Easiest way to handle multiple set of points for same cycle

    Good morning everyone,


    I'm new to robotic in general and to kuka robots in particular,

    I just took the KUKA college course and I'm now working on my first project:

    KUKA KSS 8.7.6

    It's a simple pick and place cycle,

    the robot needs to load a CNC machine with raw pieces and unload finished ones,

    divided in simple operation i.e. pickPiece, openDoor...

    I'm now using a set of global points (gXpickingTable, gXloadSpindle, gXdoorHandle, ...)

    Here's my problem: I would like this programs to work for different types of pieces (let say 100).

    The PLC will pass me an INT which represents the type of piece to work.

    The operator needs to be able to touch up a new set of points each time he creates a new CNC program,

    but without losing thew previous sets.

    I'm wondering if it's possible to do so without copypasting the entire program and changing the name of the points every time.

    Pints need to be created and touched up with inline forms.

    I'm thinking of initializing the global points in an custom SPS:

    Code
    SWITCH  giJobSelectionCNC
   CASE 1
    gXpickingTable = gXpickingTableProg1
   ...
   CASE 2
    gXpickingTable = gXpickingTableProg2
...

    but I'm not convinced because the operator would have to modify the SPS too, every time he wants to create a new piece.

    This can't be a new problem, so I'm asking you, is there a "canonical" way to solve it?

  • MOM December 6, 2023 at 9:52 AM

    Approved the thread.
    • Best Answer

    Hi,

    I am merely an uneducated pleb and so don't know of any canonical ways. I do like setting things up in way that requires least work/effort.

    If I understood correctly, the amount of points, their order and respective motions should not change. A subset of points will need to have different positions depending on the parts being worked on. If these assumptions are correct, I would do something like this:

    1. Initialize and define the points that should not change in some public dat file as consts.

    2. Make a file that is going to be copied for every new loading program with the points that need changing. Protect them with a flag to avoid unintended execution (something like _TouchUpOn and $T1). This is the module where the operator will touch up the points.

    3. At the end of the program above have a call to a function in a different module that is going to actually execute the desired motions with the touched up points as parameters (better as pos array).

    4. Profit immensely as now all the operator has to do is duplicate a program, give it a name, enable _TouchUpOn flag, turn on $T1 and touch up the needed points. Afterwards just run the program every time it's needed.

    This seems so simple that I probably misunderstood the problem.

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