Method and system for assessing the state of at least one axial joint

• US 7,603,200 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Hansen, Sven, Schmidt, Steffen, Henrich, Kim, Bader, Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEN, MINGJEN
• Application Number:
  US11/153,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 318/566, 702/179, 702/183, 700/245, 700/175, 33/1.MP
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1641 compensation for backlash, friction, compliance, elasticity in the joints

Abstract

A method assesses a state of at least one axial joint of an industrial robot, on the basis of data of a mechanical backlash present at the axial joint of the industrial robot, a state of wear of the axial joint being determined. On the basis of data of a torque profile, a first loading state of the axial joint is determined at the axial joint during at a first working cycle of the industrial robot. On a basis of data of a movement sequence at the axial joint during a second working cycle of the industrial robot, a second loading state of the axial joint is determined. An assessment of the state is carried out by pre-assessing the state of wear, the first loading state and the second loading state and a subsequent comparison with an empirically obtained comparison value matrix.

Claims

1. A method for assessing a state of at least one axial joint of an industrial robot, which comprises the steps of:

determining a state of wear of the at least one axial joint on a basis of data of a mechanical backlash present at the at least one axial joint of the industrial robot;

determining a first loading state of the at least one axial joint on a basis of data of a torque profile of the at least one axial joint during at least one first working cycle of the industrial robot;

determining a second loading state of the at least one axial joint on a basis of data of a movement sequence of the at least one axial joint during at least one second working cycle of the industrial robot; and

carrying out an assessment of the state by pre-assessing the state of wear, the first loading state, and the second loading state and a subsequent comparison of the first loading state and the second loading state with an empirically obtained comparison value matrix, for assessing the state of the at least one axial joint.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises deriving the data for determining the state of wear by performing a backlash measurement.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

applying, through a load-transmitting device, a predetermined force alternately along a measuring line to a first robot knuckle, the first robot knuckle movably connected in a direction of rotation by the axial joint to a second robot knuckle;

measuring a deflection of the first robot knuckle at a predetermined distance from an axis of rotation of the axial joint with a displacement sensor; and

calculating a rotational angle of the first robot knuckle as a measure of a backlash present at the axial joint with an evaluation device connected to the displacement sensor, taking into account geometrical configuration data in the measurement of the displacement sensor and the industrial robot and also a measured deflection.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises using at least one working cycle for obtaining the data for the torque profile and the movement sequence.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

analyzing the torque profile for portions of the torque profile that exceed a previously fixed torque band; and

determining the first loading state of the at least one axial joint by assessing a frequency and/or a curve profile of the portions of the torque profile.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

determining rotational movements of the at least one axial joint on a basis of the data of movement sequence being a rotational movement profile; and

determining the second loading state for the at least one axial joint by assessing the rotational movements.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises performing pre-assessments using a respectively empirically determined weighting factor.

8. A system for assessing a state of at least one axial joint of a robot arm of an industrial robot, the system comprising:

a data module containing data of an existing mechanical backlash, a torque profile and a movement sequence of at least one axial joint during at least one working cycle of the industrial robot;

an analysis module for determining loading states and/or states of wear of the at least one axial joint on a basis of the data; and

an assessment module for assessing the loading states and the state of wear of the at least one axial joint, said assessment module performing a subsequent comparison of the first loading state and the second loading state with an empirically obtained comparison value matrix, for assessing the state of said at least one axial joint.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said data module, said analysis module and said assessment module is disposed in a robot controller.

10. The system according to claim 8, further comprising an evaluation device to be connected to a robot controller, and at least one of said data module, said analysis module and said assessment module is disposed in said evaluation device.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein values of the torque profile and/or of the movement sequence can be read out from a robot controller as direct or indirect values.

12. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a measuring configuration for measuring backlash at the axial joint of the industrial robot, the industrial robot having a first and a second robot knuckle movably connected to each other in a direction of rotation by the axial joint;

a load-transmitting device applying a predetermined force alternately along a measuring line to the first robot knuckle; and

a displacement sensor measuring deflection of the first robot knuckle brought about by an application of the predetermined force, said displacement sensor positioned in a measuring manner in a direction of the measuring line, and said displacement sensor disposed at a predetermined distance from an axis of rotation of the axial joint.

13. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a display device for displaying measured values.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said displacement sensor is connected to said evaluation device.

15. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a measuring transducer connected between said displacement sensor and said evaluation device.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein said evaluation device is a measuring computer having a display device.

17. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a holding device connected to the second robot knuckle, the second robot knuckle disposed between the axial joint and a robot foot, said holding device supporting said displacement sensor.

18. The system according to claim 15, further comprising computer program products by which a measurement and/or an evaluation of measured data is made possible are implemented in said evaluation device and/or in said measuring transducer.

19. The system according to claim 8, wherein said assessment module is programmed to perform a pre-assessment of the states of wear and of first and second loading states.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein said display device is a screen.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein said holding device is selected from the group consisting of a holding bar and a holding rod.