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Projecte llegit

Títol: Hybrid Manufacturing of Robotic Components

Estudiants que han llegit aquest projecte:

Director/a: BARRADO MUXÍ, CRISTINA

Departament: DAC

Títol: Hybrid Manufacturing of Robotic Components

Data inici oferta: 05-02-2026     Data finalització oferta: 05-10-2026


Estudis d'assignació del projecte:
    GR ENG SIST AEROESP
Tipus: Individual
 
Lloc de realització: Fora UPC    
 
        Supervisor/a extern: Lluís Gil Vives
        Institució/Empresa: THEKER ROBOTICS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA
        Titulació del Director/a: Màster Universitari en Enginyeria Avança
 
Paraules clau:
Hybrid manufacturing,robotic components, Additive/subtractive manufacturing
 
Descripció del contingut i pla d'activitats:
The primary objective of this work is to investigate the integration of additive and subtractive manufacturing processes for the production of high-performance robotic components. The work aims to move beyond conventional linear manufacturing chains by proposing hybrid workflows that combine the flexibility of additive manufacturing with the precision of traditional subtractive processes.

The project will analyze the interaction between Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), 5-axis CNC machining, fiber laser cutting, and sheet metal bending, focusing on how these technologies may complement each other within flexible manufacturing sequences. The specific processes and combinations studied will depend on the results obtained during the development of the project.

Depending on feasibility and experimental outcomes, the use of FDM-printed parts as auxiliary manufacturing elements may be investigated. Possible applications include custom soft jaws for stabilizing complex geometries during multi-axis machining or additively manufactured tooling for sheet metal forming operations.

Similarly, the project may examine sequential manufacturing approaches in which laser-cut metal plates serve as semi-finished components for subsequent high-precision machining. These case studies will be selected based on their relevance to robotic applications and their potential to demonstrate the benefits of hybrid manufacturing.

Throughout the project, representative components will be designed and manufactured to evaluate process transitions, setup requirements, and interface tolerances.

The final outcome of the work will be a comparative analysis of a robotic component manufactured using conventional methods and the same or a similar component produced through a hybrid manufacturing workflow, evaluating lead time, dimensional quality, and overall production cost.
 
Overview (resum en anglès):
This thesis evaluates two hybrid manufacturing workflows for robotic components in an industrial cell that combines FDM printing, fiber-laser cutting and 5-axis CNC machining. In both, the machining centre produces the final geometry and the other two processes are used to make it more productive. The first workflow replaces the purchased billet with a laser-cut near-net-shape blank, governed by a two-part allowance rule and a datum-transfer procedure that probes the as-cut edges before the first machined face becomes the reference. The second uses FDM-printed jaw adapters to give a standard vice a grip on parts it cannot otherwise hold.

The first workflow was executed on three production aluminium components, machined with identical programs, tools, workholding and acceptance criteria on both routes. The blank reduced spindle time by 10 to 21 %, the stock entering the machine by 31 to 43 % and the removed mass by 46 % on all three parts; at declared rates the hybrid route was cheaper on every part and raised output on the bottleneck machine by 12 to 28 % parts per shift. Every blank cleaned up without a re-cut, roughly half of the profile offset was never needed, and all parts entered service. The stock result was extended in CAD to the complete family of plate parts of the robot, where the saving follows how little of its enclosing billet each outline occupies.

The second workflow was tested on a stainless-steel shaft held vertically with a long overhang. Friction-seated printed jaws could not retain the part; a torque-positive design later held an aluminium section through heavy roughing. Printed jaws are therefore delimited to soft alloys and prototyping duty, with a machined jaw becoming cheaper beyond a few tens of parts.

The project budget and its environmental balance are assessed, and the methods, recording sheets and cost model are documented for reuse.

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