Fixted Tool Load Definition in Block Programming

    Hello. I have a question that I can't seem to find an answer to in the manuals. When programming in block, the manual says that the load of the tool is defined in the tool coordinate screen, and I can find that pretty easily. What I see no mention of is how the load is defined when using a fixed tool. My robot still is carrying a tool that needs a defined payload when using the FLIN and FJOINT instructions, yet there is nowhere in the fixed tool coordinate screen to set that like there is on the normal tool coordinate screen. If the robot is using tool1 with an FLIN/FJOINT instruction, does it just derive that load data from the normal non-fixed tool1, or from somewhere else? Thank you!

    A fixed tool in Kawasaki is not attached to the robot, it is a remote tool.
    Therefore, no payload information will ever be required, other than that of the tool you are using attached to the robot that you are presenting to the fixed tool.

    eg. Robot presents a windscreen (Tool) to a fixed sealing dispenser (fixed tool).

    Thank you, I'm still confused though. My robots are carrying tools and parts that are over 200kg, and they presenting the part to a remote dispense tip, so I will need a way to define a load for that tool. Take a look at this line of code here for example:

    FLIN 200. ACCU2 TIMER0 TOOL1 WORK0 CLAMP1 (OFF, 0, 0, O) OX= WX= CL1 = 0.000, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 #[-36.292, 51.933, -27.804, 16.303, 75.671, 114.41, -1200]

    In this instruction, will the robot derive the load data from tool 1 under the "Tool Coordinates" menu on the robot? Or since it is an FLIN instruction, will it be looking at tool 1 in the "Fixed Tool Coordinates" menu, which doesn't have any load data defined?

    If it is the former, then I'm all set and good to go. If it's the latter, than how do I define the load for a fixed tool move?

    Thank you again.

    Yes that's a great question actually as in the block parameter structure, if you use any fixed tool interpolation, then the TOOL parameter reflects the FTOOL number from the aux function for fixed tool...........hmmm.......:hmmm:

    Knowing that Kawasaki is a retentive system, then the previous motion segment used would have reflected your actual EOAT (end effector), which if you have the payload, cog and moments set, would be retained and used throughout any successive fixed tool move and would remain unless you used/changed to a different TOOL parameter for the non fixed tool motion segment prior to the fixed tool motion segment.

    I am just speculating here, without any firm evidence to back this up, however there is a simple way to test this during ANY fixed tool motion segment.

    Whilst the robot is executing a fixed tool move:

    - Pause the robot mid execution and then access the keyboard or use KRTerm etc.
    - Type in TOOL and press enter twice, this will display the current tool tcp setting.
    - Type in WEIGHT and press enter twice, this will display the current payload etc information.

    If this information matches your end effector tool settings, then rest assured that information is active and will be being used for the fixed tool move and you should be golden..........:top:

    Let us know what results you get, I would be very interested to hear?

    Contacting your local Kawasaki distributor about this would prove or disprove my above speculation, but I am 99.99999999% confident this would be the case.

    So I tried out your suggestion, and it seems to work with a twist. On one hand it works like you predicted. If I have a JOINT move using TOOL1 and then that is followed by an FJOINT move, the FJOINT move will execute with the payload settings of whatever it was on the last normal JOINT or LINEAR instruction before it. So in this case if I had an FJOINT move with TOOL2 after a JOINT move using TOOL1, it will use the payload for TOOL1 in that FJOINT move.

    I'm seeing a different story though if I jump the program pointer directly to the FJOINT instruction and skip over the JOINT instruction in manual mode. In this instance, the payload setting will take the TOOL defined in the FJOINT instruction and use the payload associated with that non-fixed tool number. So in the same example if I skip the JOINT TOOL1 move and go directly to the FJOINT TOOL2 move, the FJOINT instruction will use the payload settings for TOOL2 instead of TOOL1.

    Thanks again for your help. This cleared up a lot.

    Thanks for feeding back your results, that is good to know.....:top:

    Quote from dohlfhauldhagen

    I'm seeing a different story though if I jump the program pointer directly to the FJOINT instruction and skip over the JOINT instruction in manual mode.

    Of course this will happen as you haven't executed the command previously, this is not just applicable to your payload, but ANY type of step jumping, it will retain it's last executed one.

    Quote from dohlfhauldhagen

    So in the same example if I skip the JOINT TOOL1 move and go directly to the FJOINT TOOL2 move, the FJOINT instruction will use the payload settings for TOOL2 instead of TOOL1.

    Yes, exactly......if you have the NOP option, I think that could be used to just select the payload by setting the applicable tool number as an 'blank' step with no motion.

    Sometimes you are looking at several payloads, so I would be setting them accordingly in the EOAT tool area eg:
    - TOOL1 to contain TCP + empty payload + toolshapes (if using).
    - TOOL2 to contain TCP + full payload + toolshapes (if using).

    Why would you be changing tool numbers between motion segments when you are using a single fixed dispensing fixed tool?

    Quote from kwakisaki

    Why would you be changing tool numbers between motion segments when you are using a single fixed dispensing fixed tool?

    This robot has an ATI tool changer and is handling multiple processes. It can drop off the material handler tool and pick up one of two different self piercing rivet guns. The customer is requiring us to use TOOL1 and TOOL2 for the rivet guns, each has their own defined payload. The material handler uses TOOL3 again with a separate payload. So when we are moving the part around we are using TOOL3, but when we present the part to the fixed dispense tip, we begin teaching with the fixed TCP, which is defined as TOOL1 under the fixed tool setup. Yeah, it's a mess... but it's the way the customer wants us to do it.

Advertising from our partners