Robotic machining apparatus method and system for turbine buckets

A method of machining fasteners on a turbine rotor, the method comprising:

• positioning a robot arm perpendicular to a vane tip of the turbine rotor;
• directing a laser at a center point of a first tenon shape;
• storing the coordinates of the center point;
• confirming the location coordinates with reference to a position of a base member;
• performing a first orbit of the tenon along a programmed cut path based on a programmed shape of the tenon;
• performing at least a second orbit around the tenon having a smaller radial offset for each progressive orbit;
• adjusting the cut path for each consecutive orbit until the tenon is evenly machined over the surface;
• identifying a cut path for each subsequent bucket;
• identifying the remaining tenons in a group of tenons comprising the turbine rotor
• identifies the center position of the tenon shape;
• and
• repeating the stored cut path for each tenon stored in storage component.

A system for machining fasteners on a turbine rotor, the system comprising:

• a surface;
• a portion of a turbine rotor in contact with the surface, the portion of the turbine rotor including a machine element having at least one fastener thereon;
• and a robotic device for machining the at least one fastener,
• a machining device having a machining spindle;
• the robotic apparatus comprising:
• a robotic arm coupled to the machining device;
• a base member coupled to the robotic arm, the base member in contact with the surface independently of the portion of the turbine rotor;
• a vision system for locating the at least one fastener on the machine element;
• and
• a control system coupled to the vision system, the machining device and the robotic apparatus, the control system configured to control movement of the robotic apparatus and the machining device based upon vision system data and spatial information about the at least one fastener and the machine element.