DESIGN OF LASER ENGRAVING ENVIRONMENT FOR DOBOT

MAGICIAN

Bachelor’s thesis

Mechanical Engineering and Production Technology

Spring 2022

Duc Huy Nguyen

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank my supervisor, Prof. Dr. Sc. Christophe for technically supporting
me during the thesis implementation with his helpful advice and feedback. Moreover, I
would like to thank Mr. Milan Gautam and the Robotic Department of HAMK at
Riihimäki campus for providing me with useful devices for the thesis topic.

Last but not least, I am grateful for all of the encouragement and support from my
parents, my cousin, and my best friends that kept me on track to finish the thesis
report.
 ABSTRACT

Mechanical Engineering and Production Technology

Author Duc Huy Nguyen Year 2022

Subject Design of laser engraving environment for Dobot Magician

Supervisor Francois Christophe

ABSTRACT

The aim of the thesis is to design and simulate the laser engraving environment for the
educational Dobot Magician. The first chapter of the thesis introduces the theory of
robotics and the requirements for the topic. The second chapter describes the process
of designing the 3D model with Solidworks software and selecting the commercial
components for the laser engraving environment. The third and fourth chapters of the
thesis explain the flowchart and the simulation of the system in Visual Components
software.

The model of the environment meets the requirements of being highly robust, compact
to set up, user-friendly, and easy to detach for maintenance. Its simulation succeeds in
achieving safety, compatibility, and efficiency.

After finishing the thesis project, the author can improve his researching, organizing,
designing, developing, and simulating skills to apply for further industrial work in the
future.

Keywords Dobot Magician, laser engraving, 3D modeling, simulation, Lean concept,

Safety Ethic

Pages 49 pages including appendices 1 page

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION AND THEORY ......................................................................................1

1.1 Background...........................................................................................................1
1.2 Specification and Requirement ............................................................................2
1.2.1 Dobot Magician ........................................................................................2
1.2.2 Lean Concept ............................................................................................4
1.2.3 Safety Ethic ...............................................................................................6
1.2.4 Laser..........................................................................................................6
1.2.5 Gravestone ...............................................................................................7

2 LASER ENGRAVING ENVIRONMENT STRUCTURE .........................................................7

2.1 Idea.......................................................................................................................7
2.2 3D Modeling .........................................................................................................8
2.2.1 Frame ........................................................................................................8
2.2.2 Dobot Fixture..........................................................................................13
2.2.3 Laser System Fixture...............................................................................14
2.2.4 Linear Actuator .......................................................................................16
2.2.5 Workpiece Fixture ..................................................................................17
2.2.6 Ventilation Pipe ......................................................................................18
2.2.7 Final assembly.........................................................................................19
2.3 Inner electronics.................................................................................................20
2.3.1 Installation position ................................................................................20
2.3.2 Cloudray 40W power supply for CO2 laser ............................................21
2.3.3 TB6600 stepper motor driver .................................................................21
2.3.4 Arduino Uno Rev3...................................................................................21
2.4 Extra accessories ................................................................................................22
2.4.1 Cloudray 220V, 750W Industrial Fan Blower..........................................22
2.4.2 CW3000DG Industrial Water Cooler for CO2 Laser. ...............................22
2.4.3 Air Pump for CO2 Laser Engraving ACO-009D ........................................23
2.4.4 Lift Strut ..................................................................................................23
2.4.5 Cable Guide.............................................................................................24
2.4.6 LED strip ..................................................................................................24
2.4.7 Rubber sheet ..........................................................................................25

3 SYSTEM SCHEMATIC AND FLOWCHART .....................................................................25

4 PROCESS SIMULATION................................................................................................27
4.1 Modeling Dobot Magician..................................................................................27
4.1.1 Import geometry ....................................................................................27
4.1.2 Update kinematics..................................................................................27
4.1.3 Update joints ..........................................................................................29
4.1.4 Move geometry to links..........................................................................29
4.2 Modeling Laser Head Mount..............................................................................30
4.2.1 Import geometry ....................................................................................30
4.2.2 Assign Mount Frames .............................................................................30
4.2.3 Assign Tool Center Point.........................................................................31
 4.3 Modeling Linear Actuator ..................................................................................32
4.3.1 Import geometry ....................................................................................32
4.3.2 Extract primary link.................................................................................32
4.3.3 Extract child node ...................................................................................33
4.3.4 Apply Servo Controller and Positioner wizard........................................34
4.3.5 Attach workpiece....................................................................................34
4.4 Modeling Articulated Laser Arm ........................................................................35
4.4.1 Import geometry ....................................................................................35
4.4.2 Update kinematics..................................................................................36
4.4.3 Update joints ..........................................................................................36
4.4.4 Move geometry to links..........................................................................37
4.5 Layout configuration ..........................................................................................38
4.6 Programming......................................................................................................39
4.6.1 Position arrangement .............................................................................39
4.6.2 Synchronize movements ........................................................................39
4.6.3 Connect Interfaces..................................................................................40
4.6.4 Program movements ..............................................................................41
4.7 Result..................................................................................................................44

5 COST EVALUATION .....................................................................................................44

6 CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................45

REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................47

APPENDIX.........................................................................................................................49
 1

1 INTRODUCTION AND THEORY

1.1 Background

Since the early nineteenth century, automation has had a profound influence on
people's lives. It is the development and use of technologies that are utilized for a variety
of purposes in the industry with minimum human interaction. The application of
automation technology has the potential to solve a wide range of human -created
problems, including an increase in efficiency and dependability. Automation is being
incorporated into a multitude of fields, including information technology,
transportation, facilities, and manufacturing, due to its wide range of uses. For instance,
in the manufacturing industry, some sort of automated process in the form of robotic
assembly lines is employed by most companies. The robotic assembly line is made up of
several machines, but the robotic arm is the most important element of it.

Robotic arms are programmable machines that can do a given task quickly, accurately,
and efficiently. The majority of them are motor-driven and utilized for severe or highly
repetitive processes, yet they nevertheless provide fast and reliable performance.
Hence, they are highly beneficial in the manufacturing, machining, industrial production,
and assembly industries. Mechanically, a typical industrial robotic arm is designed to
mimic the motion and functioning of the human arm. It is defined by a set of joints,
articulations, and manipulators that act together to enable the programmable robotic
arm to function as a stand-alone machine or as an individual robot inside a broader and
more sophisticated framework. A large percentage of robotic arms contain up to six
joints connecting seven parts. These joints are actuated by a variety of stepper motors
that are controlled by a computer. As a result, every movement of the arm's end effector
can be precise. The end effector will be modified or developed as a specialized tool or
attachment in most industrial applications so that it can execute an extremely precise
motion or a repetitive series of articulations. On the current market, there are plenty of
distinct robotic arm categories, each having essential fundamental skills and tasks that
make diverse specific types particularly well-suited for specific roles or industrial
circumstances. The way their joints are intended to articulate - and thus the range of
movement and functions they can do - as well as the type of structure they're supported
by and the footprint they demand installation and operation, are the main differences
between different types of robotic arms. In various types of robotic arms, Dobot
Magician is chosen to be a part of the laser engraving application in this thesis topic.

In 2017, a three-axis robotic arm named Dobot Magician was released by Shenzhen
Yuejiang Technology Co., LTD. Typically, the robot is employed in educational settings
such as schools and colleges. Over 20 programming languages are supported by Dobot
Magician for secondary development. The robot arm's 13 I/O connection ports are
added to connect the robot to a variety of external devices. A variety of sample packages
in over 20 programming languages for controlling Dobot Magician based on its
communication protocol are offered by the provider. Due to its multifunctional and
practical training education, Dobot Magician can be operated with many functions by
 2

changing the different types of end effectors such as writing, drawing, 3D printing, and
laser engraving.

Laser engraving is a method in which the surface of a substance is physically wiped away
by a laser beam to create a groove that shows an image at eye level. Laser engraving for
industrial applications is on the upswing due to the capacity to create individual goods,
safeguard intellectual property, and add a greater degree of safety precautions. As a
result, many different types of laser engraving machines are manufactured for a variety
of purposes. In a laser engraving machine, there are three major components to be
considered: a laser, a controller, and a surface. The laser is a beam-emitting drawing
tool. The patterns on the surface are able to be traced by the controller through the
emitted beam. Moreover, the direction, intensity, speed of movement, and spread of
the laser beam targeted at the surface can also be determined by the controller. The
surface is chosen to fit the sort of substance on which the laser can affect. Engraving
machines are classified into three types. The X–Y table is the most popular, in which the
workpiece (surface) and the laser optic remain motionless or move. Generally, the
workpiece can move while the other can not and vice versa. However, in some cases,
both the workpiece and the laser optic can simultaneously move but in opposite
direction. The second type of engraving machine is where the type of workpiece being
used is cylindrical. In that case, the appropriate raster picture is created by on-off laser
pulsing while the laser successfully travels a tiny helix. In the third type, the workpiece
and the laser are both fixed, but the workpiece surface is engraved by the galvo mirrors
moving the laser beam. Either raster or vector mode can be available in the process if
this technology is used by laser engravers. In addition, the blowers or a vacuum pump
are usually always necessary for ventilation and eliminating the toxic fumes and smoke
if the surface material is vaporized during the laser engraving. For more efficiency, the
laser can be reinforced with an elaborate cooling system when the temperature of the
equipment used in laser engraving is rapidly increased. Similarly, the overheating issue
can be improved when the laser beam is pulsed.

In this project, the main objective was to design and test the functionality of the working
environment for a robotic arm called Dobot Magician. Specifically, this robotic arm will
control the laser as its end effector to engrave the letters on the surface of the rubber
attached to the gravestone. This is the practical implementation of the thesis work. The
concept was firstly idealized through a 3D modeling software such as Solidworks. When
the environment model was finished, it could be tested through Visual Components
software. After the simulation had been finely checked, it would be facilitative to the
manufacturing of the real-life applications.

1.2 Specification and Requirement

1.2.1 Dobot Magician

In order to design the working environment for Dobot Magician, its structure and
specification must be taken into account. According to Figure 1, there are four main
parts of Dobot Magician: Base, Rear Arm, Forearm, and End-Effector.
 3

Figure 1. Parts of Dobot Magician (Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co., Ltd., 2020).

According to Figure 2, the base can be controlled to rotate in the range of 180 degrees.
The motion of the rear arm is in the range of 85 degrees and the forearm is in the range
of 100 degrees. Hence, the maximum range that Dobot Magician can reach is 320 mm.

Figure 2. Working range of Dobot Magician (Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co., Ltd.,
2020).

Besides the workspace, there are many other aspects that need to be checked, such as
the maximum payload, working temperature, etc. The table below, which is from the
Dobot Magician User Guide, shows detailed information on the technical parameters of
Dobot Magician.
 4

Table 1. Overall specification of Dobot Magician (Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co.,

Ltd., 2020).

1.2.2 Lean Concept

In terms of the designing and manufacturing aspects, the Lean Concept should be
applied for the consideration of creating the most efficient laser engraving environment.
 5

The concept is ultimately focused on simultaneously maximizing customer value and

minimizing waste. Clearly, Lean implies that consumers can be provided more value
while the resources are used as little as possible. The main objective is to offer the clients
a flawless value that is generated from a zero-waste process. The emphasis on
management should be shifted from enhancing individual technologies, assets, and
departments to customers so that the target of the Lean Concept can be reached.

Lean Robotics is an approach used in the deployment of collaborative robots in

industries. The technique employs the Lean concept to build the simplest integration
process possible. Lean robotics is appropriate for a fundamental unit of production that
has a specified input, a process performed by one operator, and an output, implying that
Lean works best with a single robot in a stand-alone cell. Lean methods include three
phases that are heavily correlated to four concepts. As can be seen in Figure 3, it all
starts with the design phase, in which the designer is in charge of preparing a plan and
materials for the building of a robotic cell. Following that, the procedure entered the
integration phase, in which all of the essential components were gathered and built, and
the software for the robot's installation was produced. Following that, the cell is ready
to be installed, depending on the engineer's needs.

Figure 3. Lean robotics concept (Bouchard, 2017, p. 33).

In order to minimize waste within the manufacturing process and simultaneously

maximize productivity, engineers use Lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing is
founded on a set of particular concepts, including Kaizen, or continuous improvement.
Waste can be considered to be anything that the clients are not willing to pay or believe
in that will add value to them. Reduced lead times, lower operational costs, and higher
product quality are some of the advantages of Lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing,
often known as Lean production or just Lean, is a method that businesses of all types
may implement. Toyota, Intel, John Deere, and Nike are among the well-known firms
 6

that utilize Lean. The method is based on the Toyota Production System, which is still
utilized by Toyota and a slew of other companies. Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
users might benefit from a Lean manufacturing system as well.

1.2.3 Safety Ethic

One of the most important aspects of the collaborative operation from the company to
the operator level is the development of a precautionary measure for preventing the
occurrence of an accident, harm, and risk. A lack of safety can result in damage, death,
financial loss, reputation, and productivity.

According to Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, robotics must follow the following
laws:
“ A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to
come to harm.” (Bouchard, 2017, p. 41).
“A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would
conflict with the First Law.” (Bouchard, 2017, p. 41).
“ A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict
with the First or Second Laws.” (Bouchard, 2017, p. 41).

Hence, the cell design must follow ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 standards to perform a
risk assessment of the robotic operation. The collaborative workspace should be
defined. The pinch points and the sharp edges need to be identified and eliminated. The
motion paths and speeds in the collaborative workspace should also be rigorously
designed. The designer should also determine the safety requirements for the robot
based on the risk and power required, and then test the application program response
to errors (sensor errors, human errors, external errors).

There are six toolkits for designing automated robotic work cells which are the following:
Problem, Process, Critical path method (CPM), Layout, Simulation, and Design
alternatives (Hsieh, 2006, p. 3).

When designing and optimizing a robotic cell layout, the engineers often face some
challenges and key technologies such as Proper configuration for task, Manual operation
skill learning and translation, Collaborative design tool-chain, Cell layout optimization
and scheduling, Optimal tooling design, Human-robot collaboration (Zhang, J., & Fang,
X., 2017, p. 2915-2921).

To create a cell layout in the right way, an engineer must first evaluate and define the
manual task map, then start the robotic task map and layout, make a comparison
between the manual and robotic task map and layout, and lastly finalize the robotic cell
concept (Bouchard, 2017, p. 68-141).

1.2.4 Laser

In this thesis, a 40W CO2 laser was selected by An Giang, a student working on a related
topic (Giang, 2022). The distance from the laser head to the surface of the rubber on the
 7

gravestone should be around 50mm to 100mm to keep the laser engraving procedure
remaining stable.

Figure 4. Laser Pipe and Laser Head Mount.

1.2.5 Gravestone

The length and the width of the stone are 305 mm, the height is 10 mm. There is a thin
rubber sheet with the letters attached to its surface for being engraved, as shown in
Figure 5.

Figure 5. Gravestone.

2 LASER ENGRAVING ENVIRONMENT STRUCTURE

2.1 Idea

Due to the small size of the robotic arm, the idea was to make the laser engraving
environment covered in a box with a lid for the user to open and close when they need
 8

to insert and remove the stone inside the box (Further Fabrication, 2019). In addition,
the box could keep the operator out from the laser beam for safety use. Inside the box,
the Dobot was fixed and the stone could be moved in X and Y directions below the Dobot
with the support of the Linear Actuator. The structure was sketched as shown in Figure
6.

Figure 6. First sketch of the laser engraving environment. Photo courtesy of

Solidworks.

2.2 3D Modeling

2.2.1 Frame

The frame was installed from the combination of each 20x20 T-Slot Aluminum
Extrusion as shown in Figure 7. It is suitable for lightweight and small-sized framing
applications due to the variety of advantages in its property such as high strength, high
ductility, lightness, formability, and high corrosion resistance. Moreover, aluminum is
the most plentiful metal in the last hundred years. In terms of versatility, there was a
T-shaped slot on each side of the extruded aluminum that is convenient for the users
to slide and assemble additional T-slotted aluminum parts without clamping and
welding. Unlike permanently welded steel, the design structure built from Aluminum
Extrusion can be detached and changed for maintenance, renovation, or other
different purposes.
 9

Figure 7. 20x20 T-Slot Aluminum Extrusion.

There are many types of connectors for Aluminum Extrusion such as quick connectors,
tilt connectors, milling connectors, corner brackets, etc. However, the Slider T-nut
connector is the most popular form of fastener. In this thesis, the 2028 corner brackets
with M5 Slider T-nut connectors were used for interconnecting each different length of
20x20 T-Slot Aluminum Extrusion into a frame of the laser engraving environment.
These parts were fastened with the support of M5 low-profile bolts 8mm in length as
shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8. 2028 corner brackets, M5 Slider T-nut connectors, and M5 low-profile bolt.

Besides the 20x20 T-Slot Aluminum Extrusion, the 20x40 and 20x60 versions from
Figure 9 were also used in the structure. These were placed on the bottom of the
frame in order to make a rigid fixture base for the Linear Actuator.

Figure 9. 20x60 and 20x40 T-Slot Aluminum Extrusions.

 10

According to Figure 10, the frame was divided into three floors. The first floor was
designed for placing the Linear Actuator. The second floor was designed for placing the
Dobot Magician and the third floor was for placing the Laser System. The space under
the third floor and behind the second floor was designed for placing the electronics
and hiding the cables.

Figure 10. The body frame of the laser engraving environment. Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.

After the body frame was successfully installed, the aluminum sheets whose thickness
is 0.5mm could be covered around it. In the manufacturing field, the aluminum sheets
can be cut by a wood-cutting saw with carbide-tipped blades so that it has the
appropriate dimensions to fit on each side of the body frame. There were five
aluminum sheets needed for covering the body frame: the front, the back, the bottom,
the right, and the left side. Nevertheless, there was one more sheet needed for
covering and hiding the cables inside the body frame. After being cut into a rectangle,
all of the details on its surface should be marked with a pen. The small details such as
M3 and M5 holes are created with the Drill Machine, while the larger details are cut
with the Jigsaw. According to Figure 11, the sheet is bent at a 90-degree angle with a
bending machine so that it can fit for assembling. Besides, there were a rectangular-
shaped cut and four 5mm diameter holes on the aluminum sheets which were
attached on the right and left sides of the body frame, as can be seen from Figure 12.
These were cut and drilled for creating a place to connect the cables to the devices
outside of the box and creating a place to connect the ventilation part. All of the
aluminum sheets are drilled with several 3mm diameter holes along the edges using
the Drill Machine. For safety use, the Die Grinder with a mounted point should be run
 11

over the edges of every aluminum sheet to break all of the sharp edges. These sheets
were attached to the body frame with the use of M3 Slider T-nut connectors for the
20x20 series and M3 button head bolts 5mm in length. As an exception, the bottom
side of the body frame was attached with a 4mm thick aluminum sheet, as shown in
Figure 13. The sheet was drilled with double-layer holes so that the bolts could be
hidden when the bottom side was placed on the flat surface.

Figure 11. Aluminum sheet for hiding the inner electronics. Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.

Figure 12. Aluminum sheets for the outer cover. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

Figure 13. Aluminum sheet attached to the side (left) and the bottom (right) of the
body frame. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.
 12

On the other hand, the lid frame was covered with 2mm thick acrylic sheets. The aim
was to let the user monitor the laser engraving process through a transparent sheet,
which can block the CO2 Laser light from human eyes for safety use. There are two
types of transparent material that have the same property. The first one is acrylic and
the second one is polycarbonate. However, the second one is more expensive than the
first one and the design target was to accomplish the most effective product with the
least cost. As a result, the acrylic sheets were chosen to be used in the application. The
thin sheet of acrylic is better to be cut with a Scoring Knife than a Jigsaw. There are
thirteen 3mm diameter holes that need to be drilled on the small acrylic sheet and
nineteen similar holes that need to be drilled on the large acrylic sheet for the frame
assembly. These holes are commonly drilled by the Step Drill when working with
acrylic material. The M3 Slider T-nut connectors for the 20x20 series and M3 button
head bolts 5mm in length were used to fasten the acrylic sheet and the lid frame.
Furthermore, two 5mm diameter holes were also drilled through the surface of the
small acrylic sheet and four similar holes were drilled through the surface of the large
acrylic sheet for the attachment of the lid handle and the hinge. The lid handle was
fastened with M5 slider T-nut connectors for the 20x20 series and M5 low-profile bolts
12mm in length, as shown in Figure 14. The hinge was attached to the body frame and
the lid frame with the same connectors and bolts used for fastening the handle.
However, the surface on the lid frame is higher than the surface on the body frame
because of the 2mm thick acrylic sheet added to it. To make these two surfaces
coincident, the 2mm thick plastic sheet can be 3D printed and inserted between the
hinge and the surface of the body frame, as shown in Figure 15.

Figure 14. Acrylic sheet (left) and handle (right) fastening. Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.
 13

Figure 15. Hinge (left) and 3D-printed sheet (right) fastening. Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.

After assembling all the parts, the 3D model of the laser engraving frame was
completely done and the lid can be opened and closed freely as demonstrated in
Figure 16. The target of the frame design was to optimize the laser engraving process
by setting up the appropriate positions for each device while minimizing its workspace.
All of the essential parts needed for assembly were mainly the same and the sharp
edges were removed.

Figure 16. Open (right) and closed (left) enclosure. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

2.2.2 Dobot Fixture

The Dobot Magician 3D model was obtained from the customer service page of the
company (Gero_S, 2018).

As can be seen from Figure 17, the Dobot fixture was a 2mm thick sheet including two
M3 holes in the middle and four M5 holes in the corner. It can be 3D printed to fix the
position of the Dobot. Firstly, as can be seen from Figure 18, the base of the Dobot was
attached to the sheet through the two middle holes with M3 button head bolts 8mm in
length. Secondly, the combination of the sheet and the Dobot was attached to the
aluminum extrusions on the second floor with M5 low profile bolts 6mm in length and
M5 Slider T-nuts. The Dobot was placed in a position where it can connect with the laser
system and engrave at a required distance from 50mm to 100mm. In addition, there was
a rectangular space behind the Dobot that is designed for connecting and hiding the
cables.
 14

Figure 17. Dobot Magician (left) and fixture (right) model. Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.

Figure 18. Dobot and fixture assembly. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

2.2.3 Laser System Fixture

The laser system was designed by student An Giang (Giang, 2022). It was the Carbon
Dioxide laser for rubber cutting. The system consisted of a VEVOR 40W CO2 Laser Tube,
a Cloudray 40W power supply for CO2 laser, a CO2 Laser Head Mirror Lens Integrative
Mount, and an Articulated Arm for the delivery of a CO2 laser beam as shown in Figure
20. In addition, the fixture mechanism was needed for the laser system to be attached
to the laser enclosure. As illustrated in Figure 19, the Laser Tube was locked with two
mounts, and these mounts were attached to the aluminum extrusions on the third floor
with M5 low profile bolts 6mm in length and M5 2020 Slider T-nuts. The Laser Tube and
the Articulated Laser Arm were connected with a different mount and it was attached
to the aluminum extrusions on the same floor with M5 low profile bolts 10mm in length
and M5 2020 Slider T-nuts. The Laser Head was mounted to Dobot Magician as an End-
Effector and was also linked with the Articulated Laser Arm as demonstrated in Figure
21. The laser system connected with the Dobot was placed in a position where the
Articulated Laser Arm could be moved and cooperated with the Linear Actuator in the
most efficient way and the least working area without hitting the enclosure.
 15

Figure 19. Laser Tube (left) with two mounts (right). Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

Figure 20. Articulated Laser Arm. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

Figure 21. Dobot Magician and laser system assembly. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.
 16

2.2.4 Linear Actuator

A Linear Actuator is a device converting the rotational motion of an electric motor into
a straight line. Due to the accurate and precise control, it is commonly used in robotic
applications to help the robotic arm expand the working area when it reaches its limit.
Besides the Linear Actuator, there are many different types of devices that have the
same function such as the Hydraulic or Pneumatic counterparts. However, the Linear
Actuator is more suitable than the others in this application , because it is easier to
install, costs less, takes up considerably less space, and requires minimal maintenance
over its lifespan. The Linear Actuator can be used to move the robotic arm or the
workpiece in a linear motion. In this case, it was used to move the workpiece instead of
the Dobot Magician because the Dobot was linked with the Laser System.

A Linear Actuator was built up of two main parts: the motor and the body part. The
Nema23 Stepper Motor 23HS7628 with an 8mm shaft diameter was chosen due to its
high accuracy and natural energy efficiency. The Nema23 L mounting bracket was also
included to connect the Motor to the body part. In terms of the body part, as shown in
Figure 22, it consists of two SBR16 guide rails 700mm in length, four pieces of SBR16UU
slides, an SFU1605 ball screw with the same length as the guide rail, a BK12 ball screw
support on the fixed side, and a BF12 on the floated side. The length of the rails was
decided as 700mm to fit in the laser enclosure and fulfill the working area as effectively
as possible. The ball screw supports were chosen to match the size of the Stepper
Motor’s shaft.

A common Linear Actuator can only slide the workpiece in one direction. In the laser
engraving application, the workpiece needed to be moved in both X and Y directions to
fulfill the engraving area of the Dobot. Hence, the Linear Actuator was customized with
two layers of the common Linear Actuator as illustrated in Figure 23. The variety of the
T-Slot Aluminum Extrusions was welded to build the floor for the second layer. The floor,
the slide parts of the first layer, and the base of the second layer were welded together
and the base of the first layer was also welded to the first floor of the enclosure. The
Linear Actuator was efficiently placed to allow the cables of the Motor to be set up
easily. Furthermore, on each layer, there were two short Aluminum Extrusions attached
to the BK12 ball screw support with M5 low profile bolts 30mm in length and M5 2020
Slider T-nuts. It was added as a checkpoint to help the Linear Actuator to calibrate the
original position before starting the tasks.
 17

Figure 22. Stepper motor (up left), mounting bracket (up right), and Linear Actuator’s
body part (bottom).

Figure 23. Customized Linear Actuator. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

2.2.5 Workpiece Fixture

A Workpiece Fixture is a tool that provides a stable mounting point for a workpiece.
During the process of manufacturing, the workpiece can be kept away from critical
movement and vibration. The support of Workpiece Fixture can lead to enhanced
accuracy, precision, reliability, and interchangeability in the completed products.
Because the laser engraving process requires high accuracy and a simple setup of the
 18

workpiece, the appropriate type of Workpiece Fixture that should be used is Drill Press
Vise. This tool can grip the gravestone firmly enough between its jaws that this
workpiece is prevented from moving when the drill bit is pressed into it.

The Drill Press Vise was customized based on the size of the gravestone, which can be
seen in Figure 24. Its components could be created with a CNC milling machine. Plywood
was selected as the material for all of its components except the bolt and screws due to
its acceptable price and the ability to withstand the heat from the laser beam and the
weight of the gravestone. The screw mechanism was selected for designing the Drill
Press Vise. As can be seen from Figure 25, the head of the M4 hex head bolt 90mm in
length was welded to the handle and its tip was fastened and welded to the M4 screw.
The welded M4 screw was implanted in the sliding jaw with the support of a rectangular
plate of wood. The plate was embedded with a couple of M2 low-profile bolts 6mm in
length. By doing that, the handle could be connected to the sliding jaw and make it
translationally move on the groove of the main body.

Figure 24. Customized Drill Press Vise. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

Figure 25. Screw mechanism assembly. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

2.2.6 Ventilation Pipe

A ventilation system should be added to the laser engraving process because chemical
vapors or smoke could be emitted when the laser beam is interacting with the material
of the workpiece. The smoke can be hazardous and affect the user’s health. Moreover,
it can obstruct the vision. Thus, a ventilation pipe system 100mm in diameter was placed
 19

above the surface of the workpiece. As shown in Figure 26, two duct connector flanges
were attached to the round holes of the aluminum sheet with M5 low profile bolts 8mm
in length, M5 screws, and M5 slider T-nuts. The 90-degree elbow and T-shape duct pipe
connectors were connected to the duct connector flanges with the flex cuffs. The flexible
vent hose was used for connecting two duct pipe connectors. The blast gate was
attached to the outer side of the aluminum sheet with M5 low profile bolts 12mm in
length and M5 screws and connected with the T-shape duct pipe connector with a flex
cuff.

Figure 26. Ventilation pipe system setup. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

2.2.7 Final assembly

After designing and assembling all of the components, the environment of the laser
engraving process was accomplished as shown in Figure 27, and ready for adding the
extra accessories and importing the model into the simulation. The laser engraving
enclosure is user-friendly and simple to attach and detach the components.
 20

Figure 27. Final assembly of the laser engraving enclosure. Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.

2.3 Inner electronics

2.3.1 Installation position

The electronics were hidden behind Dobot Magician to help it and the Linear Actuator
perform the laser engraving tasks. They were mounted to the aluminum sheet which
was attached to the bottom of the enclosure as demonstrated in Figure 28.
 21

Figure 28. Electronics installation position. Photo courtesy of Solidworks.

2.3.2 Cloudray 40W power supply for CO2 laser

The power supply is the electrical device that can supply electric power and convert it
to the correct current to power the laser tube. In addition, it can be connected to other
devices through the input and output port to switch the laser control. Hence, it was
selected as the electrical device for the laser system.

Figure 29. Cloudray 40W power supply for CO2 laser.

2.3.3 TB6600 stepper motor driver

The stepper motor driver was used as the driver circuit allowing the stepper motor to
function properly. It is the interface between the motors and the control circuits.
Specifically, it can receive a low-current control signal and turn it into a higher-current
signal that can drive the motors.

Figure 30. TB6600 stepper motor driver.

2.3.4 Arduino Uno Rev3

Arduino Uno was used as the connection bridge between Dobot Magician and the other
external devices via their input and output ports. The power supply for the CO2 laser
and the stepper motor driver communicate with each other via Arduino Uno. It can
receive the signal from Dobot Magician as the input and output to trigger other devices
to operate according to the conditions.
 22

Figure 31. Arduino Uno Rev3.

2.4 Extra accessories

2.4.1 Cloudray 220V, 750W Industrial Fan Blower

The Fan is an external device placed outside the engraving environment. It was
connected to the blast gate of the ventilation system to extract the smoke out of the
enclosure.

Figure 32. Cloudray 220V, 750W Industrial Fan Blower

2.4.2 CW3000DG Industrial Water Cooler for CO2 Laser.

Because the laser beam is led through the laser pipe, it can be affected by the heat.
Absorbing an extreme amount of heat can cause a decrease in the efficiency of the
process and danger for the user. Hence, an industrial water cooler was utilized to pump
the water from its tank to the laser pipe. The water was kept cooling in the tank and
circulated among the tank and the laser pipe.
 23

Figure 33. CW3000DG Industrial Water Cooler for CO2 Laser.

2.4.3 Air Pump for CO2 Laser Engraving ACO-009D

The electromagnetic air pump was placed outside the enclosure and connected to the
laser head mount through the air hose. It was utilized in blowing the compressed air out
of the laser head mount’s nozzle so that it could stop the smoke from entering and
fouling its lens.

Figure 34. Air Pump for CO2 Laser Engraving ACO-009D.

2.4.4 Lift Strut

The lift strut, which is a pressurized cylinder, should be applied to the aluminum
extrusion on each side of the lid and the body part to support the lid when it is closed or
opened.

Figure 35. 15kg Gas lift strut (left) and installation position (right). Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.
 24

2.4.5 Cable Guide

The cables from the motors were covered with the cable guide so that they could be
protected from being tangled and stretched when the layers of the Linear Actuator were
moving. The cable guide oriented the electric wires to the small hole on the aluminum
sheet so that they could be connected to the inner electronics.

Figure 36. Cable guide (top) and installation position (bottom). Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.

2.4.6 LED strip

The LED strip was stuck around the inner side of the enclosure to provide light for better
vision.

Figure 37. LED strip (top) and installation position (bottom). Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.
 25

2.4.7 Rubber sheet

A square rubber sheet was cut along the surface and glued to the side of the enclosure
so that all of the internal electric wires could be connected to the devices and power
source outside of the engraving environment without leaking the smoke.

Figure 38. Rubber sheet (left) and installation position (right). Photo courtesy of
Solidworks.

3 SYSTEM SCHEMATIC AND FLOWCHART

As illustrated in Figure 39, the red arrow represents the power that Dobot Magician and
the laser pipe were supplied from the power source. The blue arrow represents the
digital signal sent from the laptop to Arduino and Dobot to turn the motor driver and
the laser power supply on and off. The green arrow represents the analog signal from
the motor driver to the motors so that the workpiece can be driven to the decided
positions.
 26

Figure 39. System schematic of laser engraving system.

Initially, the program is run from the laptop to operate Dobot Magician and Arduino. By
this stage, the digital signal is sent from Arduino to the motor driver to turn on the
stepper motors and make the Linear Actuator move the workpiece. Subsequently,
Dobot Magician receives the movement command from the laptop and orients the end
effector to the engraving point. At the same time, the digital signal is sent from Dobot
Magician to the laser power supply to turn on the laser beam. The laser beam is led from
the laser tube to the end effector of Dobot Magician to start the engraving process. This
arrangement is demonstrated in Figure 40.

Figure 40. Flowchart of laser engraving system.

 27

4 PROCESS SIMULATION

A process simulation is an important part of designing the laser engraving environment.

It helps the designer see how the process made from a 3D model functions through a
software named Visual Component. Hence, the process can be examined and modified
to apprehend the most possible and suitable result before manufacturing the real-life
product.

In order to operate the laser engraving simulation in the Visual Component, all of the
functional devices are needed to be modeled such as Dobot Magician (Visual
Components Academy, 2018 April 23), Linear Actuator (Visual Components Academy,
2018 December 13), Articulated Laser Arm (Visual Components Academy, 2018 April
23), Laser Head Mount (Visual Components Academy, 2016 November 3). Then, these
devices should be connected (Visual Components Academy, 2016 August 11),
synchronized (Visual Components Academy, 2017 May 15), and programmed (Visual
Components Academy, 2017 July 21) in a designed layout to depict the engraving
process.

4.1 Modeling Dobot Magician

4.1.1 Import geometry

After the CAD file of the Dobot Magician was imported into the software, the orientation
of the Dobot was adjusted with the Move command so that its direction was aligned
with the coordinates of the 3D world as shown in Figure 41.

Figure 41. Correct orientation of Dobot Magician model. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components and Dobot.

4.1.2 Update kinematics

The CAD file of the Dobot Magician was integrated with the original Dobot model
available from the catalog panel because it already included the logic, behaviors, and
 28

joint system for interacting within the 3D world. After integration, the Dobot Magician
could obtain the kinematic system from the original model as described in Figure 42.
However, due to the difference between the size of the original Dobot model and the
imported Dobot Magician, the kinematic links were not located in the correct position
of the Dobot Magician’s components. Therefore, the kinematic links were modified with
offset values from the Properties to bring them back to the proper locations as
illustrated in Figure 43. The numerical data which was used for modification as shown
in Figure 44 was taken from the official specifications and actual measurements of the
device. The implemented method of measurement was the distance from each joint to
the root frame. As a result, the kinematic links were successfully connected to the
correct joints of the imported Dobot Magician.

Figure 42. Kinematic system of the original Dobot model. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components and Dobot.

Figure 43. Incorrect (left) and correct (right) position of kinematic links. Photo courtesy
of Visual Components and Dobot.
 29

Figure 44. Numerical data for kinetic modification. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.

4.1.3 Update joints

The minimum and maximum working angle of each joint as shown in Figure 45 were set
based on the specification from the manufacturer.

Figure 45. Minimum and maximum working range of three joints. Photo courtesy of
Visual Components.

4.1.4 Move geometry to links

Although the kinematics and joints system of Dobot Magician was completely figured
out, it still could not interact with other devices in the simulation without geometry. As
demonstrated in Figure 46, each joint of the Dobot Magician must contain the geometry
of the suitable components so that when the joint was moved, the geometry was also
moved along.
 30

Figure 46. Geometries split for joint 1 of Dobot Magician. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components and Dobot.

4.2 Modeling Laser Head Mount

4.2.1 Import geometry

The orientation of the Laser Head Mount was modified with the Move command after
its CAD file was imported into the program so that its direction was aligned with the
coordinates of the 3D environment as shown in Figure 47.

Figure 47. Correct orientation of Laser Head Mount model. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.

4.2.2 Assign Mount Frames

The mount frames were used to physically connect the Laser Head Mount with the
Dobot Magician and other devices. In the laser engraving process, the Laser Head
Mount was simultaneously attached to Dobot Magician and Articulated Laser Arm. As a
result, there were two different mount frames created for the Laser Head Mount. As
 31

illustrated in Figure 48, MountFrame was placed in a position for attaching to the Dobot
Magician and MountFrame 2 was placed in a position for attaching to the Articulated
Laser Arm.

Figure 48. Correct position of mount frames. Photo courtesy of Visual Components.

4.2.3 Assign Tool Center Point

Because the Laser Head Mount functioned as an end effector of Dobot Magician, the
Tool Center Point was added to its Behaviors. The Tool Center Point was assigned to
determine the exact working point of the Dobot Magician being installed with a Laser
Head Mount. Thereby, it was placed at the bottom of the laser nozzle as shown in Figure
49.

Figure 49. Correct position of Tool Center Point. Photo courtesy of Visual Components.
 32

4.3 Modeling Linear Actuator

4.3.1 Import geometry

After the CAD file of the Linear Actuator was imported into the software, its orientation
was adjusted with the Move command so that its direction was aligned with the
coordinates of the 3D world as shown in Figure 50.

Figure 50. Correct orientation of Linear Actuator model. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.

4.3.2 Extract primary link

As can be seen from Figure 51, all of the components from the first layer of the Linear
Actuator were collected and combined to extract Link 1. Link 1 helped the device move
the first layer back and forth in the direction of the green arrow from the base frame
coordinate.
 33

Figure 51. Geometries split for Link 1 of Linear Actuator. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.

4.3.3 Extract child node

As can be seen from Figure 52, all of the components from the second layer of the Linear
Actuator were also collected and combined to extract Link 2. Link 2 helped the device
move the second layer back and forth in the direction of the red arrow from the base
frame coordinate. In addition, the second layer needed to be attached and connected
to the first layer when it was moved. Thus, Link 2 was selected and dragged into the
child node of Link 1 with Move Mode as illustrated in Figure 53.

Figure 52. Geometries split for Link 2 of Linear Actuator. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.

Figure 53. Extract child node for Link 1 of Linear Actuator. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.
 34

4.3.4 Apply Servo Controller and Positioner wizard

Servo Controller was applied to the Linear Actuator to make all of the joints function. It
was simultaneously assigned to Link 1 and Link 2 for the translational motion. As can be
seen from Figure 54, both of the links were arranged in a particular unit of initial position
and working area to help the device calibrate to an original value before doing the task
and limit the range of movement while doing the task.

Robot Interface was also mandatory for the Linear Actuator. As illustrated in Figure 55,
Positioner Wizard was assigned to the behavior of the device as a robot interface. It
created the interface for remotely connecting Dobot Magician to Linear Actuator.

Figure 54. Initial value and working range of Link 1 and Link 2 (left and middle)
assigned with servo controller (right). Photo courtesy of Visual Components.

Figure 55. Positioner Wizard assigned as robot interface. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.

4.3.5 Attach workpiece

The combined 3D model of the workpiece and workpiece fixture was imported and its
orientation was modified in the same direction as the Linear Actuator. Subsequently, it
 35

was placed precisely on the device with Snap and Align Tools. Furthermore, it was
attached to the Linear Actuator so that it could be moved along with Link 1 and Lin k 2
of the device as demonstrated in Figure 56.

Figure 56. Workpiece attached to Linear Actuator. Photo courtesy of Visual

Components.

4.4 Modeling Articulated Laser Arm

4.4.1 Import geometry

After the CAD file of the Articulated Laser Arm was imported into the software, its
orientation was adjusted with the Move command so that its direction was aligned with
the coordinates of the 3D world as shown in Figure 57.

Figure 57. Correct orientation of Articulated Laser Arm. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.
 36

4.4.2 Update kinematics

As can be seen from figure 58, HCR-5, the official robotic arm from the catalog panel,
was chosen for integration into the Articulated Laser Arm because it contained six Links
and had the same movement. Hence, as described in Figure 59, the Articulated Laser
Arm shared the same logic, behaviors, and kinematic system as HCR-5 to interact with
other devices within the 3D world. The kinematic linkages were not put in the correct
position of the Articulated Laser Arm's components due to the size difference between
the imported model and the available model from the catalog panel. To return the
kinematic linkages to their proper places, offset values from the Properties were used
to modify them. The specifications for the modification were derived from the work of
An Giang.

Figure 58. Kinematic system of HCR-5 model. Photo courtesy of Visual Components.

Figure 59. The kinematic system with correct numerical data of Articulated Laser Arm.
Photo courtesy of Visual Components.

4.4.3 Update joints

The minimum and maximum working angle of each joint as shown in Figure 60 were set
based on the specification from An Giang’s thesis (Giang,2022). Moreover, Initial Values
were regulated for the Articulated Laser Arm so that it could be in a form being able to
be attached to Dobot Magician as illustrated in Figure 61.
 37

Figure 60. Working range and Initial Value of six joints. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.

Figure 61. The initial form of Articulated Laser Arm. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components and Dobot.

4.4.4 Move geometry to links

Although the kinematics and joints system of the Articulated Laser Arm was completely
figured out, it still could not interact with other devices in the simulation without the
geometry. As demonstrated in Figure 62, each link must contain the geometry of the
suitable components so that when the joint was moved, the geometry was also moved
along.
 38

Figure 62. Geometries split for Link 1. Photo courtesy of Visual Components.

4.5 Layout configuration

The layout was made from the 3D model of the enclosure and laser tube. The layout was
only used as a working environment to help the user inspect the inaccuracy in the
process of laser engraving, so the logic and behaviors were not required. Thus, as shown
in Figure 63, the 3D models were merely imported and placed in the correct position
within the simulation. For example, the movement of the Dobot Magician attached with
an Articulated Laser Arm was meticulously programmed in a way that it would not
collide with other devices and the inner wall of the enclosure.

Figure 63. Imported layout for the laser engraving simulation. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.
 39

4.6 Programming

4.6.1 Position arrangement

After all of the function devices were fully modeled, they were set down at a planned
location inside the enclosure as demonstrated in Figure 64. The Laser Head Mount was
automatically attached to Dobot Magician and Articulated Laser Arm when it was moved
close enough.

Figure 64. Correct position arrangement for the simulation process. Photo courtesy of
Visual Components and Dobot.

4.6.2 Synchronize movements

As explained in Figure 65, the base of Articulated Laser Arm was inserted with the node
being selected as the Laser Head Mount of Dobot Magician. As a result, Figure 66 shows
that the Articulated Laser Arm could be moved in the same direction and motion as
Dobot Magician.

Figure 65. Synchronizing method. Photo courtesy of Visual Components and Dobot.
 40

Figure 66. Result of synchronized movements. Photo courtesy of Visual Components

and Dobot.

4.6.3 Connect Interfaces

As can be seen from Figure 67, the interface between Dobot Magician and Linear
Actuator was connected so that these devices could interact with each other in the
simulation.

Figure 67. Interfaces connection between Dobot and Linear Actuator. Photo courtesy
of Visual Components and Dobot.
 41

4.6.4 Program movements

As can be seen from Figure 68, the overall program was composed of different
subprograms. The subprograms named with a number were built for driving Linear
Actuator and the subprograms named with a letter were built for driving Dobot
Magician. It started with Movement 0 to calibrate Linear Actuator before the laser
engraving task was performed. The first subprogram named Movement 0 as shown in
Figure 69, consisted of several Point-to-Point Motion Statements, since the layers of the
Linear Actuator were only moved in a straight line. The second subprogram was named
K because it contained a number of Path Statements to command Dobot Magician to
engrave the letter K on the rubber surface of the gravestone as illustrated in Figure 70.
Path Statements were used for complicated movements such as the combination of
straight lines and curves. Principally, Dobot Magician mostly engraved different letters
at the same spot, and the second layer of the Linear Actuator moved the workpiece from
right to left every time a letter was completed. Organizing the engraving movements
with that method could reduce the overall working area and the possibility of colliding
with the wall because the working area of Dobot Magician attached with Articulated
Arms was wider than the Linear Actuator. Therefore, the subprograms named with a
letter were interleaved with the subprograms named with a number. Movement from 1
to 8 was composed of the same Statements as Movement 0 and designed with the same
function that drove the second layer of the Linear Actuator from right to left. Movement
9 was designed to drive the layers of the Linear Actuator back to the initial position.
Other subprograms named with a letter were designed the same as the subprogram K.
Because the laser engraving range was from 50mm to 100mm, all of the movements of
forming the letters were 60mm offset from the surface of the gravestone as described
in Figure 71.
 42

Figure 68. The overall program of the laser engraving simulation. Photo courtesy of
Visual Components.

Figure 69. Movement 0 subprogram. Photo courtesy of Visual Components.

 43

Figure 70. Engraving movement from P1 (top) to P2 (bottom) in the K subprogram.

Photo courtesy of Visual Components.
 44

Figure 71. Offset from the gravestone to the engraving points. Photo courtesy of Visual
Components.

4.7 Result

The Dobot Magician was successfully modeled in the software and it could fully function
as the official robotic arms from the catalog panel. It could physically interact and
remotely connect with other devices in the simulation. The Laser Head Mount could
automatically be attached to the robotic arm and function as an end effector. The
Articulated Laser Arm could synchronize with the movement of the Dobot Magician. The
Linear Actuator could operate like a workpiece positioner and interact with Dobot
Magician in the program. During the simulation, there was no collision between the
devices and the layout. Hence, the simulation of the laser engraving process was run
effectively and fluently as shown in Figure 72.

Figure 72. A snippet of the simulation process from the recording. Photo courtesy of
Visual Components and Dobot.

5 COST EVALUATION

The item list was created in the Excel file to evaluate the total cost of designing the laser
engraving environment. As can be seen from Table 2, the total cost was 1567.38 Euro.
All of the items were attached with the quantity and the link to buy. However, the item
list was not composed of Dobot Magician and the laser system because the Articulated
Laser Arm was designed from the related Thesis topic.
 45

Table 2. A snippet of the item list from the Excel file.

6 CONCLUSION

The general scope of this thesis was to present the wide applicability of Dobot Magician.
Specifically, the educational Dobot Magician was required to completely function as a
 46

laser engraving machine. Therefore, a laser engraving environment was built to support
the robotic arm in performing the task.

The working environment for Dobot Magician was successfully designed and test ed
through the simulation. The simulation showed that Dobot Magician could be able to
finish the tasks inside the designed environment. Although there was a limitation of the
software such as no laser beam effect, the movement of Dobot Magician and other
devices could still be evaluated. The simulation allowed the author to program effective
movements for the devices so that the working environment could be developed to
reduce the size and save more space. Hence, the result of the project was acceptable in
that the environment can fulfill the compatibility, efficiency, and safety requirements.
This designed environment has the benefit of assisting the user in evaluating the
system's potential and allowing for additional study into the educational robot . The
disadvantage is that the price for manufacturing the working environment is more
expensive than the typical laser engraving machine.

Although the laser engraving environment for Dobot Magician is far from being suitable
for commercial usage, the author can gain more experience in designing, developing,
and simulating the system after finishing this thesis project. Furthermore, these
experiences can be applied to future projects to build real-life products in the industry.
 47

REFERENCES

Bouchard, S. (2017). LEAN ROBOTICS, 17-141. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from HAMK
Moodle:
https://learn.hamk.fi/pluginfile.php/49956/mod_resource/content/2/Leanroboticsboo
k.pdf

Further Fabrication. (2019). The Laser Cutter Build Series. Videos retrieved from
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4BfQGhhbOQ&list=PLT2B-
jiRa_P4blv69gIPtibwSavtNRHN4&index=1

Gero_S. (2018, August). 3D Model of Dobot Magician with Tools (STEP & STL). Online
forum post retrieved from Customer support for Magician:
https://forum.dobot.cc/t/3d-model-of-dobot-magician-with-tools-step-stl/1126

Giang, A. (2022). Defining suitable laser for cutting rubber with Dobot. Retrieved from
internal communication.

Hsieh, S.J. (2006). AUTOMATED ROBOTIC WORKCELL DESIGN TOOLKIT - PRELIMINARY

EVALUATION. Retrieved from: https://peer.asee.org/automated-robotic-workcell-
design-toolkit-preliminary-evaluation.pdf

Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co., Ltd. (2020, July 24). Dobot Magician User Manual
v1.7.0, 19-26. Retrieved from DOBOT Magician Download Centers:
https://www.dobot.cc/downloadcenter/dobot-magician.html?sub_cat=73#sub-
download

Visual Components Academy. (2018, April 23). Model an Articulated Robot. Retrieved
from: https://academy.visualcomponents.com/lessons/model-an-articulated-robot/

Visual Components Academy. (2018, December 13). Model a Workpiece Positioner.

Retrieved from: https://academy.visualcomponents.com/lessons/model-a-workpiece-
positioner/

Visual Components Academy. (2016, November 3). Model a Gripper. Retrieved from:
https://academy.visualcomponents.com/lessons/model-a-gripper-part-1/

Visual Components Academy. (2016, August 11). Connect External Axes to a Robot.
Retrieved from: https://academy.visualcomponents.com/lessons/connect-external-
axes-to-a-robot/?course=853

Visual Components Academy. (2017, May 15). Teach a Define Base Statement.
Retrieved from: https://academy.visualcomponents.com/lessons/teach-a-define-base-
statement/?course=853
 48

Visual Components Academy. (2017, July 21). Teach a Path Statement. Retrieved from:
https://academy.visualcomponents.com/lessons/teach-a-path-
statement/?course=853

Zhang, J., & Fang, X. (2017). Challenges and key technologies in robotic cell layout
design and optimization. Original Article retrieved from ResearchGate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301241238_Challenges_and_key_technolo
gies_in_robotic_cell_layout_design_and_optimization
 49

APPENDIX

OPERATION GUIDELINE OF LASER ENGRAVING SIMULATION

Step 1: The programmed simulation can be accessed by opening the “Final

Simulation.vcmx” file in Visual Components software.

(Photo courtesy of Visual Components and Dobot)

Step 2: After the layout is loaded, click Interfaces in the Connect tab to disconnect and
then reconnect the interfaces between Dobot Magician and Linear Actuator. If the
model is not displayed, the file source containing the model should be added to the
catalog panel first.

(Photo courtesy of Visual Components and Dobot)

Step 3: Click the play button to activate the simulation process.

 50

(Photo courtesy of Visual Components and Dobot)