The rate of automation in manufacturing is increasing worldwide. Due to constantly falling investment costs, industrial robots are becoming increasingly interesting for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, the flexible use of industrial robots poses challenges for these companies in particular, which prevents the economic use of robots in SMEs.

New methods are needed to achieve the goal of "batch size one". The "KaBa" camera-based path planning research project is developing scalable path planning software for automatic path generation for industrial robots.

When producing small batches with a large number of variants, preparing the robot task is very time-consuming. The programming time is often longer than the actual production time. A separate robot program must be created for each variant of a component. In addition, in the context of small-batch production, it is often not possible to guarantee the exact clamping of the workpieces for each repetition. For this reason, small deviations in the position and orientation of the workpiece occur. These invalidate a robot program. The effort required therefore makes the use of industrial robots in small series production uneconomical.

In order to reduce the additional time required for programming in small series production, planning software should automatically plan collision-free robot paths and compensate for deviations in the real component. Using a line laser mounted on the robot flange, the workpiece is scanned before each path planning and a 3D point cloud is recorded. Poses to be approached are programmed directly in CAD or by tracking a pointing device directly on the component.

Permissible deviations from the target path can be defined for collision avoidance. A step size heuristic based on the occupancy of the space enables short planning times with high accuracy of the collision calculation.

The planning software is based on a 3D model of the workpiece. This is used to determine the exact orientation and position of the workpiece using a matching process. This allows the target path to be adapted precisely to the actual position of the workpiece. In addition, a deformation model is calculated between the scan data and the 3D model. In this way, the path can be adapted to local deviations or the part can be recognized as a reject.

The KaBa path planner significantly reduces the time required to plan and prepare a robot task. Manual programming is no longer necessary. Instead, a path is planned and executed automatically using a camera. This makes the use of industrial robots economical even for small series and individual part production in SMEs.

The KaBa research project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) as part of the Central Program for Innovation in SMEs (ZIM). The project partners are Münster University of Applied Sciences, ISW University of Stuttgart and CLK GmbH.

The ISW presents current research results at the SPS.

P. Weßeler/B. Kaiser/as

Hall 3, Stand 358

MHI e. V. © MHI

Briefly explained: The MHI e.V.
The Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Montage, Handhabung und Industrierobotik e.V. (MHI e.V.) is a network of renowned university professors - institute directors and chair holders - from German-speaking countries. The members conduct both fundamental and application-oriented research on a wide range of current topics in the fields of assembly, handling and industrial robotics. Further information on the society, its members and activities: www.wgmhi.de.

Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units (ISW) University of Stuttgart © ISW

Briefly explained: The ISW
The Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Production Equipment (ISW) was established at the University of Stuttgart in 1965 and has developed into one of the most recognized research institutes in its field. In the course of its more than 50 years of existence, the main areas of research and application have been constantly expanded. Current areas of focus include drive control, additive manufacturing, communication, machine technology, control, simulation and virtual production. The guiding principle is the development and application of control technology and other computer-aided means for solving automation tasks. http://www.isw.uni-stuttgart.de