A Robotic Re-manufacturing System for High-Value Aerospace Repair and Overhaul (original) (raw)

Underpinning UK high-value manufacturing: Development of a robotic re-manufacturing system

2016 IEEE 21st International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA), 2016

Impact and its measure of outcome is a given performance indicator within academia. Impact metrics and the associated understanding play a large part of how academic research is judged and ultimately funded. Natural progression of successful scientific research into industry is now an essential tool for academia. This paper describes what began over ten years ago as a concept to automate a bespoke welding system, highlighting its evolution from the research laboratories of The University of Sheffield to become a platform technology for aerospace remanufacturing developed though industry-academia collaboration. The design process, funding mechanisms, research and development trials and interaction between robotic technology and experienced welding engineers has made possible the construction of a robotic aerospace turbofan jet engine blade re-manufacturing system. This is a joint collaborative research and development project carried out by VBC Instrument Engineering Limited (UK) and The University of Sheffield (UK) who are funded by the UK governments' innovation agency, Innovate-UK with the Aerospace Technology Institute, the Science and Facilities Technology Council (STFC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

High Value Intelligent Aerospace Turbofan Jet Engine Blade Re-manufacturing System

Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2016

Development of any advanced, intelligent robotic welding system requires correct interrogation of welding parameters and output. Advanced programming of robots, data interpretation from associated sensory and feedback systems are required to mirror human input. Using process analysis to determine stimuli, replacement of human sensory receptors with electronic sensors, vision systems and high speed data acquisition and control systems allows for the intelligent fine tuning of multiple welding parameters at any one time. This paper demonstrates the design process, highlighting interaction between robotics and experienced welding engineers, towards construction of an autonomous aerospace turbofan jet engine blade re-manufacturing system. This is a joint collaborative research and development project carried out by VBC Instrument Engineering Ltd (UK) and The University of Sheffield (UK) who are funded by the UK governments' innovation agency, Innovate-UK and the Aerospace Technology Institute (UK).

Automatic Evaluation of the Robotic Production Process for an Aircraft Jet Engine Casing

Applied Sciences

This paper investigated the design of a system to monitor the status of the robotic welding process of thin-walled components for an aircraft jet engine. Opportunities to measure and log processing parameters, such as welding speed, current, and voltage, on the existing production cell were taken. The acquired data were processed using elements of descriptive statistics. Obtained indicators were matched with physical inspection results of the weld’s quality. The adopted methodology was used to identify an essential parameter determining the presence of defined weld defects. The developed solution was implemented in the production cell.

Trends in the Development of Machinery and Associated Technology ” TMT 2010 , Mediterranean Cruise , 11-18 September 2010 MODELING OF WELDING PROCESS BY ROBOTIC VISION

2010

Modeling of welding process by robotic vision is basically a theoretical problem, means mainly on physical problem, and also technological problem. To obtain a good model of welding process by robotic vision, theoretical researches are required but also constant experimental researches of several welding processes. Until today researches of welding processes has been based on empirical and detailed experimentation. In this paper is presented welding process by robotic and automation points of view with application of new technologies. Welding robotic system has been designed with possibility to control and inspect this process. Parameters that should be controlled during the process have been identified to reach desired quality. Figure of control system of welding process by robotic vision is given in this paper.

Applications of Robotics in Welding

International Journal of Emerging Research in Management and Technology

An Industrial robot is reprogrammable, automatically controlled, multifunctional manipulator programmable in three or more axes, which may be either fixed in place or mobile for use in industrial automation applications. Technical innovations in robotic welding has facilitated manual welding processes in sever working conditions with enormous heat and fumes to be replaced with robotic welding. The robotic welding has greater capability to control robot motion, welding parameters and enhanced wrong detection and wrong correction. Major difficulties in robotic welding are joint edge inspection, weld penetration control, seam tracking of joints, and width or profile measurement of a joint. These problems can be more easily solved by use of sensory feedback signals from weld joint. Robotic welding system has intelligent and effective control system that can track the joint, monitor the joint in process and accounts for variation in joint location. Sensors play an important role in robo...

Racionalization of Robotic Workstation in Welding Industry

Research Papers Faculty of Materials Science and Technology Slovak University of Technology, 2018

The growing pressure to increase productivity and production quality is one of the reasons for the growing interest in using automated production facilities, such as robots. In many enterprises, automated lines are introduced that partially or completely replace the human factor. The automotive industry was one of the first to start using automated robots and still is the one of the largest users of these devices. Flexibility and affordability enabled robots to become part of the industry’s automation strategy. In order to achieve the desired goals, it is necessary to modernize and automate workplaces or to create completely new concepts of grouping of machines and industrial robots. An increasing trend in the use of robotic technology has caused several factors that have changed significantly in the recent years in favor of automated workplaces. The main changes made by industrial robots to the fore are improving their technical parameters, high reliability, affordability, reduced ...

Advances in Robotic Welding for Metallic Materials: Application of Inspection, Modeling, Monitoring and Automation Techniques

Metals

The robotic welding manufacturing of metal parts is a very important process, especially in heavy industries such as shipbuilding, oil and gas, automotive, and aerospace. There is a great variety of different techniques for manufacturing by robotic welding, and the welding operations are always in a constant process of evolution, as any advance can be significant to avoid defects during the welding process. Although a great deal of research work has been carried out in recent years, thanks to which results and reviews have been presented on this subject, the main aim of this publication is to define and review works that show the advances in the main inspection, modeling, monitoring, and automated operations during the welding process to avoid, or predictively identify, any possible defect in order to obtain an optimum degree of quality in the welding.