Vision-Aided Brush Alignment Assembly System for Precision Conductive Slip Rings

Abstract

The alignment precision of manual brush assembly for a precision conductive slip ring is critical to its performance of reliability and service lifetime. Currently, the alignment precision cannot be guaranteed since it largely depends on the operator’s experiences and skill level. In this paper, a machine vision-aided method is proposed to measure the ring groove positions as the brush alignment objective, and track the relative brush position deviation during the manual brush alignment assembly. A vision-aided brush alignment assembly system is also developed to provide quantitative position deviation for the precise alignment of the brush and the ring groove, ensuring higher alignment accuracy and efficiency. The experimental results indicate that, with the developed system, the brush alignment assembly accuracy can be controlled within ±0.02 mm.