Define Work Object Automatically

Northwelder

I'm trying to get the robot do define work object automatically on the first part of every batch, using the smart tac. Currently we have 3 pins on the fixtures which we use do define the work  object (object Frame) X1 X2 and Y1 manually. This is IRC5, with a lincoln welder, smart tac search using gas cup or wire.

Anyone have tips how i can do this?

Northwelder

Anyone familiar with that ?

DenisFR

Hello,

You can use DefFrame.

Northwelder

Thanks for the reply. But how do i chose where to search on the fixture? So far we defined the object frame manually, we have 3 pointing points on the fixture to define manually but we can't use the 3 points to do it automatically because we use wire search to define the points. Do I just choose a search in X, Y and one in Z direction?

lemster68

Northwelder said:

Thanks for the reply. But how do i chose where to search on the fixture? So far we defined the object frame manually, we have 3 pointing points on the fixture to define manually but we can't use the 3 points to do it automatically because we use wire search to define the points. Do I just choose a search in X, Y and one in Z direction?

Why can't you use those points?  Are they not conductive material?  If you do not use those points then your workobject is changed, thus shifting off all your welds.  You would need to convert all your positions into your new workobject.

Northwelder

See attached pictures. If i use the pins as i do in manual defining; if for any reason the work object shifts a bit, the robot will not define the the work object correctly if done automatically.

lemster68

This endeavor will probably be difficult at best.  From the one photo it looks like there is a little cast in the wire.  Does your setup have an automatic wire cutter with the torch cleaner?  One idea I have is that you could do an expanding square search but, of course, it will take time.  Getting the "Z" height seems like it may be tricky as well.  Is there a well defined frame to the fixture such that you could search for the outside edges of it?  It just occurred to me that maybe you could calculate that new workobject offset and apply it to the one you usually tech manually by eye.  Have you considered a vision system to pass offsets to the robot?  Time wise it could be faster, but as we all know, will cost money.  Finally, I suppose you would only have to adjust the workobject one time when you reinstall the tooling?  Not every cycle?

Northwelder

Yes we have a wire cutter/torch cleaner, pictures were only taken for illustration, the pin here is not an actual workobject pin. My goal is to eventually have all programs on setup do a work object define the first cycle automatically.

lemster68

The only time I have ever worked on a robot that did such a thing was with a distance reading laser.  You don't need distance to find edges of the part, but you do to find the "Z" height.  Also, I used it not only to find the presence of something, but also the absence of something, e.g., a hole.

Northwelder

It's not a problem to search for Z ( height). Do i only need to search once in every (X,Y,Z) Direction? If only one search in every direction is required, then how wold the robot know if the part is slanted for any reason?

lemster68

You could use DefDFrame with PDispSet or DefFrame, both would require three searched robtargets, including the X,Y and Z components.  It would be the Z mostly that would tell it that it is slanted.

Northwelder

Thank You Lemster68 and DenisFR.

Anyone else ever do something like this?