Safe mouting of robot

    Hi


    We recently had a KUKA KR16 mounted in our lab. The robot is mounted on a frame of I-beams that is mounted to the floor with 4 M8 bolts (one in each corner). The bolts form a square that is about 1x1m. The people who mounted it, says it's fine, but I don't really feel safe having the frame fixed to the floor with only 4 M8 bolts. What do you guys think?


    /RoboticsMan

    Hi

    I'm not a mechanical engineer but I think 8 mm is pushing the limits


    Are they anchor bolts ? How deep are they in ?


    I hope you don't do sudden motion because that what really make the plate lose.

    You will see the nuts lose once you start moving fast.

    Do some tests, teach a fix point outside the plate, teach the robot few points on the air (fast), run it for 1/2 hour and go back to the fix point to see any deviation. Also check the nuts.


    I used to put a glass with water on the plate and look at the "waves" produce by the vibration.

    Retired but still helping

    Like 1

    I think the 8 mm bolts are going into 12 or 16 mm anchor bolts that go into the concrete. The bolts are closer to each other than I remembered. They form a rectangle of 35x75 cm. The frame that the robot is standing on is approximately 70x75 cm


    I will test it according to your suggestions when I find the time. Thank you!


    /RoboticsMan

    The data for this is supplied in the KUKA documentation. For the KR16, this is what I found. You'll need to compare those stress values against the strength of the bolts. The trickiest part is the torque of the robot against the base, caused by the worst-case inertia of the robot performing a Stop 0 at full speed with a maximum payload.

    You'll also want to be aware that, over time, even bolts that are strong enough could work their way out of the concrete, from cyclic loads or vibrations. So keep an eye on them.


    Check pages 73-77 of the attached PDF

    SkyeFire is exactly correct. Always reference the manufacturers documentation.

    KUKA documents will provide mounting information for both floor and machine frame mounting.

    If you have any additional questions , and you are located in the USA or Canada, you can contact the KUKA Focsu Center for support. 800-459-6691 for emergencies or FocusCenter@kuka.com for less urgent questions.

    Good luck!

    Concur with Skye & Rob.


    Whenever someone tells me Awww, that'll be good enough without calculations for verification, I go into Stupid Spasms.


    Manufacturers will supply a figure of loads applied BY the robot TO any device/surface to which the robot is mounted.

    It is required to take those force and moment values and design a mounting system that will absorb those applied loads.

    This design task will involve static load and structural analysis, floor anchor specification (style, diameter, engagement, pull-out force), and so forth.

    If you or your team doesn't know how to perform these mechanical engineering calculations, hire a consultant.

    Good enough and they say it's fine may get someone injured or worse.

    Quote from RoboticsMan

    Hi


    We recently had a KUKA KR16 mounted in our lab. The robot is mounted on a frame of I-beams that is mounted to the floor with 4 M8 bolts (one in each corner). The bolts form a square that is about 1x1m. The people who mounted it, says it's fine, but I don't really feel safe having the frame fixed to the floor with only 4 M8 bolts. What do you guys think?


    /RoboticsMan

    Hi Robotics Man, you can use anchor bolts but before that put chemical resin in the hole drilled for anchor bolt. It is always recommended to follow the instructions in OEM manual.

    SkyeFire , RobRak522 , TygerDawg …………:top:

    Quote

    Awww, that'll be good enough

    Oh yes, really sets my heckles off with those statements too......

    If you're not experienced in these areas, always refer to documentation and the advice of a specialist/consultant.


    I recall an incident after an exhibition, where a static robot was setup just suspending a motorbike 20ft in the air.

    After the exhibition, the Robot was powered up and the motorbike slowly lowered...….and yes, within a blink of an eye.....

    The robot anchors were pulled up......no stopping them, like a tree felling.....

    Luckily no-one was in the immediate area, and the motorbike was not far from the floor when 'Mrs Gravity' decided to lift her shirt.

    Just imagine if this happened during the exhibition...……:sorry: would not be enough.

    Obviously there was an inquiry afterwards and those words that TygerDawg uttered, were gracefully applied.


    Keep safe out there people, when in doubt, seek specialist advice...…:top:

    I find it funny that people smart enough to have a robot are not sure about how to secure it down. Sometimes you just need to go with your gut feeling and beef up the factor of safety, its not like Grade 8.8 M20 bolts are expensive. Replace the M8 bolts with something bigger like M16-20 or do that and chemical anchor the bolts to the concrete.

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