All on board Kinematics programs provide easy-to-use configuration screens. Coordinate transformations are done by the firmware in the controller.

Think globally Pick-and-place motion sequences are more efficient with integrated motion and robot control. For this particular application, missing modules were developed in collaboration with Sigpack Systems.

A software developer tests a robot cell for discrete, motion, and robot control functionality at a multi-station pharmaceutical packaging line.

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Fabio Malaspina
Rockwell Automation
Milwaukee

These days, everything from hand soap to candy bars comes in multiple versions. Behind all this variety are smart manufacturing plants that have the ability to collect, move, and package products into multiple formats.

Have it your way

Robots are at the forefront of this packaging trend. But reconfiguring robots to frequently changing requirements can be complex and time-consuming. For starters, line changes on non-homogeneous control systems can require several adjustments across multiple control systems, including machine control, process control, motion, and human-machine interfaces.

A more efficient alternative, however, programmable automation controls (PACs) consolidate discrete, motion, drives and safety control in a single environment, making changeovers easier and significantly faster. What's more, advanced control capabilities within PACs allow for the control of non-linear mechanical systems like articulated arm robots, eliminating the need for a separate controller and software dedicated to robot functions.

First some definitions

In common Cartesian systems, individual motion axes (X, Y, and Z) are controlled to move in linear increments. In contrast, robots consist of multiple rotary motion-control axes oriented in a non-orthogonal fashion. All their axes are coupled, which means that any one movement usually requires some rotation of one or more axes, similar to how the shoulder, elbow, and wrist move in a human arm. This mechanical coupling is the major distinction between robots and programmable Cartesian machines.

The catch is that fully coordinated articulated robots (and other mechanisms consisting of nonorthogonal rotary axes) necessitate complex nonlinear motion that must be programmed in degrees, which is more difficult to envision and code. Kinematic mathematical representation — accounting for robot size, configuration, and the relationship of each axis to the mechanism, including mechanical couplings as a whole — is the basis for this degrees-based coordinate system. It executes on a motion controller, and the coordination is the basis for visualization integration, path movements, and other common robot features.