Abstract: A polishing system includes an end effector and a controller. The end effector includes a polishing arm, a motor, and a tool head. The motor includes a rotatable shaft. The tool head extends along a lengthwise axis between and to an inner end and a tip end. The inner end is disposed on the polishing arm at the motor. The tool head includes a belt tensioner and a roller. The belt tensioner is configured to bias the tip end outward from the inner end along the lengthwise axis. The tool head is configured to retain an abrasive belt extending between the rotatable shaft and the roller. The controller is configured to measure a usage of the abrasive belt for polishing one or more workpieces and compare the measured usage to a threshold usage value to identify an end-of-life condition is present or absent for the abrasive belt.

Abstract: A polishing system includes a robotic polishing assembly, a calibration system, a belt cleaning assembly, and a controller. The robotic polishing assembly includes a robotic arm and an end effector. The end effector includes a polishing arm, a motor, and a tool head. The calibration system includes an imaging device. The belt cleaning assembly includes a first lateral brush and a second lateral brush. The controller is in signal communication with the robotic polishing assembly and the calibration system. The controller includes a processor in communication with a non-transitory memory storing instructions, which instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to identify a cleaning requirement for the tool head and control the robotic polishing assembly to clean the tool head by moving the tool head to engage the belt cleaning assembly.

Abstract: A manufacturing method is provided that includes controlling a robotic polishing device, at a controller, to polish a plurality of first zones of a bladed rotor for an aircraft engine based on a first operating parameter associated with the robotic polishing device. An exterior of the bladed rotor includes the first zones and a plurality of second zones. The first zones are distributed circumferentially about an axis of the bladed rotor in a first array. The second zones are distributed circumferentially about the axis of the bladed rotor in a second array. The method further includes controlling the robotic polishing device, at a controller, to polish the second zones using the robotic polishing device based on a second operating parameter. The second operating parameter for the robotic polishing device is different than the first operating parameter.

Abstract: A polishing system includes an end effector, a calibration system, and a controller. The end effector includes a polishing arm, a motor, and a tool head. The tool head extends along a lengthwise axis between and to an inner end and a tip end. The tool head includes a belt tensioner and a roller. The roller is rotatable about a tool center point of the tool head at the tip end. The tool head is configured to retain an abrasive belt extending between the motor and the roller. The calibration system includes an imaging device. The controller includes a processor in communication with a non-transitory memory storing instructions, which instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the imaging device to acquire image data for the tool head, identify a position of the tool center point using the image data, and store the identified position in the memory.

Abstract: A polishing system includes a robotic polishing assembly, a belt removal assembly, and a controller. The robotic polishing assembly includes an end effector. The end effector includes a polishing arm, a motor, and a tool head. The tool head extends along a lengthwise axis between and to an inner end and a tip end. The tool head includes a belt tensioner, a roller, and an abrasive belt. The belt tensioner is configured to bias the tip end outward from the inner end. The abrasive belt is disposed on the motor and the roller. The belt removal assembly includes a first lateral arm, a second lateral arm, and a back stop. The controller includes a processor in communication with a non-transitory memory storing instructions, which instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: identify an end-of-life condition is present for the abrasive belt and remove the abrasive belt from the tool head.

Abstract: A polishing system includes an end effector and a controller. The end effector includes a polishing arm, a motor, a tool head, and a belt sensor. The polishing arm includes a motor housing at a distal end of the polishing arm. The tool head includes a belt tensioner and a roller. The belt tensioner includes a tool extension including the roller. The tool head is configured to retain an abrasive belt extending between the motor and the roller. The belt sensor includes a proximity sensor and a lateral tab. The proximity sensor is disposed at the motor housing. The lateral tab disposed at the tool extension. The proximity sensor is configured to measure a distance between the proximity sensor and the lateral tab and generate a proximity sensor signal. The controller is configured to cause the processor to identify an installation configuration for the abrasive belt by comparing the measured distance to a distance threshold value.