Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Timothy L Graf

Bruce A Sventek

Craig F Lamphere

John L Barry

A method of polishing and cleaning a glass surface with a single abrasive article. The abrasive article includes ceria abrasive particles dispersed in binder, the abrasive article having a textured, three-dimensional abrasive coating. The method includes contacting the glass surface with the abrasive article at a desired pressure and in the presence of water, and moving the abrasive article and glass in relation to each other under pressure. The water is believed to mediate a chemical reaction involving the ceria and the glass, thereby leaving a haze on the glass surface. With continued motion of the abrasive article in relation to the glass workpiece, without the addition of additional water, the haze is removed.

Method of cleaning glass

A lead-through robot programming system for programming a robot to drive an end effector through a series of desired path points along a desired path with respect to a workstation. The system includes a six DOF digitizing arm having a working end, an end effector model mounted to the working end, a workstation model, and a programming computer system. A user manipulates the working end to move the end effector model through a model path with respect to the workstation model. At selected model path points, the digitizing arm generates model path point data representing the position and orientation of the end effector model with respect to the workstation model. The programming computer system includes a video monitor, a user interface, and memory for storing data including the model path point data, robot simulation and motion program generation software, and models of the robot, workstation and end effector. The simulation and motion program generation software is run as a function of the model path point data to generate motion-control program segments that direct the robot to drive the end effector through the desired path. The simulation and motion program generation software also generates graphic images of the robot driving the end effector through the desired path. Interactively controlling the simulation and motion program generation software through the interface, and using visual feedback provided by the monitor, the user performs collision and out-of-range checking and singularity point identification, and optimizes the motion-control program segments.

Lead-through robot programming system

A peening particle support having a plurality of asymmetrically arranged peening particles positioned to minimize tracking on a workpiece. The peening particles are attached to an exposed surface of the peening particle support. The peening particle arrangement includes three or less peening particles with substantially the same non-zero radial distance from a center of the exposed surface. The peening particles are preferably arranged in at least one linear array of peening particles.

Peening article with peening particles arranged to minimize tracking

A lead-through robot programming system for programming a robot to drive an end effector through a series of desired path points along a desired path with respect to a workstation. The system includes a six DOF digitizing arm having a working end, an end effector model mounted to the working end, a workstation model, and a programming computer system. A user manipulates the working end to move the end effector model through a model path with respect to the workstation model. At selected model path points, the digitizing arm generates model path point data representing the position and orientation of the end effector model with respect to the workstation model. The programming computer system includes a video monitor, a user interface, and memory for storing data including the model path point data, robot simulation and motion program generation software, and models of the robot, workstation and end effector. The simulation and motion program generation software is run as a function of the model path point data to generate motion-control program segments that direct the robot to drive the end effector through the desired path. The simulation and motion program generation software also generates graphic images of 0the robot driving the end effector through the desired path. Interactively controlling the simulation and motion program generation software through the interface, and using visual feedback provided by the monitor, the user performs collision and out-of-range checking and singularity point identification, and optimizes the motion-control program segments.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Elmo, MN, United States of America

Timothy L Graf