KUKA Programming tools

I will exclude KUKA.Sim from this equation, because I never used it for real.

On programming side, first and foremost, Notepad++. I've been using it on the last 13 years and never had any problem. And KRC4 controllers have it installed.

But in the last years I'm trying to stick with WorkVisual when working with KRC4 robots.

It have its cons compared with N++ or UltraEdit but its KRL editor is getting better, and while working with a WoV project You can have the big picture about the robot. And some additional editors, as GripperSpotTech, ArchTech and so on are very handy.

I always configure my WoV to close all folds when opening a program, and I also configure Notepad++ and OrangeEdit as external editors, just in case.

I'm starting to play with snippets and templates, but to be honest, not found a real use case for me until now.

OrangeEdit is always installed, also, mostly to check KRC2 programs, and occasionally make changes on older previous KRC4 generations programs as well.

I always have KUKA.Load and KUKA Logviewer around.

I don't have OfficeLite, but when it is available, this is a big plus.

Notepad++ and OrangeEdit specially if you are doing online programming and you need to do some change like mirror or copying, adjustments of points or bases and adding inline forms. OrangeEdit is also shows how its going to look like in the smartpad. Really helpful for me. Wov is a must if you need configuration.

I have a followup question.

My company has an upcoming project with multiple KUKA robots. My colleague and I has been fiddling with the KUKA.Sim software.

We're used to making robotcells in RobotStudio with ABB robots, that give us the oppertunity to construct a whole cell and program the robots before we even receive the robots/components for it. So when the components are in house we're able just to transfer the program and do touch-up's.

I've build the KUKA cell as we intend it to be when we get the components. My colleague & I has been doing some programming in KUKA.Sim and have somewhat managed to export it to a demo robot we have onsite.

But it seems like not all options/syntax's are available in KUKA.Sim as they are in WorkVisual.

Is this correct? If so, would this mean that KUKA.Sim is only to make the preparations for a possible cell and what type of robot is needed, and not to do complete offline programming to prepare for the robots?

Thanks.

TL;DR:

Is it possible to offline program the whole cell in KUKA.Sim and the export the rutines to the robots with minimal tweaking?

While ABB Robotstudio is a full simulation software, bringing the 3D environment and virtual controller, KUKA.Sim (that is based on Visual Components), brings "only" the 3D environment part of the equation.

You can make robot paths and insert very basic logic instructions, and create a program from that.

If you want more instructions, a virtual teach pendant and so on, You need another piece of software called OfficeLite, that can be linked with KUKA.Sim and give You more options. OfficeLite is bundled with KUKA.Sim Pro.

WorkVisual is more an IDE (or EDE) for the the robot itself.

But once You have OfficeLite, You can plug WorkVisual in it and use the WorkOnline feature.

So, to have an experience that resemble RobotStudio, You would need KUKA.Sim + OfficeLite + WorkVisual.

But you will never get the same (in newspeak:) user experience like in Robotstudio. Cause you have a virtual machine, communicating with simulation and WoV over a virtual network. So You have 3 different programs, every one with it's own problems.

Yep, this is true. The overall experience isn't so seamless as in RS.

One step to diminish the pitfalls of this specific setup is install WorkVisual inside OfficeLite VM.

On older versions of WoV and OL this maneuver wasn't working properly, but on newer ones You can do this with no hassles.

Anyway, the need to link OfficeLite and KUKA.Sim is still there.

massula  hermann Thanks for your responses.

A KUKA programmer has been with us for two days to answer and guide us on these topics. He also told us that KUKA.Sim on it's own just was to simulate lightly and get the cycle times of a setup etc. Nothing fancy.

But he talked about some new software that was in the making from KUKA that maybe could be similar to RobotStudio and Fanuc's RobotGuide.

I hope this is the case and it would help every KUKA programmer in future offline simulations.

SimPro and OfficeLite are separate products for now but that could change. one important reason to use SimPro is to check things like reach and interference. also to actually see the motions. it is much easier to spot the place that needs optimizing when one can view the paths.

Quote from MHammer

But he talked about some new software that was in the making from KUKA that maybe could be similar to RobotStudio and Fanuc's RobotGuide.

I hope this is the case and it would help every KUKA programmer in future offline simulations.

I never see it for real, only on brochures, but I remember in the first days of WorkVisual for KRC4, there was a thing called VisualProcess, that was a 3D simulation inside WorkVisual and a cycle diagram, more or less Sequence Editor on Process Simulate.

At that time, this feature resembled me the "old" WorkVisual, for KRC2, called WorkVisual Process.

There is a sim.pro 4.0 coming! don't ask me when (maybe April)

it is also subscription based.