Hello everyone. I hope you don't mind some very basic questions. My company builds robotic welding cells for general industry. My next project will be using an ABB IRB 1600 and a 2-axis positioner. I need to learn as much as I can in advance of the delivery of the robot (due in late August). Because I don't have a robot yet, I'm learning what I can from pdf's. In no particular order, here are my questions.
1) Mastering (calibrating) the arm - KUKA uses an EMD and software on the controller to move each motor into the mastering position. Does ABB have anything like this? What I have seen so far are some marks on the arm that you line up by eye and then update the revolution counters. Are there also some alignment pins or something?
2) Mastering (calibrating) external motors - When mastering an external motor gear unit with KUKA, we use an EMD. How do you master (calibrate) an ABB MGU?
3) Virtual PLC - KUKA has a virtual PLC which we use to monitor the state of some pushbutton switches the operator uses to control the robot while running in AUTO mode. Does ABB have a virtual PLC? How do I monitor mechanical pushbuttons while the robot is busy executing a welding program?
4) Safety chain - KUKA has a built-in Safety Interface Board that I wire up the safety chain (a string of 2-channel switches/outputs). So far in my early ABB education, I've been lead to believe that I need to add my own safety PLC the output of which is wired to the controller (somehow).
5) Digital I/O - It looks like ABB uses their own DIO modules that communicate with the controller PC using DeviceNet(?) and are setup/configured (mapped into memory?) using RobotStudio. Is this correct? In KUKA, WorkVisual is the configuration software where DIO modules (we have used Beckoff) are mapped into controller memory space.
Thanks.....Matt