THE FORCE CONTROL IN FOUNDRY

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HOW TO MAKE THE ROBOT COLLABORATIVE

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Every time that I speak with a manager that want to introduce the Casting Automation system in his foundry the questions that I get are always the same.

Every time is the same ritual of questions, I feel like the house-wife at Mass.

• How long do you take to make a program?
• Do I need a specialized operator to program the machine? Do I have to employee an Engineer?
• How long to you take to use the machine?
• If I crash with the robot, does it feel it?
• If the parts are different, does the robot feel it?

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Your and his doubt are real problems

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My answers are:

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How long do you take to make a program?

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It depend how much the part is complex, from one to six hours.

It depend also on what you have to do.

The longest part in programming is teaching the robot paths. To do the teaching you have to move it with a joystick, then record the position.

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How do you do this?

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With one hand you hold the teach-pendant and you keep press the dead-man switch, with the other hand you move the joystick to show to the robot where to move. Then you release the joystick and you touch the tool (the grinding belt or the filler) to understand how much you are pressing on it, to understand in which way it will work.

If it touch in the correct way, you record the point…if it press too much or too less, you have to move the robot by using the joystick, then you try again.

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Honestly, there is a problem!

This way to work it cost a lot of time!

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The time you spend in teaching the robot path is very long!

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Do I need a specialized operator to program the machine? Do I have to employee an Engineer?

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You do NOT need any engineer from NASA; I train thousand of technician, but never an Engineer of NASA.

You need only one person able to learn. There is no minimum level of school to learn haw to use my machines. You do not need any Diploma …

But in the end of the train you will get a DIPLOMA from me!

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How long to you take to use the machine?

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It depend on the person I train and his experience. If it’s completely new to robotic machine, we make a training of 2 days (totally 20 hours). If the person already know how to use a robot, the training can be also 4 hours long.

You do not have to think at the training program like everyone is doing. I do not bring persons from different companies in the same room to study theoretical concepts.

I do in this way:

– one hour of theoretical concepts to introduce the machine and the robot

– one hour to explain how to work in safe way

– Then we start with practise! During the training your operator will hold the teach pendant the complete time!

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Maximum 2 person per training, always for only one company per time.

We explain what you need to learn, how long you need.

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If I crash with the robot, does it feel it?

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The robot has a system to control the collision in every part of the arm. But when it crash, it crash with all his power. Every robot is made in this way, but there is a problem.

If you make a lot of collisions you damage the robot and the machine become not so efficient.

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If the parts are different, does the robot feel it?

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Not really. We have compensation system that allow to maintain always the same production quality even if the parts are not exactly the same.

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Honestly, there is a problem!

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For example, if you have a in-gate to grind broken by hand, you never know how much it is high, how much far you have to start with grinding.

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What do you do?

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You have to make a program that grind from the highest point possible. Ok, in this way you can solve the issue, there is a problem!

You loose a lot of cycle time!

All these issue until now.

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TODAY EVERYTHING CHANGE!

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If you are satisfied of what you have done until now do NOT ready any more!

Today I have a incredible news to solve all the problems I told you before!

We are working at the future really.

We are working at the “Collaborative” robot.

Tipically we speak about collaborative robot, when it can work in touch with the man.

In our sector I don’t like it. I prefer leave the robot in the dust, in the chip. I prefer to stay far from the risk, far from the noise; I stay outside in a clean area and I look to the robot that is working.

The collaborative robot for us, it’s the robot that is doing by ITSELF!

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Really, SELF-SUFFICENT ROBOT!

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We install on the robot a force sensor: THE FORCE CONTROL.

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TODAY THE ROBOT KNOW HOW MUCH FORCE IS DOING TO WORK !

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The advantages are:

• Easier and faster programming
• Continuous control of the working force
• Intelligent programming, connected to the operations to do

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Easier and faster programming

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With the force sensor mounted on the robot, the use of the joystick is reduced. You can move the robot by bringing the part that the robot is holding and the robot follow your movement.

It’s like to move the part with the robot that is holding it.

You laterally show to the robot what to do.

You take the part and you press on the tool, like you should do to work manually.

In the while, the robot learn the path.

Fantastic…almost incredible!

The programming time is reduced in a incredible way.

Use the robot with Force Control become easier. The training is long as before, but you learn also how to use this sensor.

With Force control is introduced a brand new concept in programming robots: paths self learning.

Today if you have to deburr a complex profile you have to program thousand of points. With force control the robot learn by himself the path. You have only to show to the robot where to deburr, then itself, automatically it learn and record the path.

A real revolution.

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Continuous control of the working force

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With force control if the robot crash during working it stop automatically.

It stop and it tell you in which direction the force is arrived.

With this functionality you save the robot arm by collision, and also you tools.

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Intelligent programming, connected to the operations to do

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If you have force control you get thousand of opportunities to make your working cycle intelligent.

You can make a cycle that really depend on the part. If the robot feels that there is flah to remove it work with one speed, if there is no flash it work much faster.

The result?

Your cycle time become faster and your profits increase!

You are probably asking yourself:

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Do I still need compensation on the tools?

YES, for sure YES!

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The compensation system help you during programming and it use to change the working capacity of every tool. It’s used to make parts deburred in the same way without problems for the operator.

With force control, it’s like in a raining day I give you an umbrella, this doesn’t mean that now that you have the umbrella you can go walking only in pants….even if you have the umbrella is in any case a raining day!

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EVERYTHING SEEMS FANTASTIC! BUT IN WHICH WAY CAN YOU TRUST ME?

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> I INVITE YOU TO MY HOUSE <

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I organize a Open House to show you all the last news that I’m proposing.

Come to see how it works, come to try it.

I tought a program of demonstration for you: I show you how it works ì, then we look for the limit of the system.

Book your visit and you will get the program of the demos.

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The event will be in Cellatica (BS) in via Industriale 15 traversa prima.

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From Monday 06 to Wednsday 08 June.

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From 8.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.

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It will be a great event, I don’t know if I will do it again.

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I look forward to meet you!

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Book your visit quickly by filling out the form below, indicating when you want to come and visit us.

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Piercarlo Bonomi
The Main Expert in Robotic Cutting and Deburring Machines