Offline programming for 6 axis welding robot
Budget: $750 – $1,500 AUD
Hello,
I have a 6 axis welding robot that is on a linear track (7th axis) & has a rotating chuck (8th axis). Currently the robot can only be operated by writing programs using a hand held teach pendant in the normal method, by teaching points and saving those points as a program. The robot controller has a USB port that can be used to download saved welding programs, or upload welding programs from another identical robot, or update the controller or teach pendant to a newer software version (I recently updated the teach pendant software to a newer version using this method).
What I would like to do is to be able to write off-line welding programs using Fusion 360 & RoboDK (or something similar), then upload that welding program using the USB port, call up that welding program on the teach pendant and run it in the same way as any welding program runs.
I have downloaded all the programs and operating software from the robot controller & teach pendant, so I have copies for your programmer to review. I don’t have the appropriate software on my computer to open any of the programs, but from what I can see I think the robot controller runs on Linux Ubuntu (this would need to be confirmed by your programmer).
So the tasks to achieve would be:
1. Review 2 to 4 below, advise if it is possible to do and what the expected cost will be
2. Analyse the robot controller & teach pendant operating software, and my existing welding programs. That will allow the programmer to reverse engineer a welding program by looking at a sample welding program. The company that I purchased the robot from said it runs on a Linux operating system.
3. Write a program that would allow offline programming to be done, making the weld path in Fusion 360 on a 3D model of the part to be welded & then with RoboDK (for RoboDK they are usually written in Python). I have a 3D model of the robot and the welding head to use in RoboDK.
4. Provide that program so I can make offline welding programs on my computer as required and upload them to the robot using the USB port and run them as a normal program.
I would like to use Fusion 360 & RoboDK but if there is something better or if they aren’t able to be used, then whatever will work is ok.
I have a 6 axis welding robot that is on a linear track (7th axis) & has a rotating chuck (8th axis). Currently the robot can only be operated by writing programs using a hand held teach pendant in the normal method, by teaching points and saving those points as a program. The robot controller has a USB port that can be used to download saved welding programs, or upload welding programs from another identical robot, or update the controller or teach pendant to a newer software version (I recently updated the teach pendant software to a newer version using this method).
What I would like to do is to be able to write off-line welding programs using Fusion 360 & RoboDK (or something similar), then upload that welding program using the USB port, call up that welding program on the teach pendant and run it in the same way as any welding program runs.
I have downloaded all the programs and operating software from the robot controller & teach pendant, so I have copies for your programmer to review. I don’t have the appropriate software on my computer to open any of the programs, but from what I can see I think the robot controller runs on Linux Ubuntu (this would need to be confirmed by your programmer).
So the tasks to achieve would be:
1. Review 2 to 4 below, advise if it is possible to do and what the expected cost will be
2. Analyse the robot controller & teach pendant operating software, and my existing welding programs. That will allow the programmer to reverse engineer a welding program by looking at a sample welding program. The company that I purchased the robot from said it runs on a Linux operating system.
3. Write a program that would allow offline programming to be done, making the weld path in Fusion 360 on a 3D model of the part to be welded & then with RoboDK (for RoboDK they are usually written in Python). I have a 3D model of the robot and the welding head to use in RoboDK.
4. Provide that program so I can make offline welding programs on my computer as required and upload them to the robot using the USB port and run them as a normal program.
I would like to use Fusion 360 & RoboDK but if there is something better or if they aren’t able to be used, then whatever will work is ok.