Method for grinding and/or polishing a defect and device for carrying out the method

Abstract

A method for grinding and/or polishing a defect in the surface coating of a workpiece involves holding a grinding or polishing disc held on a tool and guiding the disc with pressure over the defect with orbital, rotating and/or vibrating movements. The tool fitted with the grinding or polishing disc is moved over the defect automatically and in a computer-controlled manner based on a stored program, wherein the grinding or polishing disc is first guided along a concentrically inner grinding path relative to the defect and then without interruption is guided along a spiral grinding path to an outer concentric grinding path.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method for grinding and/or polishing a defect in a surface coating of a workpiece, the method comprising:
 guiding a grinding or polishing disc held on a tool is guided over the defect with orbital, rotating, or vibrating movements with pressure, wherein the tool equipped with the grinding or polishing disc is moved over the defect in an automatic and computer-controlled manner on the basis of a stored program that causes the tool to be   first guided along a concentrically inner grinding path relative to the defect and then guided, without interruption from the first guiding, along a spiral-shaped grinding path into an outer concentric grinding path.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein at a beginning of a grinding or polishing process, a center of the grinding or polishing disc is aligned directly with the concentrically inner grinding path. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein when grinding or polishing a contoured surface, the tool is aligned orthogonally relative to the contoured surface. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the grinding or polishing disc is tilted inwards by a predetermined angle relative to a perpendicular of the defect during a grinding movement in the concentrically inner grinding path. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the grinding or polishing disc is guided one or more times along the inner grinding path. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the grinding or polishing disc is guided outwards starting from the defect along the outer concentric grinding path and directly subsequently is guided along the concentrically inner grinding path back to the defect. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a radius of the outer concentric grinding path is smaller than half a diameter of the grinding or polishing disc. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a contact pressure of the grinding or polishing disc is reduced starting from the defect along the concentrically inner grinding path, as well as in a further course along the outer concentric grinding path towards the defect. 
     
     
         18 . A device for grinding and/or polishing a defect in a surface coating of a workpiece, the device comprising:
 a computer;   a robot coupled to the computer, wherein the robot includes a grinding or polishing tool, which comprises a backing pad attached to an arm of the robot, wherein the grinding or polishing tool is movable in an orbital, rotating, or vibrating manner for holding a grinding or polishing disc,   wherein the arm of the robot is movable in a computer-controlled manner first along a concentrically inner grinding path relative to the defect and then, without interruption, along a spiral-shaped grinding path into an outer concentric grinding path.