Offline workpiece calibration method for robotic reconfigurable machining platform

Recent trends in industrial manufacturing impose the adoption of changeable systems, based on reconfigurable and flexible equipment. In this scenario, industrial robotics platforms are central to design highly reconfigurable systems. A Robotic Reconfigurable Machining Platform (RRMP), as defined, is a modular architecture for robotic workcells, designed in order to exploit the flexibility features of robots and extend their field of application to high precision machining. RRMP calibration is a key task, which involves calibration of tools, workpieces and peripherals. However, state-of-the-art calibration methods and tools lead to hardly predictable system downtime, which impacts the reconfiguration phase. A novel method to perform the workpiece calibration is proposed for the reduction of the reconfiguration efforts in RRMPs. The method is addressed through a full integration with a virtual environment for robot simulation and programming. The method is finally applied to an industrial case study and compared to the most widely diffused online approach.