Overview

This project focused on repurposing a FANUC industrial robot for CNC milling of composite molds. The goal was to create a more flexible manufacturing setup that could support complex geometry while remaining practical for day-to-day engineering work.

My contribution was centered on making the robot easier to operate and better integrated with the rest of the workflow. I developed a custom control interface in Python with PyQt and worked on connecting the robot workflow with CAM-generated toolpaths.

What I Worked On

• Adapted a 6-axis industrial robot for non-standard use as a CNC platform.
• Built a custom PyQt GUI to improve robot control and operator interaction.
• Helped bridge the gap between CAM output and robot-side execution.
• Worked in an environment where software decisions had direct impact on physical machine behavior.

Why It Matters

This project was a strong example of the kind of engineering work I enjoy most: software interacting with hardware, practical constraints shaping implementation, and iteration driven by real-world behavior rather than ideal assumptions.

For robotics-focused roles, it reflects how I think about systems: not as isolated parts, but as a chain of mechanics, control, tooling, and usability that all need to work together reliably.