One company, Multiply Labs, has created a system to overcome these challenges by using robots and RoboDK Software.

Using Multiply Labs’ innovative approach, automated cell therapy manufacturing has the potential to significantly reduce costs while ensuring statistically equivalent outcomes to manual processes in terms of cell yields, viability, and phenotype.

This new system could bring about a new era of producing this type of therapy, surpassing the previous time-consuming manual processes, and ultimately, supporting the scalability of cell therapies for patients in need.

Let’s look at how they used RoboDK to create the system.

What Is Cell Therapy Manufacturing

Cell therapy involves growing cells in a controlled environment. These are then placed into the body to replace damaged or diseased cells or modulate the function of the patient’s cells. This therapy is at the forefront of biomedical innovation, being used to treat cancer, autoimmune conditions, and various others.

The challenge with this type of manufacturing is the need to maintain strict purity, potency, and safety throughout the complex multi-stage production process. This involves cultivation of the cells, multiplication, and processing in a controlled environment.

Some of the unique challenges of cell therapy manufacturing include:

• High complexity of both materials and process.
• Tracking and testing of cell activity and safety.
• Need for customization with patient-specific manufacturing.
• Logistical challenges involved in handling live cells.
• Scaling these biological processes to be accessible.

The promises of cell therapy are huge… but only with a reliable process for producing the cells.

Introducing Multiply Labs…

This is where Multiply Labs comes in. The company originates from a shared passion for robotics among its founders, who met at MIT.

Based in San Francisco, California, Multiply Labs specializes in developing industry-leading automated manufacturing systems to produce individualized drugs. The team combines a unique blend of mechanical and electrical engineering, software development, and pharmaceutical science.

The company believes that robotics and automation have great potential for improving patient accessibility and unlocking the scalability of these cell therapy treatments. They aim to create flexible robotic systems that are compatible with the market-leading pharmaceutical manufacturing instruments, so that manufacturers do not need to significantly change their existing processes.

Their systems are modular and can operate in parallel. This allows them to achieve high throughput, as scalability is a core concern for many pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Fred Parietti, CEO and Co-Founder says:

At Multiply Labs, we are actively developing a cell therapy robotic system, which can operate market-leading GMP instruments already widely deployed for cell therapy manufacturing. This is part of our ongoing, company-wide quest to pioneer a fully automated, end-to-end process for cell therapy manufacturing. To bring this vision to life during the development process, we use renders to showcase what we’re building.

The Robotic System for Personalized T-Cells

One of the company’s latest developments is a robotic system for cell therapy manufacturing. The company recently released a peer reviewed study showing that a robotic cell expansion process can match the performance, and reduce the cost of a manual process. 

The system leverages robotic modules, automating market-leading instruments currently leveraged for cell therapy manufacturing. Manufacturers have the flexibility to combine and mix and match robotic modules to best match their process, and they can drive high throughput via multiple parallel modules. 

Multiply Labs tested the robotic system against a comparable manual process. They found that the results were statistically indistinguishable.

Fred Parietti, the company’s co-founder and CEO, says:

We are so excited by this initial data as it opens the door to accelerating the availability of cell therapies. This data demonstrates that manufacturers can confidently automate their existing processes for cell expansion, without making significant modifications to the process itself, effectively minimizing bioprocess and regulatory risks.

With more automation, the labor cost of cell therapy manufacturing can be lowered enough to make cell therapies accessible to many more people.

The Role of RoboDK

RoboDK was a key part of creating the company’s modular robotic system. The team used it for early research, simulation creation, debugging, rendering, and various other stages of their development.

A unique aspect of how the team used RoboDK was in their rendering of the simulations, to demonstrate what Multiply Labs is trying to achieve before the physical prototype was ready.

Xiaojie Chen, robotics engineer at Multiply Labs, says:

We started using RoboDK in March 2023 and found it’s an excellent solution to help the team. The RoboDK team also rapidly solved the bugs we saw during the beta, so we are one of the first teams to use this function. The entire project was done incredibly fast, with several team members working closely.

5 Key Ways Multiply Labs Used RoboDK

RoboDK was instrumental in the team’s achievement at various stages of their development.

Here are 5 key ways the team used RoboDK:

• Early Research and Collision Prevention — The team first used RoboDK to conduct early research tests and ensure that there were no collisions between components.
• Creating Accurate Simulations — RoboDK’s ability to simulate very accurate motions was a critical factor to Multiply Labs using it.
• Rendering and Blender Export — The team wanted to create high-quality visual renderings of their simulations to demonstrate the prototype. For this, they created the models in CAD, ran the simulations in RoboDK, then exported into Blender using an Add-in for further rendering.
• Rapid Response to Feedback — One benefit to using RoboDK is that it allows smooth passing of models with other software packages. Its Blender Export function, for example, allowed the team to save a lot of time and get rapid feedback from the team.
• Education and Efficiency — The ease of learning was an essential aspect to Multiply Lab’s adoption of RoboDK. It allowed their engineers to focus on engineering rather than learning new software

Changing Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Multiply Labs is passionate not only about robotics, but about creating a future where manufacturing of life-saving cell therapies is accessible, efficient, and reliable.

Currently, the development and manufacturing of cell therapies are exorbitantly expensive, hindering broad access to life-saving treatments. In fact, as much as 50% of manufacturing costs stem from labor-intensive manual processes and a lack of skilled workers. By employing Multiply Labs’ innovative approach, automated cell therapy manufacturing has the potential to significantly reduce costs while driving increased scalability.

What questions do you have about this? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel

The post Transforming Cell Therapy Manufacturing: The Power of Robotics at Multiply Labs appeared first on RoboDK blog.

RoboDK, a pioneer in the world of robotics simulation and offline programming, announces its strategic partnership with Comau, a global leader in advanced automation solutions and robot manufacturer. The latest version of Comau Roboshop Next Gen software seamlessly integrates with RoboDK, making simulation more advanced.

RoboDK’s integration into Comau’s Software

This collaboration solidifies RoboDK’s presence in the OEM market, marking a significant step as an embedded solution. Comau users can now enjoy the benefits of RoboDK directly due to RoboDK’s integration into Comau’s Roboshop Next Gen software suite. This integration allows users to easily simulate and program robots using advanced CAD to path features, import 3D Models, detect collisions, integrate with external axes such as turntables and linear rails, support multiple robot cells in the same project, improved integration with CAD/CAM software and use advanced simulation features such as conveyors and grippers. This allows Comau robot programmers to easily use Comau robots for advanced manufacturing applications such as robot machining or 3D printing.

Realistic Robot Simulation (RRS)

In addition to these technical benefits, the collaboration also introduces support for Realistic Robot Simulation (RRS), providing accurate path and cycle time estimates. This advancement aims to provide businesses with a clear understanding of robot behavior and precise cycle time details, ensuring more efficient and optimized robot operations. Using RoboDK it will therefore be possible to create a program in a very intuitive way. Then through Roboshop Next Gen, it can be executed in a simulation with a Virtual Control and then deployed on a real robot!

While this partnership marks a significant step for embedded solutions, RoboDK remains committed to its ongoing collaboration efforts with various partners, reinforcing its dedication to make automation more affordable across industries.

Phillip from the RoboDK team shares his insights on the collaboration:

By working closely with Comau we were able to improve our integration with Comau robot controllers while keeping everything backwards compatible. The level of integration resulting from this partnership is immensely beneficial for all Comau users.

Albert Nubiola, CEO and Founder of RoboDK, comments:

We’re excited to partner with Comau and bring RoboDK’s advanced simulation features to Roboshop software at an unbeatable price. By working together, we were able to make advanced simulation more affordable. Our mission is to build a software platform where users can program any robot arm using the same software, democratizing robot simulation and programming. Partnering with Comau, one of the world’s premier robot manufacturers, marks a pivotal moment for us.

RoboDK distinguishes itself by embracing modern technologies, thus setting itself apart from peers reliant on older and more expensive software frameworks. With modern tools, integrations, competitive pricing, and an array of complementary features—including advanced CAD to path features, integrations with CAD/CAM software, collision checking, singularity avoidance, robot calibration and brand-agnostic offline programming—RoboDK stands out as a frontrunner. Users have access to extensive documentation and libraries at no cost. Moreover, RoboDK’s website, documentation and YouTube channel offers a rich collection of tutorials.

Alessandro Piscioneri, Head of Product and Solutions Management, remarks:

Comau has recently launched the latest version of RoboShop Next Gen, that allows our customers and partners to program our robots and simulate their functionalities in an easy and fast way. Thanks to the collaboration with RoboDK, a truly innovative company in robot programming and 3D simulation, it is possible for companies to create their virtual environments and simulate their applications in a matter of minutes, while using Comau’s software. It’s important to emphasize that this solution is aimed at both experienced and new programmers, in an effort to make robotics easier to design and use. This is a priority for us and we are investing heavily in this direction.

About RoboDK

Founded by Albert Nubiola in January 2015, RoboDK is a spin-off company from the prestigious CoRo laboratory at ETS University in Montreal, Canada. Designed to bring robust robotics simulation and programming capabilities to various sectors, RoboDK supports over 900 robots from more than 70 manufacturers.

About Comau

Comau, a Stellantis company, is a worldwide leader in delivering sustainable advanced automation solutions. With 50 years of experience and a global presence, Comau is helping companies of all sizes in almost any industry leverage the benefits of automation. Backed by a continuous commitment to designing and developing innovative and easy to use technologies, its portfolio includes products and systems for vehicle manufacturing, with a strong presence in e-Mobility, as well as advanced robotics and digital solutions to address  rapidly growing markets in industrial sectors. The company’s offering also extends to project management and consultancy. Through the training activities organized by its Academy, Comau is committed to advancing the technical and managerial knowledge necessary to face the challenges related to automation and leverage the opportunities of a constantly changing marketplace. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, Comau has an international network of 5 innovation centers, 5 digital hubs, and 12 manufacturing plants that span 13 countries and employ 3,700 people. Together with its wide network of distributors and partners, the company is able to respond quickly to the needs of its customers, no matter where they are located throughout the world.

Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel

The post RoboDK and Comau partner to offer improved Robotic Simulation and Offline Programming appeared first on RoboDK blog.

A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical system. It allows you to make better informed strategic decisions about your automation system, helping you to detect and iron out problems long before they become a major problem.

By combining state-of-the-art robotic technology and neural reconstruction, the researchers brought more precision and efficiency to the 3D modeling.

Let’s look at how the team at Dubai’s Robotics Lab used RoboDK to create their innovative system.

Digital Twins: The Future of Robotics

What is a digital twin?

In robotics, a digital twin is essentially a virtual model that closely replicates a physical robotic system.

This model is as detailed as it needs to be for the task at hand — it need not be a hyperrealistic simulation. For example, it will certainly include the kinematic and physical properties of the robot itself. It will also include other components that are important for the robotic task, such as sensors, end effectors, and task objects.

The use of digital twin technology holds tremendous potential. In manufacturing, a digital twin of a robotic arm, for instance, can help you optimize your production processes, identify bottlenecks, and predict maintenance needs without disrupting the robot’s productivity.

RoboDK is a popular platform for digital twin creation. For example, previous research from Western Washington University involved creating a simulated changeable learning factory and connecting it to the physical system to create a digital twin.

Introducing… Dubai’s Robotics Research Lab

The Robotics Research Lab is situated within the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation. Led by researcher Raffi Tchakerian, this cutting edge facility is committed to pushing the boundaries of robotics and advanced manufacturing.

Tools like RoboDK have been instrumental in advancing research and student projects at the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation into realms traditionally dominated by seasoned engineers. From 3D printing with sand to bio-printing garments on pre-existing 3D objects, RoboDK stands out as a pivotal enabler in our journey, explains Raffi Tchakerian

As part of the lab’s FabLab setup, Tchakerian’s research team uses a KUKA robotic arm to develop solutions and ideas for advanced manufacturing automation.

In this latest project, the researchers aimed to improve digital twin technology by combining their industrial robot with the latest in neural reconstruction technology.

The Setup: KUKA KR 150 Robotic Arm, Jetson and RoboDK

The aim of this research project was to see how neural reconstruction technology can improve digital twin creation.

To achieve this, the research team used the following hardware and software components:

• KUKA KR 150 Robotic Arm — At the core of the project is the lab’s KR 150 industrial robot. In a variety of manufacturing and other industrial settings, manufacturers and other industries use this 6-axis robotic arm.
• Intel RealSense D435i camera — An off-the-shelf depth camera that combines robust depth sensing with inertial measurements to create point cloud data.
• NVIDIA Jetson Nano — The Jetson is a single-board, AI-powered computer system targeted at embedded applications. We have a version of RoboDK specially designed to run on Jetson boards, opening up a world of new possibilities for AI-powered robotic solutions.
• RoboDK — Finally, the software for the team’s project was based on RoboDK. This widely used robotic offline programming and simulation software is ideal for digital twin creation and already includes the KR 150 in our extensive Robot Library.

The Role of NVIDIA’s Neural Kernel Surface Reconstruction (NKSR)

An important part of the project was NVIDIA’s Neural Kernel Surface Reconstruction (NKSR) technology.

This cutting edge set of algorithms helps to generate highly detailed and accurate 3D meshes from large-scale point clouds of noisy location data.

NKSR technology can scale to large scenes, handle noise, and minimize training requirements. It can reconstruct millions of points in seconds, even when the scan data is messy.

The team used this technology to clean up the point cloud data captured from the RealSense depth camera. These data points were then fed through the NKSR algorithm to create clean models for use with the robotic digital twin.

How the Setup Works

The researchers’ system operates with the following process:

1. The Intel RealSense camera captures a rough 3D model of the scene, creating a point cloud of data.
2. This point cloud is captured by the Jetson Nano board.
3. Each frame of 3D data is synchronized and transformed into a refined point cloud using the Open3D library.
4. An initial mesh representing the scanned object is generated and sent to RoboDK.
5. RoboDK then accurately positions this mesh within the simulated robot scene.
6. The mesh is then further refined using the NKSR algorithm.

This process shows the immense potential for integrating off-the-shelf imaging technology with advanced neural reconstruction for digital twins.

Advancing 3D Modeling with Robotics and Neural Reconstruction

What is next for this type of neural digital twin technology?

The researchers from the Robotics Research Lab showed how you can create powerful simulated digital twins using simple components. Many industries could use this type of setup, from aerospace to pharmaceutical manufacturing.

This project also shows how accessible advanced neural processing algorithms are becoming. With technologies like the NVIDIA Jetson Nano and NKSR algorithms, you can now access powerful functionality in an easy-to-use setup. And with RoboDK, you can seamlessly integrate this functionality with your industrial robot.

If you are looking for a way to integrate your robot with advanced algorithms, this case study is a powerful example of what is possible.

What questions do you have about RoboDK? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel.

The post Robotic Digital Twin and Advanced Neural Construction: A Perfect Blend with RoboDK appeared first on RoboDK blog.

The most modern AI-powered virtual assistants leverage deep learning techniques and extremely large data sets in an algorithm known as a Large Language Model (LLM). Despite some current limitations, LLMs are revolutionizing the way that we all interact with computers, with the most prominent recent examples being OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s Llama 2.

Let’s dive a little deeper into the world of Large Language Models and explore how they function, the challenges they currently face, and the future possibilities they present. As a bonus, we’ll discuss how we created the RoboDK Virtual Assistant and what we envision on the horizon.

Challenges and Future Possibilities of Large Language Models (LLMs)

Large Language Models are cutting-edge AI models that possess the remarkable ability to understand and generate human-like text. At their core, large language models function as finely tuned mathematical functions, trained to predict the next word or piece of text given the preceding context. Each word or token in the input text is converted into a numerical representation, and these representations are assigned weights and biases. Through techniques like backpropagation, neural networks adjust these parameters based on the discrepancies between their predictions and the actual next words in the training data. The process of training involves iteratively fine-tuning these weights and biases to minimize the overall prediction error, resulting in an unimaginably complex function that can generate coherent and contextually accurate responses. Advances in computing technology have enabled us to increase the size of these models. In the case of GPT-4, the function consists of approximately 1.76 trillion parameters.

Sebastien Bubeck, Sr. Principal Research Manager at Microsoft Research, says:

Beware of the trillion-dimensional space, it’s something which is very very hard for us as human beings to grasp, there is a lot that you can do with a trillion parameters.

LLMs have revolutionized various sectors such as natural language processing, content generation, and even virtual assistants. In the case of RoboDK’s Virtual Assistants, LLMs play a vital role in enabling advanced conversational abilities, allowing them to understand more complex queries and respond with coherent and contextually relevant information. This breakthrough technology has unleashed the potential of large language models in the robotics industry, paving the way for more efficient and natural human-robot interactions.

Despite their advancements, large language models (LLMs) face certain limitations and challenges. Biases in training data can propagate into the models, leading to biased and unfair responses. LLMs may also struggle with detecting and understanding contextual cues, resulting in responses that lack nuance or rely on spurious patterns in the data. Moreover, there is a growing concern regarding false responses and misinformation generated by AI models, which can have significant implications for users who rely on AI-generated content. It is crucial to exercise caution and implement measures that ensure proper fact-checking and human review of the outputs from LLMs. Understanding and addressing these challenges is essential to harnessing the capabilities of large language models while mitigating potential risks.

RoboDK’s Virtual Assistant

Now that we have explored the world of Large Language Models (LLMs), let’s shift our focus to the RoboDK Virtual Assistant. This Virtual Assistant is the first step towards a comprehensive generalized assistant for RoboDK. At its core is OpenAI’s GPT3.5-turbo-0613 model. The model is provided with additional context about RoboDK in the form of an indexed database containing the RoboDK website, documentation, forum threads, blog posts, and more. The indexing process is done with LlamaIndex, a specialized data framework designed for this purpose. Thanks to this integration, the Virtual Assistant can swiftly provide valuable technical support to over 75% of user queries on the RoboDK forum, reducing the time spent searching through the website and documentation via manual methods. Users can expect to have an answer to their question in 5 seconds or less.

As remarkable as the RoboDK Virtual Assistant is, it still has limitations when compared to a human assistant. Despite its usefulness, there is no variation in how the model will respond to the same question (the so-called model temperature is 0, this means we don’t allow randomness to the answers). Its performance in math-related queries is subpar, and it lacks conversational memory or web-search capabilities. Additionally, in some cases, users may need to rephrase their queries to receive an adequate response. Understandably, these limitations can lead to frustration in certain situations. To overcome this, RoboDK is already exploring alternatives like langchain.

Langchain aims to overcome many of the challenges faced by LLM-powered applications. By leveraging agentic and data-aware models, langchain breaks free from most of the previously mentioned limitations. Imagine an AI assistant that not only understands your questions but can also break them down into tasks, utilize tools like calculators, scour the web for relevant information, and engage in troubleshooting conversations with you.

Moving forward, the integration of this virtual assistant directly into RoboDK holds great promise. By providing context awareness and a deep understanding of the software, settings, and current station in use, the assistant can become an even more invaluable asset. Moreover, there has been a rise in models specifically fine-tuned to facilitate code writing. Consequently, the assistant can employ these models, enabling users to automate programming tasks by simply describing desired behaviors in natural language. This level of accessibility to robotics and automation is set to make a significant impact.

As we wrap up our exploration of large language models and the RoboDK Virtual Assistant, there is no doubt that the potential of AI in robotics is expanding at a remarkable pace. The RoboDK Virtual Assistant provides users with a valuable tool to save time and assist with complex tasks, showcasing the power of AI-driven technology. However, it is important to remain mindful of the ethical implications and limitations of large language models. Let’s continue to stay informed about the latest advancements in AI, robotics, and RoboDK, and engage in open conversations to ensure a responsible and beneficial integration of these technologies into the manufacturing industry.

What questions do you have about RoboDK’s Virtual Assistant? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel.

The post Unleashing the Potential of Large Language Models in Robotics: RoboDK’s Virtual Assistant appeared first on RoboDK blog.

The system included a 6-axis KUKA robot arm mounted on a rail (linear axis), a tilting table for rotary operation, and a spindle. Additionally, a GTV cladding head (powder+laser) enabled additive functions resulting in an overall cycle time of 5 minutes when reloading Steel 4140 parts. This project examined the numerical chain within FORCE Technology‘s setup through a genuine application instance.

Ever mindful of their environmental responsibilities, the project enabled FORCE Technology to determine how to repair a gear instead of replacing it. In turn, they avoided throwing away a whole part and wasting materials and labor costs. In addition, they kept downtime and costs low due to eliminating the need for replacement parts. The project was a successful example of how robot integration can improve MRO (Maintenance Repair and Operations) to alleviate sustainability concerns.

FORCE Technology employed ESPRIT, the Hexagon’s “Hybrid” CAM to program additive head path planning, and RoboDK to resolve kinematics and collisions while generating robot code to create the toolpath trajectories for Additive Manufacturing. In addition, the RoboDK extension in ESPRIT simplified communication between systems and made it easier for end-users. Overall, FORCE Technology completed the MRO application using digital twin and post-processing to improve weld quality and waste reduction. The Manufacturing Academy Denmark (MADE) provided the financial backing to make this project successful.

How Robotic Simulation with RoboDK Can Help Alleviate Sustainability Concerns

Companies can reduce their carbon footprint by repairing large components with defects or damage compared to manufacturing a complete new part.

Ivar Dale, Additive Manufacturing Specialist at FORCE Technology, mentions:

The project was a big step stone towards making gear repair more standard and achieving the required guarantee of quality and confidence to put repaired gears back into service from the gear manufacturers. We successfully achieved the identical hardness of the original teeth on the gear as printed.

RoboDK’s simulation and offline programming tools can also reduce production downtime caused by shop floor programming. Companies can test a robot’s abilities in a virtual environment with RoboDK.

Furthermore, Dale continues:

Using the path planner additive solution from ESPRIT/Hexagon, and the post-processor from RoboDK we saved a tremendous amount of time to program the path with a 1mm positive offset as the shape of the tooth was organic. This saves us time in printing, especially in larger repairs, but it also saves the gear manufacturer time as the material we add is very hard and every mm takes time to carefully CNC.

Improve Your Laser Welding Initiatives with RoboDK Industrial Simulator

RoboDK is an economically intelligent, highly effective industrial robotics and robot programming simulator. It eliminates the need for shop floor programming and optimizes robot paths to avoid singularities, axis limits, and collisions. Due to its innovative design, coding experience isn’t necessary.

By combining RoboDK with another system, such as the ESPRIT, Hexagon’s “Hybrid” CAM, companies can develop sustainable production processes. It reduces energy consumption and waste generated from their operations.

Using RoboDK’s simulation and offline programming tools helps companies reduce production costs and downtime. Moreover, it minimizes hazardous materials produced in production cycles. These advantages make RoboDK an invaluable tool for companies looking to reduce their environmental impact. In addition, if your business is committed to sustainability, then RoboDK can help you achieve your goals.

Combining RoboDK with other software solutions allows businesses to develop sustainable production processes. This will help ensure that the company is committed to tackling sustainability concerns and can be confident that its production processes align with the latest industry standards. To take advantage of the benefits of robotic simulation with RoboDK, visit our website. Check out the blogs and other resources, and explore the range of features available.

Have you ever combined technologies to improve your company’s carbon footprint? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel.

The post Gear Repair Collaboration with RoboDK appeared first on RoboDK blog.

In this case study, we look at how one long-time RoboDK user has created an ingenious, commercial pipe milling solution. It’s completely self-contained and all fit inside a shipping container!

Like many manufacturing sectors, pipe milling is a growing market. But with increasing demand for pipe milling comes a problem…

How can you perform more milling operations when your production processes are already maxed out?

When Your Pipe Milling Operations Are Too Slow

The problem many manufacturers face is that their pipe milling processes are too slow. Conventional CNC machines require a lot of time to cut and mill large tubes and pipes.

This slow speed becomes even more problematic when you need to mill large pipes (an operation that is set to increase in demand by 140% by 2026). Often it involves doing several smaller milling operations and resetting the machines between each one, which is very time-consuming.

Robots are an excellent solution for milling large pipes and tubes. They have a huge workspace and you can apply them to a wider range of milling processes. This makes robot milling a good solution over conventional CNC processes.

Robot milling solutions work fine for all sizes of soft metal pipes (copper, aluminum, etc), small wall-thickness steel pipes, and all-size plastic pipes. Steel pipes of 0.08in or bigger wall thickness are still mostly cut using plasma, waterjet or laser connected to a robot arm. Robots can easily mill and cut pipes up to diam 40in and with a rotation table positioner easily 80in pipes.

Space and Complexity: The Challenges of Using Robots

What stops some manufacturers from using robots is the perceived complexity of deploying them and the extra space the robots require.

As well as purchasing the robot itself, you also need to source all the extra components needed to perform the milling task. Then, you need to find enough space in your facility to house the robot and these components, along with all the safety fencing and sensors.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just buy a self-contained robot cell that includes everything you need for pipe milling?

(Re)introducing Sunrob Robotics…

Sunrob Robotics is a provider of advanced robotic applications. Based in Finland, they specialize in robotic pipe milling solutions. They also offer a range of other robotic solutions including packaging and 3D printing.

We previously reported on the team’s use of RoboDK for an agile tube-cutting solution for their clients, and their milling solution for custom ice hockey sticks.

With their latest project, Sunrob Robotics seeks to meet the rising need for more self-contained robotic cells. Using RoboDK, they have created a pipe milling solution… that fits in a shipping container!

Sunrob’s Pipe Milling Solution in a Container

The concept behind Sunrob’s pipe milling solution is that you can deploy it to your facility as a single, self-contained unit. It comes as a ready-to-use application for a completely customized pipe manufacturing process.

The robot and all the required components come pre-installed in a standard shipping container.

You don’t need to worry about how much space the robot and its associated components will take up in your facility — you just save enough space for one container and you know that will be enough.

Using a shipping container also removes the need to purchase and install safety fencing around the robot — you simply close the side of the container (which Sunrob has replaced with a roll door) and the robot can operate safely. And it means that the robot cell can be used outdoors or indoors, to suit your needs.

The Hardware Setup

The robot cell is based around the following hardware components:

• A standard-sized 20 or 40-foot shipping container.
• A KUKA 6 DoF industrial robot manipulator.
• KUKA positioners to rotate the pipe and move the robot.
• An HSD milling spindle with an automatic tool change feature or laser cutting or plasma cutting equipment.

The Software Setup

The core software components of the pipe milling cell are:

• RoboDK for robot programming.
• A CAD/CAM program to generate the machining paths.
• The RoboDK plugin to link the CAM program to the robot.

For example, some of Sunrob’s clients use Fusion 360 to create their machining paths. They then use the RoboDK Fusion 360 plugin to send these machining paths to the robot via RoboDK.

Speed Up Your Pipe Milling by 20%

What are the benefits of using a pipe milling solution like Sunrob’s?

One huge benefit is that improves the speed of your pipe milling operation. This allows you to mill more pipes faster, helping you to keep up with rising demand and make better use of your other machining processes.

One of Sunrob’s clients, RoadPipe Inc in Finland, used an earlier version of this pipe milling solution and found it to be extremely effective.

Rainer Jurvanen, CEO of RoadPipe, said:

“We should have bought our first robot 10 years ago! This robotic milling system is approximately 20 times faster than conventional manual manufacturing.”

This is a very common sentiment from new robot users. They realize how much time, effort, and resources they could have saved by simply choosing to use robots sooner.

If you haven’t started pipe milling yet, now is a good time to seriously consider it. There’s little benefit to be found from waiting to add robots to your production.

How to Improve Your Pipe Milling Tasks

If you are looking to improve your pipe milling tasks, a solution like this one from Sunrob Robotics can be a great option. You can find out more about this specific solution on their website.

And if you would like to improve your own robot milling process, a good place to start is to get familiar with RoboDK. With our highly popular robot programming software, you can easily program a huge range of manufacturing processes, including milling and other robot machining tasks.

What could you achieve with a robot pipe milling solution? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel

The post How Sunrob Uses a Shipping Container for Robot Pipe Milling appeared first on RoboDK blog.

The process requires skilled technicians to create the parts needed using specialized tools and equipment. This is often slow and expensive, which limits the quantity of parts that composite manufacturers can make.

The Composites & Automated Solutions group at Fives has developed a technology that allows their customers to create composite parts using a robotic fiber placement head. This technology provides a lower-cost entry point into the composite lay-up process, making it easier for manufacturers to create the parts they need.

This has the potential to significantly improve the composite lay-up process for Fives’ customers. Robotic solutions like this can help more companies to get the benefits of automation and compete in their markets.

Ultimately, this benefits the end users of the created products, in this case aerospace companies.

Here’s how Fives Group used RoboDK to create their new solution.

Why Aerospace Needs Close Tolerances for Fiber Placement

The aerospace industry has notoriously strict quality requirements and tighter tolerances than many other industries. Aircraft manufacturing involves a delicate balance between strength and weight. There is less margin for error than in other industries, where safety can be assured by a high safety factor – with an aircraft, you need to know you’re building it right.

These strict requirements make it especially necessary to use high-quality materials and manufacturing processes.

Fiber placement is one such process that requires tight tolerances. The accurate placement of fibers in a composite part is critical to the strength and durability of the finished product, such as an airplane wing.

Composites play an important role in reducing the weight of aircraft, helping to improve fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Fiber-reinforced plastics are used widely in the aerospace industry because of their high strength-to-weight ratios.

A challenge is that fiber placement is a labor-intensive process. A single part can contain thousands of fibers, which would be almost impossible to place manually.

Automated fiber placement is a process where automated machinery is used to create multi-layered composite products.

Introducing Fives Group and High Precision Machines

Fives Group is a multinational industrial engineering group that offers innovative solutions and products to help major industry leaders boost their performance.

The company’s philosophy is that industry is the answer to the major issues in the modern world, such as environmental, societal, and economic challenges.

High Precision Machines group is one group within Fives. It is dedicated to developing manufacturing machinery that meets the most stringent requirements of accuracy, repeatability, and reliability.

Their technologies include solutions for material removal, composites and automated solutions, grinding, cutting, filling, sealing, and laser systems.

The group is always looking for new ways to help their customers improve their processes. This can mean creating solutions that do things differently from the existing options on the market, as with this project.

Robotic Fiber Placement

One challenge for manufacturers is that composite lay-up processes are often complex and expensive. Automation is necessary, but the cost of entry can be prohibitive for some companies and manufacturing groups.

Amanda Kotchon, Controls Engineer at Fives, explains:

We wanted to provide a lower-cost entry point into the composite lay-up market by allowing end users to quickly make complex parts to within aerospace tolerances.

To do this, the group decided to use robots for the labor-intensive process of fiber placement, in a project titled the Cincinnati Robotic Viper.

They needed to program their robots in an offline programming environment. But the problem was that the robotic systems on the market didn’t allow for accurate programming.

Kotchon continues:

When we started the project, most robot manufacturers weren’t offering accurate or corrected models of their robots.

The assumption was that your purchased robot perfectly matched the nominal geometry — which we know to be untrue.

This led to the team seeing positioning errors in the order of 1-10 mm for most off-the-shelf robots, which was not acceptable for their process. Their application required them to accurately synchronize hundreds of points at very high speeds — within milliseconds — to meet the required process speeds.

They wanted a solution that wasn’t locked into the robot manufacturer’s ecosystem.

Where RoboDK came in

RoboDK offered the team a flexible platform that gave them the accuracy and ease-of-use that they needed.

The calibration features of RoboDK were a core benefit of using the platform. Calibration is one of the platform’s powerful features. It allows you to quickly and easily improve the accuracy of almost any industrial robot.

For Fives Group, RoboDK’s calibration features gave them the control they needed to meet their tight tolerances.

Kotochon says:

RoboDK has been very helpful by not just providing calibration software, but giving us insight into the root causes of robot behavior and sources of error in the machine motion.

We appreciate RoboDK’s willingness to work side-by-side with us as we developed our application and to deep dive into robot mechanics to come up with creative solutions to new challenges.

The Team’s Robotic Setup

We always like to see how our users set up their robotic hardware and software for maximum efficiency.

Here are the components of their system:

The Robotic Hardware

The solution is based on these two core hardware components:

• An ABB IRB 8700 robot.
• A custom end effector for placing the fibers.

The Robotic Software

The core software components of the system are:

• B&R control platform. This supports easy integration with their ABB robot and also COMAU robots.
• The team’s ACES software, which determines the optimal carbon fiber placement and part geometry using the customer’s part data.
• A specially customized version of RoboDK to calibrate the robot and correct robot motions using the generated calibration.

How the System Works

The solution can produce complex curved composite parts.

To achieve the required path and position accuracy, the team begins by using the RoboDK calibration. This resolves the differences between each “as-built” industrial robot and the ideal robot model. Each robot in the system then receives its own unique corrected adjustments.

The system synchronizes 16 separate motorized tape spools and cutters with the generated robot paths. They achieve this with a combination of the robotic fiber placement head and the company’s software.

The path is synchronized with process data on the team’s B&R controller. This allows them to precisely time the thousands of input-output events that need to happen during the fiber placement process.

Who is the ideal user for Fives’ Composite Lay-Up Solution?

With this project, Fives Group aims to provide a lower-cost entry point to composite lay-up projects. Through the use of a robot arm, calibrated to aerospace tolerances.

Brent Keller, the Engineering Director of the High Precision Machines group, explains the perfect user for this solution sits in an underserved gap in the market:

This solution is ideal for an end user looking for a motion platform with position accuracy, which fills the gap between “off the shelf” robotic systems and Cartesian machine tool platforms.

In the future, the group plan to expand their use of robotic platforms in composite lay-up and automation.

In which applications do you require higher accuracy? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel

The post How Fives Group is Changing Composite Lay-Up with RoboDK appeared first on RoboDK blog.

You might not know it but robots are often used for high-speed video production. The problem? The technology can sometimes be restrictively expensive for filmmakers.

Here’s how one team of RoboDK users creates amazing slow-motion adverts for huge international brands.

Imagine the scene…

You are watching an advert for a food company. In the video, a chef throws a fresh pizza base in the air. The video slows and the shot zooms in on the spinning dough. As flecks of white flour fall, everything is in perfect focus and perfectly lit.

The video cuts to later in the process. A hand sprinkles shredded cheese onto the pizza base. You can see each piece of cheese clearly as it falls slowly from their fingers.

You now really want to eat a pizza!

The slow-motion dynamic images excite our senses and show the food in its best possible light. But, you might never have wondered how such adverts are made.

It turns out that a lot of these adverts are made with robots…

How Are Mouth-Watering Slow-Motion Adverts Made?

For the last 5 years or so, it’s become common for food and beverage adverts of this type to be made with the help of robots. A high-speed camera is mounted onto the robot’s arm as an end effector while the lighting and other aspects of the scene are synchronized precisely with an electronic controller.

Without robots, the conventional way to create such shots is to move the camera by hand. However, this is a very imprecise method to create such shots. The camera operator doesn’t have enough precision or speed to move the camera in the required motion.

There are some commercial systems for high-speed robotic videography on the market. However, they tend to be expensive and are not accessible to many filmmakers.

One RoboDK user wanted to change that by creating their own robotic system.

Introducing… EngamaDos

EngamaDos is a creative advertising agency based in Santiago, Chile. Known as “La Casa de Color” (the house of color) they provide a range of filmmaking services including color grading, media management, and creative consulting.

One of their core services is high-speed video capture, which is often used for video advertising in the food and beverage industry. EngamaDos works with companies both large and small, internationally and nationally. Some of their clients include Nestlé, Coca Cola, Nacional Beers, and Melt Pizzas.

Xavier Sanchez explains how they first started using robotics for these slow-motion shots after visiting NAB Show, a convention for content professionals from the media, entertainment, and technology world.

He says:

“We first saw a similar system in NAB 2016. But, the price point was very high. For me to be able to deploy such a system in a low GDP country like Chile, it needed to be affordable enough for people to rent it. I wondered if I could create a similar system myself instead of purchasing an existing one.

“There is a lot of demand for these types of shots. I shoot with the robot around 4 times a month. We use them for food, beer, and beverage companies.”

How The Team’s Robotic Filmmaking System Works

Xavier was highly experienced with creating slow-motion video shots. He knew that such a system would require several electromechanical components working in complete synchronization.

This type of shot involves a complex series of coordinated events, which are not easy to achieve.

The actor (e.g. a chef) performs a fast movement such as cutting an onion in two, spinning a pizza base in the air, or sharpening a knife on a steel. These are motions that are often too fast for even the human eye to distinguish clearly.

At exactly the same time, the robot needs to move the camera extremely quickly to create the dynamic shot around the food. A high-speed camera is used to capture the moment at hundreds of frames a second, with exposures of less than 1/1000 of a second.

Often, other components such as lighting and external motors are also moving.

Everything happens within a second.

The EngamaDos Robotic Setup

The team’s system is based around a standard industrial robot. It incorporates many of the components that you would expect in a normal industrial robot cell, including the robot controller and programming system.

The key requirements of a robot for high-speed filmmaking are quite different from most industrial applications. The system doesn’t generally require a huge workspace. Instead, the core requirement is that the camera can move very quickly and precisely.

The Hardware

The core hardware components of EngamaDos’s system are:

• A Stäubli TX90L industrial robot and controller.
• A Raspberry Pi embedded development board.
• A high-speed video camera attached to the robot as an end effector.
• Lighting rigs to light the set.
• Triggers to set off the motion of the robot during each take.
• External motors to move objects during the shots.

The Software

The core software components of the system are:

• RoboDK robot programming software to control the robot and interface with the other components.
• Python running on the Raspberry Pi.

Xavier explains how all these components fit together:

“With the Raspberry Pi, we controlled the triggers, lights, and external motors. This prevents damage to the system or the environment and synchronizes all the FX.

“RoboDK is easy and intuitive to use with nice support. It is a really friendly development environment.”

What’s Next for Engamados and Robotic Filmmaking

Now that the team has created their first version of the system — and used it with many clients — they are looking for new ways to upgrade it.

They plan to increase the speed of the system, allowing for even more impressive slow-motion shots.

Xavier says:

“In about a year, we hope to get a 7th axis and add it to the system to move the robot faster. This is hard to achieve as the robot is 200 kg and we need it to move 6 meters per second with complete precision.”

What could you achieve with a high-speed robot? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK Youtube Channel

The post These Very Cool Video Adverts Were Made With RoboDK! appeared first on RoboDK blog.

One team of students from the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt used RoboDK. They earned the winning spot in the first Robothon Grand Challenge 2021.

In an international robotics competition, you need to program your robot quickly and efficiently.

There’s no time for you to mess around with complex code files or arcane manufacturer-specific programming languages. Spending as much of your valuable time developing the functionality of the robot will earn you points in the competition.

In the first-ever Robothon Grand Challenge, the winning team of students made sure they spent all their time on the core functionality of their robot by using RoboDK for programming.

Here’s how they did it!

The Robothon Grand Challenge 2021

The Robothon Grand Challenge was held during Automatica Sprint 2021, an offshoot of Automatica, the world’s leading robotics trade fair.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was held virtually in June to provide a digital platform for the robotics industry to get together and provide support to the community.

The Robothon Grand Challenge is an international competition in robot manipulation. The aim is to use robotics to address pressing issues facing the economy and the environment.

This year, the specific aim of the competition was to find intelligent solutions to increase the recycling rate for e-waste.

The Challenge: Disassembly of E-Waste

The competition entrants needed to complete an integration task. In fact, they had to create a robot that could disassemble an electronic product for recycling.

As the competition organizers explain:

“Electronic waste continues to accumulate and, consequently, so does the amount of precious and toxic materials entering landfills; unless properly disassembled and sorted. This work is repetitive, dirty, and dangerous which makes it a great use case for automation and robotics.

“With our challenge, we want to offer young talents and academics the chance to actively participate and shape the future of robotics in science & industry.”

The winning team explains that, currently, only 20% of the worldwide e-waste is recycled. With this in mind, projections show that by 2050, the amount of e-waste will increase to 120 million tonnes. Furthermore, e-waste is not just an environmental problem but also has a huge financial value estimated at $62.5 billion.

However, there is currently no completely automated solution to recycling e-waste on the market.

Due to the unstructured nature of e-waste, it requires advanced sensors and algorithms to detect, recognize and localize e-waste components. Moreover, it also needs fine-grained manipulation to separate different types of e-waste components.

How Robots Can Reduce E-Waste

The concept behind this year’s challenge is that robots can be a good solution to dismantle e-waste and sort it for further processing.

In brief, the challenge included 5 levels, which each team had to complete using the official competition task board:

1. Button press — The teams first had to program their robot to press a button on the task board. The more times the robot pressed the button in the allotted time, the more points they earned. This means the task prioritized efficient movement.
2. Peg in hole port insertion — A classic manipulation task. Peg in hole is a demonstration of the robot’s ability to insert parts during assembly. In this case, it involved removing and reinserting a plug into a socket.
3. Key in keyhole — The robot then had to pick up a key, insert it into a keyhole, and turn it.
4. Battery removal — The teams had to program the robot to remove the cover of a battery case. They had then to extract the batteries inside. This is quite a complex task for a robot as it involves several fine motor skills.
5. Battery recycling — Finally, the robot had to pick up the battery and insert it into a hole. This triggered a button press. Again, more button presses earned more points.

Introducing… the RoboPig Team

The winning team came from the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt.

The team was made up of Elhasan Mohamed and Desmond Fomelack (who study mechatronics), Felix Pagels (technical mathematics), and Martin Löser (lab employee and graduate engineer). The team was established and supervised by Dr. Tobias Kaupp, a professor of robotics and digital production.

Team captain Elhasan Mohamed explained what it was like using RoboDK for this project:

“As a robotics student, I enjoyed working and developing with RoboDK. It allows me to use its built-in tools, and at the same time, to build something on the ground level that fits what I need exactly.

“I would definitely recommend it to someone who just started learning robotics but also to a robotics engineer that deals with industrial robots in a professional way”

The Team’s Robotic Setup

The team’s robot setup incorporated a few different hardware and software elements to complete the task.

The core components of their solution were:

• A Universal Robots UR5e collaborative robot with integrated force sensor
• A Robotiq Hand-E precision gripper
• An Intel RealSense depth camera
• 3D printed custom jaws to handle the parts
• OpenCV computer vision library
• Python programming language
• RoboDK

By using these off-the-shelf components, the team got their robot up and running quickly and efficiently without “reinventing the wheel”.

Indeed, this efficient hardware integration allowed them to have more time and energy on creating a robot program.

Why the Team Used RoboDK

The team’s programming setup revolved around our RoboDK offline programming software.

They had 4 main reasons for choosing RoboDK over the alternatives were:

1. It allowed them to quickly acquire skills in basic robotic manipulator programming.
2. The RoboDK API enabled the integration of robotics and machine vision, which they needed for their solution.
3. The RoboDK toolset is easy to use and they avoided investing time in using multiple other solutions.
4. RoboDK’s visualization features allowed them to develop the solution rapidly and effectively.

Overall, the choice of using RoboDK made sure that their integration tasks would be as efficient as possible. Instead of fiddling around with too much complex low-level robotics code, the tool allowed them to focus all their core development effort on integrating the more advanced parts of their program.

This is perhaps a contributing factor to the RoboPig team being one of only 4 of the 10 competition entrants to complete all of the competition task levels.

Their Robotic Program

The team’s robot program completed the task with the following steps:

1. The vision sensor used 2D image processing to roughly localize the task board in the workspace.
2. The robot’s force feedback was used to perform fine localization of the board.
3. With the position of the board now known, the robot pressed the button for the Level 1 task then picked up the key from the board.
4. Using force feedback the robot inserted the key into the hole for the Level 2 task.
5. Force feedback was also used to extract the connector in Level 3 and insert it into a new socket.
6. The robot then removed the cover of the battery pack for Level 4 and ran through a sequence of preprogrammed motions to extract the batteries.
7. The robot then used a Spiral Search method to insert the battery into the final part of the task board for Level 5.

RoboDK’s simulation provided them a fast, agile development and debugging environment for these steps. Both for robot movement and image processing. Moreover, it also allowed them to easily set up a fixed coordinate system for the task board. Finally, they succeeded in setting up a real-time visualization of the robot as the program was running.

This video shows the winning robot deployment in action:

How could RoboDK speed up your robot deployment? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post Students Win Global Robotics Competition With RoboDK appeared first on RoboDK blog.

Whenever an artist uses a robot in their project, it raises new questions that apply to many conventional robot applications like…

How do you maintain “the human touch” when fabricating with robots?

Can a robot create something that is both consistent and pleasingly random?

What new designs are possible by using a robot instead of manual fabrication?

Artists often like to use RoboDK because its simple interface is ideal for less experienced robot users. In the past, we have reported on projects including portrait painting with a KUKA robot, robot-fabricated art installations, and supersized 3D printing for interior design.

This latest artistic application of RoboDK causes us to question the very nature of robotic art.

The Question of the Human Touch in Art

What’s the difference between robot-created art and art made by human hands?

In recent years, the lines between art and technology have been blurred somewhat with the rise of art created by artificial intelligence systems. This has led many people to question whether AI art is really art at all if it wasn’t created by a human. The jury is still out on this question.

When it comes to painting and drawing, one factor that comes into effect is the inherent inconsistency of humans. Even the most skilled painters in the world would paint the same art piece slightly differently every time.

These random — but not completely random — variations are part of what makes art pleasing to look at.

Robots, however, are completely consistent.

When a painting robot in an automotive factory draws a logo on the side of a car, it will be the same every time.

How can you create art with a robot that is not so consistent that it appears “manufactured”?

Introducing… Artist Nicholas LiCausi and Robotic Drawing

One artist who is addressing these issues is Nicholas LiCausi.

Nicholas is a designer and artist from the Tulane School of Architecture in New Orleans, Louisiana. There, he works as a Director of Fabrication where he oversees the operations of several digital laboratories, including 3D printing and CNC.

His work covers a broad range of mediums and topics. His past projects include a virtual reality art exhibition, a parklet constructed of recycled pallets, and a conceptual design that reimagined the city metro as a rollercoaster.

Nicholas’s work into robotics uses the same technology that is usually used with manufacturing tools to instead manipulate the tools of artists, specifically paintbrushes and pens.

The Robotic Setup

Nicholas’s various robotic projects are based around a Universal Robots UR 5e collaborative robot and a custom-designed drawing tool. The robot programming setup is based around RoboDK.

The Custom Drawing Tool

For the “business end” of the robot, Nicholas needed to connect the robot’s wrist to the brush or pen. He went through various designs until he arrived at a tool that provided the perfect trade-off of flexibility and rigidity required for the artistic tasks.

The tool is 3D printed with clear and elastic resin. It utilizes a linear sleeve bearing to provide slight flexibility to the tool.

How He Used RoboDK

Programming was achieved through a combination of RoboDK, the Rhinoceros 3D CAD package, and the robots teach pendant.

By using RoboDK’s native plugin for Rhino, he was able to easily send trajectories directly to the robot from the CAD file. Rhino is popular among designers, architects, and artists for its flexibility in 2D drafting and modeling complex shapes.

Nicholas explains:

“RoboDK was essential in bridging the gap between Rhinoceros and the Universal Robot. We’re able to directly connect to the robot and precisely align to our various work surfaces. RoboDK allows us to quickly prototype and simulate designs when working remotely. It’s been invaluable during the pandemic to test our ideas before trying them in person.”

3 of Nicholas’s Projects that Explore Robotic Drawing

Here are the 3 projects that Nicholas has used with his robotic setup so far:

1. Robotic Painting

Here, Nicholas sought to explore how the same robot program could produce vastly different artworks simply by changing the variable of the type of paintbrush that was used.

The robot was also instructed to dip the paintbrush into the paint at different points throughout the painting process. This simple change also produced very different paintings despite the robot movements remaining consistent.

2. Generative Drawing

The final application shares some similarities with the robotic portraiture project that we reported on in 2016 as it involves turning people’s faces into robot drawings.

Nicholas used Grasshopper (the visual programming language in Rhino 3D) to convert images of people’s faces into vector drawings. Then, he reimagined these images and used the robot to draw the resulting artwork onto paper.

3. Non-Planar Notation

One benefit of using RoboDK is that it gives you access to advanced programming options without requiring you to calculate your own complex algebra and code your own algorithms.

In this project, Nicholas explored the possibilities of using the robot to create artwork directly on curved surfaces, such as a pipe. He used a 3D scanner to digitize the surface into a CAD model then imported this into RoboDK for programming.

What Could You Learn from Robotic Artwork?

If you are an artist yourself, projects like Nicholas’ show some of the immense possibilities that you can access by using a robot and RoboDK.

But, even if you are using robots for more conventional applications, you can still learn something from projects like these.

Artistic projects challenge us to reconsider what is possible with a robot.

For example, just think about what unique touches you could add to your products simply by questioning what more you could do with the robot’s tool!

What do you think of robot art? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post Bridging the Gap Between Abstract Art and Robotic Drawing appeared first on RoboDK blog.

One such job is airplane washing. This vital task in aerospace manufacturing does not add direct value to the process, but it is important because it can prolong the life of the plane by reducing corrosion.

The task needs to be done but it would be much better if human workers did not have to do it!

Wilder Systems, an automation supplier based in Austin, Texas, USA, has developed a highly effective system for automating the task of airplane manufacturing. They did this by using RoboDK for programming. Their system provides aerospace with a way to reduce the time to perform this task by a whopping 95%!

The Problem with Manually Washing Aircraft

Washing is a critical task in airplane manufacturing as it helps to reduce corrosion, improving the life of the plane and its safety.

The conventional method of airplane washing involves the use of sponges, brooms, rags, and ladders. A team of 4 mechanics would usually take 4 hours to wash a plane manually, taking a total of 16 person-hours.

The entire task often takes up the whole day, making both the people and the plane unavailable for that time. During that time, they are unable to perform higher-value work.

Plane washing is also a dangerous and labor-intensive process. Working at height while standing on wet, slippery surfaces can lead to injury.

Introducing Wilder Systems

Wilder Systems specializes in cost-effective robotic solutions for aircraft manufacturers.

They describe their mission as being “to expand the range of feasible robotic applications by introducing robots into aerospace manufacturing and maintenance.”

The team uses a variety of robotic technologies to do this, including mobile robots, gantry robots, and collaborative robotics.

Enter the “Drive-Thru” Robotic Washing System

The team at Wilder Systems realized that the conventional approach to aircraft washing was inefficient. They knew that they could use robots to wash airplanes more efficiently and with less risk to humans.

The goal of the project was to reduce the amount of labor and increase the safety of washing an F-16 aircraft. To do this, they designed the first robotic “drive-thru” washing system for aircraft, utilizing several robotic components.

The system provides a safer, faster solution to washing which eliminates downtime.

Compared to the 16 person-hours of the manual washing process, this system utilizes robots instead of people and the entire washing cycle is completed in just 52 minutes. If a person needed to oversee the robot, this would be a time saving of 95%. However, as the robot can operate alone, the saving is closer to a 100% saving in person-hours.

The Team’s Robotic Setup

The robotic system uses a combination of various off-the-shelf hardware and software components that the team at Wilder Systems integrate into a self-contained washing cell:

The Robotic Hardware

The hardware of the application is based around core components of:

• FANUC 6-axis industrial robots — Robotic manipulators perform the washing functionality of the task, moving the cleaning head over the airplane along programmed paths.
• PLC communication — As with many robotic applications, a Programmable Logic Controller provides the coordination between the different hardware components of the system.
• Hydraulic pump systems and auxiliary equipment — The “business end” of the application is the washing system. This uses a hydraulic pump system to propel water through the robot’s cleaning end-effector onto the dirty airplane. The robots communicate through IO to switch between the foaming and rinsing sprayer.

The Software Setup

The basic software components of the system are:

• RoboDK — Robot programming is performed by RoboDK, which makes offline programming quick and easy for both new and experienced robot programmers. The 3D model was imported from Autodesk Fusion 360, which integrates directly with RoboDK through a plugin.
• PLC programming — The team chose to use PLC programming to combine the hardware components. Various RoboDK users have successfully incorporated PLC and offline programming.

Alejandro Rengel, the main programmer of the project, explains what RoboDK allowed him to achieve in this project:

“RoboDK was the essential tool that allowed us to develop the world’s first-ever robotic plane wash. Using CAD-To-Path strategies, we were able to generate robot paths that were adaptive and error-proof.
RoboDK helped me transform from an entry-level programmer into an advanced programmer through their easy-to-use GUI, abundance of training resources, and phenomenal customer service.”

Which RoboDK Features Were Used

Rengel and the team used several of RoboDK’s features to create this unique application. The two robots were programmed to follow paths generated from CAD data while maintaining synchronization between each other.

Jérémy Brouillard, RoboDK’s Lead Product Manager, explains:

“Many RoboDK features were used in this complex project. Wilder Systems used the “teach target on surface” feature to program the first half of the plane. They defined the right washing angles and simply clicked on the plate surface to define the robot trajectories.  To finish it up, they saved half the work by using RoboDK’s Python API to mirror the programs for the second half of the plane.”

RoboDK features that they used include:

• Simultaneous simulation of two robots.
• External axis to extend the robot’s range.
• “Teach on surface” to define the trajectory by simply clicking on the plane’s surface.
• RoboDK’s Python API to generate a mirror of the paths for the opposite side of the plane.
• FANUC post-processor to generate code to run on the robot controller.

What’s Next?

For Wilder Systems, washing is just the start.

The team plans to use this same robotic platform for other sophisticated and time-consuming aircraft maintenance tasks. This includes depainting and repainting, panel drilling, and non-destructive inspection. They will use the robotic washing application as a training opportunity for these future enhancements.

They also plan to further improve the agility of the system by mounting it into a mobile and autonomous platform. This allows them to perform operations throughout the flight line.

What manual tasks currently steal time from your operators? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post RoboDK Software helps cut Aircraft Washing Time by 95% appeared first on RoboDK blog.

To add to this, it is often difficult to find enough skilled workers to carry out the gluing process. With low staff numbers and low productivity, the gluing station can become a bottleneck for the other steps in your manufacturing process.

But, one company noticed a gap in the market. They saw a need for robotic gluing systems that are easy for people to program and use.

By using RoboDK, they provide manufacturers with an easy entry point into the benefits of automated gluing, helping them to reduce waste and improve their processes.

Introducing… DVF Corporation

DVF Corporation is an engineering and manufacturing company based in Maryland, USA. For the last 20 years, they have specialized in technical and fabrication solutions for both industrial customers and the Department of Defense.

In their team, DVF Corporation has specialists in fields like mechanics, electronics, optics, hydraulics, pneumatics…

… and robotics.

They are a preferred integrator for Universal Robots collaborative robots, with which they create integrated solutions to help other manufacturers to improve their processes.

The Problem: Inconsistent Hot Melt Glue

DVF Corporation’s latest project comes with the arresting tagline “Stop Talking, Start Gluing.”

The project is called Robotic Glue Systems and it provides integrated gluing systems to any company that usually dispenses glue by hand, especially for engineered foam packaging.

With this solution, they are trying to solve a persistent problem: inconsistent gluing.

If you have ever manually glued a product, you will know how difficult it is to achieve a consistent gluing pattern. It is especially hard to maintain consistency over a long shift with many gluing operations.

Defective gluing patterns lead to a high scrap rate which means less productivity, more waste, and a higher cost per part.

Jay Wolfe, President of DVF Corp, explains:

“Before this, clients could not rely on precise glue dispensing coming from manual application. The goal was to eliminate scrap and eliminate the need for skilled operators. With our solution, someone puts a part on the table and pushes a button. When complete, they replace it with another blank part.”

DVF Corporation’s Robot Setup

The team at DVF Corporation incorporated their various skillsets to create a system that is simple to deploy and easy to program — the RGS UR1024.

The Robotic Hardware

The core of the setup is a Universal Robots collaborative robot that gives the user the flexibility to use the robot alongside the human operator, without safety fencing.

The System can be configured for hot melt, cold glue or epoxy applications.

The Software Setup

The robot can be programmed using the teach pendant provided by Universal Robots. However, for more flexible programming, the team offers RoboDK for offline programming.

RoboDK allows users to program the robot offline using a simulated robot and tool.

How the Gluing Application Works

Operating the gluing robot is a simple task. When the system is ready, the user only needs to program the desired path into the robot using one of the available options.

There are 2 options for programming:

1. For online programming on the robot, the user can create the program line-by-line using the robot’s teach pendant.
2. For offline programming with more control, RoboDK allows the user to program directly with their CAD files. The program is then loaded into the robot for operation.

Example operating procedure

One of the benefits of gluing with a robot is that it allows the human operator to load the next items to be glued while the robot is performing the current gluing operation.

To do this, you need to program the same gluing pattern at two different locations in the workplace, a task that is very simple to do in RoboDK. You just change the target reference frame for each workpiece.

An example operating setup would be as follows:

1. The operator loads a blank part into Station 1.
2. They press the start button on Station 1.
3. While the program is running, they load a blank part into Station 2.
4. They press the start button on Station 2.
5. As the robot completes the glue dispensing task, the operator assembles the part in Station 1 and removes it.
6. The cycle repeats.

In this way, the operator can achieve a steady cadence of gluing and assembly which results in the gluing operation being carried out continually.

Who is a Gluing Robot Suitable For

Jay Wolfe explains that the gluing station has many potential users:

“Our first two systems went to a company that couldn’t hire enough people to do the work manually. Our main customers fall under the field of “Engineered Foam Products” but really the solution is suitable for anyone who dispenses by hand.”

If you are using already gluing items by hand in your business, a gluing robot could be a useful and productive addition to your operations.

How to Set Up Your Own Gluing Robot

Finally, if you are interested in learning more about Robotic Glue Systems, you can find out more about their solution on their website.

Or, perhaps you are thinking about creating your own gluing station? If so, you will have to do a bit more work to integrate the robotic cell yourself. But, the programming step can be just as simple if you are using RoboDK.

What gluing application do you think would benefit from a robot? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post How DVF Corporation Uses RoboDK for Robotic Gluing appeared first on RoboDK blog.

And what if they had strict budget, time, and logistical constraints?

This is the type of challenge that Proptogroup handles every day.

In two of Proptogroup’s latest projects, they utilized RoboDK’s robot programming flexibility to create some amazing sculptures for two of their clients.

Here’s how they did it…

Introducing… Proptogroup

Proptogroup is a multi-disciplinary design studio (located in New York, USA) and fabrication studio (based in New Haven, USA). They most often work with artists, architects, designers, and builders on complex projects with critical constraints, whether those be timing, budgetary, or logistical constraints.

For this reason, Mena Henry, Proptogroup’s owner and principal engineer, describes the company as “a problem-solving creative space.”

When you enter their workshop, it is filled with fabrication machines: milling machines, various metal fabrication machines, a welding station, and two converted shipping containers at the end of the space that house a design studio and a materials store.

And then there’s the robot…

Finally, Henry explained the origins of the company’s name:

“The name Proptogroup starts with the word “prop. to.” Mathematically, it means “proportional to.” In this case, it’s about the proportional relationship of different industries, particularly in architecture and construction. Those are design, engineering, fabrication, installation, and logistics. We service all those trades.

Making complex sculptural work requires a lot of research and development, and material science. We count on partners that can enhance our skills. The small size of our company gives us an extreme level of flexibility and mental room to explore and play around.

Actually, playing of the biggest things that we do here, either with material or with technological processes. That really enhances the way that we think and are able to function with complex projects. “

Proptogroup uses RoboDK for Foam Architecture and Clear Acrylic Face

The two projects that we are exploring here are perfect examples of Proptogroup’s cross-disciplinary approach. Indeed, one is for the architectural space and the other is an artistic sculpture.

Foam Architecture

For the foam architecture, Proptogroup employed RoboDK to help them with robotic milling of a foam structure.

As shown above, the structure was made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. In fact, this is a common material for robotic milling as it is easy to mill, has low moisture absorption, and doesn’t change its physical properties under normal operating heat. Such foam is often used, for example, in Hollywood to make architectural props for movies.

In this case, the EPS foam was being used as a form for a mold. The final piece would then be cast, using this mold, in glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC).

Acrylic Face Sculpture

The second project was a sculpture for artist Titus Kaphar. Kaphar is a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and installation artist whose work examines the history of representation. Therefore, he often combines materials and fabrication methods.

In this case, Proptogroup has worked with Kaphar on several projects over the years. This latest one was the face of Thomas Jefferson sculpted in acrylic. They used robotic milling to sculpt the head and then a final manual polishing process.

Mena Henry explained:

“We took our time milling the acrylic considering the brittleness of the material. Timewise, I would estimate approximately 40 hours from roughing to finish pass. And 4 days of hand polishing.”

Proptogroup’s Robot Setup

Mounted on a rail and taking a prominent place in the workshop, Proptogroup’s large KUKA robot is, I think it’s fair to say, a centerpiece to their operations.

The Hardware

For the milling operation, the robotic hardware that Proptogroup used consisted of:

• A KUKA 6 DoF industrial robot
• A Güdel linear rail
• A milling head

Proptogroup will change the end effector of the robot depending on the fabrication needs of the particular project. No project is exactly the same so they need to remain flexible.

The Software

For programming the robot, Proptogroup used the following programs:

• Design was done in Rhino, a CAD package often used by architects.
• Machining paths were generated in Autodesk Fusion 360, a popular CAD/CAM software.
• Proptogroup uses RoboDK to seamlessly convert the machining paths into robot programs.

This software setup gave Proptogroup the flexibility to use the software that they are most comfortable with the power of RoboDK’s robot programming capabilities (actually, they might have been able to eliminate a step as RoboDK has a plugin to work directly with Rhino, but RoboDK fits in with whatever workflow our users most prefer).

How Proptogroup uses RoboDK to Mill an Intricate Face Sculpture

After all, RoboDK allowed Proptogroup to quickly turn their designs into a functional robot program.

In fact, conventional robot programming methods requires to have extensive robotics expertise to program the robot. Instead of focusing on the design and fabrication – which is where Proptogroup’s expertise lies – they would have had to waste a lot of time and effort “getting the robot to work” if they were using the conventional methods.

As a result, Proptogroup reduced robot programming to a minimum using RoboDK.

Indeed, the software easily slots into your existing workflow, whatever that may be, and allows you to focus on those aspects of the process that you are best at.

What Interesting Project Could You Use RoboDK for?

Overall, Proptogroup undertakes many interesting projects that push the boundaries of fabrication techniques under critical constraints.

If they can create such elaborate and successful projects using RoboDK… think what interesting projects you could achieve!

How could your next robotic fabrication project push the boundaries of what you are currently capable of?

Finally, a good place to start is to download a free trial copy of RoboDK and try it out for yourself.

What will your next robot project be? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post Proptogroup Uses RoboDK to Make Amazing Sculptures appeared first on RoboDK blog.

With manufacturing industries changing rapidly, companies are increasingly turning to robotic automation to stay competitive. However, robot deployments have traditionally taken weeks or even months.

In February 2021, robot software company RoboDK partnered with DIY-Robotics and ATI Industrial Automation to create a pre-engineered, modular solution for robotic deburring that reduces deployment time considerably.

Why manufacturers need faster robot deployment

The use of robots is currently growing in various manufacturing industries. Robots allow companies to adapt to changes in the marketplace as they are more flexible than other forms of automation. A robot can be reprogrammed whenever the nature of its task changes and can even be redeployed to an entirely new task if needed.

A common constraint for companies looking to adopt robots is the time that they take to deploy. It can take weeks or even months to deploy a new robot into a manufacturing facility. As well as being disruptive during the initial deployment, this also reduces the long-term flexibility of the robot cell as any changes to the robot’s task will further disrupt production.

A modular, plug-and-play cell for robotic deburring

Deburring is a perfect task for a robot as it is dull for a human to perform and benefits greatly from the increased consistency that a robot provides. 

The new plug-and-play Robotic Deburring Cell addresses this need for faster deployment by providing a completely self-contained system that can be deployed in a matter of days.

The solution is based around a pre-engineered robotic cell from DIY-Robotics. ATI Industrial Automation provides the cell’s Compliant Deburring tool. This versatile tool accounts for variations in part and feature location through its compliant tip and can be used for a wide range of deburring tasks.

Tim Burns, Senior Applications Engineer for Material Removal Products at ATI, explained “Tool, program, and robotic cell work hand in glove to make successful material removal applications more approachable to end-users. RoboDK makes the programming simple and easy for operators of all experience levels. DIY Robotics alleviates the challenge of integration by pre-packaging the right pieces for their cell.”

Deploying a deburring robot in just a few days

With conventional robot deployments, the sourcing process can be daunting for companies. All the various sensors, tooling, and accessories required for a robotic application mean that the list of components can quickly mount up.

“Robotics can appear complex to handle when it comes to coding languages and the complexity behind the technology,” explained Steve Blanchette, President of DIY-Robotics. “The main advantage of the Robotic Deburring Cell is its plug-and-play aspect. This bundle allows anyone, regardless of their robotics knowledge, to equip their factory with the latest industrial robotics technology.”

DIY-Robotics makes the sourcing process as simple as buying a desktop computer. Unlike many other robot suppliers, the company lists the price of its solutions on its website. Once the order has been made, the robot cell ships within just 3 weeks. It can be deployed in a just few days for turnkey solutions or can be assembled by the user themselves.

Customizing the robot program with RoboDK

Programming functionality for the cell is provided by RoboDK, the offline programming solution that allows anyone to easily program their industrial robot even if they do not have robotic programming experience.

This gives an added level of flexibility to the Robotic Deburring Cell as the robot’s program can be created and updated through a simple graphical interface. RoboDK’s optimization tools for robot machining and deburring allow users to easily create error-free programs.

Albert Nubiola, RoboDK’s CEO, said “DIY-Robotics’ Deburring Cell and the ATI’s Compliant Deburring Blade are now completely supported by the software. This is a great addition to RoboDK as it allows users to build a cell for deburring in just a few clicks.”

Future plans

The Robotic Deburring Cell is the first in a series of application-specific bundles that are being developed by this partnership. By leveraging their complimentary expertise, RoboDK, DIY-Robotics, and ATI Industrial Automation aim to make plug-and-play robotic cells much more accessible to manufacturing businesses.

The post RoboDK, DIY-Robotics, and ATI release a plug-and-play cell for robotic deburring appeared first on RoboDK blog.

This “reinventing the wheel” leads to robot users wasting valuable time that could otherwise be spent on developing their applications.

In the manufacturing industry, this lost time can directly affect the productivity and thus profitability of the operations. In research, it means that robotics researchers have less time to spend developing their novel ideas for academic publications.

Is there a way to avoid reinventing the wheel in robotics?

One team of robotics researchers from Slovakia found that they were able to shortcut some unnecessary development steps. They were able to do this by using RoboDK and its associated plugins.

Here is how they did it.

Introducing… The Research Team

The research team is based in the Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies at the Technical University of Košice in Slovakia.

The Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies conducts research into a variety of topics. These topics are associated with robotics and other engineering technology.

This particular project was carried out by those robotics researchers: Martin Pollák, Monika Töröková, Marek Kočiško, and Petr Baron. In recent years, this group has been investigating different robotic fabrication techniques.

They were looking to develop some new applications for robotic 3D printing with parametric modeling and multi-axis milling.

But, the group had a problem.

The Question: How to Quickly Get Up and Running With a Robot

The difficulty for many new robot users is trying to find out how to quickly get to a stage where you can begin developing your specific application. Robotic systems often take a lot of preparation work before they are ready for programming.

Even more, the programming process itself can be complex and unwieldy. Not all programs have interoperability with each other out of the box. Using multiple programs together can require extensive programming.

To complete their projects, the researchers were required to use several different 3D modeling programs; including Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and Fusion 360. Combining these programs would take more time and work away from their academic developments.

What they needed was a way to quickly combine advanced robotics and modeling software.

Thankfully, this is a problem that we had already solved here at RoboDK.

How RoboDK Plugins Can Help With Interoperability

A guiding principle of RoboDK is that it should make programming easy. This should also be the case when you are using multiple programs together, even if those programs are not a RoboDK product. This is not always the case with robot programming tools.

One of the ways that we ensure interoperability is through our growing library of plugins for leading CAD/CAM packages. These plugins allow you to quickly and easily combine your favorite 3D modeling program with robot programming at the click of a button.

The team from the Technical University of Košice were able to streamline two of their research projects by using these plugins and their functionality.

Project 1: 5-Axis Milling With an Industrial Robot

The first project that we would like to highlight is from a research the team published in 2019. As part of this research, they developed a custom fixture for 5-axis robotic milling.

Custom fixtures are often used in manufacturing to combine hardware that does not work together out of the box.

In this case, the team was using a Bosch GGS 27 handheld grinder as a milling head. They attached it to an ABB IRB 140 6-axis industrial robot. Their custom fixture allowed them to attach the milling head onto the robot.

Usually, combining technologies like this could present challenges when it comes to programming the robot. As the tool was not specifically designed to be a robotic milling head, other programming solutions may struggle to incorporate it.

However, with RoboDK the task was simple.

How to Add Custom-Designed Tools to RoboDK

With RoboDK, adding a custom-designed tool to your robot is as easy as adding any tool that comes off the shelf. As we explained in our article The 5 Minute Guide to Use Any End Effector with RoboDK; all you need to do to load the 3D model of the tool into the software is add it to the robot and the program will do the rest.

The researchers also used the Autodesk Fusion 360 plugin in RoboDK to create their CAD model for milling.

Project 2: Parametric Robotic 3D Printing

The second project we would like to highlight was published in August 2020.

This time, the robotics researchers were using an industrial robot for additive manufacturing. This is an application that we have covered before here on the blog.

In particular, they were researching the use of parametric modeling to create complex, creative designs for 3D printing. To do this, they employed the 3D modeling software Rhinoceros and its associated parametric modeling tool, Grasshopper. You can read more about these tools in our blog article about our Rhino plugin.

The researchers used the 3D modeling software to create an example design. This example included a brake pedal for an automobile and then exported it to RoboDK to create the robot program.

As they explain in their article, this type of generative parametric design is useful in manufacturing as it allows you to quickly and easily modify your designs. With RoboDK you can update the robot program just as quickly.

How to Use RoboDK With Your Own Project

The researchers’ two projects show how easy it is to incorporate multiple elements into a single package by using RoboDK. You can use RoboDK as the bridge between your design software and the physical robot.

You can incorporate RoboDK into your own project with any CAD/CAM software that you are using and with any industrial robot and tool.

To get started, just download a free trial copy of RoboDK and try it out for yourself. You can also find out about our plugins in our documentation.

How could RoboDK help you to combine elements of your robot project? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post RoboDK Helped Robotics Researchers In Their Projects appeared first on RoboDK blog.

Engraving is an increasingly popular task in manufacturing. Customization is becoming the norm for many different products and engraving allows manufacturers to easily add custom logos and designs onto their products. Robot engraving is an easy way to increase the value of the product with very little extra work.

One student at a German university has designed a system to engrave wood using robot milling and a collaborative robot in RoboDK. What’s especially interesting about this project is that it includes a specialized end effector to avoid generating too much dust and wood chips.

Introducing… Jan Gosedopp

The project was developed a few years ago by student Jan Gosedopp as part of his Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Hamm-Lippstadt in Germany.

We are writing about his project now because robot engraving looks set to become very popular in the near future. For example, someone at manufacturer Universal Robots mentioned recently that they are thinking of adding wood engraving to their ever-increasing list of collaborative robot applications.

Gosedopp’s project involved programming a Universal Robot and developing a custom engraving end effector which could remove the dust.

How Wood Engraving Is Usually Done

As is the case with many machining operations, the traditional way to achieve autonomous engraving is with a dedicated CNC machine.

These machines are easy to find and there are many competing options on the market. However, they are generally inflexible — each model is only suitable for one particular type of engraving. If you want to switch to another engraving process, you may have to buy an entirely different machine.

Programming a CNC Engraver

One of the challenges of this traditional type of engraving is with programming. As CNC expert James Hamilton says “a CNC machine is only as good as its software. And not all software is created equal.” He explains that the software you use can really restrict the abilities of your machine.

Some CNC software, for example, can only achieve 2.5D milling. This is fine for engraving, where you usually only want to mill a 2-dimensional shape into the material surface. However, it becomes restrictive if you ever want to progress to more 3-dimensional shapes.

Gosedopp was using 2.5D rotary engraving, which involves using a spinning routing or milling tool to cut thin grooves into the wood.

What is Robot Engraving?

The approach that Jan Gosedopp took was to avoid using a CNC machine altogether. Instead, he chose to use a robot, specifically the UR10 from Universal Robots.

Compared to CNC machines, robots are very flexible. In fact, a single robot could be used for almost any type of engraving processes… and more tasks besides. All you have to do is give the robot a different tool, which is very easy to do with the right robot programming software.

Programming Robot Engraving

For programming, Gosedopp chose to use RoboDK. This choice helped him avoid many of the potential programming problems that occur with traditional CNC machines.

With RoboDK’s dedicated robot milling wizard, it is easy to achieve both the 2.5D engraving that he needed and gives him the option of using 3D milling with exactly the same setup if he ever needs it.

To generate the engraving path, he used Solid Works along with its free HSMXpress add-on which produces CAM paths. Back when he did this project, the RoboDK tool bar for SolidWorks that we released this year was not yet available. Therefore, the milling path was imported in RoboDK using G-code files.

The Custom Tool for Dust-Free Engraving

One of the core developments of Jan Gosedopp’s project was a custom-built end effector for robot engraving.

An interesting feature of this tool was that it included elements to remove dust and wood chips from the workpiece during the operation, which allowed for a clean working environment.

Important Factors for a Robot Engraving Tool

As part of his Bachelor’s thesis, he evaluated 2 different end effector designs and chose the best one based on its suitability for the task.

He assessed his two designs based on the following categories:

1. Compatibility with the UR3/UR10
2. Ability to clamp the milling spindle
3. Compatibility with the extraction
4. Accurate centering and alignment
5. Milling spindle flush with robot flange
6. Lateral threads for fixing
7. Small tool footprint
8. Low production costs

The two designs were quite similar and rated exactly the same in most of these categories. The only two differences between the designs were in the method of attachment of the milling spindle and the positioning of the tool on the robot flange.

In the end, the two factors which determined his choice of design were lower production costs and the addition of lateral threads for extra fixings.

Security

A key concern for this type of tool is security. The robot used was a collaborative robot, so it had its own safety features. However, custom tools can introduce additional safety issues.

Gosedopp focused on two aspects of security:

1. Danger from flying objects — Wood chips and dust could easily fly away from the engraving operation and harm humans. To combat this, he introduced a brush around the tool to catch flying wood chips and a vacuum to extract the dust.
2. Danger from people entering workspace of milling spindle — Although collaborative robots themselves are generally safe, this does not mean that their tools are safe. The spinning engraving tool could cause damage to a human if, for example, their hand was to get in the way. The brush around the tool would help avoid this to some extent. However, Gosedopp felt that further security was required so he added a pane of safety glass and a laser scanner.

The Final Design

After assessing the two designs, Gosedopp arrived at the final design of the robot engraving end effector. It contained the following components:

• Milling head — the “business end” of the tool for milling workpieces.
• Robot arm — the UR10 collaborative robot.
• PC — the program was generated in RoboDK and exported to a robot program.
• Controller box — performed signal processing and ran the robot program produced by RoboDK.
• Vacuum — performed extraction of the dust and chips.
• Security system — a laser scanner was used to detect if someone entered the workspace and stop the robot.

Finally, Gosedopp was able to achieve the following wood engraving application, as shown in this video:

What could you do with a dust-free engraving robot? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post How One Engineer Achieved Dust-Free Robot Engraving With RoboDK appeared first on RoboDK blog.