ROBOT CONTROLLER FOR CONTROLLING ROBOT WHICH SUPPLIES AND DISCHARGES WORKPIECE

• US 20150253757A1
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Inventors: IKEDA, Yoshitaka
• Granted Patent: US 9,778,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/402 characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41825 machine tools and manipulators only, machining centre
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39143 One program in robot controller for both robot and machine, press, mold
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39155 Motion skill, relate sensor data to certain situation and motion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40409 Robot brings object near operator, operator places object in correct position
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49001 Machine tool problems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 Arm motion controller

Abstract

A robot controller used in a system having a machine tool and a robot, by which the robot is properly operated corresponding to an operation state of the machine tool. The robot controller has a data communicating part which obtains data representing an operation state of the machine tool at predetermined timing; a motion pattern storing part which stores a plurality of motion patterns of the robot for the machine tool; and a motion controlling part which selects a motion pattern from the stored plurality of motion patterns when an abnormality occurs in the machine tool or when an operation state of the machine tool satisfies a predefined condition, and operates the robot based on the selected motion pattern, the selected pattern being associated with an operation state of the machine tool when an abnormality occurs or when the operation state satisfies the predefined condition.

Claims

1. A robot controller for controlling a robot which supplies and/or discharges a workpiece to and/or from each of at least one machine tool, the robot controller comprising:

a data communicating part which obtains data representing an operation state of the machine tool at predetermined timing by means of communication with the machine tool;

a motion pattern storing part which stores a plurality of motion patterns of the robot for the machine tool; and

a motion controlling part which selects a motion pattern from the plurality of motion patterns stored in the motion pattern storing part when an abnormality occurs in the machine tool or when an operation state of the machine tool satisfies a predefined condition, and operates the robot based on the selected motion pattern, the selected pattern being associated with an operation state of the machine tool when the abnormality occurs in the machine tool or when the operation state of the machine tool satisfies the predefined condition.

2. The robot controller as set forth in claim 1, wherein the data communicating part obtains the data representing the operation state of the machine tool during process operation of the machine tool when the abnormality occurs in the machine tool;

and wherein the motion controlling part selects one motion pattern from the plurality of motion patterns including withdrawing the robot to an origin position, discharging a workpiece when being processed in the machine tool, and preparing restart of the processing in the machine tool, and operates the robot based on the selected motion pattern.

3. The robot controller as set forth in claim 1, wherein the data communicating part obtains the data representing the operation state of the machine tool at predetermined time intervals;

and wherein, when the operation state of the machine tool satisfies the predefined condition, the motion controlling part selects a motion pattern regarding checking or maintenance of the machine tool, and operates the robot based on the selected motion pattern.

4. The robot controller as set forth in claim 1, wherein the robot controller has a robot program, in which the plurality of motion patterns are defined and the data representing the operation state of the machine tool is designated as at least one of a branch condition, a waiting condition and a waiting-release condition of the robot program;

and wherein the motion controlling part automatically updates the data representing the operation state of the machine tool obtained by the data communicating part so as to change an execution sequence of the robot program corresponding to the operation state of the machine tool.