On Sensor-Controlled Robotized One-off Manufacturing

A semi-automatic task oriented system structure has been developed and tested on an arc welding application. In normal industrial robot programming, the path is created and the process is based upon the decided path. Here a process-oriented method is proposed instead. It is natural to focus on the process, since the path is in reality a result of process needs. Another benefit of choosing process focus, is that it automatically leads us into task oriented thoughts, which in turn can be split in sub-tasks, one for each part of the process with similar process-characteristics. By carefully choosing and encapsulating the information needed to execute a sub-task, this component can be re-used whenever the actual subtask occurs. By using virtual sensors and generic interfaces to robots and sensors, applications built upon the system design do not change between simulation and actual shop floor runs. The system allows a mix of real- and simulated components during simulation and run-time

Robotic arc welding - trends and developments for higher autonomy

The development of robotized welding is truly impressive and is today one of the major application areas for industrial robots. The first industrial robots were introduced in the early 1960s for material transfer and machine tending. Not long after that, robots were used for spot welding and in the early 1970s for arc welding as well. During the years, significant developments have taken place both concerning the robot equipment and the welding equipment to meet the different challenges within the application area, This paper describes the development and progress of robotization in welding over the years and also some projections and trends for the near future

Virtual triangulation sensor development, behavior simulation and CAR integration applied to robotic arc-welding

Background: An increasing number of industrial robots are being programmed using CAR (Computer Aided Robotics). Sensor guidance offers a means of coping with frequent product changes in manufacturing systems. However, sensors increase the uncertainty and to preserve system robustness, a tool is needed that makes it possible to understand a sensor guided robot system before and during its actual operation in real life. Scope: A virtual sensor is developed and integrated in a CAR hosted environment. The real sensor is of a type commonly used in the arc-welding industry and uses a triangulation method for depth measurements. The sensor is validated both statically and dynamically by matching it with a real sensor through measurements in setups and by comparing a welding application performed in a real and a virtual work-cell created with a CAR application. The experimental results successfully validates its performance. In this context, a virtual sensor is a software model of a physical sensor with similar characteristics, using geometrical and/or process specific data from a computerized model of a real work-cell

A semiautomatic task-oriented programming system for sensor-controlled robotised small-batch and one-off manufacturing

A task-oriented system structure has been developed. In normal industrial robot programming, the path is created and the process is based on the path. Here a process-focused method is proposed, where a task can be split in subtasks, one for each part of the process with similar process-characteristics. By carefully encapsulating the information needed to execute a sub-task, this component can be reused whenever the actual sub-task occurs. Applications using system design do not change between simulation and actual shop floor runs and the system allows a mix of real- and simulated components during simulation and run-time