Robot simulation software company, RoboDK, recognized the need for a more compact and versatile solution that doesn’t rely on conventional computers. Following customer demand for such a product, they created TwinBox. This self-contained system offers a full suite of features that enable users to easily set up and manage robotic systems in their workspaces using a simple single-board computer or IPC.

TwinBox can be easily controlled through a web browser, allowing you to trigger actions remotely and have a 3D view of your cell.

Dmitry Lavygin, software developer at RoboDK, says:

RoboDK is already able to run programs directly on real robots using its online mode and robot drivers. However, it is not common to see desktop or laptop computers in production environments.

The goal with TwinBox is to provide a dedicated version of RoboDK for industrial computers and enable remote control on embedded devices, without the need of a local display, keyboard, or mouse. You can simply control the system remotely from anywhere, using your browser or another remote RoboDK connection.

The need to minimize clutter and save space with production robots

The team at RoboDK conceived TwinBox after identifying a gap in the market – there were no space-efficient solutions for production engineers wishing to directly implement RoboDK into the production line. The product’s compact size offers the advantage of easy positioning – it can be installed either next to or within the factory robot’s control system.

A key feature of the TwinBox is its ability to function effectively without the need for a mouse, keyboard, and monitor. It solely requires network interfaces to seamlessly connect to an internal network and a robot control system.

This allows users to save more of their valuable floor space while still being able to utilize the full suite of features that RoboDK has to offer.

TwinBox is an all-in-one solution for robot programming and automation engineers, with many benefits including its compact size, low cost, easy setup, and versatility.

Remote robot programming built on reliable technologies

RoboDK’s approach to product development is to build new solutions on the back of tried and tested technologies, where possible. This means the company can deliver high-quality remote robot programming solutions without compromising on reliability or stability.

With TwinBox, RoboDK has crafted a reliable system that runs on both industrial and consumer-grade hardware. It supports multiple operating systems and hardware architectures, including Windows and Linux Debian or Ubuntu running on Intel x86-64 platforms or ARM. RoboDK provides dedicated builds for systems such as the Nvidia Jetson or Raspberry Pi-based industrial computers.

Samuel Bertrand, software developer lead at RoboDK, says:

The software works just like the Desktop version of RoboDK. The main difference is that the system can be controlled remotely from any browser.

With its remote interface, users can also access their TwinBox from anywhere in the world, with full control of all connected external robots, devices, and sensors. This allows users to monitor their robots remotely, in real-time, giving them more flexibility and control over their automation than ever before.

Streamlining Multiple Devices into One Cohesive System

A common challenge with industrial robots is that each programming solution is often limited to a single manufacturer. This means that each robot brand needs to be programmed separately, which slows down deployment.

With TwinBox, users can connect multiple robots from different manufacturers together into one cohesive system. This increases flexibility and significantly speeds up the integration process.

RoboDK supports over 900 robot models from over 50 brands. This wide compatibility means that users can be sure that their TwinBox will work with almost any robot model they need it to. The system is also designed to effortlessly handle simultaneous connections from various devices. This includes not only robots but also additional devices like external sensors and computer vision cameras.

TwinBox enables simultaneous connections, allowing you to control it from a remote desktop with a browser. It also “supports” OPC-UA and RoboDK will be implementing other industrial protocols.

Future plans

The company plans to incorporate TwinBox into the larger RoboDK ecosystem. This includes existing solutions like the main RoboDK Desktop application as well as web-based development tools like RoboDK for Web.

This integration will enable users to take full advantage of all the features that have made RoboDK such a popular robot programming software among automation engineers.

The potential applications for TwinBox are virtually endless. The company hopes that users will take full advantage of the product to easily build efficient robotic solutions that can be easily deployed in production environments.

What questions do you have about RoboDK TwinBox? 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 Introducing TwinBox: RoboDK’s Compact Solution for Production Robot Integration appeared first on RoboDK blog.

One of the core aims of RoboDK is to make robots as easy to integrate as possible. Part of this means providing the tools so that your software tools all work nicely with your industrial robot.

The challenge comes when you are connecting various software tools together. Rather than a smooth integration, you end up having to piece together your own connectors and processes… which is very inefficient.

But, with the right tools and approach, automation integration can be easy.

Why Automation Integration of Software Is Challenging

It can be hard to integrate multiple software tools to create a smooth workflow.

Different software packages are often simply not designed to work together. This problem can become particularly difficult if some robot vendors don’t prioritize inter-compatibility – for example, if they want you to buy their products.

Examples of the problems that can arise when integrating different systems include:

• The requirement for you to create custom connectors to bridge between incompatible software through their APIs (which may or may not be stable).
• Difficulties in maintaining and updating software, as one new update could break your whole system.
• Security risks caused by inexpert linking of different systems.
• Complicated programming caused by complex software dependencies.

All of these challenges, and more besides, can make it extremely difficult to integrate your automation software components.

But, it doesn’t need to be like this…

3 Benefits of Using RoboDK to Integrate Your Automation Software

RoboDK offers many advantages for integrating your automation components. When used for integration, it provides a powerful tool that acts as a link between your existing software workflow and your physical robots.

Here are 3 benefits you can get with RoboDK:

1. Easy Setup and Configuration

RoboDK is simple to use, even if you have never programmed an industrial robot before.

Everyone’s automation setup is often slightly different. This is why we provide a lot of configuration options, helping you to integrate the various aspects of your workflow.

2. Advanced Programming Tools

The apparent simplicity of the RoboDK software doesn’t mean a lack of functionality. There are many advanced features once you are familiar with the basics.

There is a huge range of advanced tools, including artificially intelligent trajectory planning and complex welding pattern generators.

3. Cost-effective Interoperability

Some of the other robot programming tools can be surprisingly expensive and restrictive. As many are vendor-specific, they lock you into a particular software ecosystem.

At RoboDK, we pride ourselves on making interoperability one of our core drivers and providing that in a cost-effective package.

Types of Software Compatible With RoboDK

Many types of software can make up an automation workflow.

What types of software are compatible with RoboDK? Almost any type!

Thanks to RoboDK’s powerful API, App Loader, and plugin functionalities, you can integrate a huge variety of hardware technologies and software packages with your robot.

Examples of software you can integrate with RoboDK include:

• Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software
• Computer-Aided Machining (CAM) software
• Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
• 3D printing packages
• Machine learning and other software packages
• Cameras and other sensing hardware
• And many more…

Even if you come across a technology or software library that nobody has ever integrated with RoboDK before, posting a quick question on RoboDK’s forum is a great way to find a practical answer quickly.

The Most Popular Integration: CAD/CAM and RoboDK

What type of software do people most often integrate with RoboDK?

Most likely, it’s CAD/CAM packages. This makes sense as people tend to design their products in computer design packages and want to send them to their robot simulation.

You don’t want to have to change your CAD/CAM package just to be able to use robots… and you shouldn’t have to!

For this reason, RoboDK has created a selection of different plugins for some of the world’s leading CAD/CAM tools. With these plugins, you can seamlessly connect your robot to your existing software. This significantly helps to streamline your workflow.

10 Incredible CAD/CAM Packages Compatible with RoboDK

Whatever CAD/CAM package you use, there is a way to integrate it with RoboDK.

The simplest way is to export using standard CAD files. However, our native plugins make this integration even easier.

Here are 12 incredible tools that RoboDK has seamlessly integrated for you:

• BobCAD-CAM – Used by many machinists across manufacturing industries, this is a powerful mechanical design and machining software.

• FeatureCAM – The main purpose of this powerful software is to automate your programming workflow when designing NC code.

• Fusion 360 – This online tool from industry leader Autodesk is a highly popular CAD/CAM tool.

• hyperMILL – This machinist-targeted tool offers a vast array of functionality for common machining applications.

• Inventor – This superstar software is one of the most used CAD/CAM tools in the world.

• Mastercam – This is a very popular, high-end, and functionality-rich package for engineers and machinists.

• MecSoft – This CAM software is know to be powerful, affordable and easy-to-use.

• Onshape – This is the world’s fastest-growing cloud-based CAD system.

• Rhino – This software has the unique ability as a highly accurate freeform surface modeler.

• RhinoCAM – This is itself a plugin for the very popular freeform modeling tool Rhino.

• Siemens Solid Edge – This popular software from Siemens PLM is designed to be affordable, easy to use, and able to handle large assemblies.

• SolidWorks – This has become the most popular CAD software in many industries.

If you are using one of these tools, you can immediately get started integrating with robotic automation by simply downloading the associated plugin.

How to Get Started With Automation System Integration

It’s true that automation integration can be challenging.

However, when you have RoboDK handling the complex software integration steps, your job becomes much easier.

Whether you are using one of these native CAD/CAM plugins, or integrating your software through one of the various other methods, automation integration doesn’t have to be difficult.

Which automation tools would you like to integrate with your 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 Automation Integration Made Easy: How to Use RoboDK with Your Software appeared first on RoboDK blog.

Roboguide can be a suitable solution for some people. It comes directly from FANUC so it can seem like the most “obvious” choice for offline programming.

Offline programming is an important step when working with industrial robots. It allows you to program and test your robot without disrupting your production. There are many benefits of offline programming.

Roboguide does offer these benefits… but it is not the only option available on the market. If you only consider Roboguide and don’t look at the alternatives for offline programming, you could miss some opportunities to improve your robot programming even further.

Here’s a clear introduction to Roboguide…

What is Roboguide?

Roboguide is a software application developed by FANUC that allows users to program FANUC robots offline. As with any offline programming software, it is designed to streamline the programming process and increase efficiency by allowing you to create programs without the physical robot.

The core functionality of the program is its offline programming and simulation. It also has some application-specific features such as PaintPRO for painting applications and WeldPRO for arc welding applications.

FANUC is one of the industry’s leading brands of industrial robots. You can see the manufacturer’s ubiquitous yellow-colored robots in many manufacturing companies across the globe.

It’s common for robot integrators, distributors, and suppliers to specialize in a particular brand of robot. This means that FANUC distributors often only recommend Roboguide to new robot users.

Why People Often Use Roboguide

When we visit trade fairs and conferences, we find that many FANUC users are unaware there are other options for offline programming.

Why do people stick with Roboguide when there are other options for offline programming?

As well as simply being unaware of the other options, there is also the familiarity. If you have bought your robots from FANUC, the brand feels familiar. It feels like it’s safer to buy everything from one supplier rather than looking for alternatives.

RoboDK — The Increasingly Popular Alternative to Roboguide

If you are looking for an alternative to Roboguide, it makes sense to consider RoboDK.

RoboDK is a powerful and user-friendly robotic programming software that makes it easy to create, simulate, and deploy programs for any industrial robot arm.

With RoboDK, you can quickly and easily create robot programs for a range of applications, including welding, palletizing, handling, and assembly tasks. It is compatible with dozens of FANUC robots and works with all the major robot brands.

All of RoboDK’s offline programming features come with a single license. You can find this on the pricing page.

Finally, there is a ton of free RoboDK training on this blog and their YouTube channel.

Is RoboDK for You? How to Find Out

How can you find out if RoboDK is the right solution for your offline programming project?

A good place to start is by downloading a free trial.

You can also find out more about RoboDK’s features on this product page.

What issues have you run into when using Roboguide? 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 Roboguide: How To Program a FANUC Robot appeared first on RoboDK blog.

ABB has an impressive presence in many international markets. In fact, you can find ABB products on all the continents of the world – even Antarctica! ABB Robotics has a 10.04% market share in the engineering and manufacturing market.

In this Spotlight on ABB, we’ll look at how you can program ABB robots easily for your chosen application.

The ABB Story: What Sets ABB Robots Apart

The history of ABB really begins when with the merger of two significant engineering companies.

Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) was an innovative Swiss-based electrical engineering firm specializing in the development of steam turbines and other power sources. Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) developed Sweden’s first three-phase transmission system and built the country’s first nuclear power plant. In 1988, the two companies combined to become ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB), bringing together over 200 years of expertise.

ABB Robotics began in 1998, with the launch of the company’s FlexPicker robot. It revolutionized industrial robotics by allowing advanced high-speed picking and packing applications.

Now, ABB is a leading global technology company with a focus on robotics and automation technologies across a large range of industries. The company has over 110,000 employees in more than 100 countries around the world and an annual revenue of over $28 billion.

The company says “We envisage a future where the physical and digital worlds merge, making operations safer, more intelligent, and more productive.”

What Industries are ABB Robots Used In?

ABB robots are used in a wide range of industries, including automotive, construction, education, electronics, healthcare, logistics, and metal fabrication.

For example, in the automotive industry, ABB robots are often used for tasks like welding, painting, and inspection. In construction, manufacturing companies use them for heavy lifting and precision cutting of wood and metal. In the electronics industry, the company’s delta robots are often used for assembly and pick and place tasks.

There are so many potential industries where ABB robots are used, it’s very likely that you can find various applications that work for you.

3 Example Applications for ABB Robots

There are so many applications areas where you can apply ABB robots, including palletizing, welding, painting, assembly, pick and place, material handling, and many more.

Here is a spotlight on just 3 of these application areas, along with examples of ABB robot models that suit them:

1. Palletizing

Palletizing is an increasingly popular robotic application that involves stacking items onto pallets for shipment. It is a critical step in supply chain logistics.

ABB’s IRB 460 robotic palletizer is, according to the company, the world’s fastest palletizing robot. It can achieve up to 2,190 cycles per hour with a 60 kg load, 15% faster than its closest competitor.

See the IRB 460 in RoboDK’s Robot Library.

2. Welding

Welding involves joining two or more pieces of metal together to form a strong bond. As welding processes have become more complex, robot welding has grown in popularity. Professional welders are also now more scarce than ever.

ABB’s IRB 1520ID welding robot is designed to maximize efficiency in welding operations. It comes with an integrated hose package that allows easy routing of all the necessary media for welding (e.g. power, welding wire, shielding gas).

See the IRB 1520ID in RoboDK’s Robot Library.

3. Material Handling

Material handling is a wide-ranging category, including tasks like loading, unloading, sorting, and transporting. Indeed, robots can be used for various material handling tasks to increase productivity and consistency.

ABB’S IRB 1200 material handling robot offers users high-level flexibility. Compact and with ample working areas, the robot is easy to use for material handling tasks.

See the IRB 1200 in RoboDK’s Robot Library.

Options for Programming ABB Robots

All in all, whatever application you choose, you need to program your robot easily and in a way that integrates with all your other processes.

There are a few options for programming ABB robots:

Brand Programming Language: RAPID

The RAPID programming language is ABB’s basic method for programming its industrial robots. It uses object-oriented programming and provides functionality to move the robot, compute mathematic functions, and handle inputs and outputs.

Teach Pendant Information

Teach pendants are the standard method for programming industrial robots. They require you to program the robot online, which means the robot must be taken out of operation for programming.

There are two teach pendants available for ABB robots the older legacy pendant and the FlexPendant. Both offer a graphical user interface and buttons for creating your program.

RoboDK

RoboDK is an offline programming and simulation software that works with a wide variety of robot brands. It is compatible with many ABB models, which you can find in the online Robot Library.

As an offline programming tool, you can program your robot with RoboDK without taking the robot out of production. No programming skills are required with the intuitive RoboDK graphical interface. Overall, you can even use the RoboDK API to program robots in your favorite programming language.

How to Program ABB Robots Easily with RoboDK

If you want to streamline the deployment process for your ABB industrial robot, it’s worth looking at using RoboDK for your programming.

RoboDK’s rich simulation environment makes it easy to quickly design robot programs and test them before you put the robot into production.

Finally, to get started, download a trial copy of RoboDK from our download page and load up your favorite robot model.

Which ABB robot do you use and for which applications? 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 Spotlight on ABB: How to Program ABB Robots appeared first on RoboDK blog.

Downtime is an inevitable part of any manufacturing process. But too much downtime can quickly add up. If you aren’t careful, your downtime will lead to lost production and profits.

There are various ways to reduce downtime in a manufacturing business, including upgrading equipment and creating a technology plan.

One particularly effective way to reduce downtime in a business is to use robotic offline programming software. This allows you to program your robots offline, without having to be connected to the physical robot controller. You can thus carry out programming tasks without disrupting the operation of the robot. This reduces the downtime usually caused by programming.

If you want to minimize your downtime as much as possible, it helps to understand what causes that downtime.

Here’s a clear introduction…

What Is Machine Downtime?

Machine downtime refers to the amount of time that a machine is not able to be used for its intended purpose. Downtime can be caused by many factors, including maintenance, repairs, or simply waiting for a new part to be delivered to the machine.

You can’t remove all downtime completely. However, too much downtime can quickly lead to lost profits. Every moment that a machine is not performing productive work is potentially wasted time.

Sometimes, machine downtime occurs because of mechanical failures, such as a broken part or malfunctioning component. However, this is comparatively rare and easy to avoid with a regular maintenance schedule.

An even more common source of machine downtime is just not using the machine to its full potential. When the machine is being operated manually, this can happen when the operator is doing more tasks than they can handle. So they regularly leave the machine sitting idle. Human error is also one of the most common causes of downtime.

Robots are a good way to reduce this type of downtime. However, robot programming itself can introduce further downtime.

The Downside of Too Much Downtime

You should not overlook the impact of downtime on your business. Even small amounts of unnecessary downtime can lead to increased expenses and reduced productivity.

How much could downtime cost your manufacturing business?

The financial impact can vary depending on the industry, but it is always costly. For example, downtime costs the automotive industry around $22,000 USD per minute, according to a Thomas survey.

But the negative impacts of machine downtime are not limited to finances.

Other potential negative consequences of downtime can include:

• Loss of productivity and profits: When machines are down, you can’t produce anything. This reduces your productivity and can end up eating into your profits.

• Delays in production: The delays in orders can lead to angry customers and lost business.

• Harming the company’s reputation: Frustrated customers will eventually leave and go to one of your competitors, and they are unlikely ever to return to you.

• Poor customer service: If customers have to wait for orders because of downtime, there is little your customer service team can do, leading to overall frustration from both employees and customers.

• Lowered workforce morale: When machine downtime leads to workers being constantly unable to keep up with orders, it becomes stressful and can harm morale in the company.

5 Common Causes of Machine Downtime

What causes machine downtime? There are many potential causes, but some are more common than others.

Here are 5 common causes of machine downtime:

1. Human Error

Probably the top cause of machine downtime is human error. Either people use the machines wrongly or their busy workload leads to the machine lying idle for longer than necessary.

Using robots can help to reduce the effect of human error by removing excess tasks from the hands of workers.

2. Equipment Malfunctions

Sometimes, machines break down or stop working as intended. When this happens, you need to repair them.

You can reduce equipment malfunctions by having a good maintenance program.

3. Unavailable Parts

A lack of inventory, parts, or other resources can hinder production. Having a well-stocked inventory can help, but it isn’t always enough.

When you give a task to a robot, this can give your workers more mental bandwidth to check inventory and product flow more regularly, helping them to ensure they don’t run out of inventory.

4. Employee Shortages

Many businesses are suffering from labor shortages right now. Such shortages can slow down or stop production, as there are not enough operators to fulfill tasks.

Robots can help minimize the impact of employee shortages by helping you get more from the workers you already have.

5. Underutilization

When you don’t use your machines to their full potential, you are potentially leaving money on the table by not producing as much or as efficiently as you could.

Offline programming can help to minimize downtime in this case. You can optimize your robot program to get as much from your machines as possible.

How to Minimize Machine Downtime With Offline Programming

Robot offline programming software, like RoboDK, allows you to program robots without having to stop production. This means you can program your robots while they are still performing productive work.

Here are 5 steps to start minimizing machine downtime with RoboDK:

1) Download and install RoboDK.

2) Connect your robot to RoboDK using the Post Processor.

3) Create a program in RoboDK.

4) Test and improve your program on the virtual robot.

5) When the program is ready, upload it to your physical robot.

With offline programming, the only downtime is during the last step. This significantly reduces the impact of programming time compared to conventional robot programming, where the robot would stop production for the entire process.

If you want to keep your business running smoothly, you need to minimize downtime. And robot offline programming can be a very valuable tool to help you achieve that.

How does machine downtime currently affect your business? 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 to Minimize Machine Downtime with RoboDK appeared first on RoboDK blog.

In today’s increasingly competitive market, we are all continuously looking for new ways to stay ahead. Both agile and flexible manufacturing can be a way to achieve this competitive edge. The two terms are related, but they are not the same.

How can you improve your manufacturing business by adding agility, flexibility, or both?

Where do robots fit in an agile or flexible manufacturing process?

And what are the benefits of either approach?

Let’s compare agile manufacturing and flexible manufacturing to find out how you can apply them to make your business more competitive.

What is agile manufacturing?

Agile manufacturing is an approach that uses adaptable processes and new technologies to respond quickly and efficiently to changing market demands. An agile process will adapt to unpredictable changes, even allowing manufacturers to change their entire product lines if need be.

Agile manufacturing has shot to popularity in the last few years as businesses realized they need to keep up with the rapidly changing world conditions. There have been various challenges, including changing trade restrictions, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages.

Those companies that responded in an agile way to such challenges are those that have come out ahead.

The key feature of an agile system is its ability to respond to unplanned and unpredictable changes. Although researchers define agility in various ways, a system’s robustness to such changes is a key factor.

When faced with an unexpected situation, an agile manufacturing system will use a combination of predetermined and innovative strategies to readjust its production.

4 benefits of agile manufacturing

There are various benefits to agile manufacturing.

These include:

1. Reduced costs — Agile technologies, such as robots, can require less capital investment than more conventional mass production automation. They also need much less setup time and effort.
2. Faster response time — When a completely unexpected event hits your industry, agile manufacturing allows you to change almost immediately to respond. For example, during the 2020 global pandemic, many manufacturing companies switched to manufacturing medical supplies, some in only a few weeks.
3. Global scalability — Agility also allows you to respond to changing international demands and regulations. This can help your company if you are trying to grow globally.
4. Reduced waste — With agile manufacturing, you only create products that are actually needed. This means you reduce the waste caused by having lots of unused “just in case” inventory.

What is flexible manufacturing?

Flexible manufacturing is a process whereby manufacturers can rapidly alter production capacity to meet planned changes in demand. For example, a flexible system can adapt to meet seasonal changes demands or fluctuations created by regular external events.

The need for flexible manufacturing has grown over the years with the increasing demand for product customization, shorter product life cycles, and more diverse customer needs. Companies now need to continually change their production processes rather than producing exactly the same products year after year, as was normal in the past.

The key feature of a flexible system is its ability to respond to planned and predictable changes. For example, perhaps you know you will always have a rush of new orders around the winter period. You can plan for this in advance by designing your manufacturing process to scale quickly following such a rush.

When faced with an expected situation, a flexible manufacturing system will seamlessly transition to meet the new production requirements using predetermined strategies.

5 benefits of flexible manufacturing

There are also various benefits to flexible manufacturing.

These include:

1. Better control over processes — Flexibility puts you in the driving seat. It’s no longer stressful to react to changes in product demand or other external situations. Change becomes just a normal part of your manufacturing process.
2. Continuous improvement — The key to success with flexible manufacturing is to view it as a process of continuous improvement. Whenever you experience a change in product demand or supply chain disruption, you change your system to help you better respond to similar events in the future.
3. Reduced lead times — Flexible manufacturing systems can change product lines quickly. This allows you to reduce product lead times and more smoothly meet customer demand.
4. Scalability — With flexible production, you can dynamically raise or lower productivity to suit current demand. This makes scalability a core part of your manufacturing process.

Agile vs flexible: Which is better?

The basic answer is… neither is better… or both are better!

In an ideal world, you can incorporate aspects of both agility and flexibility into your manufacturing operations.

With flexible manufacturing, you can “engineer to order.” This means creating products that are customized to customer needs and demands. It also allows you to gradually improve your process efficiency and product quality incrementally over time.

With agile manufacturing, you can go one step further and “innovate to order.” This means you can quickly adapt your process to create brand new products that meet customer needs on-demand. You can completely re-engineer the production process to deliver products you couldn’t have predicted, such as how Sunrob Robotics created custom hockey sticks in our case study.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether you need more agility, flexibility, or both. However, by incorporating aspects of both agile and flexible manufacturing, you can reap the full rewards of both approaches.

How robotics helps you be both agile and flexible

Adding robots is often a key tool for maximizing both agility and flexibility in manufacturing.

Many robotic systems are inherently agile, as you can easily reprogram them for new tasks. However, you need to use a robot programming software that facilitates this agility.

With software like RoboDK, you can make almost any industrial robot into a valuable tool to improve the agility and flexibility of your entire manufacturing process.

How would more agility or flexibility help you? 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 Agile vs Flexible: What’s the Difference for Robotic Manufacturing? appeared first on RoboDK blog.

And rightfully so! Improving your efficiency can lead to spending less to produce the same products and becoming more competitive in the global marketplace.

There are various ways to improve manufacturing efficiency. But not all of them will work for every manufacturer. The best way to improve your manufacturing efficiency is to take a holistic approach and look at your entire process from start to finish.

Here are 10 perfect ways to improve manufacturing efficiency:

1. What is Manufacturing Efficiency? Define Your Terms

Manufacturing efficiency is a term used to describe the overall effectiveness of a manufacturing process. It is often measured by the amount of product produced relative to the resources used to produce it. In other words, manufacturing efficiency is a ratio of outputs to inputs.

This is the general definition… but it’s always a good idea to start by defining your terms.

Like all companies, you will have your own definition of efficiency based on your specific products and processes. You need to define what efficiency means for your company before you can improve it.

2. Use Manufacturing Efficiency Metrics to Track Progress

If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.

There are several metrics that you could use to track your progress toward improving manufacturing efficiency. Which you choose will depend on your specific needs.

Some common efficiency-related metrics include:

• Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE)
• Total Effective Equipment Performance (TEEP)
• Overall Operations Effectiveness (OOE)
• Throughput
• On Standard Operating Efficiency
• Asset Utilization

Each metric measures different aspects of the manufacturing process. By tracking the right metrics, you can see the impact of your changes.

3. Streamline Communication Across All Departments

Effective communication is essential for any business, but it is especially important in manufacturing. To improve efficiency, it helps to streamline communication across all departments.

A streamlined communication process can help you solve potential issues before they become problems, such as those associated with inefficient project management, information overload, and unrealistic targets.

RoboDK for Web is a valuable tool for improving communication around your robotic deployments. It allows you to easily share your robotic projects with others, no matter where those people are in the world or what device they are using.

4. Implement a Robotic Solution for Quality and Consistency

One of the most reliable ways to improve efficiency in manufacturing processes is to add robotic automation. Robots can work faster and more consistently than humans, leading to increased quality and reduced machine downtime.

You can apply robots to many tasks in a manufacturing business, including:

• Assembly
• Painting
• Welding
• Inspection
• Packaging
• Palletizing
• and many more.

5. Use Conveyor Systems to Move Parts and Products

Time lost to transportation is one of the major wastes in manufacturing. Conveyors are a very well-established tool for moving parts and products through a manufacturing facility quickly.

When you are using conveyors, you also need to ensure you are using them efficiently. This includes setting the right flow rate and optimizing their operation for the loads each conveyor will be carrying.

RoboDK makes it easy to add conveyor systems to your robotic cell. With RoboDK’s built-in conveyor belt objects, you can easily simulate a conveyor belt in your environment. This helps you optimize the position and orientation of your robots to improve efficiency.

6. Use Software to Improve Manufacturing Efficiency

There are various software solutions that can help you improve manufacturing efficiency. Which type is right for you will depend on which aspects of your operations you want to make more efficient.

Some popular manufacturing software types include:

• Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
• Factory simulators, such as logistics, fluid, or material handling simulation
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
• Robot simulation programs like RoboDK

7. Reduce Downtime in as Many Ways as You Can Find

Another way to improve your manufacturing efficiency is to reduce downtime. Downtime is when a part of your process cannot operate effectively because of factors like maintenance, employee breaks, or underutilization.

There are many ways you can minimize downtime in your business including implementing preventative maintenance, training employees in new skills, and using robotic automation.

8. Optimize Your Plant Layout Design

The layout of your facility can have a noticeable impact on manufacturing efficiency. An inefficient plant layout can lead to longer travel distances, increased downtime, and a higher level of stress for employees.

Tips for optimizing your plant layout design include breaking your task into steps, minimizing movement waste, and designing your automation solutions around your space restrictions.

9. Train Your Employees On New Technologies

Your employees are a critical part of your manufacturing process. By training them to use the latest manufacturing techniques and technologies, you help them improve their own efficiency.

When your employees are familiar with the capabilities of technologies like robotics, they will work more effectively with these technologies. This helps improve your overall efficiency and can lead to increased productivity.

RoboDK provides a number of free resources to help train your employees to use robots.

10. Implement These Strategies with RoboDK

Robot simulation can be a valuable tool for applying strategies like these to your manufacturing operations.

RoboDK can help you improve efficiency in various ways, including helping you to:

• Optimize the design of your robot deployment in simulation
• Train your employees on robotics technologies
• Simulate and optimize the layout of your robotic processes
• Generate CNC programs for robot machining and machine tending

Even without simulation, robots are a great way to improve efficiency. But, by implementing your efficiency improvement strategies with RoboDK, you can get the most out of a robotic investment.

Which parts of your manufacturing process reduce efficiency more than anything else? 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 10 Ways to Improve Manufacturing Efficiency appeared first on RoboDK blog.

Do you want to close more contracts with new customers?

But are you struggling to get them to say “yes?”

You are not alone. Getting new customers to agree to your robotic solution is a challenge for many robot integrators. Even if they seemed to be very interested in your solution at the start, it’s often difficult to get them to make that ultimate commitment.

As an integrator, you help your customers by designing, building, and installing robotic systems. You know the value that robotic automation can bring to their business because you have seen companies achieving that value many times before.

But, it doesn’t matter what type of companies you work with – whether large corporations or small businesses – you need to demonstrate that value to your potential customers. If they can’t see exactly how your robotic solution will work in the real world, they will probably delay or even turn down your solution.

How can you demonstrate this value effectively? Here’s how…

The Costly Challenge of Convincing Customers

Acquiring new customers is challenging for any business. But it can be especially tough for robot integrators.

The problem is that robotic systems are complex. There are a lot of moving parts – both literally and figuratively – and robotic technology is new to most people. Your potential customers are probably unaware of all the components that go into a robot system.

This means that they will probably find it hard to visualize the solution in their process. They might understand the overall value of having automation but can’t see the specific impact the robot will have on their workflow.

There are so many qualities you need as a robot integrator to create a thriving business, including having extensive knowledge of the market and technology, understanding your client’s businesses, and clear and defined systems and business processes.

But, probably the most important skill is the ability to communicate the value of your solutions to your potential customers.

Why Some Customers Delay Saying “Yes”

There are many reasons that a new customer might not want to – or be able to – say “Yes” right away. Robotic systems can be a significant investment for some companies, both in terms of budget, time, and the upheaval required changes to their other processes to accommodate the robot.

Some people might be skeptical about the cost of robotic integration. In this case, helping them to calculate the return on investment (ROI) and payback time can be a handy tool.

Other people may be skeptical about the robot’s effectiveness in their specific setting. They might be unsure that the robot will really bring the benefits that you tell them it will.

Other reasons that people might delay saying “yes” to your proposed solution include:

• They feel they do not understand the technology enough to make an informed decision.
• They want to see the robot in action before deciding if it is right for them.
• They need to convince other people in their company before they can agree (such as convincing the management).
• They are worried about how the robot system might impact their current processes.

In these cases, there is one tool that can make it much easier for you to get people to agree to your solution…

How to Convince More Customers to Agree

How do you give people evidence that a robot solution will work for them? Show them!

When people buy robotic solutions, the one thing that most people say is convincing is when they can see the robot in action.

The problem with robotic solutions is that they usually need integration before you can show the robot in action. This is especially true with those solutions that you create as a robot integrator, which are often customized to the specific needs of the customer.

You don’t want to do a lot of costly integration work to create a physical mock-up just for the customer to turn around and reject your proposal.

What if there is a way to quickly and cheaply create a working model of a robot that can convince customers?

Robot simulation can be an incredible tool for getting more customers to agree to your proposed solutions.

With a good simulation, you can give your new customers the confidence that they need to feel comfortable to go ahead with the sale.

RoboDK: A Vital Tool to Close More Deals

RoboDK is a powerful robot simulation software that integrators like to use to create realistic robot simulations for their clients.

With RoboDK, you can quickly and easily create a working 3D model of your proposed solution. You can then share this with your potential customers so they can see the solution in action in their process.

This not only gives new customers the confidence to accept your proposals. It also allows your customers to give feedback on the solution so that you can change your robotic system that truly works for their needs.

Once everyone has signed off on the proposed solution, you can then use exactly the same simulation to directly program the physical robot. This can save you a huge amount of time and reduce duplicated effort.

RoboDK has an extensive library of robot models from all the major robot manufacturers, allowing you to quickly create realistic simulations, whatever robot brand you use.

How to Use RoboDK in Customer Acquisition

The next time a new potential customer asks you for a proposal, consider using RoboDK to create a simulation of their solution to help speed up the proposal process.

Your potential customer doesn’t even need to install RoboDK on their computer to see and interact with the simulation. With RoboDK for Web, you can send them a simple link from the RoboDK Desktop version to RoboDK’s free online interface and they can give you immediate feedback on your proposed robotic solution.

Try RoboDK today and start closing more robot integration deals!

What other problems do you often encounter as a robot integrator? 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 Why Robot Integrators Close More Contracts with RoboDK appeared first on RoboDK blog.

We regularly release articles explaining the newest features you can access in the latest version of RoboDK.

What other features did we add lately? There were a lot of them!

Here are 10 of the amazing features we added to RoboDK that you might not have heard about:

1. Effortless TCP Calibration with RoboDK TwinTool

A huge announcement that we made earlier in 2022 was the introduction of our TwinTool product. TwinTool allows you to intuitively calibrate your robot tool using an automated calibration procedure and an off-the-shelf sensor.

You can find out more about TwinTool on our dedicated product page.

2. New KUKA Bridge Driver for Better KUKA Integration

One of the most exciting updates for KUKA users this year was our introduction of the KUKA Bridge robot driver. This improves the programming experience for KUKA robots.

Improvements caused by this new driver include faster response time, automated robot search and configuration, direct file exchange, and better error handling.

The KUKA Bridge is based on the C3 Bridge driver that was developed by one of the newest members of the RoboDK development team, Dmitry Lavygin.

3. Reverse any Axis with Improved SCARA Inverse Kinematics

One feature we improved was the inverse kinematics for SCARA robots. This new capability allows you to easily reverse any axis while using this type of robot.

SCARA robots are used in a variety of applications like pick and place, assembly, and sorting. With such applications, it’s useful to be able to easily define axes in the direction that works best for the task. For example, you can flip the final axis when mounting a SCARA robot upside down.

4. Updated macOS and Linux Support & Improved Matlab API

We also recently improved RoboDK’s support for macOS and Linux. Part of our ethos here at RoboDK is that our software should work on as many hardware platforms as possible. With these new updates, we have made sure our macOS and Linux users receive the same high-quality experience as everyone else.

Thanks to Matlab’s collaboration, RoboDK has been able to improve the bridge between RoboDK’s software and the Matlab API. This allows you to better use this powerful programming environment for your robot.

5. Post Processor Updates for Better Application Performance

Post processors are a vital component of the robot programming workflow with RoboDK. They are the link between RoboDK and your physical robot.

Throughout 2022, we updated all post processors to make them run more smoothly. We also made further changes to the post processors for specific robot brands, including Comau, Kawasaki, Kinova, Omron, TM, FerRobotics, Epson, and UR.

6. Docker Image for Easier Advanced Robot Programming

Earlier this year, we announced the introduction of our new RoboDK Docker image. This allows you to access even more advanced features of RoboDK through an intuitive programming interface.

Docker is an open-source platform for developing, sharing, and running applications. Its features allow you to do some pretty cool things with RoboDK, including running robot programming features as microservices, integrating with continuous delivery workflows, and running the RoboDK API remotely.

7. WLKATA Mirobot Robot & Post Processor Now Available

We add support for new robot models and brands all the time. A recent addition is the WLKATA Mirobot. This is a 6-degree-of-freedom mini robotic arm, targeted at desktop smart factory simulation and educational applications.

The Mirobot is already being used in various educational institutions across the globe, including the Delft University of Technology, Brown University, and the Australian National University.

8. WeaveGenerator App – Master the Art of Robot Welding!

A new feature you might not have heard about yet is our brand-new WeaveGenerator App. This is specifically designed to improve the quality of your welds simulations in RoboDK when programming trajectories for robotic welding.

WeaveGenerator provides a way to quickly add a wave pattern to your weld path. Sine wave weld patterns have been shown to considerably reduce the heat transferred into the metal during a weld and create a very smooth welding arc.

You can access the app using our App Loader interface, which is for more experimental features and those for less general use. Just activate the App Loader add-in (via the Tools menu). Then, enter the new App List that appears in the Tools menu and enable WeaveGenerator.

9. Get Advanced CAD/CAM with BobCAD-CAM Plugin

Another feature we announced earlier this year was our integration with the popular CAD/CAM package BobCAD-CAM.

This new plugin makes robotic machining even easier than before if you are a user of BobCAD. It allows you to create complex machining paths and send them directly to your robot.

10. Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) Join the Mix

Most of the robots that our users’ program with RoboDK are industrial arms – which could be 6 DoF manipulators, SCARA robots, Delta robots, and others. Well, all of that is about to change.

We recently added the ability to simulate our first Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV) robot, the Omron LD-60. This opens up RoboDK to more complex robot applications that include mobile robots even if this option doesn’t include offline programming. This means that you can simulate them, program them in RoboDK to make them move, but not export the code to a “real” AGV.

However, the simulation allows you to test the feasibility of your robotics project and validate the interaction of a 6-axis robot with an AGV for example.

As you can see, we had a lot of great updates and additions to RoboDK. Now that it’s 2023, we’ve got even more improvements and features planned to make our software even more useful for our users.

If you’re as excited as we are about the new updates that we have in store, keep your eye on this blog!

What features would you like to see added to 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 10 Amazing New Features We Added to RoboDK appeared first on RoboDK blog.

In some cases, taking the wrong action can lead to physical damage to the robot, other equipment, or even human workers. This can lead to costly and dangerous failures.

In an ideal world, you would test all possible situations to avoid failure, but this is physically impossible.

What if you could test more situations with your robot to reduce failure?

That’s where RoboDK comes in!

By using RoboDK to test your limit cases, you can predict the results of many different actions quickly and safely.

What Are Limit Cases and Why Are They Dangerous

A limit case is a situation that you wouldn’t normally encounter in the normal use of the robot. It can cause physical damage to the robot or your equipment if it occurs.

Limit cases can be dangerous because they are difficult to predict and even harder to test.

An example of a limit case might be what happens if all the power fails on the robot when it is right in the middle of a key step of a task. Testing this could be costly and damage your machinery unnecessarily.

One way to avoid such failures safely is to use simulation to test limit cases. This is often done in the field of structural engineering where much physical testing is impossible.

Why It’s Impossible to Physically Test Every Limit Case

Why don’t you just test all the potential situations with your robot?

There are several reasons it’s practically impossible to test all limit cases with your robot.

First, doing so would be incredibly time-consuming and expensive. The cost of damaged equipment and repairs would quickly add up. Even if you didn’t cause damage, the time you’d need to spend testing everything would slow down production.

Second, some limit cases are simply too dangerous to test physically. This is especially true if the robot is working with hazardous materials or in a high-risk environment. There can be ethical concerns involved in testing limit cases and could put people in potentially dangerous situations.

Finally, limit cases are often specific to each different robot model. It’s not always possible to generalize your results. As a result, physical limit case testing can be impractical as you need to run the tests on every new robot model you use unless you use a good simulator.

How You Can Use RoboDK to Test More Limit Cases

RoboDK is the perfect tool for testing limit cases. By using its powerful simulation environment, you can test many more situations than you would be able to with physical testing or other methods (such as “back of the napkin” calculations).

With RoboDK, you can alter your robot programs, then use simulation to determine the results of your changes. You can make more ambitious changes than you would with physical testing, which allows you to identify more limit cases.

Another great way to use RoboDK is to auto-generate custom tests using your favorite programming language and run these through the RoboDK API. This is a similar process that software developers use to test their code.

When you use RoboDK for limit testing, you will soon see various ways you can create a range of different tests.

5 Great Examples of Simulated Tests for Robots

What might a limit case test look like in a robot simulation?

Here are 5 examples of situations where you could benefit from using RoboDK for limit case testing:

1. When Testing to Destruction

If your test would cause you to physically damage or destroy the robot or other equipment, a simulation is a much better option.

Testing to destruction is a valuable tool in manufacturing products to ensure they meet specifications before you send them to customers. However, you don’t want to break your robot just to test an unlikely limit case.

2. When Power Is Lost

Most robots have a safety feature that means they stop when power is lost. However, robot applications comprise multiple constantly moving parts.

It’s hard to know the impact of a power loss on the various parts of your system unless you test.

3. When Mistakes Cause Errors

Many limit cases will only show up when an item is placed in the wrong location in the task area or another mistake is made.

With physical testing, you can only ever test a few of these (e.g. try placing the workpiece in 5 or 10 wrong locations). But with simulation, you can test dozens of similar mistakes automatically.

4. When There’s an Emergency Stop

The safety features of the robot should mean that it stops when an “emergency stop” situation is reached.

You should test emergency stops both physically and in simulation. But it makes sense to test in the simulator first so you can have an idea of what will happen in the real world.

5. When Physical Tests Take Too Long

Often, a physical test will take far too long to set up. You need to move all the items in the work area to the correct places for the test, set up the robot, and run the program. Then you have to do the same again in more configurations.

Simulating your limit cases in RoboDK speeds up the testing process significantly, allowing you to test even more situations.

How to Start Testing Limit Cases With RoboDK

You can get started with RoboDK limit case testing quite easily.

First, get a copy of RoboDK and familiarize yourself with its programming environment.

Start by identifying some simple limit case situations and build these in the simulation environment.

With a very little setup, you can start to reliably test limit cases that would be difficult or expensive to test in the real world. This can help you avoid costly mistakes and keep your robots and equipment safe for continued use.

What limit cases would you never like to test? 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 Don’t Break Your Robot! Use RoboDK to Test Limit Cases appeared first on RoboDK blog.

With virtual commissioning, you create a virtual model of your ideal automation solutions. You can test out those solutions, tweak them, and see how the automation technology will work with your specific process.

Commissioning any automation solution can be a complex and time-consuming process. With virtual commissioning, you can use robotic simulation technology to reduce both that complexity and the time. It avoids unnecessary downtime because you don’t have to take your existing machines offline to test the automation solution.

It seems likely that virtual commissioning will remain a core step in the automation process from now on. If you are looking for a way to streamline your deployment process, this option may be the answer.

What is Virtual Commissioning?

Virtual commissioning is the use of simulation technology to design, install, and test automation solutions before deploying the physical hardware into a manufacturing environment. For example, robotic simulation software can optimize a robot’s deployment without unnecessary downtime.

At the center of any virtual commissioning project is the simulation software. This software will include virtual models of any automation technology that might be used, as well as algorithms and functionality to test the operation of your system.

With robotic solutions, you can use the same simulation software to program the physical robot. RoboDK includes both simulation and offline programming functionalities. Once you have finished testing your deployment in the simulator, you can connect your physical robot and download the program directly to the robotic hardware.

The Difference Between Virtual and Traditional Commissioning

Is virtual commissioning really that different from traditional commissioning?

There are a few key differences between the two approaches to commissioning an automation project.

Traditional commissioning typically occurs on-site at the physical location where you will deploy the automation solution, such as your factory floor. You bring various physical tools and testing equipment for manual troubleshooting. This means that you may have to shut down some or all of your existing manufacturing processes for the duration of the commissioning project, which can be costly.

With virtual commissioning, you perform most of the deployment remotely, only coming on site at the very end.

Also, the traditional commissioning process often takes longer and requires a larger team for on-site implementation. With virtual commissioning, a small team or even a single person can do most of the deployment remotely.

How Does Virtual Commissioning Work?

The basic idea is to create a simulation or digital twin of your automation solution. This is a virtual model showing how the machine (or machines) will work in your process.

You use this virtual model to test out different scenarios to see how this will affect the automation solution. This helps you to optimize the solution before you take it to the physical environment.

Virtual commissioning with a robot simulator involves:

• Creating or importing virtual models of the relevant parts of your production line.
• Loading models of your robot from the Robot Library, along with any other equipment.
• Creating a robot program for your specific application.
• Optimizing the various aspects of your robotic solution before deploying it to your factory floor.

By approaching commissioning in this way, you can test your solution in a controlled, risk-free environment.

5 Unique Benefits of Virtual Commissioning

Here are 5 unique benefits of virtual commissioning:

1. Efficient Deployments

As virtual commissioning significantly reduces the need for time-consuming on-site activities, it improves the operational efficiency of your deployment. This helps you avoid costly downtime and makes your process more efficient overall.

2. Safer Automation

By simulating your automation project in a virtual environment, you can test potential hazards in a safe and controlled way. This helps you to avoid accidents and injuries that may occur in a traditional physical commissioning process. It also allows you to test hazardous limit cases that would be impossible to test with physical hardware.

3. Improved Team Communication

A simulator can provide a common platform for all your team members to view, understand, and suggest changes to your automation solution. This can help to improve communication and avoids potential misunderstandings. With RoboDK for Web, your colleagues don’t even need to install the software to view the simulation.

4. Flexibility to Changes

One significant benefit of virtual commissioning is that it is easy to make changes or adjustments to your production process. You can quickly test new ideas in the simulator, safely knowing that you are not disrupting your production.

5. Better Understanding of the Solution

Finally, developing your automation solution in a simulator allows you to better understand how it works. By “playing” with the technology in the virtual environment, you will quickly gain a working knowledge of its possibilities and limitations. This helps you make better use of the technology in the real world.

Will Virtual Commissioning Change Automation?

With the ever-increasing popularity of digital tools, it seems likely that virtual commissioning is here to stay.

Virtual commissioning helps to break down the entry barriers to automation that have restricted robot adoption for many manufacturers. It can allow anyone to quickly and efficiently deploy automation technologies to their manufacturing processes while reducing the risks associated with unnecessary downtime.

When you deploy your robotic technology with virtual commissioning, you increase your chances that the automation project will be a success. This makes robotics less risky as a solution and more valuable.

What questions do you have about virtual commissioning? 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 Virtual Commissioning: Is It the Future for Automation? appeared first on RoboDK blog.

There are various methods of automation validation, depending on the type of automation you are using. For example, software-only automation – such as that used to automate administrative tasks – may have both software-based and human testing.

For robotic automation, an effective tool for validating your automation designs is robot simulation. This enables you to test your robotic system in a controlled virtual environment before you deploy robots to the real world.

Let’s explore how robot simulation can help you optimize your automation solution before you even touch a physical robot.

What Is Automation Validation and Why Is It Important?

Automation validation is the process of testing an automation solution to ensure that it meets the required standards and specifications. This is important because automation systems can be complex and expensive. The practice of automation validation is most often used in closely regulated industries.

If you are working in an industry with strict regulations, such as pharmaceutical or aerospace manufacturing, you may be legally required to validate any automation solutions you use. However, even if you operate in another industry, validation can be useful as it allows you to solve any potential problems before the automation is put into production.

Validation allows you to prove that the solution meets your required standards. If you are measuring the solution to meet your company’s own standards – rather than those of a regulator – you first need to define what those standards are.

For example, if you need your robot to run for at least 19 hours a day with no issues, this will be one requirement you may test for.

Why Use Robot Simulation for Automation Validation?

Any automation can be complex, but robots can be particularly complicated to validate because of their multi-layered architectures, ability to interact with their environment, and wide range of accessories. The success of a robot doesn’t just depend on its hardware and software components, but also on how these components work together.

Robot simulators, like RoboDK, provide a virtual environment where you can test your robotic system safely.

With a good robot simulator, you can easily test various aspects of your automation solution. You can quickly run multiple tests on your chosen setup and identify aspects that you still need to improve.

You can then use exactly the same simulation software to make those improvements to the robotic setup. The right robot simulator will help you identify potential problems up front and give you the tools to solve them.

When to Validate and When Not to Validate

How can you tell when you should validate an automation solution design and when you can safely leave out this step?

It’s a good idea to consider automation validation for any automation design, whether it’s a simple automation solution or a more complex system.

There are only ever benefits to thoroughly testing your designs. There are very few downsides. The major drawback of automation validation is usually the time that it takes. However, with a good robot simulator, this time is reduced compared to when you only validate the physical robot setup.

If you are operating in a highly-regulated industry, you should check if automation validation is a legal requirement. Identify which standards and regulations you need to follow and comply with the specified testing procedures.

7 Factors to Test and Optimize Your Automation Strategy

What aspects of your automation setup can you test with a robot simulator?

There are many factors that you can validate within a simulator. Which you choose to test during your validation will depend on your performance requirements for your robotic solution.

Here are 7 examples of factors that you can test with a robot simulator:

• Robot reachability — You can use a simulator to test whether the robot can reach all the required areas of the workspace. By using reachability analysis you can also optimize the robot placement to make best use of its reachability.

• Interaction — When multiple components are interacting, you can validate how well the interaction is working, such as with conveyors.

• Cell layout — By testing different cell layouts, you can validate that you are using the most optimal layout for your particular task.

• Scalability — One significant benefit of robots is their ability to flexibly adapt to changing production requirements. In a simulator, you can analyze your solution to see how well it scales.

• Cycle time — The robot’s cycle time is a key metric to determine its performance. With a simulator, you can measure how long it takes for your robot to complete its tasks and adjust if needed.

• Safety — Safety is a core aspect of many legal automation validation requirements. You can use your simulator to model and analyze the safety performance of the automation system.

• Utilization — Your solution’s utilization has a powerful impact on the return on investment you get from your robot. In the simulator, you can test the robot’s utilization.

By validating your automation designs with robot simulation, you can ensure that your system is efficient, safe, and reliable. In the long run, it will help you save time, money, and resources.

How to Use Robot Simulation to Validate Automation Designs

The first step to using robot simulation for validation is to become familiar with the simulation software. Download a copy of RoboDK and build your first robotic simulation.

Then, identify which performance parameters you want to test for your automation solution. Don’t go overboard — just list a few key parameters and then test them.

Once you have measured the performance of your robotic simulation, make any changes you need so that your robot operates as necessary.

Finally, upload your robot program to your physical robot and run some physical validation before putting it into production. This validation step should be much shorter than without simulation, as you will have ironed out potential problems within the simulator.

What aspects of your robotic solution do you need to validate? 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 to Validate Automation Designs Using Robot Simulation appeared first on RoboDK blog.

How can you find information that isn’t created by robot brands themselves?

Who should you trust in the world of robotics for impartial data?

Why is it so hard to get a clear view of the robotics industry?

There is a lot of information about robots available out there. Finding a good robot-related product can be hard work. Decisions are tough whether you’re looking to purchase a new robot brand, find a good robot simulator, or just learn which robot forums are a good place to find a new community.

You have to do a mountain of research and background reading before you can make an informed decision about your next steps.

It’s not easy to find impartial advice.

Why Getting Impartial Info on Robots and Tools Is Tough

You know that you need to keep up with the developments and changes in the world of robotics.

But, the traditional sources of information about robotics are not always so helpful, for the following reasons:

• News outlets — These help you to keep up with the latest trends and releases in robotics, but they don’t provide an overall view of the industry and are difficult to keep up with.

• Blogs from robot manufacturers — These are good sources of information about a particular brand’s offerings. However, they are biased and incomplete in that they will always present one brand’s robots in a good light and usually completely ignore other robot brands.

• Robot supplier sites — A lot of information you can find about robots comes from robot integrators and suppliers. This is more impartial than manufacturer blogs but it is not completely unbiased as many robot supplier sites are partnered with specific brands.

What If There Was an Unbiased Source of Data About Robot Products?

Wouldn’t it be great if there was an unbiased source of information about any robot-related products?

A directory that was created by someone just like you — an enthusiastic robot user who is just interested in getting the most from robots?

Well, such a directory does exist!

Introducing… the Industrial Robot (simple) Database

The Industrial Robot (simple) Database (aka IRsDB) is not some big, expensive market project.

It is a small, basic information database that has been created by Márcio Massula Jr., an industrial robot programmer from Curitiba, Brasil.

Márcio is quite an active user on our RoboDK Forum. He has worked in robotics for over 20 years, working on a huge range of robotics projects — from small projects of just one robot right up to gigantic projects with more than 200 robots.

Back in 2016, he realized that he needed to start collating a source of information about all of the robots and robot tools that are available on the market.

He created the IRsDB, a simple Google Spreadsheet that contains basic information about robot brands, robot resources, and robot simulators.

A couple of years ago, he released his directory to the wider robotics community so that we can all benefit from his work.

What’s In the IRsDB Directory?

Márcio is constantly updating and refining the IRsDB directory, but at the time of writing he has included the following four categories of information:

1. Robot Brands/Manufacturers

One of the hardest things to find when you’re thinking about purchasing a new robot is a list of all the different manufacturers.

With over 90 robot brands at the time of writing, the IRsDB provides a good overview of the different industrial robot brands that you might encounter. It doesn’t mention all robot brands (yet) and the information is very basic but it’s a lot more comprehensive than other lists you might find.

Information includes:

• A link to each robot manufacturer’s website.
• A few helpful notes about some of the brands.
• The country of origin of each brand.
• Specifics about the type of robot that some brands offer, including if they only offer cobots, if the robots come with a controller, and if they have a teach pendant.

2. Robot Resources

It is often difficult to know where to start looking for sources of information about robots. There are a lot of robot sites out there, but it’s not always obvious which ones are used by robot users.

The database currently includes 12 robot-related resources that Márcio uses. This is a very small list and could certainly be improved, but it does provide a few good starting points if you’re looking to expand your knowledge of robot sites.

3. Programming Tools

Not particularly robotic-related, the Tools section of IRsDB contains some miscellaneous programming tools that Márcio uses in his robot programming. One of the most useful things about this section of the database is the notes that he has added about whether the tool is free or paid and descriptions of some of the tools.

For example, he notes that VSCode is a “Text editor that is trending among robot programmers.” This is exactly why we incorporated the tool into RoboDK!

4. Robot Simulators

Finally, the database has an impressively comprehensive section on robot simulators.

And this is where RoboDK shows up.

What´s more, the data shows that RoboDK currently supports more robot brands than any other simulator — with 50 different robot brands supported (a number that we’ll continue to increase).

The database includes:

• A link to each simulator’s website.
• Whether or not the simulator is brand agnostic.
• Which robot brands do the simulator support and how many — with RoboDK currently out in the lead by a long margin!

Check Out the Industrial Robot (simple) Database Today

If you’re interested in getting a quick view of the robotics industry, Márcio’s IRsDB is a great place to start your search. It will help you to start your research on the right foot and will give you an overview of the available robot brands and a clear perspective on the robot simulators.

You can access the database at this link.

Also, you can read Márcio’s own words about the database (in Portuguese) on his LinkedIn post. You can also find him on his website.

Where do you find impartial information about robotics? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post This Comprehensive Robot Directory Will Help Your Decisions appeared first on RoboDK blog.

But, what is a singularity? How can you stop singularities from spoiling your otherwise perfect robot program?

It can be hard to find a clear, simple definition of robot singularities. A lot of the best information on the topic is hidden deep in the pages of textbooks or academically-written articles. To understand the theory, you have to dig through pages of equations and esoteric words like “Jacobian,” “normal to,” “coincident,” “orthogonal,” “rank,” and various other terms.

Maybe those words are very familiar to you and you’ve got a strong understanding of geometry and algebra. Even so, you’ll likely have to spend a lot of time to fully get your head around what a singularity actually is unless you’re already an expert (and if you are, you probably don’t need this article).

Let’s start with a clear definition…

The Definition of a Robot Singularity

A singularity is a particular point in a robot’s workspace that causes the robot to lose one or more degrees of freedom (DoF). When a robot’s tool center point (TCP) moves into or near a singularity, the robot will stop moving or move in an unexpected manner.

Remember that a robot’s DoF is the number of independently controllable joints it has. So, a 6 DoF robot — as most industrial robots are — has 6 independently movable joints. When a 6 DoF robot enters a singularity, one or more of its joints will effectively become useless, turning it into a 4 or 5 DoF robot.

I’ve just given you a practical definition of a robot singularity…

However, there are various definitions of singularities. How useful each definition is, depends on how deeply you need to go into the topic and how well you understand the kinematic theory.

Some More Technical Definitions

Here are a few more definitions you might encounter (which include some terms I explain later in this article):

• Kinematic singularities of robot manipulators are configurations in which there is a change in the expected or typical number of instantaneous degrees of freedom.

• Singularities occur when the rank of the robot’s Jacobian matrix is less than the maximum rank the Jacobian can reach in some configuration.

• Singularities exist for a particular robot configuration if the determinant of the Jacobian matrix is zero.

All of these definitions say more or less the same thing. But, each requires you to have different levels of background understanding.

How Does a Robot Move and Why Do Singularities Occur?

It’s easy to get confused about singularities when you start reading about the underlying theory.

But, here’s a simple way to think of them…

• Robots are physical devices with physical limitations. For example, each of the robot’s motors has a maximum speed.

• Robot movements are controlled by algorithms and mathematics, which have no physical limitations. For example, mathematically, it’s valid to have a joint speed of “infinity.”

The conflict between these two facts can cause a wealth of problems when you are programming a robot. If you’re not careful, the control algorithm can instruct the robot’s motors to perform a physically impossible motion.

This is essentially what happens when a robot encounters a singularity.

The robot tries to do something impossible, such as move at an infinite speed.

The Simple Way to Spot a Robot Singularity

How can you quickly identify when your robot has entered a singularity?

In general, singularities are easy to spot. Your robot is moving at a constant, smooth speed along a trajectory… and then it does something “weird.” Its movement changes unexpectedly and it’s not clear why.

Here are a few markers that suggest your robot might have entered or passed near a singularity:

• It makes a jerky movement or stops suddenly.

• Its tool center point (TCP) slows down or stops. At the same time, some of its joints simultaneously accelerate to their maximum speed.

• It appears to get stuck when moving through empty space.

If any of these happen, it’s worth investigating if the robot has moved through a singularity.

3 Basic Types of Singularity in Industrial Robotics

You will often see robot singularities categorized into 3 types: wrist, elbow, and shoulder singularities.

This categorization is slightly simplistic. But, it’s helpful because these are the 3 types of singularity that you will most often encounter in industrial robotics when you are using most standard 6 DoF manipulators.

Here is a brief introduction to each of them:

1. Wrist Singularities

A wrist singularity occurs when the axes of the robot’s Joint 4 and Joint 6 become either “coincident” or parallel, depending on the robot. Coincident lines are those that are both parallel with each other and they share a point… which basically means that two separate lines become the same line.

In other words, the axes of two joints line up exactly with each other.

Most industrial 6 DoF robots have 3 joints in their wrist (Joints 4-6). For many robots, the axes of these 3 joints all converge at a common point. In this case, the wrist singularity occurs when Joints 4 and 6 become coincident.

In other robots, such as the one in this animation, the 3 wrist joint axes don’t converge at a single point so they can’t become coincident. Here, the singularity occurs when the axes of Joints 4 and 6 become parallel.

When a robot reaches a wrist singularity, its end effector stays motionless while Joints 4 and 6 rotate at top speed in opposite directions. The robot then continues along its path.

Note that, in this animation, the wrist joints are moving infinitely fast in the middle of the line. If this was a physical robot, this movement would be impossible to achieve while preserving the constant velocity of the end effector.

2. Elbow Singularities

You can usually recognize an elbow singularity because it looks like the robot has “stretched too far.” In many robots, it occurs when the elbow joint (Joint 3) is at 0°, though this depends on how the home position of the robot is defined.

Technically, elbow singularities happen when the center of the robot’s wrist (i.e. the point at which all 3 wrist axes converge) lies on the same plane as Joints 2 and 3. There are theoretically two elbow singularities in a 6 DoF manipulator — one when the arm is fully-stretched and one when it’s folded back on itself — but only the first is physically possible.

You can also think of the elbow singularity as being the transition between the robot’s “elbow up” and “elbow down” configurations. In RoboDK, you can choose which configuration you want your robot to use to reach a particular end effector pose. When the robot has entered an elbow singularity, these two configurations will both look the same.

3. Shoulder Singularities

The third type you might encounter is the shoulder singularity. This occurs when the center of the robot’s wrist aligns with the axis of Joint 1, or when the axis of Joint 6 becomes coincident with the axis of Joint 1.

As the robot approaches a shoulder singularity, the motors in Joints 1 and 4 try to spin 180° at infinite speed.

NOTE: Some of these animations are actually a “lie!” In RoboDK, where these simulations were created, the software won’t let you create a program that passes the robot through a singularity.

This is what would really happen if you tried to program this movement in RoboDK…

Workspace Interior vs Boundary Singularities

Another way to categorize robot singularities is to arrange them into two groups:

Workspace Interior Singularities

This type of singularity occurs when the robot’s tool center point (TCP) falls within the boundary of the robot’s workspace. They are caused when two or more of the robot’s joint axes line up with each other.

Both wrist and shoulder singularities are examples of workspace interior singularities.

Those are often the hardest to avoid because it’s not immediately obvious where they are located within the robot’s workspace.

Workspace Boundary Singularities

The other type of singularity occurs at the boundary of the robot’s workspace. Whenever the robot’s TCP gets close to a boundary, there is a risk it could enter a singularity.

Elbow singularities are an example of a workspace boundary singularity.

It’s relatively easy to avoid workspace boundary singularities. Just activate the workspace visualization for your particular robot (which is easy to do in RoboDK). Then, ensure that your task falls well within the robot’s workspace and away from any boundaries.

What’s Basically Happening at a Robot Singularity? The Singularity of a Function

Now that you understand what a singularity looks like, let’s take a step back and look at what’s going on when a robot enters a singularity…

It all starts with a particular matrix that is fundamental to robot control… the Jacobian.

We say that “when the determinant of the Jacobian is zero, the robot has a singularity.”

So, what does this actually mean?

What is the Jacobian?

Let’s say that you open up RoboDK and load a robot model.

In the software, you can enter the coordinates for a point and the robot will move there at a defined speed. In this situation, you are controlling the robot in “Cartesian space” (i.e. you can enter the end effector’s X, Y, and Z coordinates and an orientation).

The problem is that robots need to be controlled in “joint space.” The robot needs to know the desired angles of all its joints and at what speed the joints should move.

The robot’s control algorithms have to turn your Cartesian instructions into joint instructions. There’s a lot of math going on under the surface to let you move the robot in Cartesian space!

The Jacobian matrix can be used in a few different calculations:

• It can be used to convert between the angular velocities of the robot’s joints and the velocity of the robot’s end effector.

• It can be used to convert polar or spherical coordinates into Cartesian coordinates.

• It can be used to determine if the robot has singularities and where those singularities are in the robot’s workspace.

I’m not going to go into all the details of how to calculate the Jacobian because this is just an introductory article. However, if you want to learn more about how to calculate the Jacobian for a particular robot, look at the tutorial resources listed in the Advanced section below.

What Happens to the Jacobian at a Singularity

One important thing to know about the Jacobian is that it changes depending on the configuration of the robot. Every movement that the robot makes will affect its Jacobian. When the robot enters a singularity, the Jacobian at its current configuration has a particular property — its determinant becomes zero.

What is the determinant of a matrix? It is a single value that is calculated by summing all the elements of the matrix in a particular way.

What does the determinant of a matrix show us? For one thing, it helps to calculate the inverse of the matrix. This is important because we need the “inverse Jacobian” to convert a desired end effector velocity into a set of joint velocities.

What does it mean when the determinant is zero? It shows us that there is no solution to the linear equations that are represented by the matrix. This means that a Jacobian with a determinant of zero has no solutions.

In other words, the robot gets stuck because the math “breaks” at the singularity.

The Easy Solution to Robot Singularity Avoidance

There are many research papers and academic textbooks available that offer solutions to avoiding robot singularities. But, you probably don’t need to read them unless you are a robotics researcher or you need to learn singularity theory for another reason.

There is a much easier solution to avoiding singularities in your robot programming…

With RoboDK, you can easily avoid singularities with no extra knowledge of the underlying theory. The software automatically detects when your particular robot would enter a singularity and notifies you of this problem.

What should you do if RoboDK tells you that your robot would cross a singularity?

There are a few solutions, including:

• Move the task to another area of the robot’s workspace. Singularities fall in very specific areas of the workspace so often this can help.

• Visualize the robot’s workspace. This can show you which areas of the workspace are unreachable.

• Try a Joint Move instead of a Linear Move. If the robot will move through free space, you might be able to use a Joint Move. This is less controlled than a Linear Move but it gives the robot more options on how to reach the target point.

Advanced: Some Useful Resources to Go Deeper with Robot Singularities

The 3 types of robot singularity listed above are all you usually need to know to work with an industrial manipulator. You don’t need to “go deep” to understand all the underlying theories of singularities, just as you don’t need a PhD in automotive engineering to drive a car.

However, if you are a robotics researcher or you are working with robots at a more complex level, you will likely need to get stuck in the underlying mathematics.

This is not easy. But, there are some good resources to get you started.

Going Deeper With Serial Robot Singularities

If you are building your own robot or you are a researcher, you may need to get a better grasp of the Jacobian and related theories.

Here are some good resources for robot singularity theory:

• For a simple, easy-to-understand introduction this tutorial is a great place to start.

• Here’s another tutorial that goes slightly deeper into the math but also has some handy visualizations of a robot entering singular configurations.

• This tutorial from Northwestern University is a good one to go a bit deeper. If you like the teaching style, there is also an associated online course on Coursera, which you can audit for free.

• Here’s a guide to robot Jacobian matrices with examples and equations.

How Parallel Robot Singularities are Categorized

Are you working with parallel robots? This is where robotic singularities get really complex!

So far, we have only been talking about serial robots — i.e. those where each of the robot’s joints is positioned on the end of the previous link. Parallel robots are a whole different ballgame as singularities can make them collapse completely.

Kinematics researchers sometimes group parallel singularities into the following 4 categories:

• Type 1 — Serial Singularities — As explained above, these occur when the Jacobian matrix that includes the joint speeds has a determinant of zero. Practically, this means that the robot loses its ability to move in one particular direction.

• Type 2 — Parallel Singularities — These occur when the Jacobian that includes the end effector speeds has a determinant of zero. Practically, this means that one or more of the robot’s degrees of freedom become uncontrollable.

• Type 3 — Serial + Parallel Singularities — These are a combination of the above two singularities. The robot loses the ability to move in a particular direction and one or more DoF become uncontrollable.

• Type 4 — Constraint Singularities — These special case singularities occur when a robot has fewer than 6 DoF and uses a parallel mechanism.

If you want to get started understanding parallel robotic singularities, I’d recommend starting with this research paper that explains the 3 main types clearly, then going to this seminal paper that first introduced them.

The Quickest Way to Avoid Singularities in Your Application

Do you just need to avoid singularities in your application?

Do you want to avoid all the complex math?

The quickest, easiest way to do this is to use RoboDK. You can download a free trial copy on our download page. It includes automatic singularity detection, which you can also adjust based on your needs.

What questions do you have about robot singularities? 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 Robot Singularities: What Are They and How to Beat Them appeared first on RoboDK blog.

But what is factory simulation?

What properties should you look for in simulation software?

You might think that you don’t have the time, expertise, or resources to use factory simulation in your facility. And maybe you don’t…

For many manufacturers, full simulation of their factory is overkill. It is a complex process and takes a lot of time.

If your factory is already up and running, it might be better to simulate only particular parts of it. Those parts that you want to improve and make more efficient.

Here’s a brief introduction to using factory simulation software if you’re a busy manufacturer.

What is Factory Simulation?

Factory simulation involves using computer software to model, analyze, and improve the processes within a production facility. On a large scale, it involves simulating an entire factory and all the processes within it. On a smaller scale, it involves using specialist simulation software for particular processes.

When you think of factory simulation, you might imagine the software packages that are used to design large factories from scratch. This is certainly a common application. However, you don’t need to be designing a whole new factory from scratch to benefit from some aspects of factory simulation.

For example, perhaps you are designing a robotic application to automate a process. In this case, a good robot simulation software would be a very useful type of factory simulation for you.

Do You Need Factory Simulation Software as a Manufacturer?

You might be uncertain whether you actually need factory simulation.

It doesn’t matter if you are using a full factory simulation package or just a specialist simulator (like a robot simulator). Whatever your application, there are great reasons for simulating your process.

Some good reasons for choosing factory simulation are that it:

• Increases your understanding of the production operation.
• Promotes standardization across the factory. Using the same software means more consistency.
• Allows you to model and analyze your factory processes, leading to continuous improvement.
• Let’s you perform a “what if” analysis, helping to avoid disaster in the long run.

Siemens’ researchers note that simulation isn’t a “panacea”. But, while it doesn’t solve all problems that can arise in a factory, it can be an extremely useful tool for any manufacturer.

5 Factory Simulation Software Features You Can Benefit From

What features should you be looking for in any factory simulation software? The specific features that will serve your needs will depend on which processes your factory includes.

Here are 5 features that you might benefit from:

1. Robot Simulation

If you are automating any aspect of your process with a robot, you will want to use robot simulation software.

RoboDK is a highly-popular robot simulation software. It supports hundreds of robot models from dozens of brands. Its offline programming functionality also means that you can program your physical robot directly from the simulation, saving huge amounts of time.

2. Logistics Simulation

Logistics is an increasingly important part of any modern manufacturing business. Simulating logistics simulation allows you to streamline aspects of your logistics processes.

By making your logistics processes more efficient, simulation helps you to get more products to your customers quicker and with less waste.

3. Process Simulation

You can simulate almost any process in your manufacturing factory. By modeling these processes using general simulation, you can identify ways to improve the ones that you might have missed otherwise.

Process simulators usually represent the operations in your factory with standardized components such as queues, delays, transactions, and resource utilization.

4. Fluid Simulation

The fluid simulation will likely only be applicable to you if your manufacturing factory handles fluids. Such simulators model how fluids move through parts of a factory.

Fluid simulators are often standalone software packages, though they can also be incorporated into more general-purpose factory simulators.

5. Material Handling Simulation

When simulation material handling, it involves the transportation and storage of raw materials. Material handling simulation helps you to optimize these processes to avoid the wasteful buildup of inventory.

For some material handling simulations, a robot simulator can be helpful if you are using robots to process your inventory.

6 Functional Requirements for Good Factory Simulation Software

What are the markers of good factory simulation software?

Here are 6 functionalities that are useful in factory simulation:

1. Create and lay out 3D geometry — It should be easy to build your simulation in 3D and change the layout. For example, in RoboDK you can drag items with the mouse or enter their precise location.
2. Define features and constraints — Features should be quick and easy to define, such as adding a target location for your robot to move to.
3. Add non-geometrical information — Simulation is more than just 3D CAD design. You should be able to add extra information, such as the speed and acceleration of a robot.
4. Provide libraries of components — The software should support a large catalog of components, as is the case with the RoboDK Library.
5. Import and export common file formats — Your simulator shouldn’t restrict the file formats you can use. For example, RoboDK supports most standard file formats.
6. Analyze and test the layout — The simulator should make it easy to test different configurations of your components so you can optimize your layouts.

There are, of course, many more functionalities that might be necessary for your specific situation. It’s a good idea to write down your required functionalities before you start your search for a simulator.

How to Find the Right Software for Your Factory Simulation

The right factory simulation software for you will depend hugely on which aspects of your factory you want to improve.

If you are looking to add robotics and automation to your factory, a good robot simulator would make the most sense. While you won’t simulate absolutely every aspect of your factory with such a simulator, it has a wide enough applicability and flexibility to be useful without being overwhelming.

What aspect of your factory do you most want to simulate? 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 to Find the Right Software for Your Factory Simulation appeared first on RoboDK blog.

But what are the different parts of a robotic arm?

All robotic arms are similar. They are usually variations on the same underlying design and kinematic structure. Even industrial robots that look very different can be almost identical when you ignore their surface appearance.

This is a good thing if you are still relatively new to robotics. It means you can understand the core design of a robotic arm by just learning about the basic parts of a robot.

Here’s what you need to know about robot parts, and what you don’t need to know.

Just Using Robots? Here’s What You Don’t Need to Know

You might think that you need to know a lot of robotics theory and fundamentals before you can use robots in your business. This is just not true. You can get by with very little basic knowledge about robots and how they work.

There are multiple layers of complexity in robotics.

For example, you could look at robotics from the levels of:

• Top-level operation and programming: Here you need to know very little about the underlying robotic hardware. You just need to know enough to use the robot.

• Mechatronics and kinematic design: Here you would understand the mechanics and electronics of the robotic machine, but not the specifics of each individual component.

• Detailed mechanical design: Here you would understand exactly how the wrist joint is built and controlled. But you might only know the basics of high-level robotic programming.

If you wanted to, you could spend your whole life learning about all the different aspects of robotic mechanical design. Even then, you would only scratch the surface!

Thankfully, you don’t need to know everything about a robotic system to use it. Robots are a genuinely multidisciplinary technology — a good roboticist knows a little of everything but doesn’t need to know all the details.

If you just want to use a robot in your business, you already have the skills and knowledge to do that!

What Are the Basic Parts to Make a Robot Arm?

As robots are such complex systems, they comprise a lot of different parts. You can categorize these parts in various ways.

Common parts of a robotic cell include sensors, control systems, external axes, tool changers, networking, and many more. Most of these are external to the robot but help it achieve its chosen task.

For this article, we’ll only look at the robot itself.

You can split an industrial robot arm into 2 basic parts:

1. The robotic arm itself: You can think of this as “the robot.”
2. The end effector: This is the “business end” of the robot and is the part that actually performs the task.

Let’s look more deeply at the robot arm itself…

The 5 Core Parts of a Robotic Arm

You can think of there being 5 core parts of any industrial robotic arm.

These parts are:

1. Joints and Actuators

The robot’s joints are the “bits that move.” There are various types of robot joints, including rotational joints, linear joints, orthogonal joints, and revolving joints.

Actuators are the mechanisms that drive the robot joints. The most common are electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic actuators.

2. Links

Between each of the robot’s joints is at least one physical link. These are often metal tubes, though they can be made of any rigid material — or sometimes even flexible materials.

The links provide the robot with stability and strength. Longer links extend the robot’s reach while shorter links provide more stability.

3. Internal Sensors

Various internal sensors give the robotic system information on the position and orientation of each joint, as well as other properties. The most common example is a rotational encoder or potentiometer positioned at each of the robot’s joints.

Other common internal sensors include motor current sensors — to detect when the robot collides with something — and force-torque sensors for finer force sensing and control.

4. Power Source

The robot arm’s power source provides it with the power it needs to run.

Almost all robots need at least some electrical power for the internal sensors and control systems. Beyond this, the major power source will be the one used to run the robot’s joint actuators — usually either electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic.

5. Digital I/O and Controller

The robot’s digital inputs and outputs are how it communicates with its controller. These are electronic signals that send low-level control signals to each of the robot’s joints and receive sensor information.

When you program a robot for a particular task, the controller will execute this program.

How to Program Any Industrial Robot With Any Mechanical Parts

With any industrial robot, it’s not enough to simply have mechanical parts.

The controller software and programming options will determine how easy it will be for you to deploy the robot for your chosen application.

Programming robots can be complex and require special expertise. Each robot manufacturer has its own programming language and conventions, which can make it hard if you are not already a robot expert.

But robot programming can also be very easy.

When you are using the right robot programming software, it’s simple to deploy your robot to almost any task in your business.

With RoboDK, it doesn’t matter what mechanical parts make up your robot. The software already supports an enormous range of industrial robot arms and you can start using yours at the click of a button. Even if the software doesn’t yet support your robot model natively, you can add any robot to it with our mechanism wizard.

What parts of a robot are you least familiar with? 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 The 5 Core Parts of a Robotic Arm in Industrial Robots appeared first on RoboDK blog.