Development of 5-axis polishing machine capable of simultaneous trajectory, posture, and force control

The buffing process for finishing an automobile's body is still done manually, and the final surface quality of the body depends on the skill and technique of the worker. To automate buffing, not only tool path control but also precise and fast force control is required. In this study, a novel methodology based on the sensor-less force control technique and the quarry matrix capable of the mode decoupling is proposed for a parallel mechanism polishing machine to control x–y trajectory, tool posture, and polishing force in z-direction, and its validity for automated buffing is verified.