Engineering Method and Tool for the Complete Virtual Commissioning of Robotic Cells

Abstract

Intelligent robotic manufacturing cells must adapt to ever-varying operating conditions, developing autonomously optimal manufacturing strategies to achieve the best quality and overall productivity. Intelligent and cognitive behaviors are realized by using distributed controllers, in which complex control logics must interact and process a wide variety of input/output signals. In particular, programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and robot controllers must be coordinated and integrated. Then, there is the need to simulate the robotic cells’ behavior for performance verification and optimization by evaluating the effects of both PLC and robot control codes. In this context, this work proposes a method, and its implementation into an integrated tool, to exploit the potential of ABB RobotStudio software as a virtual prototyping platform for robotic cells, in which real robots control codes are executed on a virtual controller and integrated with Beckhoff PLC environment. For this purpose, a PLC Smart Component was conceived as an extension of RobotStudio functionalities to exchange signals with a TwinCAT instance. The new module allows the virtual commissioning of a complete robotic cell to be performed, assessing the control logics effects on the overall productivity. The solution is demonstrated on a robotic assembly cell, showing its feasibility and effectiveness in optimizing the final performance.

An Overview of Industrial Robots Control and Programming Approaches

“…In general terms, an industrial controller sends commands to the equipment to operate a specific process and receives feedback information that allows it to monitor and determine the correct execution of such commands. Modern production systems are governed and supervised by multiple controllers, namely one or more Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) that coordinate the entire process providing I/O exchange, task sequencing, and action triggering, and a group of control units dedicated to single machines or sub-systems (e.g., IRs, Numerical Controls, electric axes, pneumatic/hydraulic actuators and tools, and additional external sensors) [7]. In this way, low-level control logics are still handled and solved locally for each slave controller.…”

“…Most of the IRs used today are completely dependent on their manufacturers' software platforms, and robot programming is based on specific proprietary robot languages offered by each robot vendor [7]. These features make it difficult to maintain, update, or add new functionalities based on the current production needs [8].…”

A Digital Twin Framework for Virtual Re-Commissioning of Work-Drive Systems Using CAD-based Motion Co-Simulation

“…From a control engineer's point of view, this provides a risk-free virtual controller tuning framework. In [14], a TwinCAT PLC motion program for a 6 DOF robot is virtually commissioned through ABB's RobotStudio software. RobotStudio makes use of rigid body dynamics but does not allow modifications to the torque, velocity and position controllers.…”

Exploring the teaching model of an industrial robotics course based on integrated theory-virtual-practice

“…With the advent of Industry 4.0 era, the traditional manufacturing industry has turned to digitalization, intelligence and network development [1][2]. In this context, in 2015, the state released "Made in China 2025" manufacturing power strategy [3], with industrial robots as the representative of intelligent manufacturing and high-end equipment into the key technology of intelligent manufacturing shall be strongly developed [4][5].…”