented such that the abrasive article is a coated abrasive belt.

[0212] The system may be implemented such that a robotic arm is coupled to a workpiece.

[0213] The system may be implemented such that a robotic arm is coupled to the abrasive article.

[0214] The system may be implemented such that the robot arm comprises a force control unit.

[0215] The system can be implemented such that the abrasive article is an abrasive belt that moves at a moving speed.

[0216] The system may be implemented such that the abrasive article is a grinding wheel that rotates at a translation speed.

[0217] The system can be implemented such that the abrasive article is an abrasive disk that rotates at a translation speed.

[0218] The system may be implemented such that a sensor signal is received from an optical sensor.

[0219] The system may be implemented such that a sensor signal is received from a profilometer.

[0220] The present invention provides a method for grinding a substrate, the method comprising capturing a surface profile of a substrate using a topography capture device. The method further comprises generating a wear level of an abrasive article based in part on the captured surface profile. The method further comprises generating a grinding strategy based on the surface profile and the wear level to grind the substrate from the surface profile to a target profile using the abrasive article. The method further comprises causing a robotic grinding system to execute the grinding strategy in a grinding operation.

[0221] The method may be implemented such that it includes: capturing a post-operation surface profile of a substrate after the robotic grinding system completes a grinding operation; comparing the post-operation surface profile of the substrate to a target profile; and generating a deviation indication based on the comparison.

[0222] The method may be implemented such that it includes comparing the deviation indication to a threshold value and causing the robotic grinding system to perform a second grinding strategy with the abrasive article if the deviation indication exceeds the threshold value.

[0223] The method may be implemented such that the grinding operation is a first grinding operation in a grinding operation sequence and further includes comparing the deviation indication to a threshold value and causing the controller to generate a second grinding strategy for a second grinding operation based on the post-operation surface profile if the deviation indication is less than the threshold value.

[0224] The method may be implemented such that it further comprises generating a second wear level based on the post-operation surface profile.The second grinding strategy is based on the second wear level.

[0225] The method may be implemented such that the topography capture device comprises a camera array, a profilometer, a coordinate measuring machine, a structured light scanner, a laser scanner, a confocal microscope, or a white light interferometer.

[0226] The method may be implemented such that the robotic grinding system includes a robotic arm that picks up a substrate and contacts the substrate to the abrasive article under an applied force for a contact time. The grinding strategy includes an applied force and a contact time.

[0227] The method may be implemented such that a robotic grinding system includes a robotic arm coupled to an abrasive article.

[0228] Example

[0229] Example 1

[0230] Fig.16 An exemplary grinding operation sequence is shown that may be performed with a robotic grinding unit to cut a target contour 1650 shape from a starting workpiece 1610. Although only two steps are shown, it should be noted that in practice this may take many more steps.

[0231] A first grinding pass 1615 is programmed and executed with the goal of removing a large amount of material around the top curve. After the first pass, imaging is performed to generate an image 1620 of the results of the first pass. Using the systems and methods herein, the second grinding step 1625 can be modified based on the results of the first grinding step 1615. For example, the first grinding step 1615 may have removed more material - indicating that the abrasive article was worn more than expected, resulting in a lower stock removal rate. The second grinding step 1625 can now be adjusted to remove more material so that the results after the second pass 1630 are consistent with the results originally expected after two passes.

[0232] After the second pass, the system evaluates the second pass results 1630 and may determine that because it is close to the target profile 1650, it may move to a polishing routine that may be modified to directly target areas that still have more material removal needed.

[0233] Example 2

[0234] Fig.17A The degradation of the abrasive belt when subjected to multiple material removal cycles is shown. The degradation is measured in terms of the reduced ability of the abrasive belt to remove material (17A), the increase in grinding temperature (17B), and the change in the surface topography of the substrate being ground (17C).

[0235] The equipment used was a 60 HP back-end machine running at a spindle speed of 2000 Rpm. The spindle drove a 12" polyurethane coated contact wheel with a 95° Shore hardness and a 1:2 substrate groove ratio. The equipment was run with P36 and 36+ abrasive belts of 3500 mm length and 100 mm width.

[0236] At a spindle speed of 2000 RPM and using a 12” In the case of a contact wheel, the resulting surface speed of the abrasive is 2000 x ((Pi x 0.3)) / 60 = 31 m / s. This surface speed was used as a constant for all experiments.

[0237] The grinding method used was an insertion test, in which the A stainless steel 304L rod was inserted into the abrasive belt driven by the contact wheel with a constant force against a constant amount of time. For all experiments, a constant force of 170 N (0.45 N / mm2) was used. Additionally, in all cases, a constant insertion time of 20 seconds was used for a brand new stainless steel rod and repeated to ensure there was no residual heat from the previous insertion.

[0238] 60 plunge tests were performed at a constant 150 N to assess the ability of the grinder to decay and remove material. This was measured by weighing the stainless steel bar before grinding and then weighing the bar after grinding to calculate the delta weight which then allowed the material removal to be calculated. Surface finish measurements were made at regular intervals with a profilometer and the substrate temperature was measured directly after grinding to assess the effect of abrasive decay on the thermal properties of the substrate.

[0239] The observed result is that in subtractive manufacturing applications such as abrasive belts for material removal, abrasive wear is directly related to material removal rate because material removal decreases with each additional grinding cycle under fixed operating conditions. There is a corresponding increase in temperature due to greater friction caused by dulling / fracture of the mineral tip, and a decrease in surface finish (scratch depth) due to shallower penetration of the mineral into the substrate. Fig.17D As shown, it appears that there is a correlation between material removal and surface temperature, to some extent independent of the type of abrasive belt product. This clearly shows that, for given conditions, temperature sensing during the grinding process can be used as real-time input data for material removal and / or abrasive belt decay estimation. It can therefore help to adjust other parameters, such as speed or force, in order to maintain material removal or extend the life of the abrasive belt.

Claims

1. An automated abrasive product evaluation system, the automated abrasive product evaluation system comprising: a sensor signal acquirer, the sensor signal acquirer acquiring a pre-operation signal and a post-operation signal for a grinding operation; a specification acquirer that acquires a set of operating parameters for the grinding operation; a material removal calculator that compares the pre-operation signal with the post-operation signal and determines an amount of material removal; a wear rate calculator that calculates an amount of wear of an abrasive article used in the grinding operation based on the amount of material removal and the set of operating parameters; and A wear communicator is provided to communicate the wear amount to a non-transitory storage medium. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-operation signal or the post-operation signal comprises a detected gap between the abrasive article and a work surface.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pre-operation signal is a pre-operation image, and wherein the post-operation signal is a post-operation image.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pre-operation signal comprises a pre-operation profile, and wherein the post-operation signal is a post-operation profile.

5. The system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pre-operation signal comprises a first workpiece surface profile before the grinding operation, and wherein the post-operation signal comprises a second workpiece surface profile after the grinding operation.

6. The system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pre-operation signal comprises a first abrasive surface topography of the abrasive article prior to the grinding operation, and wherein the post-operation signal comprises a second abrasive article topography.

7. The system according to claim 4, further comprising: A job specification acquirer acquires a target workpiece surface profile, compares the second workpiece surface profile with the target workpiece surface profile, and provides a deviation indication based on the comparison.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the wear communicator transmits the wear amount to a display component.

9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the wear communicator transmits the wear amount to a controller of a robotic grinding system associated with the grinding operation.

10. The system of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the abrasive article comprises a coated abrasive article, a bonded abrasive article, or a nonwoven abrasive article.

11. A robotic grinding system, the robotic grinding system comprising: a robotic arm that contacts the workpiece with the abrasive article according to a set of operating parameters for a grinding operation; a pre-operational topography capturing device, the pre-operational topography capturing device capturing a pre-operational surface topography of a portion of the workpiece; a post-operation topography capture device, the post-operation topography capture device capturing a post-operation surface topography of the portion of the workpiece; a wear calculator that calculates a level of wear of the abrasive article after the grinding operation; and A controller is provided to generate a grinding strategy based on the pre-operational surface topography, the grinding strategy including the set of operating parameters and the calculated wear level. 12 . The robotic grinding system according to claim 12 , wherein the pre-operation topography capture device is the post-operation topography capture device.

13. The robotic grinding system of claim 11 or 12, wherein the robot is removably coupled to the workpiece.

14. The robotic grinding system of claim 13, wherein the robotic arm moves along a movement path to bring the workpiece from a pick-up position to a capture position, wherein the capture position includes the workpiece in a capture position relative to the pre-operational topography capture device. 15 . The robotic grinding system of claim 14 , wherein the controller generates the grinding strategy in situ, so that the robotic arm performs the grinding operation after generating the grinding strategy.

16. A robotic grinding system according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein after the grinding operation, the robotic arm moves along a second movement path from the grinding position to a post-operation capture position, wherein the post-operation capture position includes the workpiece in a post-capture position relative to the post-operation topography capture device.

17. The robotic grinding system according to any one of claims 11 to 16, further comprising: A material removal calculator compares the post-operation surface topography with the pre-operation topography and calculates actual material removal based on the comparison.

18. The robotic grinding system according to any one of claims 11 to 17, further comprising: A lapping operation evaluator acquires a target surface topography and compares the post-operation surface topography to the target surface topography and generates a deviation indication based on the comparison.

19. The robotic grinding system of claim 18, wherein the controller generates the grinding strategy based on the deviation indication.

20. The robotic grinding system of claim 18, wherein the grinding operation is a first grinding operation in a grinding program, and wherein for a second grinding operation in the grinding program, the controller obtains a template grinding strategy for the second grinding operation and generates a second grinding strategy by modifying the template grinding strategy based on the deviation indication and the wear level.

21. The robotic grinding system of claim 18, wherein the pre-operation topography capture device comprises a camera array, a profilometer, a coordinate measuring machine, a structured light scanner, a laser scanner, a confocal microscope, or a white light interferometer.

22. An automated grinding system, comprising: a robotic arm configured to contact an abrasive article with a workpiece to perform a grinding operation, wherein the grinding operation includes contact between the abrasive article and the workpiece under an applied force and at a moving speed for a dwell time; a sensor system that captures a first sensor signal before the grinding operation and a second sensor signal after the grinding operation; A product evaluation system, wherein the product evaluation system: receiving the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal; receiving the applied force, the dwell time, and the moving speed; and calculating a wear level of the abrasive article based on the received sensor signal, the received applied force, the dwell time, and the travel speed; and A robotic controller is provided to generate a second applied force, a second dwell time, and a second movement speed for a second grinding operation based on the calculated wear indication and the second sensor signal.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the robotic controller generates the second applied force, the second dwell time, and the second movement speed by: acquiring a target surface topography of the workpiece for the grinding operation; generating an actual surface topography of the workpiece using the second sensor signal; comparing the target surface topography with the actual surface topography; Detecting a deviation between the target surface topography and the actual surface topography; and The planned second applied force, the planned second dwell time, and the planned second movement speed are modified to take into account the deviation.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the grinding operation is a first grinding step in a grinding sequence, and further comprising: The robotic controller obtains a set of operating parameters for a second grinding step and modifies the set of operating parameters to the second applied force, the second dwell time, and the second movement speed based on the calculated wear level.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the applied force, the dwell time, the moving speed, the first sensor signal, and the second sensor signal are stored in a data storage as a first operation fingerprint.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the data storage device comprises a plurality of historical operation fingerprints, and wherein the robot controller comprises a machine learning model that generates the second applied force, the second dwell time, and the second movement speed based on the plurality of historical operation fingerprints.

27. The system of any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein the first sensor signal comprises an image of the abrasive article.

28. The system of any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein the first sensor signal comprises an image of the workpiece.

29. The system of any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein the first sensor signal comprises a topography of the workpiece.

30. The system of any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein the first sensor signal comprises a rendering of the workpiece.

31. The system of any one of claims 22 to 30, wherein the abrasive article is a coated abrasive belt.

32. The system of any one of claims 22 to 31 , wherein the robotic arm is coupled to the workpiece.

33. The system of any one of claims 22 to 32, wherein the robotic arm is coupled to the abrasive article.

34. The system of any one of claims 22 to 33, wherein the robotic arm comprises a force control unit.

35. The system of any one of claims 22 to 34, wherein the abrasive article is an abrasive belt that moves at the travel speed.

36. The system of any one of claims 22 to 30, wherein the abrasive article is a grinding wheel that rotates at the travel speed.

37. The system of any one of claims 22 to 30, wherein the abrasive article is a grinding disk that rotates at the translation speed.

38. The system of any one of claims 22 to 37, wherein the sensor signal is received from an optical sensor.

39. The system of any one of claims 22 to 37, wherein the sensor signal is received from a profilometer.

40. A method of grinding a substrate, the method comprising: capturing a surface profile of the substrate using a topography capture device; generating a wear level of the abrasive article based in part on the captured surface profile; generating a grinding strategy based on the surface profile and the wear level to grind the substrate from the surface profile to a target profile using the abrasive article; as well as The robotic grinding system is caused to execute the grinding strategy in a grinding operation.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising: After the robotic grinding system completes the grinding operation, capturing a post-operation surface profile of the substrate; comparing the post-operation surface profile of the substrate to the target profile; as well as An indication of deviation is generated based on the comparison.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising: The deviation indication is compared to a threshold value, and if the deviation indication exceeds the threshold value, the robotic grinding system is caused to perform a second grinding strategy with the abrasive article.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the grinding operation is the first grinding operation in a sequence of grinding operations, and further comprising: The deviation indication is compared to a threshold value and the controller is caused to generate a second grinding strategy for a second grinding operation based on the post-operation surface profile if the deviation indication is less than the threshold value.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising generating a second wear level based on the post-operation surface profile, and wherein the second grinding strategy is based on the second wear level.

45. A method according to any one of claims 40 to 44, wherein the topography capture device comprises a camera array, a profilometer, a coordinate measuring machine, a structured light scanner, a laser scanner, a confocal microscope or a white light interferometer.

46. ​​A method according to any one of claims 40 to 45, wherein the robotic grinding system includes a robotic arm that picks up the substrate and causes the substrate to contact the abrasive article under an applied force for a contact time, wherein the grinding strategy includes the applied force and the contact time.

47. The method of any one of claims 40 to 46, wherein the robotic grinding system comprises a robotic arm coupled to an abrasive article.

48. A robotic system for grinding a surface, the system comprising: a robotic arm configured to move the abrasive article into an abrasive position; a wear indicator configured to generate a sensor signal related to a level of wear of the abrasive article; a conditioning station configured to address a condition of the abrasive article after a first grinding operation and prior to a second grinding operation; and A milling controller is configured to generate a set of coordinates for the robotic arm, the set of coordinates corresponding to the milling position.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the abrasive article comprises a bonded abrasive article, a coated abrasive article, or a nonwoven abrasive article.

50. The system of claim 48, further comprising a gap detector configured to detect a gap between the abrasive article and a work surface, wherein the sensor signal includes the detected gap.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the gap detector comprises a camera.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the grinding controller generates the set of coordinates based on the detected gap.

53. The system of claim 48, wherein the condition comprises a cap, and wherein modifying the condition comprises a cap removal process.

54. The system of claim 48, wherein the condition comprises loading, and wherein resolving the condition comprises unloading the abrasive article.

55. The system of claim 48, wherein the condition comprises a surface profile of the abrasive article, and wherein addressing the condition comprises changing the surface profile.

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