Work

Towards an automated masking process: A model-based approach

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: The masking of aircraft engine parts, such as turbine blades, is a major bottleneck for the aerospace industry. The process is often carried out manually in multiple stages of coating and curing, which requires extensive time and introduces variations in the masking quality. This article investigates the automation of the masking process utilising the well-established time–pressure dispensing process for controlled maskant dispensing and a robotic manipulator for accurate part handling. A mathematical model for the time–pressure dispensing process was derived, extending previous models from the literature by incorporating the robot velocity for controlled masking line width. An experiment was designed, based on the theoretical analysis of the dispensing process, to derive an empirical model from the generated data that incorporate the losses that are otherwise difficult to model mathematically. The model was validated under new input conditions to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach and the masking accuracy using the derived model.

Source: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part B Journal of Engineering Manufacture

DOI: 10.1177/0954405418810058

Authors: Khaled Elgeneidy, Ali Al-Yacoub, Zahid Usman, Niels Lohse, Michael Jackson, Iain Wright

Institutions: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Loughborough University, Coventry University, Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom)

Language: English

Topic: Manufacturing Process and Optimization

Subfield: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: green

Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council