International Journal of Advance Research in Engineering, Science & Technology(IJAREST),

ISSN(O):2393-9877, ISSN(P): 2394-2444,

Volume 2,Issue 2, February- 2015
Collision Free Optimized Path of Spot Welding Robot for Welding Car Panel

Harinkumar N Prajapati
Mechanical Engineering BMCET,Surat, Gujrat Technological University, [email protected]

Abstract— Off-line programming of Spot-weld Robot is the future application of robotics. It could develop robot
programs without the access to the robot it self and reduce the programming time required for the manufacturing
process. In this paper, an approach to implement the off-line programming of robot based on Robcad with the
process knowledge of Carboy in White welding was proposed. Some common problems, such as motion simulation,
collision detection and calibration can be solved by this approach to welding car panel. Finally, the off-line
programming of spot-welding robots for a car panel welding work-station was realized.

Key words— Robcad, Spot-weld Robot, Off-line programming, Car-body in White.

I. INTRODUCTION actual production environment. So as the increasing

application of robots in the welding line, it will surely
This Robot is a programmable mechanism decrease the efficiency and the flexibility of the
which works under the control of program orders, so it application of robots, this way will also produce more
must be programmed before used, in other words, there workload for programmer. Furthermore, collision
must be language between human beings and robots. detection, path planning and optimizing couldn’t also be
There are three levels of robot programming language done in this way, so it couldn’t be fit to the modern
categorized by the level of its motion description: advanced production model which is characterized with
motion-level language, object-level language and task- integrated, flexible and fast responded. For this reason,
level language [1]. It also can be classified into ―Teach the OLP is a very active researching area in robots
and Playback Programming‖ and ―Off-line application.
Programming‖ by practical operation. Teach and
Playback is the way of programming done by the II. PROCESS PLANNING IN ROBCAD
programmer who moves the robot to a desired goal point Car-body in white is the steel-structure
and records its position in a memory that the sequencer supporter for other parts, it is a complicated system
would read during playback [2], it must be completed in including 300~500 sheets with complex shape and
the actual production environment. Offline programming assembled by means of welding in a high rhythm
(OLP) is a programming method which is realized in a through 55~75 work-stations. Normally, there are
computer environment, it could do path planning, motion 1700~2500 locators and 4000~5000 welding points
or process simulation, collision detection and program during the manufacturing [5]. Just because of so much
designing and modifying without access to the robot workload for welding, there are so many spot welding
itself. Teach and Playback Programming belongs to the robots used in the weld line. However, the traditional
motion– level language, it aims at describing the motion Teach and Playback Programming is not only low
of a robot. OLP is a transitional language between efficiency but no collision- detection, non-path-planning
object-level and task level language, because, although it and incapacity in layout-designing of production line.
could drive the robot to work by describing the Furthermore, the OLP systems provided by robots
relationship between objects, it could not realize the suppliers are only for a particular robot, those OLP
intelligent function such as auto path-planning which is systems also have shortages of poor portability of
essential to a task-level programming system. program and low utilization ratio of robots. For realizing
The mass application of robots in the welding using the OLP of spot-weld robots to increase the
line for carbody in white apparently enhanced the productivity and ability of production-planning, also for
efficiency of carbody’s assembly. It also improved the improving the portability of programs between different
quality of weld. But the welding line has to stop when robots, a technical with the technique of path-optimizing,
the programmer works in the way of Teach and Playback task planning and process knowledge of car-body
Programming because this way must be done in the welding, shown in Fig.1.

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International Journal of Advance Research in Engineering, Science & Technology(IJAREST),
ISSN(O):2393-9877, ISSN(P): 2394-2444,
Volume 2,Issue 2, February- 2015

Figure 1 Approach to realize the OLP based on Robcad[5]

Robcad is a comprehensive robot simulation and OLP

software based on computer graphics, which is built on interface to produce CATIA models from ROBFACE
RRS (Realistic Robot Simulation) protocol. It can be files generated from Robcad components and workcells.
used to build 3d-model, translate CAD data, simulate
kinematics and production process, plan cell layout and In addition, a CATIA-to-Robcad translator (catrob) also
weld-path, detect collision and realize the OLP for utilizes the CATGEO interface to produce
robots. Different kinds of CAD data and robot controller ROBFACEformat files from CATIA models. The
can work together in Robcad to realize the integrating of Robcad documents ROBFACE Metafile and ROBFACE
the process knowledge Implementation describe ROBFACE. The diagram
A.Robot spot-welding station model below illustrates the Robcad CATIA Interface:
The welding line for car-body is a huge system, there are
complex geometry relationships between spot-weld
robots and weld fixtures, weld guns and other
equipments. So the accurate CAD model of those
equipments is essential for an OLP system which works
in a virtual, graphics-based environment. The data of
punched sheet (work piece) and weld point exit in the
formats of CAD files which are the fundamental
materials for an OLP system.
B. Interface of model I/O Figure 2 Robcad CATIA Interface.[9]
The Robcad CAD/CAM system enables the complete
design both of robotic workcells and also of their C. The setup of OLP in the environment of Robcad
contents, on the screen of the Robcad workstation. The (1). Setup of fixture’s kinematics
versatility of Robcad is enhanced by the ability to bring Although fixture is not a component of robot
into the workcell CAD data designed in other program,it’s a main item of robot working and a
CAD/CAM systems. To facilitate this ability, Robcad constrain of the motion space of robot, it will influence
provides ROBFACE, a neutral geometric format; custom the path and working time of robots. The setup of
interfaces then transfer geometric files between Robcad fixture’s kinematics includes the layout design of
and other geometric file formats by converting data fixtures, the defining of motion type and motion state.
between the external file format and the ROBFACE Common mechanism such as gear unit, bar linkage can
format. One system which Robcad accommodates is be defined and simulated in Robcad by special tools.
CATIA®(Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Fig.3 shows the mechanism defining and motion
Interactive Application), the CAD/CAM system of IBM simulation of a typical cylinder clamp in weld fixtures.
and DASSAULT SYSTEMES S.A. An Robcad-to-
CATIA translator (robcat) utilizes the CATGEO

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International Journal of Advance Research in Engineering, Science & Technology(IJAREST),
ISSN(O):2393-9877, ISSN(P): 2394-2444,
Volume 2,Issue 2, February- 2015

(a) Closed (b) Semi-opened

(c) Opened (d) Define Tool

Figure 4 Define a reasonable welding location
Figure 3 Simulation of a typical cylinder clamp[9]
(3). The formation and optimizing of welding path
After defining the welding location, the welding
(2). Defining of welding location and gun’s setup path can be built by connecting those locations. But the
Welding location is the aim location of a robot welding path is not just the connecting of the locations, it
motion and also the via-location of a motion path. It also included some Via-location which is used to avoid
must include the position and the orientation. The collision when the gun moves from one welding group to
welding points from the CAD file just have the position another (as shown in Fig.4). The accessibility of robot
but no orientation. Those points can be projected onto must be checked after forming welding path. The
the workpiece to create welding location including a optimizing of welding path is to modify welding path to
coordinate. The Z axis of the coordinate usually make the welding time as short as possible. This problem
coincides the normal of the surface of workpiece, its X is well known as travelling salesman problem and
axis indicates the approaching direction of the welding. genetic algorithm can be used to solve this problem [6].
However, the projected point can’t be used as final At this moment, Robacad just can optimize welding path
welding location, because the coordinates whose Z axis by adjusting via-location, so the optimizing effect is not
coincides the normaldirection of the surface of well.
workpiece are innumerable, those coordinates which
make the gun and workpiece collided must be
eliminated. For avoiding collision, the gun can be placed
at a weld point and make the TCPF (for Tool Center
Point Frame) of gun coincided with the temporary
coordinate, so the gun’s move is identical to the welding
location’s shown in fig.4 Then the gun can be revolved
around the normal direction or flipped the normal
direction to avoid collision . After making a right
welding location, a gun must be aligned to the location
and the gun’s changing state must be defined.

Figure 5 Via-location and welding path

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International Journal of Advance Research in Engineering, Science & Technology(IJAREST),
ISSN(O):2393-9877, ISSN(P): 2394-2444,
Volume 2,Issue 2, February- 2015

(4). Motion simulation and collision detection

The potential designing mistakes of fixtures could be
found and rationality of welding procedure and welding Robcad tries to find the minimum value of RMS. There
path could be pre-verified through motion simulation are several algorithms to solve the problem such as Steep
and collision detection in a virtual environment.This is Descent and Hessian methods [8].
the main advantage of an OLP system than Teach and Calibration is done by creating a filter which describes
Playback Programming method. Because the information the difference between virtual cell model and real-world
from the vendor of the robot company is not enough to cell. The filter is created by using following tools:
simulate robot paths, the early OLP systems can’t do  TCP (for Tool Center Point) Calibration:
well in the simulation. However, such information can compensating for the difference between the
be obtained as a black box from the robot companies and placement of the frame defined in Robcad and
the motion simulation of robots could be done. Collision that of in the robot controller. If the TCP
detection is essential to a feasible OLP system. When defined in Robcad, in robot controller and in the
any collision occurs between objects in the simulation actual robot is same, this calibration is
environment, the OLP system should warn user where unnecessary.
the collision takes place. Currently, the exact collision-  Workcell Calibration: Calibrating the difference
detection for general 3-D solids is difficult, but collision between the actual workcell components and
detection for faceted models is possible [2]. Because the OLP workcell components, this tool is
Robcad is based on 3-D faceted graphics, it can detect based on usersupplied data about the actual
the collision well. The accuracy of detecting is workcell.
determined by the representation precision and the  Location Calibration: Calibrating the difference
velocity of motion, the higher representation precision between the Robcad-welding point and the
and the velocity of motion, the more accuracy of Upload welding point from the actual workcell.
collision-detection and the slower processing speed. (6). Robot motion parameter and controller
User has to make a choice between processing speed and Robot motion parameter includes motion type, speed,
representation detecting accuracy, in default, the and zone. There are three types of motion: joint motion,
collision accuracy is 3mm. linear motion and circular motion, the differences are
(5). Calibration shown in Fig.6[9].
Situation is that there are many kinds of
geometrical differences between them. These differences
may be aroused by the physical dimensions and shape of
the components, and by the relative placement of the
components. The calibration is used to eliminate these
differences and enable the downloading robot program
from an OLP system more identical to the real robot
workcells. In Robcad, the calibration seeks to find the
RMS (for root mean square) centre of errors. The rms for
a collection of N values{ 1 x , 2 x ,…, n x } is:
Figure 6 Motion type[8]

Xrms=√ ∑ Speed describes how fast the robot moves and zone
describes how the robot will approach or arrive at a
location. After defining the motion parameter, a virtual
Because Robcad welding location is the projected point controller must be selected according to the robot used to
of original welding point, so the difference between generate programs identified by the real controller.
them is inevitable. If the Robcad welding location is ( R Different robot company has different virtual robot
x , R y , R z ), and the upload welding location is ( u x , u controller-RCS(Realistic Controller Simulation) module.
y , u z ), then the difference between them Δ= ( u x - R x , For making the program generated in an OLP system
u y - R y , u z - R z ). So, the RMS of N locations is: acceptable by different robot controller, and for realizing
simulating robot motion in an off-line environment, the
RMS=√ ∑ European Car Manufacturers Association, with robot
manufacturers and software simulation vendors, initiated
to form a standard-RRS(Realistic Robot Simulation)
protocol, which specifies communication algorithms and

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International Journal of Advance Research in Engineering, Science & Technology(IJAREST),
ISSN(O):2393-9877, ISSN(P): 2394-2444,
Volume 2,Issue 2, February- 2015
protocols to communicate with a software model of a After simulation, we could also find some dynamic
robot controller [9]. problems of welding line’s fixture which couldn’t be
III. RESULTS found in the product-designing stage. These problems
may the collision between the fixture and robot weld
According to the approach of off-line gun, or the robot couldn’t achieve the goal position.
programming, the robot spot-welding workstation of a Fig.8. shows a collision situation between robot and
final for a car-panel was simulated based on off-line fixture. So we could re-design the fixture to make the
programming. In this station, a car panel will be welded fixture movable when robot works, or adjust the motion
by robot. According to the layout design of workstation path of the robot according the simulation result.
and the motion limits of robot, four robots will be used
to perform the welding task. Time cycle of this station
is about 300 seconds. In this project, we adopted the
industrial welding robot of R-2000ia/210f with 6
freedoms provided by FANUK. The maximum load
capacity of robot is 210kg, the maximum working radius
of robot is 2655mm and the robot controller is Rj_3.
After introducing the CAD models of workcell, car-
panel, robot and welding spot to Robcad through
interface of data translation, we defined the motion
parameters of fixtures or other equipments, generated the
welding locations by projecting the welding points and
welding paths, calibrated the workcell to compensate
errors, defined the motion parameters and robot
controller, simulated the welding process to check the Figure 8 Collision in Stn_1110 and lo180.
potential mistakes and finally generated robot programs,
the simulation of robot welding car-panel is shown in
Fig.7.
IV. CONCLUSION

The OLP tools make the application of robots more

efficient and safe because they could pre-simulate the
working process of robots in a virtual environment
instead of in the real workshop, so a company’s ability
of concurrent running is intensified. The paper suggested
a new approach to realize the OLP based on Robcad and
universal CAD system, described how to solve some
common problems such as Data translating interface,
motion and process simulation, collision detection and
calibration in the environment of Robcad. The approach
was proved to be feasible in a robot spot-welding
Figure 7 Process simulation of a robot spot-welding station workstation of a final assembling line for a car-body in
white. And all of this paved a way for further research
Through the simulation, we found some problems of the such as welding-path optimizing, task-planning for
original station-designing. These problems included: multi-robot co working and simulation for whole-factory
A. Shortage of cycle time level.
Because there are numbers of spot-welding
points at different place of the car-panel, so when the REFERENCES
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International Journal of Advance Research in Engineering, Science & Technology(IJAREST),
ISSN(O):2393-9877, ISSN(P): 2394-2444,
Volume 2,Issue 2, February- 2015
[5] Gu zhengqi, ―Carbody‖, China Communications
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