Posts by NoBugsOnlyFeatures

I am really intereseted how you would repair a bad weld with a robot? What kind of problems would the machine be repairing? Missplaced welds, porosity, ...? You usualy need to grind the weld out and make a clean weld groove, so Im genuinely curious how you would go about something like that

Pretty much. Except 2D shift + rot only produces rotation around 1 axis.

I had a problem with the same error. 2 searches on the X axis and 2 on Y axis. The reason for the error was that one of the searches on the Y axis was not in the same Z position as the other 3 and it couldn't calculate the offset.

Heres a pic that shows what I mean:

To make this work you can use two 1D Position + Rotation touch for each X and Y axis and you get the X offset, Z rotation and from the second touch you get the Y offset and the X rotation. You just need to add both position registers to a third on and use that as the Touch_offset parameter.

Maybe it helps somebody Cheers!

I've no idea how it is implemeted. Our machine came with the Wire/Nozzle Touch function that you have to call before any touch sensing application. All the function does is turn a digital input on or off.

I haven't had the time to check out what it does when it changes the DI or find out where the code for it is written.

You should probably contact your integrator.

Touching with the welding wire is very frowned upon because the wire stickout is never consistent and the wire is never completly straight/bent in the same direction. So your touch offsets are always off by a few 0.1 mm.

Fanuc has a 'wire inching' function that allows you to push/pull the wire for a set duration (set in miliseconds).

If you have to use the wire for touch sensing, be sure that the wire is parallel to the part you are touching to ensure the most accurate reading (if you have a cleaning station with a wire cutter you should also cut the wire to lenght before each touch sensing application - a poor arc off that leaves a big blob of material at the end of the wire will also mess with your offset)

Your search speed also affects the accuracy. The faster the search speed (the speed with which the robot moves towards the part during touch sensing) the lower the accuracy. Default on Fanuc is 10mm/s IIRC, maybe lower it to 5mm/s? This is a much bigger issue with wire touching than it is with the gas nozzle.

Most use the gas nozzle instead of the wire which is much more accurate and consistent, but the welding torch must support gas nozzle touch sensing and you have to set it up on the machine.

TLDR.: Dont use the wire for touch sensing. Use the gas nozzle (if supported)

I might be missusing the terminology here. There's two different ways described to calibrate coordinated pairs:

- method with a known configuration. Used for a Fanuc robot and a Fanuc table. Just set the table tcp, origin and x/y directions of the leader. This one was off if I tilted the table on its side.

- method with an unknown configuration. This worked nicely.

I've solved it by using the unknown pt calibration method for setting the COORD pair and calibrated both axis of the table.

Works perfectly now. Strange thing tho since the integrators manual (not an official fanuc one) says that fanuc made tables should allready be calibrated...

Ye, sorry about that. I should've posted some more info about the machine. It's a Fanuc ARC Mate 100ib with a R-30iB Plus controller and a small Fanuc made 2-axis table.

I've only been playing with it for a few weeks and I haven't set up any user frames. It's by default the same position/rotation as the world frame I believe?

I did try it that way. 2 C points to make a full circle, but the welding speed was not that of the welding schedule.

After some testing I found out it works as long as the positioner is not tilted (Its a 2 axis manipulator, I plan on rotating the part on its side 90deg, and using the other axis to rotate the part). As soon as I tilt it 90deg, the speed doesnt match. If it's in its default position (0deg - turned straight up the Z world axis) the speed matches with the weld schedule. Different radius and all works fine in the default position.

Im guessing the TCP of the manipulator is not set properly?

Hey guys, I am having the exact same problem. I have to make a few of these circular welds with a rotary table and calculating the speed by hand for each one gets tedious very quickly. I am guessing there is a way with the COORD function to adjust the speed with a welding schedule? But anything I try with COORD just moves the welding torch with the table.

If i remove the COORD parameter from the point the table just turns at about 100deg/min (I can change the speed by changing the weld schedule).

Anyway to do this more elegant?

The program is really messy and needs to be cleaned up a bit. Those commented lines were left in from the original programmer.

I couldnt find the cc() function defined anywhere (suprise, its at the end hidden in a FOLD). Once I found that it all clicked (OrangeEdit->Go to Definiton came in handy).

Ive add all the required calc_e1 calls with all the points and it now works.

You can delete this whole topic or perhaps leave it on, maybe it will be of some help to somebody

Quote from NoBugsOnlyFeatures

Am I being silly?

Code

calc_e1(xp1,vb)

This translates the point P1? And everyother calc_e1 call does the same for every point? If I add calc_e1(xp35,vb) to the end of the cc() function it will translate the point P35?

This is exactly how it works... Nevermind me or this topic. I guess my real problem is tunnel vision and blindness.

Am I being silly?

calc_e1(xp1,vb)

This translates the point P1? And everyother calc_e1 call does the same for every point? If I add calc_e1(xp35,vb) to the end of the cc() function it will translate the point P35?

KR C V5.5.8

KS V5.5.6.

Hey guys, Im turning to you for help since the manuals arent of much help and our integrator has no one available to help for a few weeks

The robot is an old KR 5 ARC HW arm with a rotary table under it with 18 parts on it. The machine welds a part and then turns the table 20 degrees and repeat.

We have gotten these machines with the programs allready created and have no real training with them. The problem is when I try to create new points and they dont get rotated around the E1 axis (atleast I think thats whats happening). The original program works fine... It welds the part, rotates the table and thats it, but if try making a new point, or even copy-pasting the old ones, it will weld one part and turn the table and the original points are all still in the same point in real space, but the new ones get translated around the E1 axis for 20deg and the machine will just start to move away from the part and try to weld it one station prior, the 3rd part will go through the original points like usual, but the newly created ones are now 40deg back (2 parts back) and it throws a Work envelope exceeded error since it tries to move too far away.

My question why is this happening? The points are copypasted and it doesnt work, same parameters and everything. It is really messing with me

Heres the code for the program and the function (cc() defined at the end) for rotating the turntable:

DEF kratke_6( )
;FOLD INI

int zaehler
  ;FOLD BASISTECH INI
    GLOBAL INTERRUPT DECL 3 WHEN $STOPMESS==TRUE DO IR_STOPM ( )
    INTERRUPT ON 3 
    BAS (#INITMOV,0 )
  ;ENDFOLD (BASISTECH INI)
;FOLD TOUCHSENS INI
IF H70_OPTION THEN
  IF (TOUCH_I[TOUCH_ACTIVE].IN_NR<>0) THEN
    IF (TOUCH_I[TOUCH_ACTIVE].IN_NR>0) THEN
      INTERRUPT DECL 15 WHEN $MEAS_PULSE[TOUCH_I[TOUCH_ACTIVE].IN_NR] DO H70 (6,CD0 )
    ELSE
      INTERRUPT DECL 15 WHEN $MEAS_PULSE[-TOUCH_I[TOUCH_ACTIVE].IN_NR]==FALSE DO H70 (6,CD0 )
    ENDIF
    INTERRUPT DECL 16 WHEN $ZERO_MOVE DO H70 (7,CD0 )
    INTERRUPT DECL 17 WHEN $TECHPAR_C[FG_TOUCH,8]>0.5 DO H70 (8,CD0)
  ENDIF
  H70 (1,CD0 )
ENDIF
;ENDFOLD (TOUCHSENS INI)
;FOLD ARCTECHDIGITAL INI
  IF ARC20==TRUE THEN
   A20 (ARC_INI)
   INTERRUPT DECL 6 WHEN $CYCFLAG[3]==FALSE DO A20(TECH_STOP2)
  ENDIF
;ENDFOLD (ARCTECHDIGITAL INI)
  ;FOLD USER INI
    ;Make your modifications here

  ;ENDFOLD (USER INI)
base_data[17]=base_data_org
;ENDFOLD (INI)
;FOLD ; ;%{PE}%R 5.5.31,%MKUKATPBASIS,%CCOMMENT,%VNORMAL,%P 2:
;ENDFOLD
zaehler=0
loop
;FOLD PTP P1 CONT Vel=100 % PDAT1 Tool[2]:brenner-2 Base[17]:E1;%{PE}%R 5.5.31,%MKUKATPBASIS,%CMOVE,%VPTP,%P 1:PTP, 2:P1, 3:C_PTP, 5:100, 7:PDAT1
$BWDSTART=FALSE
PDAT_ACT=PPDAT1
FDAT_ACT=FP1
BAS(#PTP_PARAMS,100)
PTP XP1 C_PTP
;ENDFOLD
zaehler = zaehler + 1
if zaehler>20 then
;FOLD ARCTECHDIGITAL INI
  IF ARC20==TRUE THEN
   A20 (ARC_INI)
   INTERRUPT DECL 6 WHEN $CYCFLAG[3]==FALSE DO A20(TECH_STOP2)
  ENDIF
;ENDFOLD (ARCTECHDIGITAL INI)
   zaehler=0
endif

;Original points
;Ive left in just 1 point to make it more readable

;FOLD PTP P1 CONT Vel=100 % PDAT1 Tool[2]:brenner-2 Base[17]:E1;%{PE}%R 5.5.31,%MKUKATPBASIS,%CMOVE,%VPTP,%P 1:PTP, 2:P1, 3:C_PTP, 5:100, 7:PDAT1
$BWDSTART=FALSE
PDAT_ACT=PPDAT1
FDAT_ACT=FP1
BAS(#PTP_PARAMS,100)
PTP XP1 C_PTP
;ENDFOLD

;Same point, copypasted

;FOLD PTP P35 CONT Vel=100 % PDAT2 Tool[2]:brenner-2 Base[17]:E1;%{PE}%R 5.5.31,%MKUKATPBASIS,%CMOVE,%VPTP,%P 1:PTP, 2:P35, 3:C_PTP, 5:100, 7:PDAT2
$BWDSTART=FALSE
PDAT_ACT=PPDAT2
FDAT_ACT=FP35
BAS(#PTP_PARAMS,100)
PTP XP35 C_PTP
;ENDFOLD

counter=counter+1
MsgNotify("------------- %1", ,counter)

cc()
continue

;FOLD PULSE 19 'Ausgang' State=TRUE CONT Time=1 sec;%{PE}%R 5.5.31,%MKUKATPBASIS,%COUT,%VPULSE,%P 2:19, 3:Ausgang, 5:TRUE, 6:CONTINUE, 8:1
CONTINUE
PULSE($OUT[19], TRUE,1)
;ENDFOLD
endloop

end
;fold cc()
def cc()

FRAME vb
wait sec 0
vb=$nullframe
vb.a=-20
base_data[17]=base_data[17]:vb
base_data_org=base_data[17]

calc_e1(xp1,vb)
calc_e1(xp2,vb)
calc_e1(xp3,vb)
calc_e1(xp4,vb)
calc_e1(xp5,vb)
calc_e1(xp6,vb)
;calc_e1(xp7,vb)
calc_e1(xp8,vb)
calc_e1(xp9,vb)
calc_e1(xp10,vb)
;calc_e1(xp11,vb)
calc_e1(xp12,vb)
;calc_e1(xp13,vb)
calc_e1(xp14,vb)
calc_e1(xp15,vb)
;calc_e1(xp16,vb)
calc_e1(xp17,vb)
calc_e1(xp18,vb)
calc_e1(xp19,vb)
calc_e1(xp20,vb)
calc_e1(xp21,vb)
;calc_e1(xp22,vb)
;calc_e1(xp23,vb)
;calc_e1(xp24,vb)
;calc_e1(xp25,vb)
;calc_e1(xp26,vb)
;calc_e1(xp27,vb)
;calc_e1(xp28,vb)
;calc_e1(xp29,vb)
;calc_e1(xp30,vb)

end
;endfold 

And heres the code for the calc_e1 program:

DEF calc_e1(p :OUT,vb :IN)
E6POS p
frame vb
INT i,idiv
real r

i=360

r=p.e1-vb.a
idiv=(r/i)
p.e1=r-idiv*i

END

Any help or pointers where to look would be greatly appreciated!

Quote from Steven

what controller should be use

Best way to go about it is to find a robot integrator(a company that sells and install robots) and show them the parts you want to weld and take it from there. The same company will usually sell a course that teaches users how to program/operate the machine.

If you need more specific help, you will need to supply some data about what you wanna weld, how many of those parts will you weld, where are you from (to help you pick an integrator), your budget, etc...

I havent used the Fronius TPS function to measure the resistance (Ive only read about it in the manual).

But I did use a multimeter to measure the resistance beatween the part and the grounding clamp and the results were all in the 0.1-0.2 ohms which is pretty good considering that the parts sit on an aluminium mounting table.

Ill try it with the TPS function to see if I get different results.

1. Buy a robot arm + controller

2. Attach some welding stuff to it (like a MIG torch or whatever) + welding source

3. Learn to programm/operate the robot

4. Learn how to weld

5.

6. Quit and go work in IT like normal people

So Ive just had the chance to check the wire after ARC_OFF and it honestly looks fine...

This is how it looks 99% of the time after ARC_OFF (on this pic the tip was allready melted a bit, just enough for it to stick to the part).

Ive also played around with the parameters to the point that I got the big blob of material on the end of the wire and it did prevent an arc ignition (the whole wire exploded and jammed up the tip), but it threw an "Failiure to ignite ARC" error and not the "Wait for output 212<>STATE"

Im still going to play around with the parameters to get a better looking tip after ARC_OFF just to completely rule this out.

Thanks for the tip. I was certain it was a grounding or some other connection issue.. but ruled it out after checking everything with a multimeter.

I had to set the burn-back value to 0 when we got the machines since we had problems with the wire not burning completly and sticking the torch to the part after ARC_OFF or burning the wire up to the tip and causing all sorts of problems (basicly random, independant of bbc value). My guess was the welding source being a 12y old TPS 5k with 10k ARC_ON hours and never calibrated after production.

I'll monitor how the wire looks after ARC_OFF first thing when I get back and see if it makes that big ugly droplet at the end and try to play around with the parameters to get that nice needle like tip.

KR C V5.5.8.

KS V5.5.6.

KR 5 ARC HW with a Fronius TPS 5000 welding source

Hey guys,

I am having some problems welding with our KUKA + Fronius TSP 5000 machine. We have a rotary table with 20 parts attached. Every other few welds the machine will ignite the arc only for a moment so it melts a little bit of the wire and stop and display an "Wait for output 212<>STATE" warning. What we do is cut of the wire (it always melts it just enough for it to stick to the part) and then restart the weld, which works most of the time. But this happens every other weld which makes the machine borderline unusable.

Anyone had any similar problems? Im attaching 2 pics with the error and the torch so you can get a better picture of what Im trying to explain with my iffy engrish!