This video (courtesy of the RECLAIM research project, 2008-2012) shows adaptive milling of a titanium compressor blade tip using data captured by a Renishaw Sprint™ probe and tool paths generated by Delcam Automation software. The blade tip was rebuilt using laser cladding as part of the development of AMBIT™ tool changeable laser deposition heads.
What is adaptive machining?
Unlike machining new parts, where the same tool path can accurately produce many parts, repair is different. In remanufacturing, each individual blade has a unique service history resulting in variations to its shape. In order to accurately machine each blade, it is necessary to adapt or customize the tool path. Automating the process of generating individualized tool paths for each part is called “adaptive machining” and makes fully automated serial repair applications practical.
How does it work?
Adaptive machining involves the automation of 3 steps: inspection, reshaping a nominal CAD model, and calculation of tool paths. In-process inspection provides the data to update the tool path to match each part. In this case, the position and shape of the unrepaired portion of the blade is probed. This data is used to reshape a nominal 3D CAD model of the blade to match the real world blade. Tool paths for blend machining the newly deposited tip to match the parent blade are automatically calculated based on the updated virtual model. In this application, the target tolerance was a mismatch of less than +/- 25 μm between the new and old surfaces. The result was a mismatch of less than +/- 10 μm, achieved using a calibrated Hardinge CNC machine.
Adaptive processing is not limited to subtractive machining only. This research project also demonstrated adaptive tool paths for laser metal deposition together with blend machining tool paths.
