Distributing the supporting heads for robotized machining

Abstract

The paper presents a method of placement for the movable supporting heads of a self-reconfigurable robotic fixture system. The whole system consists of two mobile platforms carrying parallel type manipulators equipped with deformable heads. The heads are providing the dynamic support for large flexible workpieces during machining. The two heads consecutively relocate and affix themselves to the supported thin metal sheet, so that one of them supports the workpiece while the other relocates itself in such a way as to precede the working tool. The method for heads positioning for circular contours is presented. Formulas are derived and the results are summarized.