Development of off-line programming system for spot welding robot

Off-line programming system for robots are required to have functions that determine application conditions, select application tools, plan robot arrangement and simulate the programmed data during robot operation. A CAD/CAM/CAE system which satisfies these requirements is discussed. A correction method for mechanical errors and set position errors of a robot is provided. Set position error of a robot is the difference between the set position data which is made by CAD/CAM/CAE system versus the actual factory floor set position. Concerning the correction of mechanical errors, a method is developed that achieves the desired results easily without any measuring devices. By analyzing the deflection variation produced by different loads, the modulus of elasticity of individual linkages is found. The result is that the quantity of deflection, which is a nongeometrical parameter, is obtained.<<ETX>>