A novel device for attaching a sanding pad to the detachable sanding head of a multi-use power tool is disclosed. An anchor is provided which mates with a recess in the face of the sanding head of a multi-use power tool. The anchor is inserted into the recess through an affixed sanding pad. The anchor engages the affixed sanding pad and compresses it between the walls of the recess to assist in securing the sanding pad.

An apparatus for replacing an abrasive sheet in a sanding machine comprising a working head in which it is provided a support body having an engagement surface arranged to engage with an abrasive sheet. The sanding machine also comprises a handling device arranged to actuate the support body in space according to at least two degrees of freedom. The face of the abrasive sheet facing, in use, towards the support body and the engagement surface of this comprises a mutual engagement means of removable type. For example, the mutual engagement means can provide a layer of Velcro, i.e. a velvet layer on a face and a plurality of hooks on the other face, or an adhesive layer, in particular of reversible glue layer, or a plurality of projections and recesses mutually engageable with each other, or similar engagement elements. Furthermore, is provided a removal station in which it is installed a removal device having a sharp edge arranged to remove the sheet from the support body through a plurality of operations.

The sander includes a sanding part having a planar sheet placement surface on which a sanding sheet can be set, and a clamping mechanism configured to hold the sanding sheet on the sanding part. The clamping mechanism includes a clamping part configured to hold the sanding sheet and to be slid in a direction parallel to the sheet placement surface between a closed position to hold the sanding sheet and an open position to allow removal of the sanding sheet, an elastic element that applies a biasing force of biasing the clamping part toward the closed position, in a direction parallel to the sheet placement surface, and a holding mechanism configured to hold the clamping part in the open position against the biasing force. The clamping part is allowed to hold the sanding sheet when the holding mechanism is released from holding the clamping part in the open position.

A disc changing system for a robotic defect repair system is presented. The system has a first abrasive disc and a second abrasive disc. The first and second abrasive discs are coupled to a liner. The system includes an abrasive disc placement device configured to automatically: remove the first abrasive disc from the liner, transport the first abrasive disc to a robotic tool of the robotic defect repair system, and place the first abrasive disc on a backup pad coupled to the robotic tool. The system also includes an abrasive disc remover configured to automatically remove the first abrasive disc after receiving a removal signal. The system also includes a controller configured to send an instruction to the disc placement device to remove, transport and place the first abrasive disc, instruct the robotic tool to conduct an abrasive operation. The controller is also configured to send the removal signal. The controller is a processor and the instructions are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executed by the processor.

A method includes: accessing a toolpath and processing parametersincluding a target force and feed rateassigned to a region of a workpiece; and accessing a wear model representing abrasive degradation of a sanding pad arranged on a sanding head. The method also includes, during a processing cycle: accessing force values output by a force sensor 199 coupled to the sanding head; navigating the sanding head across the workpiece region according to the toolpath and, based on the force values deviating the sanding head from the toolpath to maintain forces of the sanding head on the workpiece region proximal the target force; accessing contact characteristics representing contact between the sanding pad and the workpiece; estimating abrasive degradation of the sanding pad based on the wear model and the sequence of contact characteristics; and modifying the set of processing parameters based on the abrasive degradation.

A robotic system for modifying a surface is presented. The system includes a motive robot arm with an arm movement mechanism. The system also includes a tool coupled to the arm movement mechanism. The tool is configured to removably couple to an article configured to contact the surface. The system also includes a first actuator that causes the arm movement mechanism to move the tool into a pickup position with respect to the article. The system also includes a second actuator that causes a shearing motion, during an article attachment step, between the article and the tool. The coupling between the article and the tool comprises a hook and loop system.

A disc tool for a processing machine for grinding and/or polishing a workpiece (W); wherein the disc tool (10A, 10B, 10B) has a carrier (20) for attachment to an output (85) of the processing machine (80); wherein a cushion element (40A, 40B, 40C) made of elastic material and a retaining wall element (41A, 41B, 41C, 41D) for retaining the cushion element (40A, 40B, 40C, 61) are arranged on the carrier (20); wherein the retaining wall element (41A, 41B, 41C, 41D) is held on the carrier (20) by means of retaining bolts (35); wherein retaining bolt passage openings (48) of the retaining wall element (41A, 41B, 41C, 41D) extending through retaining mounts (28), of the carrier (20) are accommodated along bolt sections (36) of the retaining bolts (35) extending along the bolt longitudinal axes (BL), and the retaining wall element (41A, 41B, 41C, 41D) is held between bolt heads (37) of the retaining bolts (35) and the carrier (20); and wherein an adhesive layer (50) is arranged on a side of the retaining wall element (41A, 41B, 41C, 41D) opposite the carrier (20), on which adhesive layer a processing means (70) for grinding and/or polishing the workpiece (W) can be releasably attached to the disc tool (10A, 10B, 10B). The adhesive layer (50) has recesses (52) assigned to the bolt heads (37).

An apparatus includes: a receiving surface configured to receive a stack of grinding discs; a frame arranged substantially parallel to the receiving surface so that the stack of grinding discs is positioned between the receiving surface and the frame, the frame only partially overlapping an outer rim of a topmost grinding disc of the stack of grinding discs; and a mechanical pretensioning unit coupled with the frame such that a defined force is exerted by the frame on the stack of grinding discs.

A method includes: accessing a toolpath and processing parametersincluding a target force and feed rateassigned to a region of a workpiece; and accessing a wear model representing abrasive degradation of a sanding pad arranged on a sanding head. The method also includes, during a processing cycle: accessing force values output by a force sensor 199 coupled to the sanding head; navigating the sanding head across the workpiece region according to the toolpath and, based on the force values deviating the sanding head from the toolpath to maintain forces of the sanding head on the workpiece region proximal the target force; accessing contact characteristics representing contact between the sanding pad and the workpiece; estimating abrasive degradation of the sanding pad based on the wear model and the sequence of contact characteristics; and modifying the set of processing parameters based on the abrasive degradation.

The disclosed solution comprises a device for changing abrading products (30), the device (1) comprising a detacher (2) comprising a table (10), a blade (14) adapted to penetrate into between an abrading product (30) and the gripping means (34) of the abrading tool (4), and means (16, 18, 19) to co-planarly adjust the mutual distance (d) between the table (10) and the blade (14) to correspond to the thickness (t) of the abrading product (30) in the absence of the abrading product (30).