PTAT131: AUTOMATION III

Introduction to Industrial Robots

“If you want to make an easy job seem mighty
hard, just keep putting off doing it.”
Olin Miller
Objective
The objective of this section is to provide a
thorough understanding of the terminology
and basic operating concepts of industrial
robots.
Industrial Robotics
An automatically controlled, reprogrammable,
multipurpose manipulator programmable in
three or more axes, which may be either fixed
in place of mobile for use in industrial
automation applications (ISO 8373)
Industrial robots are capable of performing a
variety of tasks as directed by a program.
Why industrial robots are important
Robots can substitute for humans in hazardous
work environments
Consistency and accuracy not attainable by
humans
Can be reprogrammed
Robots are controlled by computers and can
therefore be connected to other computer
systems
Industrial Robot Anatomy
Manipulator consists of joints and links
Joints provide relative motion
Links are rigid members between joints
Various joint types: linear and rotary
Each joint provides a “degree-of-freedom”
Most robots possess five or six degrees-of-
freedom
Robot manipulator consists of two sections:
Body-and-arm – for positioning objects in the
robot's work volume
Wrist assembly – for orienting objects
Industrial Robot Anatomy

Robot manipulator - a series of joint-link combinations

Types of Manipulator Joints
Translational motion
Linear joint (type L)
Orthogonal joint (type O)
Rotary motion
Rotational joint (type R)
Twisting joint (type T)
Revolving joint (type V)
Translational Motion Joints

(a) Linear joint

(type L)

(b) Orthogonal joint

(type O)
Rotary Motion Joints
(c) Rotational joint (type R)

(d) Twisting joint (type T)

(e) Revolving joint (type V)

Industrial Robot Hardware
Robot Controller and Teach Pendant
The robot controller is a special purpose
computer that has three major functions:
It controls the actuators that direct arm
motion;
It provides the means for the robot to interact
with and control periphery equipment and end
effectors;
It serves as the user interface from which the
robot can be manually controlled and programs
can be entered, edited, and executed.
Robot Controller and Teach Pendant
Robot Controller and Teach Pendant
The performance capabilities of any robot are
solely dependent on the type of arm motion
control the robot controller executes.
Limited sequence control or continuous path
control.
 Robot Controller and Teach Pendant
Closed loop axis controller
for the shoulder axis

pen loop controlled pneumatic robot axis

Control of end effectors and interfacing with
auxiliary equipment within a robot manufacturing
cell is called peripheral equipment control
Auxiliary equipment control is accomplished
through digital input/output (I/O) interface
boards, located in the robot control cabinet and
also through an end effector (EE) cable routed
through the robot arm and terminating near the
end effector.
The I/O boards in the robot controller are
hardwired to comparable boards located on the
PLC, which coordinates all the action of the cell.
Robot control cabinet interface for a Fanuc RJ controller and
teach pendant
Robot Body-and-Arm Configurations
 Five common body-and-arm configurations
for industrial robots:
1. Articulated robot (aka jointed-arm robot)
2. Polar configuration
3. Selective Compliance Arm for Robotic
Assembly (SCARA)
4. Cartesian coordinate robot
5. Delta robot
 Function of body-and-arm assembly is to
position an end effector (e.g., gripper, tool)
in space
Articulated Robot (Jointed-Arm)
General
configuration of a
human arm
Polar Configuration
Consists of a
sliding arm (L
joint) actuated
relative to the
body, which can
rotate about both
a vertical axis (T
joint) and
horizontal axis (R
joint)
SCARA Robot
SCARA = Selectively
Compliant Assembly
Robot Arm
Similar to jointed-arm
robot except that
vertical axes are used
for shoulder and elbow
joints to be compliant in
horizontal direction for
vertical insertion tasks
Cartesian Coordinate Robot
Consists of three
sliding joints, two of
which are
orthogonal
Other names
include gantry
robot, rectilinear
robot, and x-y-z
robot
Delta Robot
Consists of three arms
attached to an overhead
base
Each arm consists of two
rotational joints (type R),
the first of which is
powered and the second is
unpowered
All three arms are
connected to a small
platform below, to which
an end effector is attached
Wrist Configurations
Wrist assembly is attached to end-of-arm
End effector is attached to wrist assembly
Function of wrist assembly is to orient end
effector
Body-and-arm determines global position of
end effector
Two or three degrees of freedom:
Roll
Pitch
Yaw
Wrist Configuration

Typical wrist assembly has two or three

degrees-of-freedom (shown is a three degree-of
freedom wrist)
Work Volume
Defined as the three-dimensional space within
which the robot can manipulate the end of
its wrist
Also known as work envelope
Determined by:
Number and types of joints
Ranges of joints
Physical sizes of links
Joint Notation Scheme
Uses the joint symbols (L, O, R, T, V) to
designate joint types used to construct robot
manipulator
Separates body-and-arm assembly from wrist
assembly using a colon (:)
Example: TLR : TR
Joint Notations for Five
Arm-and-Body Configurations
Configuration Notation Work
Volume

Articulated TRR Partial

sphere
Polar TRL Partial sphere
SCARA VRO Cylindrical
Cartesian coordinate OOO Rectangular
solid
Delta 3(RRu) Hemisphere
Joint Drive Systems
Electric
Uses electric motors to actuate individual
joints
Preferred drive system in today's robots
Hydraulic
Uses hydraulic pistons and rotary vane
actuators
Noted for their high power and lift capacity
Pneumatic
Typically limited to smaller robots and simple
material transfer applications
Sensors in Industrial Robots
Two basic categories of sensors used in industrial
robots:
1. Internal - used to control position and velocity of
the manipulator joints
2. External - used to coordinate the operation of
the robot with other equipment in the work cell
 Tactile - touch sensors and force sensors
 Proximity - when an object is close to the sensor
 Optical -
 Machine vision
 Other sensors - temperature, voltage, etc.
Robot Control Systems
Limited sequence control – pick-and-place
operations using mechanical stops to set positions
Playback with point-to-point control – records
work cycle as a sequence of points, then plays
back the sequence during program execution
Playback with continuous path control – greater
memory capacity and/or interpolation capability to
execute paths (in addition to points)
Intelligent control – exhibits behavior that makes it
seem intelligent, e.g., responds to sensor inputs,
makes decisions, communicates with humans
Robot Control System

Hierarchical structure of a robot

microcomputer controller
End Effectors
The special tooling for a robot that enables it to
perform a specific task
Two types:
Grippers – to grasp and manipulate objects (e.g.,
parts) during work cycle
Tools – to perform a process, e.g., spot welding,
spray painting
The major types of grippers include vacuum
grippers, magnetic grippers, simple
mechanical device grippers and mechanically
actuated grippers.
Robot Mechanical Gripper

A two-finger mechanical gripper for grasping

rotational parts
Advances in Mechanical Grippers
Dual grippers
Interchangeable fingers
Sensory feedback
To sense presence of object
To apply a specified force on the object
Multiple fingered gripper (similar to human
hand)
Standard gripper products to reduce the
amount of custom design required
Advances in
Mechanical
Grippers
Industrial Robot Applications
1. Material handling applications
 Material transfer – pick-and-place, palletizing
 Machine loading and/or unloading
2. Processing operations
 Spot welding and continuous arc welding
 Spray coating
 Other – waterjet cutting, laser cutting,
grinding
3. Assembly and inspection
Robot Application Characteristics
General characteristics of industrial work
situations that promote the use of industrial
robots
1. Hazardous work environment for humans
2. Repetitive work cycle
3. Difficult handling task for humans
4. Multishift operations
5. Infrequent changeovers
6. Part position and orientation are established
in the work cell
Robot Programming
A robot program can be defined as a path in
space to be followed by a manipulator,
combined with peripheral actions that
support the work cycle
Examples of peripheral actions:
Opening and closing a gripper
Performing logical decision making
Communicating with other piece of equipment
in the cell
 Types of Robot Programming
Leadthrough programming - work cycle is
taught to robot by moving the manipulator
through the required motion cycle and
simultaneously entering the program into
controller memory for later playback
Robot programming languages - uses textual
programming language to enter commands into
robot controller
Simulation and off-line programming – program
is prepared at a remote computer terminal and
downloaded to robot controller for execution
without need for leadthrough methods
Leadthrough Programming
Two types:
1. Powered leadthrough
 Common for point-to-point robots
 Uses teach pendant to move joints to desired
position and record that position into memory
2. Manual leadthrough
 Convenient for continuous path control robots
 Human programmer physical moves
manipulator through motion cycle and records
cycle into memory
Leadthrough Programming Advantages
Advantages:
Can readily be learned by shop personnel
A logical way to teach a robot
Does not required knowledge of computer
programming
Disadvantages:
Downtime - Regular production must be
interrupted to program the robot
Limited programming logic capability
Not readily compatible with modern computer-
based technologies
Robot Programming Languages
Textural programming languages provide the
opportunity to perform the following functions that
leadthrough programming cannot readily
accomplish:
Enhanced sensor capabilities
Improved output capabilities to control external
equipment
Program logic not provided by leadthrough methods
Computations and data processing similar to
computer programming languages
Communications with other computer systems
World Coordinate System

Origin and axes of robot manipulator are

defined relative to the robot base
Tool Coordinate System

Alignment of the axis system is defined relative

to the orientation of the wrist faceplate (to
which the end effector is attached)
Simulation and Off-Line Programming
In conventional usage, robot programming
languages still require some lost production time in
order to define points in the workspace that are
referenced in the program
They therefore involve on-line/off-line programming
Advantage of true off-line programming is that the
program can be prepared beforehand and
downloaded to the controller with no lost production
time
Graphical simulation is used to construct a 3-D model
of the robot cell in which locations of the equipment in
the cell have been defined previously
Robot Accuracy and Repeatability
Three terms used to define precision in robotics:
1. Control resolution - capability of robot's
positioning system to divide the motion range
of each joint into closely spaced points
2. Accuracy - capability to position the robot's
wrist at a desired location in the work space,
given the limits of the robot's control
resolution
3. Repeatability - capability to position the wrist
at a previously taught point in the work space
Robot Selection Considerations
 Robots are incredibly capable machines.
 However, there is not one universal robot suitable for all
applications.
 Selecting the right robot for a particular application is critical
to the success of a project.
 The robot selection process starts with a thorough
understanding of the application in which it is to be used.
 The application itself may indicate the type of robot to be
considered.
 For example, an assembly application may suggest the use of a
SCARA type robot for its vertical stability and high downward
force.
 On the other hand, a welding application typically requires a
robot with high dexterity and payload capacity to manoeuvre a
heavy welding gun. Thus, a large six-axis robot may be indicated.
Robot Selection Considerations
Once the process requirements are fully
understood, the following should be
considered:
robot arm geometry
end effector requirements
robot arm performance capabilities
robot controller capabilities
new versus used robot
Robot Programming Concepts

Consider a typical material handling application in which a robot is

tasked to move a part from the conveyor on the left to a processing
Robot Programming Concepts
In order to execute this task the robot needs to know
many things, some of which are:
 Point at which to pick up a part from the conveyor.
 Path the gripper should follow to get to the part.
 Points at which the gripper should open and close.
 Path the gripper should follow to get to the processing
station.
This list is far from complete; the robot needs to answer
numerous other questions if it is to adequately support
the work cycle.
However, the list shows that the major issues centre
around choice of path the arm should follow and when
certain events should occur.
Robot Programming Concepts
It is the job of the robot program to address
these issues.
A robot program is defined as a set of program
language instructions (or commands).
These commands specify the path of the end
effector (e.g., gripper, end of arm tooling), make
logic decisions, and execute peripheral actions
necessary to support a work cycle.
In robot programming a robot program is
entered and stored in the robot controller’s
memory.
Robot Programming Concepts
The path that the robot arm needs to follow is
specified in a robot program by a combination
of stored robot arm positions and program
motion instructions.
Stored robot arm positions are named
locations in space that the end effector must
reach or pass near in order to execute a work
cycle.
Motion instructions dictate the stored position
to which the arm must move, as well as how it
is to move.
Robot Programming Concepts
 Peripheral actions—the opening and closing of the gripper and
communication with the conveyor and processing station - are
specified by the robot language input and output (I/O)
instructions, which examine the status of inputs to—and turn
on outputs from—the robot controller.
 Coordination of the execution of the motion instructions and
execution peripheral action is accomplished with logic
instructions, which make decisions within the robot program.
 There is no truly universal robot programming language.
 Languages and robot programming methods are dependent on
the robot supplier.
 However, each language has, at a minimum, logic instructions,
methods of storing and recalling arm positions, motion
instructions, and I/O instructions.
“To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be
nothing.”
Aristotle
Thank you for your
attention. Did
everybody
understand?
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