An industrial robot program defines where the robot moves, at what speed, what the gripper does and how the robot interacts with other equipment. A good program is not just a correct path but also safe behaviour when something does not go to plan. Here is a short overview of how KUKA, Yaskawa Motoman and collaborative robots are programmed.
Programming methods
- Teach pendant programming. The robot is jogged to points with the teach pendant, and the points are recorded in the program. The simplest method for fixed operations: pick-and-place, palletising.
- Programming in the robot language. KUKA uses KRL, Yaskawa Motoman uses INFORM. This is where the logic is written: loops, conditions, signals, error handling.
- Offline programming. Paths are prepared on a PC from a 3D model and verified in simulation. Convenient for complex contours: milling, cutting, gluing.
- External control. A PC sends points to the robot during operation, for example based on a camera image. For KUKA robots we use EthernetKRL for this, for Motoman, HSES. This way the robot does not just repeat one path but responds to what it sees.
- Collaborative robots (e.g. FAIRINO) are often programmed by hand guiding and a graphical interface, with more complex logic written as scripts.
What makes a good robot program
- Tool and base calibration. Without an accurate TCP (tool centre point) and work base, even a good program will be inaccurate.
- Paths and speeds. Safe intermediate points, approximation (blending), speed matched to cycle time and part weight.
- Signals with the PLC and equipment. When a part can be picked, when the machine is ready, when the gripper has closed.
- Error handling. What the robot does if there is no part, the gripper has not closed or the camera has not found the object.
- Return to home position. After an emergency stop, the operator must be able to resume work safely without a programmer.
- Safety. Working zones, speed limits, light curtains. Motion is permitted by the safety circuit.
Robot and camera
When parts lie randomly, a robot cannot do without vision. A camera or 3D scanner finds the object, a PC calculates the pick point, and the robot receives the coordinates. For this to work, the camera and robot are calibrated relative to each other (hand-eye calibration). This is how our log feeding system works: a KUKA robot picks a log from a pile based on a 3D image.
What to prepare before programming
- Part drawings or 3D models and a few real samples.
- The required cycle time and accuracy.
- What happens before and after the robot operation: where the part comes from and where it goes.
- What equipment is already in place: PLC, network, safety equipment.
We program KUKA, Yaskawa Motoman and FAIRINO robots and have our own robots for testing. We build new cells and reprogram and modernise existing robots. Find out more in our robot integration services and projects.