Underpinning UK high-value manufacturing: Development of a robotic re-manufacturing system

Abstract

Abstract-Impact and its measure of outcome is a given performance indicator within academia. Impact metrics and the associated understanding play a large part of how academic research is judged and ultimately funded. Natural progression of successful scientific research into industry is now an essential tool for academia. This paper describes what began over ten years ago as a concept to automate a bespoke welding system, highlighting its evolution from the research laboratories of The University of Sheffield to become a platform technology for aerospace remanufacturing developed though industry-academia collaboration. The design process, funding mechanisms, research and development trials and interaction between robotic technology and experienced welding engineers has made possible the construction of a robotic aerospace turbofan jet engine blade re-manufacturing system.

Robotic additive manufacturing system featuring wire deposition by electric arc for high-value manufacturing

“…3D models of the conducted orbital weld and AM layers were produced and monitored by the stereo vision system to give feedback and make any necessary modification in the welding parameters. This is a step forward from a previous collaborative research between the ESIM group and I3D Robotics called the IVIEW project [23]. III.…”

Intelligent sensing for robotic re-manufacturing in aerospace — An industry 4.0 design based prototype

“…This failure to achieve a high recovery yield is mainly attributed to errors in the process that originate from human input. A proposed autonomous robotic system for the re-manufacturing of turbofan jet engine blades is currently under development, aiming to eliminate human error and increase the successful repair yield up to 100% [1].…”