Method and device for controlling an auxiliary tool axis of a tool being guided by a manipulator

• US 9,616,526 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Sonner, Christian, Wiedemann, Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US12/787,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,512 Days
• Field of Search: 700 97, 700160, 700166, 700169, 700192-193, 700245, 700250, 700262, 356318, 356320, 356321, 356459, 356FOR 112, 29 27 C, 29 27 R, 82 111, 21912163, 21912178, 228103, 318569, 901 6, 901 14, 901 16, 901 23, 901 29, 901 42, 901 46
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/02 Positioning or observing the workpiece, e.g. with respect to the point of impact; Aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/04 Automatically aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam, e.g. using the back-scattered light
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/082 Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0884 in at least in three axial directions, e.g. manipulators, robots
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/20 Bonding soldering by means of radiant energy B23K1/005; joining of preformed plastics parts by heating using laser beam B29C65/16
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/21 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/38 by boring or cutting

Abstract

According to a method according to the invention for operating an additional tool axis (Z) of a tool (2) guided by a manipulator, in particular a robot (1), a position and/or an orientation of the tool in space are defined by axis positions (q1-q6) of the manipulator axes and a position value (f) of the tool axis, are saved and/or displayed, with an automatic conversion being carried out between the position value (f) and an axis position (e) of the tool axis which brings it about.

Claims

1. A method of operating an independently actuable axis of a tool supported on a robotic manipulator having a plurality of drive axes controlled by a computer control, the method comprising:

defining a position and/or orientation of the tool in space in terms of the translational or angular positions of the drive axes of the robotic manipulator;

defining a process-based position value of a target along the tool axis; and

determining a tool drive axis position that results in the process-based position value using the computer control.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the tool drive axis position is carried out while the robotic manipulator is operating.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the process-based position value is dependent in a non-linear manner on the tool drive axis position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the process-based position value is independent of the translational or angular positions of drive axes of the robotic manipulator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the process-based position value is a distance to a working point, expressed in Cartesian coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the process-based position value is related to an angular orientation of the tool axis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tool drive axis position is a function of a predetermined tool parameter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer control automatically detects the tool parameter.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the tool is an adjustable focusing optics system and the tool parameter is a focal length of the adjustable focusing optics system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the tool is a laser and the tool parameter is a wavelength of the laser.

11. A method of operating an independently actuable axis of a tool supported on a robotic manipulator having a plurality of drive axes controlled by a computer control, the method comprising:

defining a position and/or orientation of the tool in space in terms of the translational or angular positions of the drive axes of the robotic manipulator;

defining a process-based position value of a target along the tool axis;

determining a tool drive axis position that results in the process-based position value using the computer control; and

operating the tool drive axis independently of the drive axes of the robotic manipulator to translate a component of the tool toward or away from the target.