Superfinishing robotic cell to automate belt polishing process on critical aeronautical components

Surface quality requirements on aeronautical components are critical. When components are manufactured via casting or forging processes, functional surfaces should be machined and, later on, these surfaces should be finished using polishing or other superfinishing techniques. These final processes are usually performed manually by experienced operators, mainly due to their complexity. Nowadays, new technologies provide a chance to automate these processes, but some aspects must be taken into account. On the one hand, it requires technological advances that allow process to be carried out in compliance with the required tolerances. Many of these technologies do not include in their scope the usual materials employed in aeronautical components, which are critical in terms of geometries and machinability. On the other hand, tests must be carried out with different tools and abrasive materials to establish optimum processing conditions in this type of automated process. In this line, the driver of the proposed work is to analyse the behaviour of different abrasive materials and their influence in material removal rate when process parameters increase. Test were performed using a robotic cell equipped with a pneumatic compensation system for pressure and cutting speed control. Obtained results may serve as a basis for defining operating conditions of this type of processes and help to understand their behaviour when dealing with different cutting conditions.