JP2008264928A - Industrial robot, and initial setting method of industrial robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an industrial robot capable of selecting a desired control from pre-estimated controls and easily and selectively programming a desired ladder circuit. <P>SOLUTION: This robot 1 comprises an input/output interface 4 connected to a programmable logic controller PLC to input/output signals and giving input commands. The programmable logic controller PLC is constituted that a plurality of contact programs capable of selecting whether or not to execute a series of actions are provided at a head of an operation program for executing a predetermined action for a peripheral equipment. A plurality of input units capable of commanding on/off of each contact program are provided to the input/output interface 4. A ladder program capable of a desired action by appropriately selecting the input unit for enabling the desired action into an ON condition can be incorporated in the industrial robot 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an initial setting method for an industrial robot, and more particularly, to an initial setting for an industrial robot that performs initial setting of operation control of a peripheral device in an industrial robot that performs a predetermined work process by attaching the peripheral device. It relates to the setting method.

  In general, an industrial robot can move a work arm to a desired position in a space within an operation range, and a peripheral device such as a spot welding gun or a handle unit that performs a gripping operation is installed and used on the work arm. . In industrial robots, the peripheral device attached by a power source such as electric power or compressed air provided from the robot body or outside the robot is operated and moved to a predetermined position, and welding or gripping is performed at a desired position. A work process for performing a desired work such as an operation is executed.

  In order to operate such an industrial robot, programming for performing operation control of the industrial robot is performed, and operation of peripheral devices to be attached and setting of timing of the operation are performed by sequence control programming.

Specifically, the programmable logic controller PLC, which is a sequencer built in an industrial robot, exchanges signals with peripheral devices in accordance with programmed procedures, and performs the operation of the robot body that performs complex moving operations by computer control. Various work processes are performed by combining operations of peripheral devices.
The programmable logic controller PLC is a control device with a built-in microcomputer CPU and memory RAM. It is pre-programmed by inputting input signals from peripheral devices such as various sensors and limit switches installed in the industrial robot body. This is a control device that freely controls peripheral devices such as a motor, a solenoid valve, or an indicator lamp by turning on and off an output circuit according to a ladder circuit. Programmable logic controller PLC is created using application software that can use a ladder program language on a personal computer, and the created program is connected to an industrial robot body via an interface such as a USB port. Transfer to PLC for realization.

A conventional example of creating this programming will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 4 showing a configuration example of the industrial robot, the industrial robot body 100 includes a programmable logic controller PLC as a part of the control circuit. In addition, the industrial robot body 100 is provided with a plurality of peripheral devices A and is configured to be able to perform work operations corresponding to the peripheral devices. In the conventional example shown in FIG. 4, a material handle unit A capable of gripping operation is attached to the industrial robot body 100, and the material handle unit A is provided with sensor switches A1 to A4 for detecting the gripping state. ing. There are various peripheral devices other than the material handle unit A.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 5, each peripheral device A to D can perform its own operation. For example, in the peripheral device A, it is possible to set an accessory option AA, an accessory option AB,. These optional operations exist in the peripheral devices A to D, respectively, and the industrial robot body 100 operates these peripheral devices and their optional operations in a complex combination.

  In an industrial robot, a program is performed by a programmable logic controller PLC provided in the industrial robot main body 100 in order to perform a desired work process by combining the peripheral devices as described above and their attached options.

In the material handle unit A, sensor switches A1 to A5 are provided. For example, when the industrial robot 100 to which the material handle unit A is attached performs a gripping operation on a plurality of vehicle types, In some cases, the ladder circuit according to the detection state of the sensor switches A1 to A5 is different depending on the vehicle model and programmed. That is, in order to perform the work or the like in response to the detection state of the ON / OFF state of the three sensor switches A1, A3, A4 of the sensor switches A1 to A5, as shown in FIG. If the switches A1, A3, A4 are in the ON state, it is necessary to program a ladder circuit that performs the operation on the right side of the switches A1, A3, A4 in the figure.
Further, when the parts and parts gripped by the material handle unit A are different for each vehicle type, it is necessary to program a ladder circuit depending on the states of the switches A2 and A5, for example. In this case, unlike FIG. 6A, a ladder circuit according to the states of the switches A2 and A5 is programmed as shown in FIG. 6B.

  However, in order to perform sequence programming using each of the peripheral devices A to D, as described above, programming is performed using a language for sequence control called a ladder program. Therefore, if there is no knowledge of sequence control, a program is formed. It was impossible to do so, and specialized knowledge was indispensable, and there was a problem that none of the workers could program freely.

In addition, in order to perform programming using the peripheral devices A to D freely, there is a problem that it takes about 3 hours for one industrial robot. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when using a desired switch, for example, switches A1, A3, and A4, of sensor switches A1 to A5 that are turned ON / OFF in accordance with the gripping operation of the material handle unit A. It is necessary to program the ladder circuit corresponding to each of these switches, and when the switches to be used for different models are, for example, switches A2 and A5, the ladder circuits corresponding to the switches A2 and A5 are programmed. Because it is necessary, even those with specialized knowledge have a problem that extra time is required for programming.
Furthermore, when a plurality of industrial robots must be operated in a coordinated manner, the number of work processes that need to be set is increased, and the time required for programming is further increased. did.
Furthermore, when there is an error in the assembled program, it is necessary to search for the location and correct the program, which requires a lot of time for the work.

  Therefore, the present invention can assemble a program of a programmable logic controller PLC that controls an industrial robot that operates with emphasis on peripheral devices without any special knowledge, and can reduce the time required for programming. Furthermore, the present invention provides an initial setting method for an industrial robot that does not cause programming errors.

  In the present invention, in order to solve the above problems,

A programmable logic controller, a peripheral device operable by an instruction of the programmable logic controller, and an input / output interface connected to the programmable logic controller so as to be able to input / output signals and giving an input instruction to the programmable logic controller. A robot controlled by a ladder circuit,
The programmable logic controller constitutes a ladder program from an operation program that causes a predetermined peripheral device to perform a series of operations and a plurality of contact programs that are located at the head of the operation program and perform the series of operations.
The input / output interface has a plurality of input units for instructing ON / OFF of each contact program, and by turning on or off the plurality of input units, a peripheral program is a ladder program in which the peripheral device is in an ON or OFF state.
By making it possible to select whether or not to operate the corresponding peripheral device by the input unit, the operation of the desired peripheral device is selected from a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the industrial robot, and the initial setting of the robot operation is performed. Possible industrial robots,

  as well as,

A programmable logic controller provided in an industrial robot, a peripheral device operable by instructions of the programmable logic controller, and an input / output interface connected to the programmable logic controller so as to be able to input / output signals and giving an input instruction to the programmable logic controller ,
The programmable logic controller constitutes a ladder program from an operation program that causes a predetermined peripheral device to perform a series of operations and a plurality of contact programs that are located at the head of the operation program and perform the series of operations.
The input / output interface is provided with a plurality of input units for instructing ON / OFF of each contact program, and by turning on or off the plurality of input units, a peripheral program is a ladder program in which the peripheral device is in an ON or OFF state.
The initial stage of an industrial robot that can select the operation of a desired peripheral device from among a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the industrial robot by making it possible to select whether or not the corresponding peripheral device is operated by the input unit Setting method,

I will provide a. In the industrial robot initial setting method, the interface input unit is positioned at the head of the operation ladder program that performs a series of operations, and the state setting is performed when the peripheral device of the ladder program is ON or OFF. Make it selectable. Therefore, the ladder program for the programmable logic controller is completed by turning on the desired input unit and performing the following operation ladder program if the peripheral device corresponding to the input unit is in the ON state. An operation ladder program for performing a series of operations is determined in advance.
The interface input unit is already assembled except for the selection of the contact state of the ladder program corresponding to the contact state, and adds that the contact of the desired peripheral device is in the ON state to the already drawn program.
Therefore, a ladder program is created that enables execution of an operation ladder program below the contact corresponding to the input unit by the operation of the peripheral device whose contact is turned on by the input unit.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in the ladder program of the programmable logic controller, a ladder program that performs a series of operations is assembled in advance, and the contact selection that activates the operation ladder program that performs the actual work operation of the created ladder program is selected. It is possible to assemble a ladder program so that the part is in parallel with the contact operations of multiple peripheral devices, and to perform the contact operation to perform the operation of the operation ladder program only by selecting the input unit provided in the interface The ladder program based on the combination of the state of the peripheral device and the industrial robot can be assembled easily and in a short time without having to reassemble from the beginning.
Furthermore, since programming is completed only by selecting an input unit, there is a specific effect that programming can be easily performed without knowing how to build a ladder program.
Furthermore, even when a plurality of industrial robots must be operated in a coordinated manner, the number of work processes required for setting is reduced, and the time required for programming is reduced.
Furthermore, when there is an error in the assembled program, it has been necessary to search for the location and correct the program, but this is solved by the present invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the entire embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an input unit, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a ladder circuit.

  Reference numeral 1 denotes an industrial robot. The industrial robot 1 includes a robot main body 11, a material handle unit 2 provided at the tip of a movable arm 12 of the robot main body 11, and a control unit 3 that controls the operation of the entire industrial robot 1.

  The movable arm 12 of the robot body 11 is driven by a driving means (not shown) using an electric motor provided inside the robot body 11 or a driving means (not shown) using compressed air / hydraulic. However, since the movable arm 12 and the driving means are the same as those of the conventional industrial robot 1, description thereof is omitted.

The material handle unit 2 provided at the tip of the movable arm 12 is freely driven by a driving means (not shown), and the gripping portion 21 can be opened and closed to grip the workpiece W. Therefore, the material handle unit 2 is configured to be able to grip the workpiece W by being opened and closed by a driving means (not shown) after the movable arm 12 is moved to a desired position.
Further, sensor switches 21 to 25 are provided on the gripping portion 26 of the material handle unit 2. The sensor switches 21 to 25 have different installation locations on the gripping portion 26 and can detect whether or not the workpiece W is gripped. Each of the sensor switches 21 to 25 can output a signal independently.

Such operations such as movement of the movable arm 12 and gripping of the workpiece W by opening and closing the material handle unit 2 are performed based on a program pre-installed in the control unit 3 which is the control unit of the industrial robot 1. To do. In this embodiment, the control unit 3 is installed separately from the robot main body 11 and connected by a cable so that signal input / output is possible. However, the control unit 3 may be built in the robot main body 11 and configured to be capable of signal input / output.
The control unit 3 is provided with a programmable logic controller PLC. The programmable logic controller PLC is a so-called sequence control device. The programmable logic controller PLC is connected so that the outputs of the sensor switches 21 to 25 are input independently.
In this embodiment, the sensor switches 21 to 25 will be described below as connection examples of peripheral devices, but other peripheral devices can be similarly configured.

An example of a ladder circuit program built in the programmable logic controller PLC will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a ladder circuit of a part describing the inputs of the sensor switches 21 to 25.
The ladder circuit R is an operation program that is actually executed by the input of the sensor switches 21 to 25 and is actually input by any of the sensor switches 21 to 25 of the sensor switches 21 to 25 in the control program unit R1. And a ladder selection unit R2 which is a contact program for selecting whether to control. The ladder circuit R shown as an example is the same as the control on the right side in the figure when a predetermined sensor switch that is turned on in the ladder selection unit R2 among the sensor switches 21 to 25 described in the control program unit R1 is turned on. Control for notifying gripping abnormality is performed. The selection switch R26 represented by the ladder selection unit R2 is a control self-holding circuit represented by the control R11, and includes a self-holding circuit such as a flip-flop circuit.

The contact part T at the head of the control program part R1 is controlled on the right side in the figure by turning on the contacts T1 to T5. The contacts T1 to T5 are provided in parallel. The contacts T1 to T5 are switching inputs of the sensor switches 21 to 25, respectively. That is, when the sensor switch 21 is turned on, the contact signal of the sensor switch 21 is input to the ladder circuit R, and the contact T1 is turned on. Similarly, the sensor switches 22 to 25 indicate that the contacts T2 to T5 are turned ON.
Since the conventional ladder circuit R is composed of only the control program part R1, the control R11 is performed according to the conditions described on the right side of the figure even if any of the contacts T1 to T5 is turned ON. .
However, when the material handle unit 2 holds the workpiece W at a predetermined position, the sensor switch 21, the sensor switch 23, and the sensor switch 24 provided in the holding portion 26 are turned on, and the sensor switch 22 and the sensor switch 25 are turned on. When the sensor switch 21, the sensor switch 23, and the sensor switch 24 are in the ON state, it is not necessary to perform the control R11 when the sensor switch 21, the sensor switch 23, and the sensor switch 24 are in the ON state. The control conditions according to the states of the contact T1, the contact T3, and the contact T4 corresponding to the sensor switch 23 and the sensor switch 24 must be canceled.

Therefore, the release of the control condition depending on the state of the contact T1, the contact T3, and the contact T4 is set to the OFF state without selecting the selection switch R21, the selection switch R23, and the selection switch R24.
That is, the selection switch R21 to the selection switch R25 are connected to the input switch 41 to the input switch 45 provided on the touch panel 4 which is an input unit shown in FIG. The other switches of the touch panel 4 are also connected to a predetermined control program unit R1 of the ladder circuit R determined in advance.

  Accordingly, the touch panel 4 is provided in the control unit 3 and is connected to the programmable logic controller PLC so as to be able to input and output signals. Further, the input switch 41 to the input switch 45 and the other input switches of the touch panel 4 are each provided with a circuit that can always be kept ON, such as a flip-flop circuit, in a ladder circuit (not shown). When the input switch 41 is touched, the input switch 41 to the input switch 45 and the release switch 49 located in the lower stage of the other input switches are touched and a release instruction is given (the self-holding circuit is turned OFF), so that it is always ON. It is configured to maintain the state.

  In this way, the input switch 42 and the input switch 44 of the touch panel 4 are selectively touched by the touch panel 4, and the input switch 41, the input switch 43, and the input switch 45 are not touched, so that the selection switch R22 of the ladder selection unit R2 The selection switch R24 is turned on, and the other selection switch R21, selection switch R23, and selection switch R25 are turned off. Therefore, since the selection switch R21, the selection switch R23, and the selection switch R25 are already in the OFF state in the ladder selection unit R2, the control program unit R1 has the contacts T1, T3, and T5 in the control program unit R1 turned on. The control on the right in the figure is not performed.

  In this embodiment, the selectable input switch as the input unit is configured by the touch panel 4, but may be configured by providing a plurality of switches that can be turned ON / OFF. For example, a plurality of toggle switches are provided, and each toggle switch is provided in each toggle switch. A signal may be input / output corresponding to the selection switch R21 to the selection switch R25.

  In the programmable logic controller PLC, a number of ladder control circuits that are supposed to be performed by the industrial robot 1 used in an automobile factory or the like are programmed in advance as a control program unit R1, and control is performed in the ladder circuit R. The ladder selection unit R2 that is determined prior to the program unit R1 is provided with a switch circuit corresponding to the assumed control program unit R1, and an input unit such as the touch panel 4 for switching the ON / OFF state of the switch circuit. It can be switched by a selectable input switch.

  In this way, the versatile ladder circuit R capable of selecting a desired control program unit R1 is stored in the programmable logic controller PLC of the industrial robot 1 by the touch panel 4 so that the industrial robot 1 can be controlled. Thus, it is possible to automatically select a desired input switch such as the input switch 41 so that desired control can be performed from the touch panel 4 without describing the entire ladder circuit R and storing it in the programmable logic controller PLC. A ladder circuit that can be controlled can be constructed to control the industrial robot 1. Accordingly, even an operator who is not familiar with the ladder circuit can easily configure a ladder circuit that performs a desired operation by displaying the action on the input switch provided on the touch panel 4.

  In this embodiment, for the purpose of explanation, the selection switches R21 to R21 are selected so that the control program unit R1 of the ladder circuit R operates according to the ON / OFF state of a specific sensor switch among the plurality of sensor switches 21 to 25. A ladder circuit R provided with a switch R25 in parallel is shown. However, for example, an input switch that can select whether or not to perform spot welding with a spot welding gun attached to the tip of the movable arm 12 of the industrial robot 1 is provided on the touch panel 4, and the ladder selection unit of the ladder circuit R is provided. A selection switch for selecting the spot welding operation is provided in R2, and a welding operation control circuit for the spot welding gun (a circuit for performing the welding operation under a predetermined condition) is provided in the control program unit R1 so as to correspond to the selection switch. ) Is provided as a ladder circuit, and whether or not to perform the spot welding operation may be selected as a selectable ladder circuit that can be selected by input of a corresponding input switch.

  The present invention can be applied to a robot controlled by a ladder circuit, such as an industrial robot, and in particular, an industry used for an automated factory such as an automobile in which operations by a plurality of industrial robots are frequently recombined. It is effective when applied to a robot.

Explanatory drawing showing the whole embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing showing the input unit Explanatory drawing showing a ladder circuit Explanatory drawing showing a conventional example Explanatory drawing showing the configuration of a conventional industrial robot Illustration of ladder circuit in a conventional industrial robot

Explanation of symbols

PLC Programmable logic controller R Ladder circuit R1 Control program part R11 Operation control part R2 Ladder selection part R21 Selection switch R22 Selection switch R23 Selection switch R24 Selection switch R25 Selection switch R26 Selection switch 1 Industrial robot 11 Robot body 12 Movable arm 2 Material handle Units 21 to 25 Sensor switch 26 Grip part 3 Control unit 4 Touch panel 41 to 45 Input switch 49 Release switch

Claims (2)

A programmable logic controller, a peripheral device operable by an instruction of the programmable logic controller, and an input / output interface connected to the programmable logic controller so as to be able to input / output signals and giving an input instruction to the programmable logic controller. A robot controlled by a ladder circuit,
The programmable logic controller constitutes a ladder program from an operation program that causes a predetermined peripheral device to perform a series of operations and a plurality of contact programs that are located at the head of the operation program and perform the series of operations.
The input / output interface is provided with a plurality of input units for instructing ON / OFF of each contact program, and by turning on or off the plurality of input units, a peripheral program is a ladder program in which the peripheral device is in an ON or OFF state.
By making it possible to select whether or not to operate the corresponding peripheral device by the input unit, the operation of the desired peripheral device is selected from a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the industrial robot, and the initial setting of the robot operation is performed. Possible industrial robot. A programmable logic controller provided in an industrial robot, a peripheral device operable by an instruction of the programmable logic controller, and an input / output interface connected to the programmable logic controller so as to be able to input / output signals and giving an input instruction to the programmable logic controller ,
The programmable logic controller constitutes a ladder program from an operation program that causes a predetermined peripheral device to perform a series of operations and a plurality of contact programs that are located at the head of the operation program and perform the series of operations.
The input / output interface is provided with a plurality of input units for instructing ON / OFF of each contact program, and by turning on or off the plurality of input units, a peripheral program is a ladder program in which the peripheral device is in an ON or OFF state.
The initial stage of an industrial robot that makes it possible to select the operation of a desired peripheral device from a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the industrial robot by making it possible to select whether or not to operate the corresponding peripheral device using the input unit Setting method.