Design and Implementation of Robotic Arm for Metal Sheet Cutting Task

The increasing demand for precision, repeatability, and safety in manufacturing has accelerated the adoption of robotic automation in metal cutting operations. However, conventional industrial robotic cutting systems remain prohibitively expensive and complex for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), limiting wider adoption. This dissertation presents the design, implementation, and experimental validation of a low-cost, multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm developed specifically for metal sheet cutting tasks, with an emphasis on accessibility, functional performance, and engineering robustness. The project adopts a systematic engineering methodology encompassing mechanical design, kinematic and dynamic modelling, control system development, and practical system integration. A multi-DOF robotic arm was designed and modelled using established kinematic frameworks, including forward and inverse kinematics, with motion planning algorithms implemented on a microcontroller-based control architecture. Structural integrity and thermal considerations associated with cutting operations were analysed through computer-aided design (CAD) and finite element analysis (FEA) to ensure safe and reliable operation. The complete system was constructed using commercially available components to maintain cost-effectiveness while meeting functional and safety requirements. Experimental testing was conducted to evaluate positional accuracy, repeatability, cutting quality, thermal performance, and system reliability. The results demonstrate that the proposed system achieves acceptable accuracy and consistent cutting performance for thin metal sheet materials, while operating within defined safety and thermal limits. Although limitations related to stiffness and cutting speed were identified, the findings confirm the feasibility of low-cost robotic solutions for selected manufacturing applications. This work contributes a practical and reproducible framework for affordable robotic metal cutting systems, offering valuable insights for future research and development aimed at expanding robotic automation within resource-constrained industrial environments.