Roboter als Werkzeugmaschine.

The paper investigates the future extent of technological competition between advanced industrial robots (IR) and machine tools. New control methods for IR have shown that the performance limits of IR which in contrary to machine tools are highly elastic are far from being reached. By further development of control methods the IR will be opened to machine tool applications, too. Some exemplified specific problems and approaches to solutions are shown by use of an application, the machining of cast metal pieces. (IITB