Measuring and Cutting a Propeller for a Ship by an Articulated Robot

Abstract

An articulated robot is used for measuring and cutting a propeller for a ship. The measuring system for the profile of the propeller consists of an articulated robot, a laser type displacement sensor which is attached to the wrist of the robot, a rotary table which turn the propeller, and a personal computer. The sensor, the robot and the rotary table are controlled by the computer automatically. In the cutting operation, several cutting conditions were tried, because of the low stiffness of the robot. Consequently, it has been cleared that up cut milling with the side milling cutter is the best way of milling by the robot. Therefore, the side milling cutter, rotated by a flexible shaft, is attached to the wrist of the robot. In order to determine the part to be cut, a surface profile of a cast propeller is measured by the system described above; then the data thus obtained is compared to the design data of the propeller. © 1991, The Japan Society for Precision Engineering. All rights reserved.