Force control based robotic grinding system and application

A robotic grinding method based on force feedback is proposed in this paper. This method is used in polishing metal products like faucet handle which is made in zinc alloy. Force control technology is important in the grinding system. In the grinding process, grinding force is a pressure in a specified direction which is applied to the surface of the mold by polishing tools. The force should be controlled in some stable value to ensure the grinding quality. In order to maintain a constant and stable force throughout the process of grinding or polishing, force sensor is always required in order to measure the contact force between grinding tool and mold surface. At the same time, the measured data should be sent to the controller and according to it the controller can adjust the value of the predefined grinding force in different process conditions. Before robotic grinding, off-line programming method is used to simulate the grinding process. After simulation process, the grinding robot with force control method is applied in grinding faucet handle instead of human. Good grinding results are produced from the experiments with such methods.