Workcell alignment covers a fundamental importance in
robotic high quality machining. Such phase consists in the
accurate alignment between the virtual and the real robot
reference frames which define the position of every target
point with respect to the robot world reference system.
The most important frames in robot machining are tool
frames, defining the real position of tools, and workpiece
frames, defining the real position of the workpiece.
Alignment is generally performed though a manual
procedures which involves the manual displacement and
measure of the robot end-effector poses for given target
points. Vision systems and sensors are used to enhance
the accuracy and automatize the alignment procedure.
Moreover, on-line alignment is required to periodically
adjust reference frame position, to consider the
progressive wear of machining tools and the possible
variation in the workpiece geometry, due to successive
passes of the tools. On-line alignment represent the key
factor in robotic high quality machining, so particular
attention has been paid in developing a novel flexible and
reconfigurable integrated procedure.