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.

There are so many models of positioner with so many different styles. Some have 1 simple axis but others have many!

What’s even more confusing is the range of configurations that positioners can have. Axes can be mounted vertically, horizontally, and at any angle in between.

Picking a positioner with too many or too few axes could mean a wasted budget; But how many is too many!?

If you’re considering a robotic positioner, by now you have probably already looked at several different models. You’ve probably seen single-axis turntables, double-axis positioners, and multi-axis ferris wheels. You’ve probably explored different brands, styles, and price ranges.

By now, if you’re honest, you’re probably starting to get a bit sick of positioners.

The problem with positioners is that it’s not just a simple case of saying “I’ll buy this one” and leaving it at that. The positioner you choose will affect how easy it is to integrate and program your robot cell. You don’t want to pick the wrong one and give yourself a harder time than necessary to deploy and program the robot.

For example, if you were to get a 5-axis positioner with a 6-axis robot, that’s 11 axes you need to control! If it’s necessary to have that many axes, fine. But, if it’s not necessary you may regret your purchase.

Why “How Many Axes?” Is a Confusing Question

Asking how many axes your mechanism needs is a very natural question. However, it’s a tricky question to answer satisfactorily.

When we’re talking about industrial robots alone, a common answer is to say that 6-axis robots are required. This is not always true but it is true most of the time. The reason for this is that 6 axes are needed to reach points in the robot’s workspace from any position and orientation.

As we explained in our Euler Angle Primer, the position of a robot’s end effector is controlled with 6 parameters: 3 translational parameters (X, Y, and Z) and 3 rotational parameters (Rot[X], Rot[Y], and Rot[Z]).

If your robot has fewer than 6-axes, you will be restricting the flexibility of the robot. This makes sense for some robots — e.g. palletizing robots which only need to approach objects from above. However, in general, 6-axis industrial robots are the most useful for a wide range of tasks.

Beyond the 6-axes, however, your mechanism becomes “redundant.”

“A manipulator is termed kinematically redundant when it possesses more degrees of freedom (DoF) than it is needed to execute a given task.”

Prisma Lab

For example, 7-axis robots can reach the same points in their workspace as a 6-DoF robot. However, the control of a redundant mechanism becomes more complicated. As a result, you don’t want to add extra DoF if they are not needed.

Adding a positioner means adding more DoF to the robot. This may or may not lead to a redundant system.

Whether you need extra DoF depends on the specific needs of your task.

7 Steps to Identify The Number of Axes Needed for Your Application

The way to hone in on how many axes you need is to look more closely at the requirements of your application.

Here’s a process you can use to identify some potential positioners that could work for you. It allows you to zoom in on a few potential models and assess them properly. If none of those options are suitable, you can then zoom out again and use the information you’ve learned to pick a better positioner.

1. Look at the requirements of your task, focusing particularly on the workspace that is needed. One good way to do this is to build your application within a robot simulator.
2. Note which aspects of the task are not possible when using the robot alone. Which parts of the workspace are unreachable? Which motions are impossible?
3. With this information, make an educated guess at one or two types of positioner that might suit your needs. Remember to take into account the payload that is required to hold your workpieces.
4. Find some positioners on the market that could meet your criteria and test them out in your simulation. For each positioner you try, make sure to save your setup as a new project as you will come back to one of the projects later.
5. If one of the models works perfectly, great! Even so, test out a few options to see what properties are really required. Remember that you don’t want to end up with more DoF than you need.
6. If none of the models works for your application, use the information you have gathered to refine your requirements.
7. Go back to the market and look for one or two models that meet these new requirements. Test again in your simulation before making your choice.

Using a process like this removes some of the guesswork from identifying the right number of axes. With each test in your simulation, you learn a little bit more about what you really need from a positioner to complete your task.

Make a Choice and Work With It

Once you have zeroed in on a model that works for your task, you can move forward and develop the application more thoroughly in the simulator.

Open your saved project with your chosen positioner and refine it into the full application. This will allow you to test all aspects of the task and prepare the application for easy integration.

Once you’ve purchased your positioner, you don’t need to be concerned about whether or not more axes could have benefited the task. Robots are very flexible and there are usually multiple ways to achieve the same actions with a single robot.

If you encounter any problems when you’re deploying the robot, you will almost certainly be able to find a solution using the equipment you have. This is the value of making purchasing choices using a simulator as a testbench.

What type of positioners have you been considering? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post How Many Axes Does Your Robotic Positioner Need? appeared first on RoboDK blog.

The new decade is upon us! This means a new set of robot components will arrive on the market. It also means more choice of which components you can use in your robot cell.

But, with more choice comes more possibilities for confusion. It’s hard to know which robot components are going to be the most important for you and for the wider robotics industry.

Here are 10 robot components that are set to be trends and should be on your radar…

1. Extra Axes

Traditionally, industrial robots have been limited to 6 axes or fewer. However, this limitation no longer exists. Additional axes are now more readily available than they have ever been before, making robot machining even more flexible.

The increase of axes is also a trend in the wider CNC machining industry. According to Xometry’s CNC Trends of 2020, recently “there have been improvements to machining hardware and equipment, making [extra axes] more capable and more affordable than ever before.” This allows manufacturers to reduce the number of setups they have to do and reduce machining costs.

2. Tracks and Wheels

Tracks and wheels are both specific types of extra axes. They provide mobility, which is one of the newest additions to industrial robotics over the past few years. Mobile robots come in all shapes and capabilities, ranging from autonomous mobile robots to industrial robots mounted onto mobile platforms.

Full mobile robots can be challenging to program but a simpler option is to mount the robot onto a single axis or multi-axis track which can be programmed relatively easily.

3. 3D Vision

Vision has been an important component of robotic systems for decades. For a long time, it was complex and expensive but 3D vision has come a long way over the last decade and it’s now easier to use than ever.

3D vision is the next milestone in robotics. Although there are many systems available, they are still undergoing a process of improvement to make them easy to use.

According to the RoboGlobal 2019 trends report, 3D vision “looks set to explode” in the coming year as various new and established sensor manufacturers continue to improve the technology and demand increases.

4. Grippers

Qualcomm’s Chair of Robotic Systems Henrik Christensen called 2019 “the year of the robotic gripper” due to advancements in both hardware and software gripper technology.

Of course, grippers are certainly nothing new in robotics. However, over the last year, we’ve seen a lot of new grippers and manipulation applications. It doesn’t look like it will slow down. We’ve even seen some innovative robotic end effectors which look like they come from the future. They allow for grasping an even wider range of objects than was previously possible.

5. Tooling

Tooling options (e.g. drilling, milling, cutting) are getting better and more readily available every year. This is a great benefit both to manufacturers who use traditional CNC machines and to those who use robot machining.

Robot machining is an increasingly popular option for manufacturers. A robot can even outperform a CNC machine, especially in terms of their increased workspace, flexibility, and affordability. The rise in tool types and universal fixturing means that you can achieve a huge variety of machining operations with very little fuss.

6. Cobots

Collaborative robots (aka cobots) are certainly popular right now. Over the last decade, they have gone from being of “questionable curiosity” to now being one of the most talked-about types of robot.

Cobots are basically normal industrial robots which have had safety measures added to make them safe to operate around humans with no safety fencing.

There are a ton of different cobots out there from a range of manufacturers, including big names such as ABB, Fanuc, and KUKA, to more specialist manufacturers like AUBO, Kinova, and Precise. Many of them can be found in our Robot Library.

7. Safe End Effectors

Continuing on the topic of safety, safer end effectors are also gaining popularity at the moment. These can range from the simple vacuum grippers to unique, deformable grippers.

The purpose of safe end effectors and tools isn’t only to allow safe operation around humans. Many of them also provide a more delicate touch for handling soft objects, such as soft fruits in the food processing industry.

8. Lasers

The idea of giving a laser to a robot might lead some people to imagine a science-fiction dystopian picture of the future. But, in manufacturing, it is just the next logical extension from a CNC laser cutter and engraver.

Laser marking with robots is growing in popularity due to the need for more traceability of products, for example in the automotive industry.

Programming this type of engraving application is very simple using offline programming and different types of end effector can be used to mark different materials.

9. Small Components

One increasing trend right now is the diminishing size of some robots. There are now robots that go all the way down to the microscopic scale. All of their components are equally small, including grippers, links, and motors.

The smallest robot in our Robot Library is currently the Mecademic R3. It’s not exactly microscopic, but with a reach of only 330mm, it’s pretty tiny for an industrial robot.

This change to smaller scale robots suggests that people are moving away from the general-purpose robots of the past. Instead, they seem to be picking robots that suit the size needed for their specific application.

10. Smart Monitoring

Finally, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a trend that is certainly going to change robotics. Smart monitoring of robots means that they require less maintenance and improves the productivity by reducing downtime.

Whichever new components you choose for your robot, make sure that you are careful to only pick ones that will actually benefit your application. There are a lot of new components out there!

Which components would you like to see in the near futur? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post 10 Robot Components That Can Improve Your Setup appeared first on RoboDK blog.

You’re probably keen to get your new positioner up and running as soon as possible. After all, every minute that your new robot cell is not running means time and money wasted. Ever since you first decided to go with robotic automation, the clock has been ticking.

Positioners are a great way to increase the flexibility of a robot. They effectively increase the robot’s workspace, allowing you to reach the workpiece from multiple different angles. Some positioners give you the ability to quickly switch out one workpiece with another, reducing your turnaround time and improving productivity.

The only problem with adding a positioner is that it increases the complexity of programming.

Industrial robots can be tricky enough to program as it is, but adding 1, 2, or maybe several extra programmable axes can make the programming task a real headache… unless you approach it in the right way.

If you’re already experienced with programming robots, you certainly have the skills to program a positioner from scratch but it will take you extra time. However, if you’re just getting started with robot programming, the extra difficulty might just be enough to dissuade you from using robotics at all.

You Can Probably Program the Positioner From Scratch… But Should You?

If you are an adept programmer, you might just look at the positioner’s datasheet and think…

“Challenge accepted!”

You might be keen to test your programming mettle to see if you can integrate it properly using just the control inputs of the positioner, kinematic math, and the robot’s own programming language.

So, you look on robotics forums. You ask questions like “How do I program this complex positioner movement for a robotic machining application.” You read academic publications on the subject and try to decipher their math. You spend hours or days deriving your own kinematic equations to incorporate the movements of robot and positioner.

I can certainly relate to this feeling. It’s the mark of a good engineer. We think “I can to do this” so we go ahead and try to build it ourselves. But, we rarely ask ourselves if we should do it. I once redesigned and built a brand new controller for a robot just because the one it had already wasn’t to my liking… but it took me months!

The question is not whether you have the ability to hard-code the positioner from scratch.

The question is whether or not that is the best use of your time.

There is an easier way to program a positioner. One which requires no coding at all.

Positioner Programming That’s Simpler Than Simple

One of the great things about programming a single industrial robot is that the kinematics have been solved many times. It’s easy to find programming methods that don’t require you to draw kinematic linkages and derive inverse kinematic equations.

When you add a positioner to the system, suddenly you make your simple 6-axis mechanism into a mechanism with 7, 8, 9, or more axes.

Some people choose to deal with this by programming the two mechanisms separately — e.g. first moving the positioner to roughly where they need it to be and then programming the precise movements with the industrial robot. However, this is not the best way to use a positioner.

You’ll usually get the most from your positioner when you incorporate it as part of the whole mechanism. The easiest way to do this is by using a good offline programming tool.

The right software will automatically synchronize your robot with the other external axes in the system. If the robot is mounted on a linear track, for example, the offline programming software will add this as an extra axis. If the workpiece is mounted on a turntable, the software will automatically incorporate the turntable into the program as well.

How to Program the Robot Positioner In a Unified Way

The key to combining a robot and positioner with offline programming is to synchronize their axes and optimize those axes for your particular task.

Synchronizing Your Robot and Positioner

In RoboDK, this can be achieved very easily by using the integrated “Synchronize External Axes” tool. You can synchronize up to 6 additional axes, allowing for a system with up to 12 axes if you are using a 6-axis industrial robot.

The tool will then view the combined system as if it were a single mechanism. It will automatically program the positioner and other external axes alongside the robot when using the wizards for robot machining, 3D printing, curve following, and point following projects. These wizards cover many of the use cases of combined robot and positioner projects.

Unlike when you are programming a positioner manually, it doesn’t matter where you have placed your robot and positioner. The software will automatically adjust its programming to suit your setup.

Optimizing the Automatic Programming

You can also perform additional optimization of the positioner by using the “Smart Optimization” option.

Optimization allows you to set parameters and restrictions on your program.

Options include:

• Prioritizing the positioner motion over the robot motion.
• Prioritizing the robot motion over the positioner motion.
• Imposing desired positions for some or all joints (e.g. when you want to maintain a particular angle of the wrist joint).
• Minimizing motions of some joints (e.g. to ensure that the positioner always moves gradually and doesn’t produce sudden or unexpected movements).

You can find out more about the tools in RoboDK on the documentation page.

Getting Started With Robot Positioner Programming

Whatever level of programming skill you already have, there is no reason that programming a positioner needs to be a difficult task.

With the right software tools, programming your system can be just as easy as programming the industrial robot alone.

To try out RoboDK’s tool yourself, download a copy for a free trial. You might find it useful to look at the example “Robot machining with a rail and turntable” that comes with RoboDK to see what’s possible.

What challenges have you encountered when using positioners? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post How to Program a Robotic Positioner the Right Way appeared first on RoboDK blog.

Things change constantly in the world of manufacturing. New technologies arrive, old technologies improve, and we need to update our processes to keep up.

One change that has been happening recently is an increase in the number of axes that can be used in CNC machining. According to the current trends, the newest technology is allowing multi-axis machining to become even more accessible than it has ever been before.

But, you might be wondering, are more axes really better?

Well… yes.

Adding extra axes to your machining process can add a whole load of benefits, including improved efficiency and reduced costs.

You can add extra axes either by investing in a multi-axis CNC machine or with robot machining.

Which is the better option? To answer that, let’s first look at the problems of traditional machining.

5 Problems With Traditional 3-Axis CNC

Traditionally, CNC machines have 3 programmable axes, often X, Y, and Z. These allow you drill, mill, or otherwise transform your workpiece in 3 dimensions. Some reduced-axis machines (e.g. engraving machines) also come with just 2D or 2.5D capability.

3D machining is great for many common operations in manufacturing. However, it can also be very restrictive to have only 3 axes.

Here are 5 problems which arise with traditional CNC machines:

1. Requires More Setups

Fewer axes mean more setups. Unless your products only require extremely simple machining, it is likely that you need to change the position and/or orientation of the parts to achieve all of the required cuts.

Each extra setup directly affects the productivity of the machining cell. This is particularly problematic with low batch sizes (which are becoming more common) where up to 90% of the machining time can be taken up by setups.

2. More Hands-On Time

More setups don’t just reduce the productivity of the machine. They also reduce the productivity of workers. Every setup requires a human worker to spend their valuable time on a non-value-added task. They could spend this time more productively elsewhere.

Streamlining your changeovers can help to reduce this time, but it’s far more effective to remove as much hands-on time as possible.

3. Needs Custom Fixturing

3-axis machines are restricted in the orientation at which they can approach the workpiece. If a machining operation requires a slightly offset orientation, this often means that you need to design and fabricate custom fixturing.

Custom fixtures are fine for very large batch sizes. However, they can add a huge amount of work for every setup. This can significantly increase the time each part takes and the cost.

4. Increased Steps Per Operation

Any manufacturer would agree: the fewer machining steps you have, the better. Many of the principles within the practice of Design for Manufacture are devoted to simplifying machining operations and reducing the number of machining steps that are required.

3-axis machines often unnecessarily increase the number of steps compared to machining technologies which have more Degrees of Freedom.

5. Increased Lead Time and Product Cost

All of the above problems can negatively affect the overall manufacturing process leading to increased lead times and a higher product cost. Every time a technician needs to spend their valuable time with a new setup and every time a custom fixture must be made, it can impact directly on the bottom line.

Why Extra Axes Reduce Costs

The increasingly popular solution to these problems is to add extra axes to your machining operation.

There are two ways to achieve this, as we’ll outline below, but first let’s look at why more axes can reduce costs.

The 6 Degrees of Freedom Sweet-Spot

We often think of the world as being in 3 dimensions. But, in reality, there are 6 dimensions required for fully flexible machining:

• 3 positional dimensions (X, Y, and Z)
• 3 rotational dimensions (Rot[X], Rot[Y], and Rot[Z])

These 6 values are the minimum number of Degrees of Freedom (DoF) that are required to approach any point in the workspace from any angle.

CNC machines with 3, 4, or even 5 axes are always going to be restricted because they don’t meet this 6 DoF “sweet-spot.”

5 Ways Extra Axes Reduce Cost

Adding extra DoFs to a machining operation can decrease costs in a few ways:

1. Only a single setup is needed (aka Done-in-one setups).
2. The operator’s hands-on time is reduced to a minimum.
3. No custom fixturing is usually required.
4. Reduces and simplifies machining steps.
5. Decreases lead time for the product.

All these factors help to reduce production time and cost.

How Many Axes Can You Add?

As 6 DoF is required for a fully flexible machine, the next question is: How do we add those DoF and how many can we add?

There are 2 options for adding extra axes to your machining cell:

1. Multi-axis CNC machines.
2. Robot machining.

Here’s how many axes you can add with each technology:

With CNC Machines

When we talk about CNC machines, we’re typically referring to the three most common types of machine available at the moment:

1. Traditional 3-axis CNC
2. 4-axis CNC
3. 5-axis CNC machines

Although there are starting to be other machines on the market (e.g. this 6-axis machine reported on in 2019), 5-axis is the most common “top limit.”

With Robotic Machining

An alternative to CNC is to use robot machining. This involves adding a machining tool onto an industrial robot.

With this setup, the basic setup has 6 DoF, as this is the standard for industrial robots. However, there is scope for many more axes to your robot machining setup by adding as many extra axes as you want!

Although you can never increase the DoF above 6, adding more axes like this allows a much bigger workspace and more flexibility.

Which is Better: CNC or Robot Machining?

The current trend towards multi-axis machining is making 5-axis machines more popular. However, there are disadvantages to using CNC machines compared to robot machining.

Two major downsides to multi-axis CNC machines are:

• They are inflexible — You can’t just add an extra axis as you can with robot machining.
• They are huge! — With CNC, the more axes you have the bigger the machine usually becomes.

Ultimately, the choice of which technology you choose is up to you, but it’s worth mentioning that Robot machining can even outperform CNC machines in some cases.

Robot machining can really simplify your life compared to using multi-axis CNC machines.

What do you think of multi-axis CNC machines compared to robot machining? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post Why Increasing Machining Axes Cuts Production Costs appeared first on RoboDK blog.

You’ve invested in an industrial robot to improve your process, but there’s a problem. It’s just not got a big enough work envelope to suit your needs. Perhaps your workpiece is much bigger than you had anticipated, or you need the robot to operate on two different workstations.

Should you get a bigger robot?

Should you change your process?

Perhaps an auxiliary axis is what you need!

Auxiliary axes (aka external axes) are a great way to add extra work envelope to your robot without changing other aspects of your setup. According to Welding Productivity magazine, choosing whether or not to use auxiliary axes is “a critical decision” when considering robotic automation.

But, what is an auxiliary axis and how do you use it with offline programming? Let’s find out.

What is an Auxiliary Axis?

An auxiliary or external axis is any extra mechanism which you add to your robot cell to add extra Degrees of Freedom and/or extend the robot’s range of motion. They can either be attached to the robot itself or to the workpiece.

There are various benefits to using external axes, including increased flexibility, the ability to work on larger workpieces, and access to previously unreachable areas of the workspace. An extra benefit can also be reduced cost — in some cases it can be cheaper to use a smaller robot with an auxiliary axis than to invest in a larger robot.

However, probably the clearest benefit is the increase in work envelope. Theoretically, there are no limits to how much you can extend the robot’s workspace with auxiliary axes.

3 Types of Auxiliary Axis

The RoboDK Robot Library has 40 different external axes from manufacturers including KUKA, ABB, and GUDEL. However, although there are many different models, there are basically 3 types of auxiliary axis:

1. Linear Tracks

Linear tracks add a single, extra Degree of Freedom to the robot. Tracks are usually mounted onto the floor. The robot is then mounted onto the track and moves along its length.

An example of a linear track from the Robot Library is the KL4000 from KUKA, which can hold payloads of 4000kg and can add up to 30m to the robot’s workspace.

2. Workpiece Positioners

Unlike linear tracks, workpiece positioners are not attached to the robot itself. Instead they are used to hold the workpiece. They provide additional Degrees of Freedom by allowing you to precisely position the workpiece while the robot operates on it.

The robot is usually fixed to the ground when using a workpiece positioner. However, you can also extend the flexibility of the robot even further by fixing the robot to another auxiliary axis. For example, here is a video of an 8-axis robotic machining application where the robot is mounted on a linear axis and operating on a part attached to a workpiece positioner.

An example of a workpiece positioner from the Robot Library is the IRBP L from ABB, which is aimed at positioning workpieces for arc welding, thermal cutting, and robot machining.

3. Gantry Cranes

Gantry cranes are used when you want to mount the robot above the workspace. By integrating the robot programming with the crane, you can increase the robot’s workspace hugely. Gantry cranes can be a single linear axis, an XY cartesian mechanism, or an XYZ mechanism. The Z axis actuation allows you to change the height of the robot, either by raising and lowering the robot itself, or in some cases, by raising and lowering the entire crane.

An example of a gantry crane from the Robot Library is the GUDEL FP. It provides an XYZ actuation and is used in industries such as logistics, aerospace, and automotive.

5 Steps to Use Auxiliary Axes With Offline Programming

Here are the basic steps you can take to add an auxiliary axis to your offline programming.

1. Assess Your Needs

Firstly, it’s always a good idea to assess your needs for the robot cell and decide if an auxiliary axis is really the right option. Look at your application and work out how much workspace is required for the task. Decide what type of auxiliary axis would be best to meet this need.

Of course, you can use also offline programming as a way to experiment with auxiliary axes before you invest in the real technology. If so, you might not want to make a decision yet.

2. Create Your Mechanism (or Use the Library)

If your chosen auxiliary axis is included in the Robot Library, you simply need to open it up and you can start using it immediately, just as you would with any other robot.

However, if there isn’t an axis which is similar to the one you will be using (e.g. if you have a custom-built axis) you can also create your own mechanism. This page of the documentation introduces the custom mechanism window and this video tutorial shows how to create a 3 axis Cartesian mechanism from scratch.

3. Attach Your Robot

Once you have a working model of your auxiliary axis, you just need to attach your robot to it. In RoboDK, this is very easy to do. You just load the robot model into the software then drag it onto the auxiliary axis. This will place the robot onto the right place on the mechanism.

4. Synchronize the Axis

You can now control both the robot and the auxiliary axis separately. However, the real power of offline programming comes when you synchronize the external axis with the robot. You do this in RoboDK by right clicking on the robot model in the program tree and clicking “Synch External Axis“. This brings up a window which allows you to synchronize a robot, linear axis, and a workpiece positioner.

This means that whenever you move the robot, it will also move the external axis if the position you are trying to move to does not fall within the robot’s workspace.

5. Program the Robot

Finally, you can now create your robot program! Check out our ever-growing catalog of tutorial videos for examples of how to create programs in RoboDK.

Auxiliary axes really have the power to take your robotic application to the next level. When workspace is no limit, you can do anything!

How could you use auxiliary axes in your robotic application? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post The Guide to Using Auxiliary Axes with Offline Programming appeared first on RoboDK blog.