SBIR Phase I: Integrated Inspection for Precision Surface Finishing

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将研究可变、自由形状零件的自动检测和精加工。在涡轮叶片制造中，零件的几何形状和精加工要求因零件而异，因此叶片必须进行目视检查、手工成形和抛光。更广泛的研究目标是通过将非接触式传感和符合要求的精加工机器人集成到闭环配置中，使这项严谨和艰苦的工作自动化。它将分析零件需求，自动生成工作计划，结合感官数据以高精度去除材料，并验证工作结果。涡轮叶片制造是美国价值340亿美元的飞机发动机和燃气轮机发电机市场的重要组成部分，自动化精加工将带来可观的成本节约、质量改进和工人安全。目前的抛光-检查-形状-检查工艺周期将合并为单一操作，减少生产时间以及硬件、占地面积、维护和能源需求。对于这些有价值的、即将完工的部件，将避免造成报废的主要原因-人为错误。工人将不会被分配到一项困难、肮脏、众所周知会造成高重复性压力伤害的工作。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will investigate automated inspection and finishing of variable, free-form parts. In turbine blade manufacture, part geometry and finishing work requirements vary part-to-part, so blades must be visually inspected and shaped and polished by hand. The broader research objective is to automate this rigorous and painstaking work by integrating non-contact sensing and a compliant finishing robot in a closed loop configuration. It will analyze part requirements, autonomously generate work plans, remove material with high precision by combining sensory data, and verify work results. Turbine blade manufacture is an essential component of the $34B market in the U.S. for aircraft engines and gas turbine generators, and automated finishing will produce considerable cost savings, quality improvements, and improved worker safety. The current polish-inspect-shape-inspect process cycle will be combined into a single operation, reducing production time plus hardware, footprint, maintenance, and energy requirements. The primary cause of scrap, human error, will be avoided for these valuable, nearly finished parts. Workers will not be tasked with a job that is difficult, dirty, and known to inflict high rates of repetitive stress injuries.