Sanding Pad Wear Tracking for Consistent Automated Finishing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated finishing systems lack effective methods for tracking sanding pad wear and efficiently triggering replacement, leading to inconsistent material removal and surface finish quality.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous scanning and sanding system that tracks sanding pad wear in real-time using a wear model, adjusts processing parameters, and autonomously pauses or replaces the sanding pad when degradation exceeds a threshold, ensuring consistent abrasiveness and surface finish.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If sanding pad wear is not tracked in real-time, then the system operates continuously without interruptions, but material removal consistency and surface finish quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements real-time feedback by continuously monitoring sanding pad wear through force sensors and wear models. The measured wear information is fed back to the control system, which automatically adjusts processing parameters or triggers pad replacement notifications, ensuring consistent surface finish while maintaining productivity through automated compensation.
2Manufacturing precision
If sanding pad replacement is triggered frequently, then surface finish consistency is maintained, but processing time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary wear assessment by continuously monitoring pad condition through force sensors and wear models before actual degradation affects surface quality. This allows proactive scheduling of pad replacements during natural downtime or between workpieces, preventing quality issues while minimizing interruptions to overall productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If wear monitoring and dynamic parameter adjustment are implemented, then surface finish quality and material removal consistency improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves wear monitoring and parameter adjustment using existing multi-functional components. Force sensors originally designed for process control now also serve wear monitoring. The control system integrates wear model calculations and parameter adjustments within its existing architecture, eliminating the need for separate dedicated wear monitoring hardware and reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes: accessing a toolpath and processing parameters—including a target force and feed rate—assigned to a region of a workpiece; and accessing a wear model representing abrasive degradation of a sanding pad arranged on a sanding head. The method also includes, during a processing cycle: accessing force values output by a force sensor coupled to the sanding head; navigating the sanding head across the workpiece region according to the toolpath and, based on the force values deviating the sanding head from the toolpath to maintain forces of the sanding head on the workpiece region proximal the target force; accessing contact characteristics representing contact between the sanding pad and the workpiece; estimating abrasive degradation of the sanding pad based on the wear model and the sequence of contact characteristics; and modifying the set of processing parameters based on the abrasive degradation.