Automation of Belt Grinding Process Based on the Analysis of Skilled Worker Movements

This research is aimed at developing an effective belt grinding method for finishing complicated curved surfaces. At first, the hand movements during the grinding process of conventional hand finishing by skilled workers were analyzed and classified. Considering these analytical results, a newly developed slack-of-belt grinding system was proposed and the performance of this method was examined. This system is a vertical belt grinder with double roller backup, equipped with copying attachment and tilting function. In this grinding process, it was understood that the total stiffness of an abrasive belt, equipped with a belt grinder, is a significant factor affecting the accuracy of the finished curved surfaces. By the estimations of finished workpieces, it was confirmed that the accuracy of the finished contour obtained by the proposed system is superior to that of conventional methods. Furthermore, useful suggestions for a practical method were obtained for implementing optimal machine controlled finishing.