.
The developed integrated design approach is focused
on solving three main issues:
1) definition of a common reference reconfigurable
workcell structure;
2) definition of the end user working procedure for the
introduction of new batches;
3) definition of part-dependent hardware apparatus and
June 15th – 17th, 2011, Venice, Italy
Proceedings of the IMProVe 2011
318
software code.
In the first phase, the functional structure of the
workcell is defined and its general layout is roughly
modelled by 3D CAD tools.
In the second phase, the method requires the definition
of the end-user procedure for robot programming and
workcell reconfiguration for every new workpiece. OLP
software need to be adopted for evaluating robot
reachability, detecting possible collisions and robot
singularities. Moreover, cycle time estimation can be
performed for cost calculation and process balancing. The
number of target points which compose each machining
path has to be calculated to respect cycle time, machining
tolerances and communication limits given by the robot
controller, so several iterative tests are needed to find a
good compromise.
For the definition of part-dependent hardware
apparatus and software code OLP software functions
were exploited to reproduce the same nested architecture
of the real workcell in the 3D CAD system. Furthermore,
thanks to the software capability in associating the OLP
and 3D CAD environments, 3D models are kept updated,
so alternative machining configurations can be tested, in
order to evaluate different tools, strategies or even to
verify the process in different tool wear conditions.