Novel machining mode and robotic machining equipment for large-scale complex structures

Large-scale complex structures are the main components of the major equipment, such as spacecraft, aircraft, steamship, and etc. The machining of this kind of structures is a worldwide manufacturing difficulty. Aiming at solving this difficulty, Tsinghua University collaborated with key domestic manufacturing enterprises to carry out technological innovation. Inspired by working behaviors of creatures in nature, a new machining mode of “wide-range positioning + local high accuracy machining” is proposed for large-scale structures. A 5-DoF fully parallel machining robot is invented based on the fundamentals of mechanism, which has the characteristics of high dynamic response, efficient coupling orientation adjustment, modularization and lightweight. By regarding the parallel robot as a machining end effector, robotic, miniaturized, and portable machining equipment are designed, and serialized mobile hybrid machining equipment, adsorptive machining equipment, and overhead hybrid robotic machine center are developed. These machining equipment have been successfully used in industrial application. The in-situ machining of large spacecraft’s cabin, grid milling of large aluminum panels, drilling of aircraft fuselage are achieved. The machining efficiency and quality are significantly improved. The results of this paper have successfully opened up a new track of robot precision machining, and provided a new solution for the machining of large structural parts.