• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • BlueBotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
Cisco has been providing connectivity technologies to Fanuc robots

Industrial robots can now do their work uninterrupted thanks to the cloud and offline programming

March 3, 2016 by David Edwards

fanuc industrial robot

Industrial robots are increasingly being connected to the cloud, where they can be managed centrally in some sort of control room, which means that a small number of human staff could theoretically manage hundreds, if not thousands, of machines.

Previously they were almost always operated in isolated circumstances within factories, inside a work cell, fenced off from human workers because of safety concerns. They were programmed individually, using a teach pendant, which is like a 20-years-out-of-date oversized mobile phone.

The teach pendant is still used for refinements and modifications after the machine goes online, into work, but nowadays most industrial robots are prepared for a life of work using offline programming.

General Motors is said to be the first company to have bought the industrial robotic arm ubiquitous in the industry around the world today. The original version was called the Unimate, and was developed by George Devol and Joseph Engelberger in the late 1950s and early 1960s. GM bought one in 1961.

Cisco has been providing connectivity technologies to Fanuc robots
Cisco has been providing connectivity technologies to Fanuc robots

So it is perhaps fitting that GM is among the first to connect its industrial robots to a centralised cloud, its own IT network, working with Cisco and Fanuc. The automaker wants to keep its productions lines running without interruption.

In exclusive comments to Robotics & Automation News, Marty Linn, manager – advanced automation technology at GM, says there are plenty of benefits of connecting its industrial robots to its cloud.

“All of GM’s robots are connected globally through our GM Information Technology infrastructure,” says Linn. “The connection of these robots to the infrastructure allows us to back up programs and collect specific data from which we monitor the robot’s operational performance.

“By monitoring the operational performance of the robots, as well as other key systems, GM is able to control the manufacturing process and ensure the final quality of the products produced.

“The robots are able to tell us how they are doing, and if there are any problems that need attention. We are continuing to expand this performance control through all areas of manufacturing.”

GM has an annual turnover of more than $150 billion. It employs some 200,000 people around the world. And it produced approximately 10 millions vehicles in 2015.

No one has counted up how many robots the company has, but it’s probably several thousand, and all of them are programmed using both offline and online methods.

“GM uses offline simulation and programming, as well as ‘teach pendant’ programming to set up and train its robots,” says Linn. “It depends on the specific situation for which method is used.”

The main shortcoming of offline programming is that the robot path relies on the accuracy of the robot instead of the repeatability. Robots are highly repeatable but not very accurate. The accuracy of the robots can be drastically improved through robot calibration. Robot calibration means that the robot kinematics is changed to take into account small errors – usually geometric and elastic parameters. These errors are identified by taking measurements with an external measurement system.

As for which brand of robot GM uses, Linn says that the company has changed its eclectic approach for an exclusive one. “GM has used a variety of different robot manufacturers products over the years,” he says. “GM uses FANUC robots now. The robots we purchase are standard Fanuc robots with some unique customization to conform to GM’s common global controls architecture.”

Not all supersized automakers connect up their robots. Toyota, which in some years sells more cars than anyone else, has factories all over the world. In the UK, it has a factory at Burnaston, Derbyshire.

In exclusive comments to Robotics and Automation News, Neil Haynes, senior manager, weld engineering and maintenance, says: “We do not have any cloud connected robots in the factory at Burnaston.

“The only connected item we have is our CMM machine [coordinate measuring machine] for confirming the body in white accuracy. It’s measure result is shared automatically to TMC [Toyota Motor Corporation] and can be viewed/checked by others. It allows investigations and comparisons of data from other sites with a similar body structure or common child parts.”

Haynes adds that the robots used at Burnaston are prepared using both methods. “Our robots are initially ‘trained’ by offline programming in the first instance and in many cases this will remain for the duration of the model’s life. If we wish to make any tuning, then this is by the ‘pendant’ method.”

And unlike GM, Toyota – in Burnaston anyway –  uses a variety of robots. “On site at Burnaston weld shop we have Kawasaki, Nachi and Yaskawa,” says Haynes.

robodk
Robot Development Kit is the first software application to integrate industrial robot simulation, offline programming and robot calibration

For an overview of the two issues of connecting industrial robots to the cloud, and of offline programming, we asked Albert Nubiola, CEO of RoboDK, the first software to integrate industrial robot simulation, offline programming and robot calibration in one application.

On offline programming, Nubiola says: “If you have to follow complex curves, like engraving text into an object or do robot machining, you need simulation software and offline programming because teaching the path manually would take too long.

“You can use dedicated software to define your manufacturing operation using a standard format (such as G-code for robot milling or a DXF file for 2D cutting) and then easily convert it to a robot program.

“On the other hand, for a pick and place operation that requires teaching 4 points it is more appropriate to teach manually using the teach pendant. For these type of simple robot movements, simulation software might be used to decide what robot is most appropriate to do that task, however, programs are usually taught on the shop floor.”

On the subject of connecting industrial robots together through the cloud, Nubiola says the process is theoretically straightforward. “It does not take a dedicated IT team or special hardware to automatically transfer a program from the computer to the robot,” he says.

“Most robots have an Ethernet connection and it allows you to connect them to a Network. It is very easy to use the FTP protocol to transfer the programs directly from the computer to the robot – this is the same protocol used when you download a file from a website. That means that you can easily program a robot from anywhere in the world.

“However, many robot programmers do not know how to use these robots very well. I believe that factories are adopting these new technologies very slowly. Many engineers still transfer programs using a USB disk. This is a very time consuming task. RoboDK allows you to transfer the programs directly to the robot even if it is right beside you or on the other side of the world.”

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Features, Industrial robots, Industry Tagged With: albert nubiola, connected, general motors, gm, offline, programming, programs, robodk, robot, robots, simulation, toyota

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • Continental to unveil new autonomous mobile robots for first time at LogiMAT
  • GreyOrange raises $110 million for ‘growth financing’
  • Ally Robotics aims to raise $8.5 million to bring automation to the restaurant industry
  • ABB launches new robotic depalletizer to ‘reduce complexity and improve efficiency’
  • Switzerland’s largest trade fair celebrates its 20th anniversary with a promising edition
  • Seegrid launches online knowledge base for its autonomous mobile robots
  • Hydroplane highlights its hydrogen fuel cell powerplant development
  • How does Intralogistics support warehouse processes?
  • Einride unveils expanded product offerings for its autonomous trucks
  • Halodi selects Immervision to give ‘human-like’ vision to its humanoid robots

Most Read

  • Track your lost Android
    Track your lost Android
  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Top 25 vertical farming companies
    Top 25 vertical farming companies
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
    The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
  • Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
    Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
  • What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
    What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
  • Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
    Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
  • Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?
    Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?

Overused words

abb ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business china companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • Continental to unveil new autonomous mobile robots for first time at LogiMAT
  • GreyOrange raises $110 million for ‘growth financing’
  • Ally Robotics aims to raise $8.5 million to bring automation to the restaurant industry
  • ABB launches new robotic depalletizer to ‘reduce complexity and improve efficiency’
  • Switzerland’s largest trade fair celebrates its 20th anniversary with a promising edition
  • Seegrid launches online knowledge base for its autonomous mobile robots
  • Hydroplane highlights its hydrogen fuel cell powerplant development
  • How does Intralogistics support warehouse processes?
  • Einride unveils expanded product offerings for its autonomous trucks
  • Halodi selects Immervision to give ‘human-like’ vision to its humanoid robots

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

March 2016
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Feb   Apr »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT