Processing program generating device

• US 20060025890A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Kozo, Nagatsuka, Yoshiharu, Fukasa, Tetsuo
• Application Number:
  US11/193,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025890A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1671 characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems

Abstract

An offline programming device 1, robot control units 2a and 3a, and visual sensors 4 and 5 are connected to each other via a communication line 10. The device 1 stores and displays a shape of a work 6 generated by a CAD, for the work to be processed. Vertexes and edge lines of the work shape are assigned. A straight line processing route is formed by connecting between the assigned vertexes as teaching points. Points at both ends of the assigned edge line are set as teaching points, and the assigned edge line is set as a processing route. A processing program is generated in this way. The processing program is corrected based on a position and a posture of an actual work obtained by acquiring images of the work with the visual sensors 4 and 5. The processing operation of the processing program is simulated, and the work 6 is moved with a carriage 7 so that each axis of the robot is within a stroke limit to avoid the occurrence of interference between the robot and other objects. Alternatively, postures of processing tools 8 and 9 are changed, thereby easily generating the processing program. With this arrangement, the invention provides a processing program generating device that can easily generate a processing program for the robot, without interrupting the processing and without requiring an expensive tool.

Claims

1. A processing program generating device that generates a processing program for processing a work with a robot, the processing program generating device comprising:

a display means for displaying a shape model of the work on a display screen;

a means for assigning both or one of vertexes and an edge line of the shape model of the work displayed on the screen;

a means for assigning a posture of a processing tool;

a means for generating a route based on both or one of the vertexes and the edge line that are assigned, and generating a provisional processing program so that the processing tool becomes in the assigned posture of the processing tool in the route;

a visual sensor that acquires an image of an area of the work processed by the processing tool, and detects a position and a posture of the work; and

a means for correcting the generated provisional processing program based on the position and the posture of the work detected by the visual sensor, thereby generating an actual processing program to be used to process the actual work.

3. The processing program generating device according to claim 1, wherein the means for generating the provisional processing program sets the assigned vertexes as teaching points, sets points at both ends of the assigned edge line as teaching points, sets a straight line route between the teaching point of the assigned vertexes and the other teaching point, sets an edge line route between the assigned teaching points at both ends of the edge line, thereby sequentially obtaining a continuous route in the assigned order of the vertexes and the edge line, and generates the provisional processing program for the generated route so that the processing tool becomes in the assigned posture of the processing tool.

4. The processing program generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the means for generating the actual processing program to be used to process the actual work corrects coordinate positions and the posture of the teaching points prepared by the generated provisional processing program, or the points of origin and the posture in a coordinate system that defines the teaching points prepared by the provisional processing program, thereby generating the actual processing program to be used to process the actual work.

5. The processing program generating device according to claim 4, wherein the visual sensor includes a camera, and the camera is fitted to a robot that has the processing tool.

6. The processing program generating device according to claim 5, wherein the processing tool is fitted to a plurality of robots, and each robot processes one work.

7. The processing program generating device according to claim 6, the processing program generating device further comprising:

a means for simulating the operation of the generated actual processing program to be used to process the actual work, and checking whether the processing can be carried out normally in all the routes; and

a means for generating an alarm when an abnormality is detected.

8. The processing program generating device according to claim 6, the processing program generating device further comprising:

a means for simulating the operation of the generated actual processing program to be used to process the actual work, and checking whether the work is within a permissible moving range of each axis of the robot in all the routes; and

a means for moving the work to a processable position when it is detected that the work exceeds the permissible moving range.

9. The processing program generating device according to claim 8, the processing program generating device further comprising:

a first robot that has the processing tool and processes the work; and

a second robot that holds the work, wherein the second robot constitutes the means for moving the work to the processable position.

10. The processing program generating device according to claim 8, wherein the work is mounted on a movable carriage, and the carriage constitutes the means for moving the work to the processable position.

11. The processing program generating device according claim 10, the processing program generating device further comprising:

a means for simulating the operation of the generated actual processing program to be used to process the actual work, and checking the occurrence of interference between the robot and other objects in all the routes; and

a means for correcting the position and the posture at the teaching points prepared by the processing program to a position and a posture for avoiding interference when the interference is detected.

2. A processing program generating device that generates a processing program for processing a work with a robot, the processing program generating device comprising:

a display means for displaying a shape model of the work on a display screen;

a means for assigning a surface of the work to be processed on the displayed screen, and inputting a processing start point, a processing direction, a pitch amount, and a pitch direction;

a means for setting a posture of a processing tool;

a means for generating a route which moves on the assigned surface from the processing start point while shifting the route in an input processing direction by the pitch amount, and generating a provisional processing program so that the processing tool becomes in the posture of the processing tool set in each route;

a visual sensor that acquires an image of an area of the work processed by the processing tool, and detects a position and a posture of the work; and

a means for correcting the generated provisional processing program based on the position and the posture of the work detected by the visual sensor, thereby generating an actual processing program to be used to process the actual work.