Force-controlled robotic grinding for uniform paint removal on skin components

Periodic paint removal is necessary during prolonged aircraft operation due to the development of micro-pores and cracks in the skin's topcoat layer. Current manual grinding methods struggle to meet efficiency and uniformity requirements. To address the need for uniform automated paint removal on aircraft skins, a dual-factor dynamic correction model was proposed. By introducing a load correction coefficient α and linear velocity correction coefficient β, the model is refined to establish a precise material removal framework. Subsequent targeted grinding-polishing experiments and full-surface stripping trials were conducted. Experiments involving targeted spot grinding and full-surface grinding confirmed that the refined model achieves a goodness-of-fit of 0.92. After grinding, the surface exhibited uniform metallic luster with no visible flaws or residual paint. Furthermore, the PV (peak-to-valley) surface roughness decreased from 317.11 μm to 104.32 μm. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the automated paint stripping system and the reliability of the material removal model, indicating significant engineering utility.