Additive Manufacturing Using Robotic Programming

Introduction

Robotics is an interdisciplinary discipline of technology that combines mechanical, electronic, and computer science to create and build intelligent devices that can function in a variety of settings. Robots are intelligent devices with individual capabilities and traits that can help people with repetitive chores. Robotic manipulators are used in production to lower costs and improve quality. Industrial robots are flexible, adaptable, high-precision machines with several degrees of freedom that can operate in a variety of environments. Fixed and mobile industrial robots are the two main categories. Robot motions are regulated by control systems, enabling them to carry out tasks in a particular order. playback control systems, intelligent control systems, and limited sequence control systems. Robots can do jobs repeatedly by being taught positions that have been recorded in memory using playback control systems. With a predetermined path stored in memory, the PTP control system enables the robot to advance progressively from one position to another. A high-level microcontroller is used in playback with continuous path control to specify the intermediate path between desired spots. Robots with intelligent control systems are programmed using a microcomputer and a high-level programming language (Hua et al., 2021; Top et al., 2021).

Robot Programming: Lead via programming, text programming, simulation and offline programming are the three techniques used in robot programming. The robot is moved through a motion sequence using a teach pendant or flex pendant, and commands or instructions are typed into the controller. The created control algorithm is tested using simulation or off-line programming before being inserted into the robot controller. By mimicking the motion cycle in a virtual setting, this technique decreases downtime and enables the programmer to create novel time-saving strategies. Engineering applications for industrial robots include material handling, machine loading and unloading, part transfer, picking, and placing, assembly, disassembly, adhesive sealing and glueing, spray coating and painting, mechanical cutting, grinding, deburring, and polishing, water jet and laser cutting, product inspection and testing, packaging, and pelletizing. For additive manufacturing, fusing the fused deposition modelling method with a 6-axis industrial robotic arm is helpful since it gives the extruder horizontal movement and more freedom for the end-effector. Ishak et al. created a 3D printer by mounting the head to the flange of a Motoman SV3X industrial robot. Printing components with precise geometry required the development of nonplanar toolpaths.

Improved surface quality and mechanical qualities were achieved by using new software to create a toolpath for a robotic printing system to deposit material on curved surfaces. It is intended and built to build 3D things utilising an FDM extruder and a FANUC LRMATE 200iB robotic arm. To translate G-code into robotic commands, a translator is created. To increase mechanical strength, a robotic additive manufacturing process method is created to deposit material on nonplanar layers. The end-effector is manipulated throughout the entire workplace by a six-axis industrial robot. In this study, a fresh method for mass 3D printing lightweight mesh structures using an industrial robot was devised. Polyurethane foam is used to print a 2 m tall statue, and a robotic system was created to print massive sections made of thermoplastic material that weigh 25 kg(Lawlor et al., 2021). To get over the limitations of traditional FDM while printing overhang structures, various strategies were devised. The requirement for support material for overhanging structures is decreased by a novel technology that prints items utilising an industrial robot with multi-axis mobility. In order to speed up printing and cut down on waste, the “Freeform Printing” technique, which uses a 6-axis robot to print without any additional supports, focuses on biologically inspired design. Using multi-plane FDM and an industrial robot arm, it is possible to print layers in several directions. To save printing time and eliminate waste, the “Freeform Printing” method uses a 6-axis robot to print without the usage of any additional support structures. Contrary to conventional FDM, which is limited to single plane layering, multi-plane FDM using an industrial robot arm allows the printing of layers in multiple planes.

Figure 1.

FDM: infilling patterns