Lecture 24 & 25

Robot Programming and

Work Cell concepts

Dr. D. Saravanakumar,
Assistant Professor, SMBS,
VIT - Chennai Campus.
Email: saravanakumar.d@vit.ac.in

22 & 25-Oct-18 MEE1030 – Robotics 1

 Programming

• Three Programming Methods:

• Manual teaching
• Lead through teaching
• Programming languages

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 Programming

•Manual Teaching:
•Point to Point applications
•Lead Through Teaching:
•Continuous Path Programming
•Robot Simulator
•Advantage is direct programming but also
have disadvantages

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 Programming

•Disadvantages:
•Every motion is recorded and played back
in the same manner. So unintentional
motions also be played.
•Impossible to achieve exact required
velocity
•Memory size is required to store the data.
•Investment in a simulator is required.

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 Programming

•Programming Languages:
•AL
•VAL
•AML
•RPL

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 Classification of Robotics Languages

•First Generation Language

•Off-Line Programming used in combination
with teach pendant.
•VAL is an example of this kind.
•Second Generation Language
•World modelling and task oriented object
level language

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 Classification of Robotics Languages

•Second Generation Language:

•AML,VAL II etc…
•Structural Programming language
performing complex tasks.
•Apart from straight line interpolation
performs complex motions.
•Uses force, torque and other sensors.
•Data processing, file management and
keeping all records is done.

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 Classification of Robotics Languages

•World modelling and task oriented object

level language
•More advanced language is WORLD
modelling.
•Intelligence is required.

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 Modes

• In a robot, there are 3 basic modes of operation:

• Monitor mode
• Programmer define locations, load a particular
information in a register, save transfer programs
from storage.
• Move back and forth into edit or run mode
• Edit mode
• Programmer can edit or change set of instructions.
• Run or Execute mode
• Pre defined task can be executed in run mode.
• Debugging.

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 VAL System and Language
INTRODUCTION TO VAL:
• Programming language and operating system which
controls a robotic system.
• VAL programs also include subroutines, which are
separate programs.
LOCATIONS:
• Represents the position and orientation of robot tool.
• Two ways of representing robot locations
* Precision point.
* Cartesian coordinates and orientation angles.
• These are called transformations.

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 VAL System and Language
TRAJECTORY CONTROL:
Two methods to control the path of the robot.
• Interpolate between initial and final position, producing tool
tip curve in space.
• Move the robot tip in straight line path.
• For the first case, called JOINT INTERPOLATED
MOTION, the total time required is that of the longest joint
in the robot.
• In the second case, the motion speed of the robot tool tip can
be accurately controlled.

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 VAL System and Language

MONITOR COMMANDS:
To enter and execute a program, we have to
use monitor commands.
• Defining and Determining Locations.
• Editing Programs.
• Listing Program and Location Data.
• Storing, Retrieving and Location Data.
• Program control

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 VAL System and Language
Determining and Defining Locations:
• HERE and POINT command.
• WHERE command is used to display the current location.
• TEACH command is used for recording locations when
RECORD button is pressed.

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 VAL System and Language

Editing Programs:
• EDIT command.
Listing Program and Location Data:
• LISTL & LISTP commands.
Storing, Retrieving and Location Data:
• LISTF command.
• STOREP, STOREL and STORE commands.
• LOADP, LOADL and LOAD commands.

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 VAL System and Language

Storing, Retrieving and Location Data:

• In VAL II, an additional command is FLIST.
• Besides VAL and VAL II can accept commands.
COPY
RENAME
DELETE

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 VAL System and Language

Program control:
• SPEED command.
• EXECUTE command.
• ABORT command.
• DRIVE command.
• DO ALIGN command.

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 VAL System and Language

PROGRAM INSTRUCTIONS:
Describes some important instructions
included in the program.
• Robot Configuration Control.
• Motion Control.
• Hand Control.
• Location, Assignment and Modification.
• Program Control.

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 VAL System and Language

Robot Configuration Control:

• Execution of next motion of instruction other than a
straight line.
• RIGHTY or LEFTY command.
• ABOVE or BELOW command.

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 VAL System and Language

Motion Control:
• MOVE command.
• MOVES command.
• DRAW command.
• APPRO command.
• DEPART command.
• APPROS or DEPARTS commands.
• CIRCLE command.

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 VAL System and Language

Hand Control:
• OPEN and CLOSE commands.
• OPENI and CLOSEI commands.
• CLOSEI 75 in VAL II, if a servo-controlled gripper
is used, then this command causes the gripper to
close immediately to 75 mm.
• A gripper closing command is also given by
GRASP 20, 15

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 VAL System and Language

Hand Control:
• MOVEST PART, 30
Indicates the servo controlled end effector causes a
straight line motion to a point defined by the PART
and the gripper opening is changed to 30 mm.
• MOVET PART, 30
Causes the gripper to move to position, PART with
an opening of 30 mm by Joint Interpolated Motion.

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 VAL System and Language

Location, Assignment and Modification:

The instructions that do the same as
the corresponding monitor commands
• SET and HERE commands.

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 VAL System and Language

Program Control:
• SETI command sets the value of an integer variable
to the result of an expression
• TYPEI displays the name and value of an integer
variable.
• GOTO20
• GOSUB and RETURN
• PAUSE

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 VAL System and Language

Program Control:
• PROCEED
• SIGNAL
• IFSIG and WAIT
• RESET

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 A Sample Robot Program

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 Work cell

• Robot + associated equipment.

• Workstation
• Workcell with single robot
• One work location along production line
consisting of several robot, including human
worker
• Problems:
• Physical design of the workcell
• Design of the control system which will
coordinate the activities, various components

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 Robot Workcell Layouts

•Robot-centered cell
•In-line robot cell
•Mobile robot cell

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 Robot-centered cell
• Single robot
• Located at the approximate
center.
• Partial circle
• Servicing a single
production machine
• Performing a single
production operation
• Disadvantage
• Delivery methods to be
provided
• More idle time
• Large cycle time
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 Robot-centered cell

•Application
•Die casting
•Loading and unloading
•Machining
•Plastic molding
•Welding

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 In-line Robot Cell
• Robot is located along a moving conveyor or other handling
system
• Perform task when product travels pass.
• Involve more than a single robot placed along the moving line
• E.g. Car body assembly, spot welding
• Categories of transfer
• Intermittent transfer
• Continuous transfer
• Nonsynchronous transfer

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 In-line Robot Cell

• Intermittent
• System moves the parts with start and stop motion
• Synchronous
• Parts moved simultaneously
• Registered at their next stop
• Fixed location and orientation
• Idle time

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 In-line Robot Cell
• Continuous
• Workparts are moved continuously along line at constant speed
• Position and orientation changes which can be fixed using -
• Moving baseline tracking system- additional DOF (mounting
robot on cart)
• Floor space, collision, interference
• Stationary baseline tracking system- tracking moving parts
• Sufficient computational and control
• Tracking window (Net work volume)
• Non synchronous
• ‘power and free’ part moves independently along the conveyor
in a stop-and-go fashion.- sensor

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 Mobile Robot Cells
• Capable of moving to the
various pieces of
equipment with in the
cell.
• Mounting robot on a
mobile base
• Floor or overhead rail
• Increased cost
• Application for Long
processing cycles
(enough time for
others)
• Optimum number of
machines
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 Work Cell Control
• Coordinating various activities that occur in work cell
• Coordination is accomplished by work cell controller.
• Workcell controller
• Performing computations
• Dealing with exceptional events such as equipment
breakdown
• perform irregular cycles- tool changing
• The functions performed are
• Sequence control
• Operator interface
• Safety monitoring

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 Work Cell Control - Sequence control
• Control of the sequence of activities in the workcell.
• Control of simultaneous activities
• Making decisions to proceed with the work cycle based
on events that occur in the cell
• Making decisions to stop or delay the work cycle based
on events that occur in the cell

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 Work Cell Control - Operator interface and
Safety monitoring
• Safety monitoring
• Monitor its own operation for unsafe or
potentially unsafe conditions in cell.
• Operator interface
• The human is an integral part of the workcell
• Emergency stop conditions
• Program editing or data input by operator

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 Interlocks

• To make sure that a raw workpart was at the pickup

location on the conveyor before the robot tried to
grasp the part
• To determine when the machining cycle was
completed before the robot attempts to load the part
into the fixture.
• To indicate that the part has been successfully
loaded so that the automatic machining cycle can
begin

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 Interlocks

• Regulating the sequence in which various elements

of the cycle are carried out
• Output Interlocks- signal from workstation. Eg work
part have been safely loaded
• Input Interlocks – Wait signal (Properly loaded to
the fixture of machine tool. Limit switches can be
used)

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