Installation comprising an articulated arm and a machine tool, and corresponding machining method

A method for machining an object, the object defining a surface that is to be machined, the method comprising the following steps:

• provision of an articulated arm, of a machine tool borne by the articulated arm, and of a control system, the machine tool comprising a housing defining at least one opening, at least three bearers secured to the housing, an attachment system, at least one support mounted with the ability to move with respect to the housing, a machining tool and at least one position sensor mounted on the support;
• mounting of the machining tool on the support;
• placement of the housing, by the articulated arm, in a machining position in which the opening is situated facing the surface that is to be machined, the placement involving applying the at least three bearers against the surface that is to be machined;
• fixing of the housing on the surface that is to be machined using the attachment system;
• provision, by the position sensor, of position parameters indicative of a relative position of the surface that is to be machined with respect to the housing in the machining position;
• calculation, by the control system, of a movement instruction for the machining tool, using the position parameters;
• and
• actuation, by the control system, of the support and movement of the machining tool with respect to the housing in accordance with the calculated movement instruction,
• the method, in which, as the at least three bearers are applied to the surface that is to be machined, strain gauges measure pressure forces exerted respectively by the at least three bearers on the surface that is to be machined, and in which, as the housing is fixed to the surface that is to be machined, suction cups are applied to the surface that is to be machined,
• the method further comprising a bringing of a first of the at least three bearers into contact with the surface that is to be machined and then a bringing of a second of the at least three bearers into contact, with the first of the at least three bearers remaining in contact, followed by a bringing of a third of the at least three bearers into contact, with the other first and second of the at least three bearers remaining in contact,
• wherein each of the bringings into contact is performed in such a way that the corresponding pressure force progressively reaches a predetermined value.