Introduction to RobotStudioAn Offline Robot Programming Tool

Dr. Richard A. Wyskrwysk@psu.edu

http://www.engr.psu.edu/cim< >, 2002

Outline of Activities

• Sequence of activities required to create an offline program

• Designing robot worlds in RobotStudio• Defining robot motions• RobotStudio features• Advantages of offline robot programming

References• RobotStudio tutorial >>

http://130.203.243.91/Lab%20Manuals%20Test%20Site/Frameset.htm

• www.robotstudio.com> Product> Downloads > Movies >

- Station layout demo- Path definition demo- Program Generation demo

• RobotStudio documentation files

Objectives

• Become familiar with RobotStudio• Learn the sequence of Operations in the

use of RobotStudio• Understand the design methodology used

in designing robot worlds in RobotStudio• Understand how robot actions are

described in RobotStudio• Appreciate advantages of offline robot

programming

ExerciseReadiness Assessment Test A.K.A. RAT

AS A TEAMAS A TEAM, take 5 minutes to discuss the system below.For the system given below write a program in RAPID.

Use Partial pseudo code – this means you may use pseudo parameters but you will have to use real RAPID functions and commandsPick part from M/C 1

Inspect PartOk/Not?

User input…Ok/Not

Put @Machine 2

Put @Scrap Bin

Part Ok

Part Not Ok

This pseudo code should be:>> Syntactically correct in that it should use the functions and the keywords in the proper syntax AND >> Logically correct in that it should represent the system given alongside

RobotStudio

What is RobotStudio ?An offline robot programming software package by ABB for programming all robots that run on S4 and S4C controllers.

Where is it loaded at?Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Robotic LabRoom 244 Leonhard Building

RobotStudio

Write lengthy robot programs without using the teach pendant

In robot studio we define a “Robot World” and the paths the robot takes in these worlds to complete its tasks. This is done though a graphical interface. The software then generate the RAPID code in a file

Steps in using Robot Studio

Design

Define Path

Generate Program

Simulate Graphically & Verify

Optimize

What do we Design?

RobotRobot Workspace – Envelope & TableFixturesRobot ToolsPartsOther Interacting Entities

The model may have any or all of the following entities:

Design all of those?

No, Fortunately we don’t have to design all of those.

There are libraries of each of these objects and most times we just go to the appropriate library and select the robot, workspace, tools etc that we might need.

Design Libraries

Some of the objects that are available are complete assemblies of smaller links, joints and end effectors

An obvious example is the robotFor the program to be practical a robot has

be modeled as an assembly and not as a rigid body

….illustration>>

All 3 pictures are the same robot in different stages of a pick operation

Design LibrariesSimilarly we have to assemble the tool onto the

robot during the design phase

+ =

Tool RobotRobot with

Tool

Design (contd..)

For the objects that are not in the library we have the following options:

• Design them using a standard CAD application and import the drawing in RobotStudio.

• RobotStudio has a built in CAD utility which can be used to design different things.

Tip: Before going in to design standard parts check with www.robotstudio.com & goto 3D-models link

Menus

Toolbars

Browser

Property Browser

Status bar Output window Graphics window

How do I create designs in RobotStudio?

Designs in RobotStudio are created by:

1. Drawing simple shapes (select from toolbar)2. Possibly applying simple edit operations like

rotate, translate etc.3. Assembling together these simple shapes.

What Next?

• Make sure you have all the designs of all the items needed to describe the robot world that you want to program.

• Assemble all components together exactly the way they are in the real world (to exact dimensions and orientation).– RobotStudio lets you translate and rotate

objects easily using a mouse as well as by specifying the absolute or the incremental coordinates of the new position or orientation.

Gosh that might be a lot of Work!

Yes it might be, but once it is ready then you can use and reuse it again and again with or without minor changes.

Eventually it save a lot of work and increases productivity!

Path Definition

Ok, so we’ve designed and assembled everything, now what?

We define the actions of the robot. The movements that are required of it along with all the spatial constraints

This is called Path Definition

How?To define paths we specify the points in the

robot world and define them as targetsThe flexibility of the program will depend on its

modularity. E.g., - ‘Pick’ action can be broken down into

‘move-to’, ‘grab’ and an other ‘move-to’ actions

Verify that the targets are defined in the correct sequence (check in Object Browser)

So our program is ready!

Not just yet, we need generate the program based on our robot world

definition and path definitions

We need to switch the power on!

Hold it!

Switch on the power? Weren’t we in the programming phase.

Yes we still are, but RobotStudio is an offline programming tool and it is designed to look and feel as similar to ‘online’ robot programming

So what?

So, we need to switch on the robot controller before we can proceed.

This is the ‘VIRTUAL Robot Controller’

One of the things that this affords is that it allows the user to ‘Verify’ the robot program quite a lot like MasterCam displays an animation of the NC program that it generates

Voila!

We are now ready to go. The program is saved onto a floppy and is transferred from the PC to the ‘physical’ robot controller, ready to run!

Note: Keep saving your work, along the way, as you create or make changes to the program

Still More

RobotStudio has a host of features which can be applied to program special situations and also to enhance the existing program.

RobotStudio• Do collision detection by checking spatial

interference• Add conditional checks and other code to expand

RobotStudio functionality using Visual Basic Scripting

• Use a ‘virtual’ teach pendant to add to the program

• Optimize locations of various objects and thus reduce cycle times …….more >>

RobotStudio

• Visualize and Simulate movements and actions of objects other than the robot itself

• Collect simulation data in an Excel Spreadsheet

Advantages of Offline Programming

• Reduces risk by visualization and confirming solutions

• Introduce new parts and methods without interrupting production

• Optimize robot programs to increase productivity• Generate higher part quality through creation of

more accurate paths• Check for and avoid singularities