Abstract

This thesis presents the development of an interface to generate tool path for robot manipulators from CAD database. In engineering practice, CAD (Computer-Aided Design) has been utilized in different ways. Some utilize it to produce drawings and document designs. Some may employ it as a visual tool by generating shaded image and animated displays. Others may perform engineering analysis of some sort on geometric models, or perform process planning and generate NC part programs. This thesis is based on the idea of building a bridge between CAD systems and robot motion planning. The methodology of this thesis constitutes techniques for geometric data analysis, reorganizing and utilizing, and motion planning for an industrial robot--Yamaha Zeta-1 robot. The thesis focuses on developing the tool path for a Yamaha Zeta-1 deburring robot that is designed specifically to debur complex engineering components, which is also used by the aerospace industries to edge debur and polish surfaces of impellers and bearing races in vane rings used in gas turbine engines. The CAD package chose for current study is the AutoCAD as it is commonly used in small to medium-size manufacturing industries