SENSORS IN DEVURRING AUTOMATION

Burr sensing for burr size measurement and deburring process control is one of the essential elements in an automated deburring procedure. This paper presents the implementation of capacitance sensing and acoustic emission (AE) to deburring. The first application is the "on-line" measurement of burrs using a capacitance sensor. A non-contact capacitance gauging sensor is attached to an ultra precision milling machine which was used as a positioning system. The setup is used to measure burr profiles along machined workpiece edges. The proposed scheme is shown to be accurate, easy to setup, and with minor modifications, readily applicable to automatic deburring processes. As the second example, AE signals were sampled and analyzed for the sensor feedback of a precision deburring process - laser deburring -. The results, such as the sensitivity of AE signals to burr shapes and edge detection capability show a clear correlation between physical process parameters and the AE signals. A subsequent control strategy for deburring automation is also briefly discussed.