Grinding force models in finishing processes

Force models and control for a robot-assisted surface finishing system are presented in this paper. These models are based on two different concepts, the theory of a linear observation and Grey theory. Integrated with an automated surface finishing system these force models are designed as force observers to sense the grinding contact force based on the driving current and output position of the motor. In order to test the function of the force models, a robot-assisted finishing system is constructed and tested on a Tatung A530 robot. Also, we utilize Taguchi's method for experimental design to determine an ideal grinding condition. Four grinding conditions are chosen, namely, path pattern, grinding contact pressure, tool diameter, and feed rate. Tendencies of these factors can be found from the experiments. The experimental results show that the robot-assisted finishing system functions well under a variety of grinding conditions.