Mechatronic design of a reconfigurable machining machine

Abstract

The paper deals with the integration of mechanical and control aspects involved in the design of a novel 4-DOF reconfigurable machining machine (RMM). Its modular mechanical structure and control system are conceived in order to obtain the reasonable flexibility and reconfigurability in performing a series of machining tasks around a product family. Reconfigurable machines bridge the gap between two types of conventional machining machines: the fully flexible machining machines and the totally dedicated machining machines. The application of the integrated mechatronic design approach and its application advantages are detailed in this paper. A full-scale RMM prototype has been built; its hardware and software layouts are presented as well. The experimental results compared with the traditional drilling/milling machine performance are also discussed.