An Advanced Deburring and Chamfering System (adacs) Based on the Enhanced Machine Controller (emc)

An autonomous finishing workcell for deburring and chamfering high precision machined parts has been developed by engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) working with United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) and Pratt & Whitney. This Advanced Deburring and Chamfering System (ADACS) is an application of the NIST Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC). The EMC is an open architecture hierarchical controller suitable for a variety of high-fidelity real-time control systems. Within ADACS, a feature-based process planning system generates the deburring and chamfering paths based on parameters and edges selected by a manufacturing engineer from a solid model Computer Aided Design (CAD) definition of the part. Simulation of the paths as well as collision detection is performed before the generated tool paths are downloaded to the robot/machine tool, and finishing tool. The ADACS uses active force control in the tool to control stiffness of the tool normal to and tangential to the chamfer edge. The ADACS is being installed in a commercial application for finishing jet engine components at Pratt & Whitney.