Mounting a Device on a Robot

 

 

 This procedure describes how to mount a tool or device on a robot.

This procedure has four parts:

The steps in this procedure are illustrated using the file BodySide_RobotandGun.CATProcess.
Once a device is mounted on a robot, moving the robot necessarily moves the device accordingly.  The tool profile can be used to calculate an offset for the tool.

You can mount a device on a robot within either a CATProcess or CATProduct document.  If you mount the device onto the robot within the CATProduct document, you can load an instance of the robot, with its mounted device, into a CATProcess document.

The devices that can be mounted may be kinematic or non-kinematic devices. If the device does not have kinematics, it needs to have a tool frame and a base frame defined.  For more information on tool and base frames, see Device Building User's Guide.

Mount a Device
 

  1. Click Set Tool .

    The Robot Dressup dialog box appears.

  2. Select both the device and the robot on which you wish to mount it.

    The data appears in the dialog box.
    The table below provides an explanation of the fields.

    Robot

    Name

    Name of the robot

    Snap Ref

    The reference frame, on the robot, to which any device is snapped.  You can use the compass to manipulate the Snap Ref, and the offset is stored in the Translation Step field. You can also select from among more than one Snap Ref.  Tool tags and snap references not defined for the robot can be selected on the geometry or from the PPR tree.
     

    This field is unavailable when Fixed TCP is set.

    Tool profile

    Each robot controller has associated with it 4 profiles.  The tool profile specifies data about tools associated with robot, such as offset points.  By selecting New, you will create a new tool profile with this tool's name as part of its name (e.g., selecting New for the Rocker1 tool creates a tool profile with the default name Rocker1.1.ToolFrame).  You can also select from among any profiles already created, including the default profile.

    Device

    Name

    Name of device

    Snap Ref

    The reference frame on the device for snapping the device to the robot.  You can use the compass to manipulate the Snap Ref, and the offset is stored in the Translation Step field. You can also select from among more than one Snap Ref. Tool tags and snap references not defined for the device can be selected on the geometry or from the PPR tree.

    This field is unavailable when Fixed TCP is set.

    TCP

    Tool Center Point is determined on a specific location.
    Mode
    Snap/Fixed TCP Select either Snap or Fixed TCP

    External Axes

    If this check box is selected, you can teach the robot using fixed TCP, and the device is considered part of the kinematics of the robot.
    Orientation Step This field is the minimal angle change that can be applied to the device.  This field is unavailable when Fixed TCP is set.
    Translation Step This field contains an offset from the Snap Ref.  This field is unavailable when Fixed TCP is set.

  3. Click Apply.

    The tool snaps to the robot.  The green manipulator appears on the 3D geometry.

  4. (Optional) Use the compass to rotate the geometry until the device is oriented correctly.

    The orientation defines the minimal angle change that can be applied to the device.

  5. Click OK.

    The device is mounted on the robot.
    The robot's listing on the PPR tree is modified accordingly.  Under the robot's listing, the device is listed as a mounted device.  The tool profile of the device appears as part of the robot controller.
    If you selected External Axes check boxes, the device appears listed as an auxiliary device.
     

Unmount the Device
Selecting unmount means that the device and robot are no longer considered connected; they may move independently of each other.  The software, however, continues to recognize that the device was once mounted to the robot, and selecting remount from the same menu automatically remounts the same device with the same orientation.
 

  1. To unmount a device (that is, enable the robot and device to move independently of each other), select the device under the Mounted Devices node, under the robot's node, on the PPR tree.

  2. Right-click the device and select UnMount Device.

    Note that the device remains listed in the PPR tree, under mounted devices, but the green check mark has disappeared from the icon next to the device.  The tool remains listed under the robot so that it can be remounted when desired; but the removal of the green check indicates that the device is unmounted.
      To sever all links and all recognition that the device ever was mounted to the robot, select unset from the context menu; the device will disappear from the mounted devices node.

Remount the Device
You can remount a device whether it has been unmounted or not. Therefore, if the device moves from the snap reference of the robot, it can be remounted easily.  If you have unset the device from the robot, and you wish to have the device mounted to the robot again, follow the directions for mounting a device.
 

  1. To remount a device (that is, restore the connection between an unmounted device and the robot to which it was originally mounted), select the device under the Mounted Devices node, under the robot's node, on the PPR tree.

  2. Right-click the device and select ReMount Device.

    The device and robot now move as one again.

Unsetting the Device
You can unset a device.  This removes all record of a relationship between the device and the robot within the software.  If you later wish to mount the device onto the robot, you must use the mount rather than the remount procedure.
 

  1. To unset a device (that is, destroy the connection between the device and the robot on which it was mounted), select the device under the Mounted Devices node, under the robot's node, on the PPR tree.

  2. Right-click the device and select UnSet Device.
To create actions that pick and drop the mounted device, see Device Task Definition User's Guide: User Tasks: Device Task Programming Tasks: Creating Actions and Activities: Picking a Tool and Dropping a Tool.
 

Load an Instance of a Robot and a Mounted Device
  When a device is mounted onto a robot within a CATProduct document, an instance of the CATProduct document can be loaded into a CATProcess document and the robot's mount status remains in effect.  The instance can be modified within the CATProcess document and the changes made to it will not affect the reference information within the CATProduct document.  However, any changes made to the reference robot or mounted device within the CATProduct document will be reflected within the CATProcess document, so long as the robot and device maintain their link to the reference CATProduct.

The table below details the relationship:

  Instance Reference
Mounted in Reference Mounted Mounted
Mounted in Instance Mounted Not Mounted
Unmounted in Reference Unmounted Unmounted
Unmounted in Instance Unmounted Mounted
Remount in Reference Remounted Remounted
Remount in Instance Remounted No remounted
Unset in Reference Unset Unset
Unset in Instance Unset Set