Region-adaptive path planning for precision optical polishing with industrial robots

Area of Science:

• Ultra-precision manufacturing
• Robotic polishing technology

Background:

• Industrial robotic polishing offers a more economical and intelligent alternative to conventional machines.
• Low control accuracy in robotic polishing significantly degrades surface finish quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel region-adaptive path planning method for robotic polishing.
• To enhance polishing quality, stability, and efficiency by addressing form errors.

Main Methods:

• Path planning is adaptively generated based on specific form errors.
• Processing is focused only on regions with significant form deviations.
• Smooth paths are created using hexagonal meshing to prevent sharp turns.
• Dwell time is determined through space-variant deconvolution.

Main Results:

• The proposed method achieves a final form error metric (PVr) converging to λ/15.
• Polishing time is reduced by 80% compared to conventional methods.
• Significant improvements in the stability and efficiency of robotic polishing are demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The region-adaptive path planning method effectively improves robotic polishing outcomes.
• This approach enhances both the quality and efficiency of ultra-precision manufacturing processes.
• The method offers a practical solution for overcoming accuracy limitations in robotic polishing.