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Robotic Blacksmithing Apparatus

Manufacturing in space is becoming increasingly of interest for technological innovation as there are many benefits, especially in a world where consumption of resources, climate change, pollution, and rapid population growth are becoming pressing issues. Under funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and in collaboration with Baylor University, which is in the development of mixing lunar regolith into an Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) process, the University of New Hampshire is looking to develop a robotic blacksmithing apparatus for post-processing tasks. Since current aluminum material suffers from rough surfaces and internal voids, creating an end-effector to deform this material will produce a better surface finish, ultimately allowing for the AFSD to fix the internal structure of the metal. This post-processing apparatus was initially attempted by a group of Class of 2023 mechanical engineering students at the university, but this design was barely able to deform aluminum. This year’s team was tasked with redesigning this apparatus to produce more deformation in aluminum and be able to deform other metals, for the eventual implementation of the AFSD autonomously. The team focused on implementing an Arduino R4 with Wi-Fi to be able to control the solenoid valve, which impacted the extension of the pneumatic air cylinder and brought it back to the resting position. The system also needed to be connected to the KUKA Robot, so having places to attach to the robot was deemed as one of the most vital aspects of the design.

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