3 Programming robots
3.3 Jogging mechanisms
Jogging a robot
To check if the robot can reach all positions on the work piece, you can jog the TCP or the joints of the robot, either with the freehand commands of through dialog boxes. Jogging the robot close to its boudaries is best done with the latter method.
Procedure To
For freehand, seeJog Joint on page 244. For a dialog box, see Mechanism Joint Jog on page 457.
Jog the joints of a robot
For freehand, seeJog Linear on page 245. For a dialog box, see Mechanism Linear Jog on page 459.
Jog the TCP of a robot
Prerequisites
To jog the TCP of a robot, the robot’s VC must be running.
Jogging several mechanisms
Description Function
When using multirobot jog, all selected mechanisms will follow the TCP of the one being jogged.
Mutlirobot jog
Multirobot jog is available for all kinds of jogging.
SeeMultiRobot Jog on page 247.
When jogging a mechanism that moves a robot (like a track external axis) with locked TCP, the robot will reposition so that the position of the TCP does not change, even though its baseframe is moved.
Jogging with locked TCP
When jogging an external axis that moves the work object with locked TCP, the robot will reposition so that its TCP follows the work object in the same way as when using multirobot jog.
Locked TCP is available when jogging a mechanism that be-longs to the same task as a robot.
SeeMechanism Joint Jog on page 457.
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3.3 Jogging mechanisms
3.4 Targets
Creating a target
You can create a new target manually either by entering the position for the target in the Create Target dialog box or by clicking in the graphics window.
The target will be created in the active workobject.
For a procedure, seeCreate Target on page 217.
Creating a jointtarget
A jointtarget is a specification of the position for the robot axes.
For a procedure, seeCreate Jointtarget on page 219.
Teaching targets
You can create a new target by jogging the robot and teaching a target at the active TCP. Taught targets will be created with the axis configuration used when jogged to the target.
The target will be created in the active workobject.
For a procedure, seeTeach Target on page 216.
Modifying a target position
By using the modify position command you can modify the position and rotation of a target.
For procedures, seeSet Position on page 485andRotate on page 481, respectively.
Modifying a target with ModPos
The position of an existing target can be modified by jogging the robot to a new, preferred position. By selecting a move instruction for the target in a path, the ModPos command can be used to move the target to the TCP of the active tool.
When ModPos is executed, the target, referenced to by the move instruction, will be updated with the following information:
• position and orientation corresponding to the TCP of the active tool
• the current configuration of the active robot
• the current position and orientation values of all active external axes for the active robot
Note
To jog a robot linearly, a virtual controller must be running for that robot. For detailed information, seeStarting a VC on page 85.
Renaming targets
With this command you can change the name of several targets at once. You can either rename targets individually, or you can rename all targets in one or several paths at once.
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3.4 Targets
The new target names will consist of an optional prefix, an incremental number and an optional suffix.
For a precedure, seeRename Targets on page 479.
When renaming targets, make sure that the new targets conform to the naming rules. The target names must:
• start with an alphabetical character in the ISO 8859-1 encoding (that is, an ordinary letter from the English alphabet)
• be shorter than 16 characters
• not be empty strings
• not contain any characters illegal in RAPID. See RAPID reference manual for details.
Removing unused targets
If deleting or changing paths or move instructions during programming, you might end up with large numbers of targets that are no longer used in any instructions.
To make the workobjects and their targets easier to grasp, you can delete all unused targets.
For a procedure, seeRemove Unused Targets on page 478.
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3.4 Targets Continued
3.5 Paths
Creating an empty path
A path is a sequence of targets with move instructions that the robot follows. An empty path will be created in the active task.
For a procedure, seeEmpty Path on page 222.
Creating a path from curve
If the work piece has curves or contours that correspond to the path to be created, you can create the paths automatically. The create path from curve command generates paths, complete with targets and instructions along existing curves.
The path will be created in the active task.
The orientation of the targets that will be created will be according to the settings of the approach/travel vectors in the Options dialog box.
To create a path from a curve, the curve must have first been created in the station.
SeeAutoPath on page 223.
Setting robot axis configuration for paths
The robot axis configuration specifies the position of the axes as the robot moves from target to target, when multiple solutions are possible. This is necessary for executing move instructions using configuration monitoring.
Taught targets have validated configurations, but targets created in any other way do not. Also, targets that are repositioned lose their configuration. In RobotStudio, targets without a valid configuration are marked with a yellow warning symbol. See Robot axis configurations on page 34for more information about configurations.
To set a configuration for all targets in a path, seeConfigurations on page 439.
To set a configuration for a single target, seeConfigurations on page 442.
Reversing paths
The reverse path commands change the sequence of targets in the path so that the robot moves from the last target to the first. When reversing paths, you can reverse either the target sequence alone or the entire motion process.
For procedures, seeReverse Path on page 480.
Note
When reversing paths, the original paths are deleted. If you want to keep them, make copies before reversal.
Note
When reversing paths, only move instructions are handled. Action instructions, if any exist, have to be inserted manually after the reversal.
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3.5 Paths
Rotating paths
With the rotate path command you can rotate complete paths and move the targets used by the paths accordingly. When rotating paths, the included targets will lose their axis configurations, if any have been assigned.
A frame or target must exist at the position to rotate around before starting the rotate path command.
For a procedure, seeRotate Path on page 482.
Translating a path
The translate path function moves a path and all included targets.
For a procedure, seeTranslate Path on page 487.
Compensating paths for tool radius
You can offset a path so that it compensates for the radius of a rotating tool. Since the targets in the path are moved, they will lose their axis configurations, if any have been assigned.
For a procedure, seeTool Compensation on page 486.
Interpolating a path
The interpolate functions reorient the targets in a path so that the difference in orientation between the start and end targets is distributed evenly among the targets in between. The interpolation can be either linear or absolute.
Linear interpolation distributes the difference in orientation evenly, based on the targets’ positions along the length of the path.
Absolute interpolation distributes the difference in orientation evenly, based on the targets’ sequence in the path.
Below are examples of the difference bewteen linear and absolute interpolation.
The interpolate functions reorient the targets in a path so that the difference in orientation between the start and end targets is distributed evenly among the targets in between. The interpolation can be either linear or absolute.
For a procedure, seeInterpolate Path on page 452.
No interpolation
This is the path before any interpolation. Note that the last target is oriented differently than the others.
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3.5 Paths Continued
Linear interpolation
This is the same path after linear interpolation.
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Note that the targets are oriented based on their placement relative to the start and end targets.
If a target were moved and you reran the linear interpolation, it would be reoriented according to its new position.
If new targets were inserted between the existing ones and you reran the linear interpolation, it would not affect the orientation of the existing targets.
Absolute interpolation
This is the same path after absolute interpolation
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Note that the targets are orientated based on their sequence in the path: each target has been reoriented equally, regardless of its place.
If a target were moved and you reran the absolute interpolation, it would not affect the orientation.
If new targets were inserted between the existing ones and you reran the absolute interpolation, it would change the orientation of all targets.
Mirroring a path
The mirror path function mirrors all motions instructions and their targets to a new path.
For a procedure, seeMirror Path on page 460.
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3.5 Paths Continued
3.6 Orientations
Overview
This is an overview of the tools for automating the modification of target orientations.
When creating paths from curves in RobotStudio, the orientation of the targets depends on the characteristics of the curves and the surrounding surfaces. Below is an example of a path with unordered target orientations and examples of how the different tools have affected the targets.
Unordered orientations
In the path below, the target orientations are unordered. The function View tool at target has been used for illustrating how the targets point in different directions.
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3.6 Orientations
Effect of target normal to surface
In the picture below, the targets, which previously were orientated randomly, have been set normal to the flat round surface at the right side of the path. Note how the targets’ Z axis has been orientated normal to the surface; the targets have not been rotated in the other directions.
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Setting a target normal to surface
To set a target orientation normal to a surface is to make it perpendicular to the surface. The target can be oriented normal to the surface in two different ways:
• The entire surface can be used as a reference for the normal. The target will be oriented as the normal to the closest point at the surface. The entire surface is the default surface reference.
• A specific point on the surface can be used as the reference for the normal.
The target will be orientated as the normal to this point, regardless of whether the normal to the closest point at the surface has another orientation.
Objects imported without geometry (for example, .jt files) can only refer to specific points on the surface.
For a procedure, seeSet Normal to Surface on page 484.
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3.6 Orientations Continued
Effect of align target orientation
In the picture below, the targets, which were previously orientated with the Z axis normal to the surface but with the X and Y axes orientated randomly, have been organized by aligning the targets’ orientation around the X axis with the Z axis locked. One of the targets in the path has been used as reference.
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Aligning a target orientation
With the align target orientation command you align the rotation of selected targets around one axis without changing the rotation around the others.
For a procedure, seeAlign Target Orientation on page 437.
Tip
You can also align ordinary frames in the same way.
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3.6 Orientations Continued
Effects of copy and apply orientation
In the picture below, the targets, which were previously oriented randomly, have been organized by copying the exact orientation of one target to all the others.
This is a quick way to fix workable orientations for processes where variations in approach, travel, or spin directions either do not matter or are not affected, due to the shape of the work piece.
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Copying and applying an orientation for objects
To transfer an orientation from one object to another is an easy way to align different frames for simplifying the programming of the robot. Target orientations may also be copied.
For procedures, seeCopy / Apply Orientation on page 445.
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3.6 Orientations Continued