Capacitive sensors are frequently applied to curved target surfaces for precision displacement measurements. In most cases, these sensors have not been recalibrated to take the curvature of the target into consideration. This recalibration becomes more critical as the target surface becomes smaller in comparison to the sensor. Calibration data are presented for a variety of capacitance probe sizes with widely varying geometries. One target surface particularly difficult to characterize is the inner surface of small holes, less than one millimeter in diameter. Although contact probes can successfully measure the inner surface of a hole, these probes are often fragile and require additional sensors to determine when contact occurs. Probes may adhere to the wall of the hole, and only a small number of data points are collected. Direct capacitance measurement of small holes requires a completely new capacitance probe geometry and method of operation. A curved, elongated surface minimizes the gap between the sensor surface and the inner surface of the hole. Reduction in the size of the sensing area is weighed against electronics limitations. The performance of a particular probe geometry is studied using computer simulations to determine the optimal probe design. Multiple, overlapping passes are deconvolved to reveal finer features on the surface of the hole. A prototype sub-millimeter capacitance probe is machined from tungsten carbide, with four additional material layers added using ebeam deposition. Several techniques are studied to remove these layers and create a sensing area along one side of the probe. Both mechanical processes and photolithography are employed.

<p>Condition monitoring of critical machine tool components and machining processes is a key factor to increase the availability of the machine tool and achieving a more robust machining process. Failures in the machining process and machine tool components may also have negative effects on the final produced part. Instabilities in machining processes also shortens the life time of the cutting edges and machine tool.</p><p>The condition monitoring system may utilise information from several sources to facilitate the detection of instabilities in the machining process. To avoid additional complexity to the machining system the use of internal sensors is considered. The focus in this thesis has been to investigate if information related to the machining process can be extracted directly from the internal sensors of the machine tool.</p><p>The main contibutions of this work is a further understanding of the direct response from both linear and angular position encoders due the variations in the machining process. The analysis of the response from unbalance testing of turn tables and two types of milling processes, i.e. disc-milling and slot-milling, is presented. It is shown that operational frequencies, such as cutter frequency and tooth-passing frequency, can be extracted from both active and inactive machine axes, but the response from an active machine axis involves a more complex analysis. Various methods for the analysis of the responses in time domain, frequency domain and phase space are presented.</p> / QC 20100518

Process planning is a task comprising a broad range of activities to design and develop an appropriate manufacturing process for producing a part. Interpretation of the part design, selection of manufacturing processes, definition of operations, operation sequences, machining datums, geometrical dimensions and tolerances are some common activities associated with the task. Process planning is also “the link between product design and manufacturing” with the supplementary commission to support design of competitive products. Process planning is of a complex and dynamic nature, often managed by a skilled person with few, or no, explicit methods to solve the task. The work is heuristic and the result is depending on personal experiences and decisions. Since decades, there have been plenty of attempts to develop systems for computer-aided process planning (CAPP). CAPP is still awaiting its breakthrough and one reason is the gap between the functionality of the CAPP systems and the industrial process planning practice. This thesis has an all-embracing aim of finding methods that cover essential activities for process planning, including abilities to predict the outcome of a proposed manufacturing process. This is realised by gathering supporting methods suitable to manage both qualitative and quantitative characterisation and analyses of a manufacturing process. The production research community has requested systematisation and deeper understanding of industrial process planning. This thesis contributes with a flow chart describing the process planning process (PPP), in consequence of the methodological studies. The flow chart includes process planning activities and information flows between these activities. The research has been performed in an industrial environment for high volume manufacturing of gear parts. Though gear manufacturing has many distinctive features, the methods and results presented in this thesis are generally applicable to precision manufacturing of many kinds of mechanical parts. / <p>QC 20140522</p>

Le processus de fabrication des pièces usinées arrive à maturité concernant la fabrication assistée par ordinateur et la maîtrise du procédé d’usinage. Aujourd’hui, les perspectives d’améliorations importantes sont liées à l’optimisation de la commande numérique et de ses interactions avec le reste du processus de fabrication. L’objectif de cette thèse est donc de maîtriser les briques de base de la commande numérique pour optimiser le processus d’usinage 5 axes grande vitesse des surfaces complexes. La création d’une commande numérique ouverte nécessite le développement des algorithmes qui transforment le programme d’usinage en consignes échantillonnées pour les axes de la machine. La première partie des travaux consiste à rendre la géométrie suffisamment continue notamment pour les trajets interpolés linéairement en 5 axes qui présentent des discontinuités en tangence. Ensuite, l’interpolation temporelle du trajet crée la trajectoire d’usinage respectant les contraintes cinématiques et en particulier le jerk de chacun des 5 axes de la machine. L’implémentation matérielle de ces algorithmes permet de piloter une machine d’usinage grande vitesse 5 axes avec une commande numérique ouverte. Ainsi, les verrous technologiques associés aux commandes numériques industrielles sont levés et la chaîne numérique est entièrement contrôlée de la CFAO jusqu’au déplacement des axes. La maîtrise complète de la commande numérique offre la possibilité de définir exactement le trajet d’usinage à partir de la CAO sans introduire les écarts géométriques inhérents aux formats de description standards. L’interpolation de la trajectoire d’usinage directement sur la surface à usiner améliore de manière significative la qualité et la productivité de l’usinage des surfaces complexes. La commande numérique PREMIUM-OpenCNC permet la validation expérimentale de ces travaux et ouvre de nombreuses autres voies d’amélioration du processus de fabrication. / The manufacturing process reaches maturity concerning Computer Aided Manufacturing and cutting process performances. Nowadays, major improvements are linked to the optimization of the Computer Numerical Control and its interactions with the rest of the manufacturing process. The aim of this thesis is to control the basic components of a CNC in order to optimize the 5-axis high speed machining process of complex surfaces. The realization of an open CNC requires the development of algorithms which transform the machining program into command setpoints for the machine drives. The first part of this thesis allows to round the 5-axis discontinuities caused by the linear tool path interpolation commonly used. Then, a feedrate interpolation algorithm computes the trajectory while respecting the kinematical constraints of the machine and especially the jerk of each axis. The implementation of this work allows to control a 5-axis high speed machine with an open CNC. Hence, the technological barriers that prevent CNC optimizations are removed and the manufacturing process is under control from CAD/CAM to axis displacement. The complete control over the CNC offers the possibility to define the tool path exactly from Computer Aided Design entities without introducing any geometrical deviation generally induced by standard NC code. The direct interpolation of the trajectory on the machined surface significantly improves the quality and the productivity of complex surface machining. The PREMIUM-OpenCNC allows to prove experimentally the efficiency of this work and opens new ways for future manufacturing process improvements.

Automobile and aero industries have an increasing interestin materials with improved mechanical properties. However, manyof these new materials are classified as difficult-to-cut withconventional tools. It is obvious that tools, cutting processesand cutting models has to be devel-oped parallel to materialsscience. In this thesis rotary cutting tools are tested as analternative toexpensive diamond or cubic bore nitridetools. Metal matrix composites mostly consist of a light metalalloy (such as aluminium or titanium) reinforced with hard andabrasive ceramic parti-cles or fibres. On machining, thereinforcement results in a high rate of tool wear. This is themain problem for the machining of MMCs. Many factors affect thelife length of a tool, i.e. matrix alloy, type, size andfraction of the reinforcement, heat treatment, cuttingconditions and tool properties. In tests, the Al-SiC MMC formed a deformation layer duringmilling, probably affected by lack of cooling. The dominatingfactor for tool life was the cutting speed. Water jet or CO2cooling of turning did not provide dramatic increase in toollife. With PCD, cutting speeds up to 2000 m/min were usedwithout machining problems and BUE formation. Tool flank wearwas abrasive and crater wear created an "orange-peel type" wearsurface. PCD inserts did not show the typical increase in flankwear rate at the end of its lifetime. The use of self-propelled rotary tools seems to be apromising way to increase tool life. No BUE was formed on therotary tool at high cutting data. The measurements indicatethat the rotary tool creates twice as good surface as PCDtools. The longest tool life was gained with an inclinationangle of 10 degrees. Tool costs per component will beapproximately the same, but rotary cutting tool allows higherfeeds and therefore a higher production rate and thus a lowerproduction cost. The rotary cutting operation might have a potential toincrease productiv-ity in bar peeling. The lack of BUE withrotary cutting gives hope on higher tool life. The test resultsshow that tool wear was 27% lower with rotary cutting tools.Increase of cutting speed from 22 to 44 m/min did not affectcutting forces. This indicates that the cutting speed canincrease without significant change in tool wear rate. Issues related to rotary cutting like cutting models,cutting processes, standards, tools and models have beendiscussed. A tool wear model with kinetic energy has beendiscussed. KEYWORDS:Difficult-to-Cut material, Metal MatrixComposite (MMC), Machining, Machinability, Rotary Cutting Tool,Acoustic Emission / <p>QCR 20161026</p>

Résumé : Les principaux challenges de l’industrie du futur sont de satisfaire à toujours plus d’exigences en termes de développement durable, d’optimisation des coûts et des délais. Les secteurs industriels fabriquant des produits à haute valeur ajoutée tels que l’aéronautique et le spatial, sont dans une perspective continue d’amélioration des produits manufacturés et des procédés. L’emploi de matériaux tels que des alliages de titane ou les superalliages à base de nickel devient courant. Ils sont cependant « complexes à usiner ». Les difficultés comme l’usure prématurée des outils, les déformations de pièces ou encore les mauvaises qualités de surface deviennent problématiques. C’est dans cette perspective que l’assistance cryogénique en usinage peut répondre aux diverses problématiques. Cette technologie peut apporter les réponses aux exigences d’industrialisation : limitation des élévations de température, pas de nettoyage post-usinage et pas d’utilisation de fluides de coupe nocifs pour les opérateurs. Cela induit pourtant de nouvelles questions tel que l’acheminement du fluide cryogénique vers les zones souhaitées, l’optimisation du procédé ou encore l’impact du grand froid sur les outils et les pièces. De nouveaux verrous technologiques et scientifiques apparaissent. Cette thèse propose de les étudier. / Abstract: The main challenges facing the industry are to satisfy ever more demands in terms of sustainable development, optimization of costs and deadlines. The industrial sectors manufacturing products with high added value in aeronautics and space, are continously in a perspective of improvement the manufactured products and processes. The use of materials such as titanium alloys or nickel-based superalloys is common. Its are "complex to machine". Difficulties in the use of tools, parts deformations or poor surface qualities become problematic. It is in this perspective that the cryogenic assistance in machining can answer the various problems. This technology can provide answers to the industrialization requirements: limiting the rising temperature, no post-machining cleaning and no use of cutting fluids, harmful, for operators. This leads to new questions such as the routing of the cryogenic fluid to the desired zones, the optimization of the process or the impact of a cold fluid on the tools and the parts. New technological and scientific locks are emerging. This PhD thesis propose to study them.

Compared to conventional machine tools, industrial robots offer great advantages such as multitasking, larger workspace, and lower price. However, these advantages of robots are undermined by their high structural flexibility leading to excessive deflections, severe vibrations, and ultimately violating dimensional tolerances and poor surface finish. Modeling the dynamics of robots under machining (e.g. milling and drilling) forces is essential for reducing deflections and vibrations during the process. Although modeling the dynamics of traditional machining systems is a well-studied subject, the existing modeling approaches are not applicable to robotic manipulators because of the posture-dependent dynamics of industrial robots. Within this context, the presented thesis aims to predict the stability of vibrations during robotic machining operations through prediction of posture dependent dynamic behavior of robots. A rigid-body modeling approach is used to identify the dynamic parameters of the robotic manipulator based on least squares estimation method. Next, by adopting a rigid link flexible joint model and employing experimental modal analysis to identify the joint stiffness and damping parameters, posture dependent dynamic response prediction of the robot is achieved. Finally, the posture-dependent milling stability is presented as a function of the predicted tool center point transfer function, spindle speed, and axial depth of cut. A Staubli TX200 robot and a Kuka KR90 robot are used as experimental case studies. / Graduate

Ce travail de recherche traite un problème qui joue un rôle très important pour le succès desprogrammes de fabrication : le tolérancement tridimensionnel, essentiel pour définir la géométried'une pièce mécanique assurant sa meilleure fonctionnalité dans un assemblage avec uneprécision optimale.Une méthode des chaînes de cotes angulaires tridimensionnelles a été développée. Cette méthodepermet d’une part l’optimisation du calcul des dispersions angulaires tridimensionnelles etd’autre part de valider la gamme de fabrication par la vérification du respect des tolérancesimposées par le bureau d’études en tenant compte des précisions des procédés utilisés.Cette étude est basée sur l’analyse de deux fonctions paramétrées qui sont étudiées pourdéterminer le défaut fabriqué : le défaut angulaire et la longueur projetée. Le défaut angulairereprésente le cumul des défauts angulaires générés par le processus de fabrication de la pièce. Lesdéfauts angulaires sont déterminés en fonction de la précision des machines outils. La longueurprojetée de la surface tolérancée est une caractéristique qui dépend uniquement de la forme de lasurface.Ensuite, à partir de ces deux fonctions paramétrées, le défaut fabriqué est déterminé puiscomparé avec la condition fonctionnelle afin de vérifier si la gamme choisie permet en fin duprocessus de fabrication de donner une pièce conforme. / To verify the capacity of a manufacturing process to make the corresponding parts it is necessaryto simulate the defects that it generates and to analyze the correspondence of produced parts withthe functional tolerances. In order to check the capability of a manufacturing process to carry outsuitable parts, it is necessary to analyze each functional tolerance.The main objective of our work is to define a methodology of tolerancing analysis. Thedeveloped method allows to determine the manufacturing tolerances in the case of angular chainsof dimensions and to check its correspondence with the functional tolerances.The objective of this work is to analyze two parameterized functions: the angular defect and theprojected length of the toleranced surface. The angular defect represents the angular defectgenerated by the manufacturing process. It is determined according to the machine toolsprecision. We consider only the geometrical defects, making the assumption that the form defectsare negligible. The projected length of toleranced surface is a characteristic which depends onlyon the form of surface.The manufactured defect is determined from these two parameterized functions. Then it will becompared with the functional condition in order to check if the selected machining range allows,at end of the manufacturing process, to give a suitable part.

Empreendimentos industriais requerem o completo e preciso acompanhamento de dados de máquinas em tempo real, integrando as atividades do chão de fábrica com a engenharia, suporte e de negócios. É reconhecido que sistemas de monitoramento são fundamentais para melhorar a qualidade do produto, reduzir os tempos e para a adaptação rápida às mudanças de produção. Os sensores de processos possuem altos custos, não são compactos e são de difícil implementação. Portanto, seria estratégico desenvolver sistemas de monitoramento que utilizem ao máximo os recursos já existentes nas máquinas ferramentas e que não representem custos adicionais de implementação. O uso de CNC´s de arquitetura aberta nas indústrias é crescente. Estes se mostram como potenciais ferramentas para atender a estas exigências. Possuem os recursos necessários para a aquisição de informações administrativas e tecnológicas e para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de monitoramento. O objetivo do presente trabalho é pesquisar arquiteturas de monitoramento e supervisão para processos de usinagem que tenham como base informações disponíveis em CNC´s de arquitetura aberta. Tais sistemas, apesar de todo o potencial existente, ainda não tem sido explorados nem desenvolvidos adequadamente para os processos de usinagem. O presente trabalho é multidisciplinar nas áreas de automação e usinagem. Está dividido em partes em que são analisados tanto os elementos tecnológicos dos CNC´s abertos, bem como os processos de monitoramento e supervisão da usinagem. São apresentadas propostas no sentido de integrar as duas áreas pelo desenvolvimento de arquiteturas de software dedicadas. Os sistemas desenvolvidos foram testados em laboratório e também nas empresas parceiras. Os resultados mostram que o uso de CNC´s abertos para monitoramento e supervisão de processos é viável e proporciona funções de monitoramento/supervisão que não eram possíveis com os sistemas convencionais e sem a necessidade de recursos adicionais, como hardware, sensores e instalação. A implementação de protótipo em empresa parceira foi bem sucedida e deverá ser expandida no futuro. / Manufacturing enterprises require complete real time and accurate monitoring of machine tool data for integrating the shop floor with other company activities, as engineering, maintenance and business. It is acknowledged that monitoring systems capabilities are unavoidable to improve product quality, to reduce production time, and to the rapid adaptation in the changes of production. The use of external sensors gives high costs and do not have the advantages of compactness and the ease of use. Therefore, it is extremely advantageous to develop monitoring systems maximizing the use of the resources already existent in the machine tools and without additional costs of implementation. The use of open CNC\'s on industries is growing. This kind of control has been a great tool to attend these present requirements. It has the necessary resource to get managerial and technological information, and to develop monitoring systems. The objective of this work is to research monitoring and supervision architectures for machining process, based on information already available in open CNC\'s. Such systems, in spite of the whole existent potential, have not still been explored nor developed appropriately for the machining processes. The present work is multidisciplinary in the automation and machining areas. It is divided in parts where the technological elements of open CNC\'s are analyzed, as well as the monitoring and supervision systems of the machining processes. An architecture is proposed in the sense of integrating both monitoring and supervision. The developed systems were tested in laboratory and also in the partner companies. The results show that the use of open CNC\'s for monitoring and supervision of processes is viable and provides monitoring/ supervision functions which were not possible with the conventional systems and without the need of additional resources, as hardware and sensor installation. The prototype tested in a partner company succeeded and should be expanded in the future.

O desenvolvimento de sistemas laser com pulsos ultracurtos trouxe a possibilidade de usinagem de estruturas muito pequenas em praticamente qualquer tipo de material. Neste trabalho foi dada continuidade a estudos já iniciados no Centro de Lasers e Aplicações (CLA) com os materiais dielétricos, introduzindo a largura temporal dos pulsos laser como mais uma variável e utilizando os conhecimentos adquiridos para a determinação de limiares de ablação e parâmetros de incubação em alguns metais como: aço AISI 1045, aço inoxidável VI138, cobre eletrolítico e molibdênio. A ausência de calor no processo de ablação dos metais torna-se muito difícil, pois a criação de uma camada de íons é muito prejudicada pela mobilidade eletrônica ao seu redor. Assim a ablação de metais com pulsos ultracurtos, tem como principal mecanismo a explosão de fase associada a outros processos que também contribuem na ablação, porém em menor escala, como a explosão coulombiana e a fusão ultrarrápida. Além disso, propriedades como a constante de acoplamento elétron-fônon e a condutividade térmica assumem um papel importante e devem ser levadas em conta na investigação do processo de ablação dos metais. Este trabalho possibilitou a obtenção de parâmetros de operação nos quais o calor transferido para a rede é minimizado, possibilitando a microusinagem de precisão e alterações controladas na morfologia da superfície de diversos metais. Os resultados propiciaram assim condições para novos desenvolvimentos e aplicações práticas de usinagem com pulsos ultracurtos. / The development of laser systems with ultrashort pulses brought the possibility of machining very small structures in virtually any type of material. In this work was continued the studies already started in Lasers and Applications Center (CLA), with dielectric materials, introducing temporal width of the laser pulses as another variable, and using the knowledge acquired to determine ablation threshold and incubation parameters of some metals such as AISI 1045 steel, VI 138 stainless steel, electrolytic copper and molybdenum. The absence of heat in the ablation process of metals is much more difficult since the creation of a layer of ions is greatly impaired by electronic mobility in its vicinity. Hence, the ablation process for metals with ultrashort pulses, has, as main mechanism, the phase explosion associated with other processes that also contribute in the process, but on a smaller scale, such as Coulomb explosion and ultrafast fusion. Moreover, properties such as electron-phonon coupling constant and thermal conductivity play an important role and should be taken into account in investigating the process of ablation of metals. This study made it possible to obtain operation parameter where the heat transferred to the lattice is minimized, enabling precision micromachining and controlled changes in the morphology of the surface of metals. The results provided conditions for new developments and real machining applications with ultrashort pulses.