Integration and demonstration of force controlled support in pocket milling

The pursuit of productivity and quality optimization in thin wall machining has given rise to a growing interest in robotic assisted milling. This is the interaction between robot, workpiece and machine tool, in which the robot is used to increase stiffness and damping of the structure during machining, via a controlled supporting force on the structure. In this research, the efficacy of the fixturing method is evaluated in pocket milling applications. Machining test results demonstrated decreased form error on the pocket floor.