Scraping device and scraping method using robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065217-B2
Application number	US-201615007738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2016
Priority date	Jan 28, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A scraping device and a scraping method, by which a scraping process using a robot can be automated, and workload of an operator can be significantly reduced. The scraping device includes a robot which grips or holds a scraping tool, and a robot controller which controls the robot. The robot is a multi-joint robot having six axes, and has a robot arm and a robot hand attached to a front end of the robot arm. The scraping tool is gripped or held by the robot hand. The scraping tool has a cutting edge and a vibrator which vibrates the cutting edge at high velocity, and the robot hand grips the scraping tool while the cutting edge is vibrated at high velocity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A scraping device for carrying out a scraping process of a metallic surface, the scraping device comprising:
a scraping tool having a cutting edge vibrated by a vibrator;
a robot configured to grip the scraping tool;
a camera attached to the robot, configured to capture an image of the metallic surface;
a force sensor, provided to the robot, configured to detect a reactive force applied to the scraping tool during the scraping process;
a screen configured to display a virtual model of an object to be processed having the metallic surface; and
a processor configured to:
generate a measuring motion program for measuring the metallic surface of the object;
process the image of the metallic surface obtained by the camera to detect a position and orientation of the metallic surface and a position of a concavo-convex portion on the metallic surface; and
execute the scraping process by controlling the robot to position the scraping tool to come into contact with the detected concavo-convex portion on the metallic surface, and controlling the robot to vibrate the scraping tool until the reactive force detected by the force sensor is below a threshold.

2. The scraping device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the camera is exchangeable with the scraping tool by using an automatic attaching/detaching unit attached to a front end of an arm of the robot.

3. A scraping method for carrying out a scraping process on a metallic surface, the scraping method comprising the steps of:
operating a robot so as to grip a scraping tool having a cutting edge vibrated by a vibrator;
operating the robot so as to carry out the scraping process of the metallic surface;
capturing, by a camera coupled to the robot, an image of the metallic surface;
detecting, by a force sensor coupled to the robot, a reactive force applied to the scraping tool during the scraping process;
displaying a virtual model of an object to be processed having the metallic surface;
generating, by a processor, a measuring motion program for measuring the metallic surface of the object;
processing, by the processor, the image of the metallic surface;
detecting, by the processor, a position and orientation of the metallic surface and a position of a concavo-convex portion on the metallic surface; and
executing, by the processor, the scraping process by controlling the robot to position the scraping tool to come into contact with the detected concavo-convex portion on the metallic surface, and controlling the robot to vibrate the scraping tool until the reactive force detected by the force sensor is below a threshold.

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Nagatsuka Yoshiharu

Classifications

• Y10S901/09

  Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement · CPC title

• B25J9/1697

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• Y10S901/41

  Tool · CPC title

• B25J9/1671

  characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems · CPC title

• B25J19/02

  Sensing devices · CPC title