Hybrid manufacturing scheme for metal using robot and CNC machine

This paper presents a hybrid layered manufacturing process combining the best features of both robotic additive manufacturing and CNC machining approaches. Compare to the conventional manufacturing process, the advantage of the hybrid manufacturing system is that material can be added and subtracted, ad infinitum until a desirable product has been achieved. A slicing algorithm is developed to generate the contour tool-paths along the boundary of the designed model, and these contour curves of each sliced layer are offset to preserve geometrical accuracy. For the internal area of the layer, zigzag tool-paths are adopted to simplify computing processes and speed up fabrication. The hardware integration of this system is described in detail, including the design and use of each subsystem, and the control scheme of the entire system. Finally, a series of experiments are carried out to obtain suitable processing parameters, and an industrial case is conducted subsequently proving the viability of the hybrid system.