Virtual Commissioning Unleashed: UNIMORE Researchers Enhance Efficiency in Multi-Brand Robotics

Digital commissioning is turning into a key instrument for including robots to your manufacturing course of. However fragmented {hardware} can maintain you again… which is what the PeneloPe challenge at UNIMORE addresses.

The rise of virtual commissioning is not any shock to us at RoboDK — now we have been selling the usage of simulation expertise for robotic deployment for the previous decade!

A persistent problem in robotic deployment is the shortage of cohesive integration between {hardware} parts. One instance is the fragmentation between Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and robotic controllers.

Addressing this crucial problem, researchers from UNIMORE are utilizing RoboDK to bridge the hole as a part of the Europe-wide PeneloPe challenge.

Introducing… UNIMORE and PeneloPe

This RoboDK challenge includes researchers from the from the College of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE) in its Division of Sciences and Strategies for Engineering (DISMI).

UNIMORE

The University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Modena, Italy is on the forefront of mixing engineering ideas with sensible functions. A part of the analysis mission inside DISMI is to transfer research knowledge into civil society and the business landscape.

PeneloPe

The PeneloPe project is an formidable initiative funded by the European Horizon 2020 program. It’s supported by a collaborative community of associate corporations specializing in sustainability, automation, and different manufacturing applied sciences.

The challenge goals to revolutionize the manufacturing sector by means of the event of a closed-loop digital pipeline. Central to the UNIMORE group’s contribution on this challenge is the mixing of business robots into this digital pipeline.

The Problem: Coordinating PLCs and robotic controllers

A typical problem when deploying robotic techniques is the fragmentation between {hardware} parts. This lack of standardization usually complicates the method of integrating robotic applied sciences — in reality, fixing this drawback is certainly one of our core drivers at RoboDK.

The researchers at UNIMORE recognized a selected mixture of {hardware} that’s usually a problem: PLCs and robotic controllers.

On this analysis, the group famous that efficient coordination between these two parts is crucial. Producers are sometimes below stress to cut back their time to market. Nevertheless, integration might be troublesome and time-consuming when parts are made by totally different manufacturers.

The group targeted on making a unified technique and software program workflow for simulating multi-brand robotic techniques.

The System: RoboDK, KUKA, and TwinCAT

The answer created by the researchers combines a couple of core {hardware} and software program parts right into a single built-in system:

The {Hardware} Parts

Core {hardware} parts embrace:

• KUKA KR210 R2700 Prime Robotic — This versatile industrial robotic from KUKA offers the core robotic {hardware} for the answer.
• Instrument Warehouse — The instrument warehouse offers an organized area and swift entry to a number of instruments for the varied phases of the manufacturing course of.
• Spindle Instrument — For machining operations, equivalent to deburring, the spindle was used for the group’s check case utility.

The Software program Parts

Core software program parts of the system embrace:

• RoboDK Robotic Simulator — On the heart of this resolution is RoboDK. In addition to its highly effective offline programming and simulation capabilities, RoboDK supplied key performance for permitting multi-brand part compatibility.
• Beckhoff TwinCAT — Use for PLC growth, TwinCAT offers a platform to create industrial packages and deal with information trade.
• ROS2 Connector — The group additionally developed an enhanced model of the system that makes use of the Robotic Working System (ROS) as a system coordinator.
• Python Communication Bridge — The group developed a communication bridge utilizing the Python programming language to handle real-time I/O sign synchronization between RoboDK and the PLC utilizing TwinCAT.

5 Potential Advantages and Impacts of the Crew’s Resolution

The answer proposed by the group at UNIMORE presents a number of potential advantages for producers trying to deploy multi-brand automation options, together with:

1. Enhanced Effectivity — Making a single mixed system for PLC and robotic communication signifies that the group has made robotic deployment extra streamlined and environment friendly.
2. Value Discount — Digital commissioning by means of RoboDK and the system reduces the price of robotic integration by permitting engineers to optimize their in simulation, decreasing downtime.
3. Accelerated Time-to-Market — By streamlining coordination between PLC and robotic controllers, the system can pace up the time to convey new options to market.
4. Improved Flexibility — Specializing in multi-brand automation options is a strong transfer because it addresses the core problem of interoperability that may usually be a problem for automation engineers.
5. Broader Functions — The check utility for this implementation was deburring of a forged iron part. Nevertheless, it will probably apply to many extra functions. The group is already engaged on utilizing it for an Aerospace Pilot Line as a part of the PeneloPe challenge.

Subsequent Steps for the Challenge

This challenge by the group at UNIMORE has supplied a core basis for future developments as a part of the PeneloPe challenge. With its ROS2 integration, the group hopes to open up new pathways for activity coordination and system administration to raise the instrument’s capabilities.

Throughout the PeneloPe challenge, the subsequent step is to use the system to manufacturing of an Aerospace Pilot Line that addresses meeting of the decrease a part of an airplane fuselage.

Utilizing RoboDK in Your Analysis Challenge

Do you will have a analysis challenge that might profit from RoboDK’s in depth performance?

This challenge from the group at UNIMORE is only one of many robotics analysis tasks that use RoboDK. Your challenge could possibly be the subsequent!

RoboDK has been a priceless instrument within the PeneloPe challenge, enabling us to effectively simulate customized robotic cells and their full management software program from the preliminary phases. Its simple integration with exterior software program has allowed for quicker growth and commissioning, explains Pietro Bilancia, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at UNIMORE.

The software program’s easy interface and highly effective API interface mean you can lengthen the software program’s core capabilities with your personal developments, and keep away from reinventing the wheel.

When you’d wish to check out RoboDK, just download a free trial copy and check out it out for your self. We even have an academic license for educational researchers.

What industrial parts do you usually have challenges integrating? Inform us within the feedback under or be a part of the dialogue on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.. Additionally, try our in depth video assortment and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel

The publish Virtual Commissioning Unleashed: UNIMORE Researchers Enhance Efficiency in Multi-Brand Robotics appeared first on RoboDK blog.