INTELLIGENT PLASMA TORCH TRAJECTORY GENERATION FOR THERMAL SPRAYING OF PARTS WITH COMPLEX GEOMETRY

High performance coatings by air plasma spraying (APS) and vacuum plasma spraying (VPS), using the most advanced coating equipments with programmable robotic manipulators are currently available[۶]. To reduce programming time for spraying complex surface and thus increasing productivity, and further enhancing the accuracy of the spraying process, it would be advantageous to add intelligence to the manipulator. This paper discusses the algorithm and the method which allows the spraying torch to track a path over the surface, maintaining the specific spraying distance and the normal orientation at all instants, ensuring uniform coating thickness. This method, by automatically generating the torch motion program off-line and thus eliminating the robot programming effort, provides an economical solution for higher productivity. The method is also enhanced with an animation module for checking the torch manipulation before actual implementation.