Robotic Analysation Methodology for Multidirectional Additive Manufacturing Process Configuration

Abstract

Multidirectional additive manufacturing is increasingly used in WAAM processes. Especially in pure object manipulation, the weight and size of the manufactured part during the process is relevant. Depending on the robot and the associated configuration of the welding head pose and end effector, different volumes can be produced. This work presents an efficient calculation methodology, which on the one hand clarifies the influence of the configuration on the printable volume, and on the other hand allows an optimization of e.g. the welding head in the working space of the robot. The results show a pronounced relevance of a reasonable configuration especially for multidirectional additive manufacturing under the constraints of the WAAM process. Furthermore, an optimal welding head pose for the kuka kr6 could be found.