Industrial Robot

It is defined as a reprogrammable
multifunctional manipulator designed to move
materials, parts, tools or special devices
through variable programmed motions for the
performance of a variety of tasks.
 Robot Anatomy
• Constructed of a series of
joints and links
• Link: Rigid component of
robots
• Joint provides relative
movement between input
link and output link
• Each joint provides one
degree of freedom (dof)
of motion
 Robot Anatomy: Joint type
• Linear joint (L): Linear sliding
motion; axes of links parallel to
each other
• Orthogonal (O): Linear sliding
motion; axes of links perpendicular
to each other
• Rotational (R): Rotational
movement; axes of input and
output link perpendicular to each
other
• Twisting joint (T): Rotary motion;
axes of links parallel to each other
• Revolving joint (V): Axis of input
link parallel to axis of rotation; axis
of output link perpendicular to axis
of rotation
 Robot Anatomy
• A robot manipulator can be divided into two sections:
– Body & arm assembly (generally 3 dof)
– Wrist assembly (2 to 3 dof)
• Typical body and arm movements
– Vertical motion (z axis)
– Radial motion (y axis; in and out)
– Right to left motion (x axis; swivel about x axis)
• Typical wrist movements
– Roll: T joint rotates object about arm axis
– Pitch: R joint involving up and down rotation of object
– Yaw: R joint involving right to left rotation of object
• Notation System:
– Joint symbols for arm and body assembly: joint symbols for wrist
– E.g. TLR:TR means
• Total 5 dof
• Body and arm: 3 dof; joints: twisting, linear and rotational
• Wrist: 2 dof; joints: twisting and rotational
 Common Robot Configurations
• Polar configuration (TLR)
• Cylindrical configuration (LVL)
• Cartesian coordinate robot
(OLO)
• Jointed arm robot (TRR or VRR)
• SCARA (Selective Compliance
Assembly Robot Arm): does not
have a separate wrist and is
used for assembly operations in
which insertions are made from
above
 Work Volume or Work Envelope
• Envelope or space within
which the robot can
manipulate the end of its
wrist.
• Depends on the number
and type of joints and
size of links
 Power Sources/ Actuators
• Determine characteristics such as speed, load-bearing
capacity, accuracy, and repeatability.
• Main types are:
– Electric motors:
• Uses DC servomotors to position the robot.
• Accurate
• Readily adaptable to computer control
• Limited load-bearing capacity
– Hydraulic cylinders:
• Carry very heavy objects
• Not very accurate.
– Pneumatic cylinders:
• Carries low weight
• More compliant (less rigid to disturbing forces) than hydraulic ones.
• Used in small robots for simple material transfer applications
 Robot End-Effectors
• End-effectors are the tools attached to the end of
the robot arm that enable it to do useful work.
• They may be purchased or designed separately.
• Usually attached to the robot tool plate (after the
last wrist joint) via a standard mechanical
interface.
• They require a power source, often electric or
pneumatic.
 Types of End Effectors
Typical End effectors may be in the form of:
• Grippers: Most common end effectors
• Machine tools such as drills, grinding wheels, cutting
wheels and sanders.
• Measuring Instruments like measuring probe or gauge.
• Laser and Water Jet Cutters end-effectors for use in high-
intensity laser beams or high pressure abrasive water jets.
• Welding Torches: Widely used in the automotive industry.
• Spray Painting Tools: Used in the automotive and other
industries.
• Glue Application Tools: Include automatic spot or
trajectory gluing.
Some robot systems are equipped with automatic tool
changers to extend the usefulness of the robot to more tasks.
 Common Grippers
Type Description
Mechanical gripper It has two or more fingers actuated by robot controller to
open and close on a work-part
Vacuum gripper Used to hold flat objects.
Magnetized devices Used for holding ferrous work-parts
Adhesive devices Used to hold flexible materials, such as fabric.
Simple mechanical devices Hooks and scoops.
Dual grippers A mechanical gripper with two gripping devices in one
end-effecter, Used for machine loading and unloading.
Reduce cycle time by gripping two work-parts at the
simultaneously.
Interchangeable fingers Have modular fingers to accommodate different sizes
work- part.
Sensory feedback fingers Mechanical gripper with sensory feedback capabilities in
the fingers; aid in locating the work-part and determining
correct grip force to be applied
Multiple fingered grippers Mechanical gripper as per the general anatomy of human
hand.
Standard grippers Commercially available mechanical grippers
 Robot Control Systems
• Micro-processor-based controllers are used to control
the robots.
• Different types of control are as follows.
– Limited Sequence Control
• Implemented by fixing limits or mechanical stops for each joint
and sequencing the movement.
• Used for simple motion cycles, e.g. pick-and-place operations.
• Low precision.
• Generally used in pneumatically driven robots.
– Playback with Point-to-Point Control
• Uses a controller with memory to record motion sequences,
associated locations and other parameters.
• Point-to-point control means individual robot positions are
recorded in the memory.
• Feedback control is used.
 Robot Control Systems (Contd.)
– Playback with Continuous Path Control
• Capable of continuous simultaneous control of two or more axes
• Greater storage capacity in terms of the number of locations as
compared to point-to-point
• Linear and circular interpolation may be used.
•

– Intelligent Control:
• They may have the capacity to:
– Interact with its surroundings
– Communicate with humans
– Carry out computational analysis and respond to advanced sensor inputs
– Make decision
• Requires a high level of computer control, and an advanced
programming language to input the decision-making logic and
other ‘intelligence’ into the memory.
 Robot Control Methods
• Robot control methods involve a computer,
robot, and sensors.
• They may be classified as:
– Lead-Through Programming :
Human operator physically grabs the end-effector and
leads the robot through the motions required for a task,
while the computer memorizes the motions.
– Teach Programming
Robot is moved to required task positions via teach
pendant; computer memorizes these configurations and
plays them back in robot motion sequence.
Adequate for simple, non-intelligent tasks.
Robot Control Methods (Contd.)
– Off-Line Programming:
Uses computer software with realistic graphics to plan and program
motions (such as IGRIP).
– Autonomous robots:
Controlled by computer, with sensor feedback, without human
intervention.
Computer control is required for intelligent robot control.
Computer may manipulate the speed and direction of the robot, based on
sensor feedback.
– Tele-operation:
It is human-directed motion, via a joystick.
– Tele-robotic control
A combination of autonomous and tele-operation control of robot systems.
 Robot Sensors
• Robot sensors are small electronic or electro-
mechanical components that allow the robot to react
to its environment.
• Some common sensors are:
– Tactile sensors provide the robot with the ability to touch
and feel. These sensors are used for measuring applications
and interacting gently with the environment.
• Touch sensors only indicate that contact has been made
• Force/pressure sensors: provide a sense of the force applied on the
arm and its direction. These sensors are used to help the robot
auto-correct for misalignments, or to sense the distribution of loads
on irregular geometry.
 Robot Sensors (Contd)
– A Vision system has a computer-controlled camera that allows the
robot to see its environment and adjust its motion accordingly.
Used commonly in electronics assembly.
– Voice systems allow the control of the robots using voice
commands. This is useful in training robots when the trainer has to
manipulate other objects.
– Proximity sensors : Allow the robots to detect the presence of
objects very close to the arm before contact is made.
– Limit switches: Installed at end-of-motion areas to automatically
stop the robot or reverse its direction when a move out-of-bounds
is attempted; used to avoid collisions.
– Miscellaneous sensors: Used for measuring temperature, fluid
pressure, fluid flow, electric voltage, current, angle, length etc.
 Industrial Robot Applications
• Justified for long production runs with infrequent
changeovers.
• Characteristics of situations where robots may substitute
for humans:
– Work environment hazardous for humans:
• Unsafe, unhealthy, uncomfortable, or otherwise unpleasant
environment.
• Repetitive work cycle consisting of relatively simple motions.
– Tasks requiring the use of heavy or difficult-to- handle
parts or tools
– A robot can replace two or three workers at a time in
second or third shifts, thus they can provide a faster
financial payback.
 Robot Applications
Robots are mainly used in:
• Material Handling Operations
• Processing Operations
• Assembly Operations
• Inspection Operation
 Robot Applications: Material Handling
• Material transfer involves:
• Picking and placing parts from one location to another.
• Part re-orientation
• Palletizing: i.e. retrieving objects from one location, and
depositing them in a specific area of a pallet. The deposit
location is slightly different for each object transferred.
• Other applications of material transfer include de-palletizing,
stacking, and insertion operations
• Machine loading and/or unloading:
• It may involve machine loading, machine unloading or both.
• Used in die casting, plastic molding, metal machining operations,
forging, press-working, and heat treating operations.
•
Robot Applications: Processing Operations
• It involves processing activities such as grinding, milling, etc.
• The end effector is equipped with the specialized tool required for
the respective process.
• Some typical examples are:
– Spot Welding:
• The spot welding gun forms the end effector of a welding robot.
– Arc Welding:
• Electrodes form the end effectors.
• The robot must use continuous path control.
• A jointed arm robot consisting of six joints is frequently used.
– Spray coating :
• The spray gun is the end effector.
• The robot must use continuous path control,
• Typically programmed using manual lead-through.
• Jointed arm robots is the most common anatomy for this application
– Other applications include: drilling, routing, and other machining
processes; grinding, wire brushing, and similar operations; water jet
cutting; and laser cutting.
 Robot Applications
• Assembly operations:
– They are labor-intensive, highly repetitive and
boring.
– Involve both material-handling and manipulation
of a tool.
• Inspection operation:
– Suitable application for robots as it requires high
precision and patience.