机器人离线编程技术揭秘 Demystifying Robot Offline Programming

It's too complicated. You need a PhD to use it. Only big companies with deep pockets have that kind of time. There are too many variables; the software can't possibly handle all of them. This is how we've always done it.’

我们一直对机器人离线编程的看法：太复杂，需要有博士学位才能使用好。财力雄厚的大公司才有那个时间来研究这个。工业生产中包含太多参数，软件不大可能全都处理得好。

We've heard the excuses. The misconceptions still linger, even though offline programming (OLP) has come a long way.

我们听到太多这种理由-在离线编程已经发展多年后，这种误解依然存在。

The old-school mindset is one of skepticism, that offline programming is not up to the task. A lot of robot programming in the welding industry is still done manually, point by tedious point with a teach pendant. Many still remember the ole days of robotics that overpromised and under delivered. This time around, the dreamers and doers have been working double time to exceed your expectations.

陈旧的观念持怀疑态度，认为离线编程不能胜任这项任务。焊接工业有很多机器人编程工作依然靠手工，用示教盘枯燥乏味地去一个点一个点地调。许多业者依然记得对机器人技术期许甚高，而其无法胜任工作的那些年。这一次，梦想家和实干家加倍努力，来超越你的期待。

Simulation and offline programming software has evolved. It's smarter, faster, more flexible and reliable. We've reached a new era in ease of use. Today, we bring together third-party OLP software suppliers to help us demystify the softer side of robotics.

仿真和离线编程软件有了长足发展-更醒、更快，更活也更定，我们到了一个应用的新时代。今天，我们携众第三方离线编程软件供应商来帮我们揭秘机器人灵活的一面。

OLP vs. Simulation 离线编程 对比 仿真
Most simulation and OLP solution providers will tell you that it's not one or the other. Simulation and offline programming go hand in hand. Oftentimes, the terms are used interchangeably. But there is a difference. You can have simulation without offline programming, but you cannot have offline programming without simulation.

大多数解决方案提供者会告诉你，仿真和离线编程相辅相成。仿真和离线编程你中有我，我中有你。许多时候，两个语可互换。但有点区别：你可在仿真时没离线编程功能，但不能离线编程时没仿真功能。

Simulation has been around for many years. Robot simulation is the 3D representation of a robotic cell or production line. It visually demonstrates how a robot moves along a path or trajectory from one XYZ coordinate to another XYZ coordinate. It can include multiple robots mounted on external axes working with multi-axis workpiece positioners, or coordinating on an assembly line.

仿真出现许多年了。机器人仿真指一个机器人工作单元或产线的三维呈现-直观演示机器人如何沿路径/轨迹运动，从一XYZ坐标到另一XYZ坐标。仿真可含多台装载在外部轴上的机器人，通过关节运动控制器工作或与装配产线协作。

仿真图示

All this movement can get  complicated. That's why we have mathematicians and engineers, the brains behind the software.

这一切动作变得复杂起来-这是为何离线编程/仿真软件的开发需要数学家和工程师们-软件背后的脑力高手。

“A lot of customers purchase a robot thinking it will behave like a CNC. This is not the case,” says Albert Nubiola, CEO of RoboDK Inc. in Montreal, Canada. “CNCs are easy to program. The workspace is properly defined. It's like a cube. However, robots have a spherical workspace, and because of joint limits and robot singularities (points at which a robot movement is not mathematically predictable), there are certain types of movements you cannot do. Offline programming helps avoid these errors when programming a robot.

许多客户买了机器人，认为它会像CNC一样干活。“事实不是这样”，Albert Nubiola（加拿大RoboDK公司首席执行官）说，“CNC编程较易-工作空间可以很好去定义。像一条管子。然而机器人工作空间不确定，又因其存在关节限制和奇点（数学方式无法预算的机器人运动点位），有些特定类型的动作就不能做了。当机器人编程时，使用离线编程来帮助我们避免这种情况”。

“In robotic machining, there could be hundreds to thousands of points,” continues Nubiola. “Nobody would ever be able to program that point by point using a teach pendant. You definitely need software to be able to do that offline.”

“机器人作业时，可能有成百上千个点位”，Nubiola接着说，“没人能用示教盘来一个点一个点地编程。你肯定得用软件来离线干这事。”

Simulation can be used for proof of concept, as a robot integrator's sales tool to demonstrate how a robotic system will perform. With simulation, you can detect possible collisions between the robot, tooling, fixtures and any safety fences. It can analyze joint limits, singularities, and reach issues. Plus, simulation can reveal a host of eye-opening issues that save time and money down the line.

仿真可用来验证想法，作为机器人系统集成商的销售工具，去演示机器人系统性能。有了仿真，你可以审视机器人、工装、夹具和安全防护罩间的碰撞。它能分析关节限位、关节奇点，和可到达点这些项。另外，仿真能反映出一系列令人眼花的问题，从而节省产线的时间与资金。

Offline programming then uses that simulation to output robot-specific code you load onto your physical robot controller and run the program. Post processors turn programming code into a language the robot can understand. Different robot manufacturers each have their own proprietary programming languages. Third-party software solutions must be multilingual to tame even the most feisty robot brands.

离线编程接着用仿真来输出用于导入实体机器人控制器的特定机器人代码。后处理器将编程代码转换成机器人能够识别的语言。不同机器人制造商均有各自的特定编程语言。第三方软件解决方案必须支持多语言去适配绝多数的主流的机器人品牌。

When OLP Makes Sense 
Our industry experts say the main impetus for offline programming is robot downtime, the time required to manually program a robot point by point with a teach pendant. There's also the costs associated with that machine downtime and the programmer's labor.

机器人行业专家表示，应用离线编程的主要动力是机器人停机时间（使用示教盘进行点对点手工编程），及随之而来的设备停机时间和编程人员的人力成本。

“If an end user is manually programming a robot on the teach pendant (online), they have to shut down production in order to program the part,” says Rob House, Director of Sales at OCTOPUZ Inc. in Waterloo, Canada. “The benefit of using offline programming is you can be running production and you can program your next two, three or five parts offline in the software and then once you’re ready to start a new job, you can just switch over the program and then start your production again.”

“假如终端用户在示教盘上手动机器人编程（在线），他们必须停下生产来对工件进行编程”，Rob House（加拿大沃特卢的OCTOPUZ公司销售总监）说，“使用离线编程的好处是，你可在产线运转时对接下来的工件在软件里编程，随后一旦你准备开始生产新工件，仅仅切换下程序就又能开始生产了。

Offline programming is best suited for complex path planning applications that require a lot of points, such as welding, trimming, laser cutting, deburring, thermal spraying, painting, laser cladding and additive manufacturing. OLP is least suited for simple pick-and-place applications, assembly, packaging and palletizing. These applications can still be programmed using offline software solutions, but users may not realize their ROI. For processes with only four or five points, it’s more cost-effective to program manually.

离线编程尤其适合应用于复杂轨迹规划-含大量示教点，如焊接、修边、激光切割、去行刺、热喷涂、粉刷、激光溶覆与增材制造。离线编程不太适合应用于简单的取放、组装、包装和码垛。这些应用也可用软件解决方案来离线编程，但用户可能无法实现相应回报（软件要投钱购买的嘛）。对仅四五个示教点的处理，手工编程更具成本优势。

“If you're spending as much time programming in software as you do with a teach pendant every single time you have a new part, you're not any better off,” says Garen Cakmak, Senior Director at Hypertherm Robotic Software Inc. in Montreal, Canada. “For robots to be utilized in a high-mix, low-volume environment, software needs to be easy.”

“当你有新工件要加工时，用软件编程和用示教器编程耗时同等的话，并不比手工示教好多少。Garen Cakmak（加拿大蒙特尔Hypertherm机器人软件公司高级总监）表示，“对于应用在款多量少的工件加工的机器人来说，离线编程软件需要好用。”

Improving ease of use is top priority for these software developers. But simulation and OLP are pointless if they don’t accurately reflect reality.

让软件能轻松使用是这些开发者的首要任务。但是仿真和离线编程不能精确对应现实情况的话，就没意义了。

                机器人焊接离线编程/仿真 

Calibrate, Don't Deviate  标定，拒绝偏差

For OLP to work, the virtual world must match the real world. The simulation must accurately represent the physical robotic cell. Don't let deviations or discrepancies trip you up.

离线编程之用于生产，虚拟环境必须与现实世环境相对应。仿真必须精准表示实体机器人工作单元。不要让误差和差别为难住你。

“The virtual environment in OLP software has to be an exact replication of the actual workcell on the shop floor, which is not the case in most situations,” says Helmut Ziewers, Vice President Digital Factory Solutions for CENIT North America, Inc. in Auburn Hills, Michigan. “The deviations between a CAD model and the physical part associated with that CAD model can be minor or significant, especially in conjunction with less than perfect tooling. We still see major issues and people saying we can't do this offline, because of those deviations.”

离线编程软件中的虚拟环境得是车间实际工作单元的精确复制，多数情况下并不是这样“，Helmut Ziewers（美国密歇根州奥本山CENIT北美公司数字工厂解决方案副主席）指出。”CAD模型和与之相关的实体部件间的偏差可能很小，也可能很大，特别当工装不够完善时。我们依然看到些严峻的问题，从业人士也反映因存在偏差而不能用离线编程工作“。

Those deviations are not insurmountable, however. Calibration is critical.

那些偏差并非不能克服，无论如何，标定至关重要。

“If we are off just a few millimeters or centimeters, you can create as many offline programs as you wish,” says Ziewers, “they will never fit. We have to know exactly how that robot was set up on the shop floor, and there must not be any deviations or else the OLP won't work. The toolpath, the trajectory will always be off. This was the case with Crown.”

”要是我们就差个几毫米或几厘米，你可以随心所欲去创建离线程序“，Ziewers说，”虚拟与现实环境下，永不相符。我们得准确知道机器人怎么样安置在车间，还不能有任何偏差之类的，否则离线编程就无法奏效。路径、轨迹总是有偏差，这是头等大事“。

Crown Equipment Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of powered forklift trucks in the world. Their facility in Roding, Germany, has several complex robotic welding systems with external axes and multi-axis workpiece positioners, some totaling up to 13 axes per cell. Faced with production bottlenecks caused by time-consuming manual robot programming, Crown Roding Germany decided to explore the feasibility of offline programming. Their journey was not without a few hiccups along the way.

皇冠设备有限公司是全球最大的电动叉车制造商之一。其德国肉丁工厂有几套复杂的机器人焊接系统-带有外部轴和多轴工件固定装置，部分单元可达13轴。由于面临着由手工示教编程所耗费的时间所带来的生产瓶颈，工厂决定探索离线编程的可行性。一路走来，不无坎坷。

At first, some members of the Crown team were skeptical of OLP's ability to handle cell complexity while maintaining ease of use. Others were eager to give it a try.

起初，皇冠团队的一些成员对离线编程处理工作单元复杂性的同时能保持易用性持怀疑态度。另外成员希望给离线编程一个尝试的机会。

CENIT was one of two suppliers brought into participate in a benchmarking study. Ziewers says they took CAD drawings provided by Crown's automation integrator and created the virtual robotic workcell in their FASTSUITE Edition 2 software. Based on those drawings, they created the robot program and ran it on the physical workcell. But something was off.

CENIT是被引入参与基准研究的两家供应商之一。Ziewers回忆道他们拿到皇冠的自动化集成供应商的CAD模型，又在自己开发的FASTSUITE Edition 2软件中创建虚拟机器人工作单元。基于那些模型，他们创建了机器人程序，并在实体工作单元中运行。然而有些问题出现了。

“The customer said this is exactly what we thought, offline programming is impossible. The last OLP software provider was not able to get it going and it looks like your software can't do this either,” recalls Ziewers. “What they didn't know is that the drawing from the integration company no longer matched how the integrator set up that cell.”

”客户指出这完全是我们想象的，离线编程不可行。上一家离线编程软件供应商不能让机器人单元运行起来，看上去你的软件也不行”，Ziewers回想道，客户不知道的是，从集成商那获取的工作单元的3D模型与其被组装在车间的真实情况并不匹配“。

CENIT engineers arrived on site to physically calibrate Crown's workcell.

CENIT的工程师们来到车间现场，运用物理方式来标定皇冠的工作单元。

“We found out what the differences were, dimensionally,” says Ziewers. “We applied those differences in our FASTSUITE Edition 2 software and then adjusted the offline program based on the new setup in the virtual world. This matched exactly the physical setup from the shop floor, and the robot program worked perfectly.”

”我们找出相对位置的偏差“，Ziewers道，”我们把那些偏差导入到FASTSUITE Edition 2软件，接着基于虚拟环境中新的工作单元来调整离线程序。这次正确地对应上车间的实体单元，机器人程序无误地工作起来“。

Watch CENIT's 3D simulations and the Crown welding cells in action.

参考下CENIT的皇冠工厂运行中的运用离线编程技术的弧焊工艺焊接工作单元。

 弧焊单元用软件编程，突破产能瓶颈 

CENIT's software coordinates the Reis arc welding robot  on an external axis with the movements of a multi-axis workpiece positioner. What used to take several days to manually program a new part, now takes just a few hours. Production interruptions and downtime were significantly reduced. Welding quality consistently meets the customer's high standards.

CENIT软件支持辅以多轴工件固定装置的运动且运行在外部轴上上的Reis弧焊机器人。以前一个新工件要花几天去手工示教编程，现仅需几小时。生产中断和停机时间显著降低。焊接质量的一贯性满足了客户有高标准要求。

Ziewers says Crown's top management has taken notice: “They're not only happy with the smooth transition from hand-teach to offline programming and simulation, but the customer also uses our FASTSUITE Edition 2 software for pre-production feasibility studies. They actually detected tooling flaws and process flaws during simulation and provided feedback to their engineering for repair before they started producing tooling. Instead of finding out last-minute during physical runoff, they were able to identify those engineering flaws way ahead of time before any money was wasted.”

Ziewers表示，“皇冠公司最高层已经意识到，不仅满意于自己工厂由手工示教平衡过渡成离线编程方式之余，客户也启用FASTSUITE Edition 2软件做前期生产可行性研究。客户在仿真过程中果真检测到工装和工艺的不足，并在开始加工工装前提供相关反馈给其工程部门以改善。与设备跑起来最后一刻才发现问题比，客户能够提前识别工程缺陷，以免浪费资金”。

He credits the calibration process for contributing to the application's success. It's important to consider the CAD model in relation to the physical part being processed.

Ziewers把工艺应用达成的贡献归功于标定流程，顾及CAD模型与实体部件的关联的处理很重要。

“The part as it comes out of a press or die never has the same shape， it's supposed to have based on the 3D CAD model. There's always a difference between manufacturing and the CAD model. In sheet metal applications, for example, there's springback.”

从冲压和模具出来的工件不可能规格一致，三维CAD模型是其理想的情况。在生产和CAD模型间总有不同。针对金属片材加工工艺，就有回弹的存在。

CENIT has calibration tools in FASTSUITE Edition 2 such as three-point transformation, multipoint best-fit calibration, and in-process probing capability that help address issues related to springback and other variables that cause the physical part to differ from the CAD model. For example, the multipoint best-fit calibration tool picks 10 to 15 random points on a part and then feeds them back into the OLP system, which calibrates the part into the robot's work envelope in the virtual cell.

CENIT的FASTSUITE Edition 2中有标定手段，诸如三点标定法、多点最佳标定法，另外实时检测探针提供检测造成实体工作与CAD模型间差别的应力回弹和其它不确定性。举例，多点最佳标定法工具拾取10到15个工件上的随机点，然后将之导入到离线编程系统，系统会在虚拟单元中计算出工件在机器人工作站的相对位置。

These calibration tools stem from CENIT's years of practical experience in the manufacturing space, working with large aerospace customers. From big OEM players, to small laser job shops in Detroit serving the automotive industry, CENIT has worked with a wide range of companies. That breadth of knowledge goes into software development.

这些标定工具来源于CENIT经年服务于大型航空航天客户，在生产环境下的实操经验。从底特律汽车工业的大型 OEM厂商到小型激光加工作坊，CENIT服务了大量的公司。广覆盖面的工艺认知融入到软件的研发之中。

At this year's IMTS show, CENIT unveiled the latest version of FASTSUITE Edition 2. The software expands on their OLP offering for complex robotic applications to include cell layout planning, PLC validation, and virtual commissioning.

在当年的IMTS展会上，CENIT发布了最新版FASTSUITE Edition 2。软件在复杂机器人工艺应用方面做了扩展，包括工作单元布局规划、PLC验证和虚拟调试。

“The ultimate goal of a 3D simulation platform like FASTSUITE Edition 2 is to provide a software environment for the manufacturing automation controls engineer to validate their PLC, ladder logic, the HMI and OLP, and debug them in the virtual world before the actual workcell is built,” says Ziewers.

Ziewers展望，”像FASTSUITE Edition 2这样的三维仿真平台的终极目标是提供一款软件供生产自动化控制工程师去验证其PLC、梯度逻辑、HMI和离线编程，同时能够在真实工作单元建立前，先于虚拟环境中调试之“。

When properly calibrated, the virtual world is like a crystal ball into the physical world. Check your deviations at the door.

一旦精确标定后，看到的虚拟的场景就和见到真实情况一样，找出偏差只是举手之劳。

Easier to Use, No Expertise Required 易上手，无需专家帮助
Another myth about offline programming is that it is too complicated, difficult to use, and requires specialized expertise. Suppliers of simulation and OLP software are working hard to prove those assumptions wrong.

另一种偏见是认为离线编程太复杂-难以上手，需要相关专业知识。仿真和离线编程软件厂商一直在为证伪这些思维定式而加倍努力。

离线编程+协作机器人-节省数月手工编程 

“People think that because a robot is a complex device, that offline programming is a complex tool as well,”says Hypertherm's Cakmak.“That's one of the biggest misconceptions. For people to adopt more robotics, we have to provide tools that make that end-user experience very easy and flexible at the same time.”

“人们那样想是因为机器人是个复杂的设备，离线编程也是个复杂的工具”，Cakmak （加拿大蒙特尔Hypertherm机器人软件公司高级总监）解释道，“这是个天大的误解。人们要接纳更多的机器人干活的话，我们必然要提供让终端使用者体验到轻松又灵活的编程工具”。

Hypertherm strives to make robot programming as easy as possible for the user with their "task-based programming" approach to simulation and OLP software.

Hypertherm机器人软件公司用它”基于对象编程“来仿真和编程的软件，奋力让机器人编程对用户来说尽可能的轻松。

“A welder is a process expert. He's not necessarily a CAD/CAM programming expert, or a robotician,” says Cakmak. “Task-based programming takes away all that complexity of robot programming, the CAD/CAM and robotics expertise, and really empowers the process expert.”

”一名焊工也是一位工艺能手。他没必要成为名CAD/CAM编程专家，或机器人专家“，Cakmak解释道，”基于对象编程方式消解了机器人编程的诸多复杂性以及CAD/CAM和机器人相关专业知识，这确实赋予了工艺能手新的能力“。

Empowering process experts through task-based programming is the foundation of Hypertherm’s Robotmaster offline programming software. The company released the latest version, Robotmaster V7, at Automatica in June. An entirely new architecture built from the ground up makes the OLP software even easier to use and paves the way for increased functionality and flexibility.
通过基于对象的编程方式来赋能工艺能手，是Hypertherm公司的Robotmaster离线编程软件的理念所在。它于六月在慕尼黑机器人及自动化技术贸易博览会（Automatica）发布Robotmaster的最新版本“V7"-彻底的全新架构让离线编程软件使用更轻松，同时解锁了新增的功能和灵活性。

Cakmak says Robotmaster dramatically reduces offline programming time and effort by optimizing robot trajectories and automatically resolving robotic errors and collisions. It works with a simple but powerful, intuitive user interface and includes tools to optimize part placement, tool tilting, and effective control of external axes. It allows the end user and integrator to maximize the robot’s capabilities.

Cakmak表示，Robotmaster极大地减少了离线编程的耗时、费力，通过优化机器人轨迹和自动处理机器人错误、碰撞。软件通过一个简洁、直观的用户界面，还包含了优化工件摆放、工具倾斜角和高效控制外部轴的工艺包。软件让操作人员和集成商能将机器人性能发挥得极致。
In a recent case study, Robotmaster software takes on a tedious process for programming hundreds of points, an application that if programmed manually would have taken months. The backdrop is northern Germany where high-speed trains routinely traverse the cityscape. Keeping up with rail maintenance is an ongoing issue for all worldwide rail and transport services, but the frequency of trains in this region is a growing traffic problem. Rolling contact fatigue is a major issue where the train’s wheels meet the rails.

最近的一个案例研究，Robotmaster接手了一个给数百个点位编程的繁琐的活，手工来示教编程的话要花几个月。案例来自德国北部，那里高速列车时常穿过城市景观区。铁道维护是一个全世界铁路运输服务人员一直在干的事情，但这个地区列车运行的密度成为越来越大的交通难题，列车轮与铁轨接触处的部位形成的滚动接触金属疲劳成为一个严重的问题。

To help remedy the signs of rail wear, German companies NSI CAD/CAM Technik and Mevert Maschinenbau collaboratively developed a rail milling technology to smooth and re-profile the rail surfaces. The reversible rail plates have to be turned almost daily, or else be replaced. That was done manually by four maintenance workers. Now that process has been automated with a robot.

为帮助修复铁道磨损迹象，德国NSI CAD/CAM技术公司和Mevert Maschinenbau公司合作开发了一种铁轨研磨技术，来修平和重塑铁轨表面形态。铁道的钢条要么近乎每天都要修复，要么更换。原来这项工作由四个维护工人完成，现在仅需一台机器人来自动完成。

The robot unfastens and fastens dozens of threaded bolts on each rail plate. Programming the 720 start-up positions was done with Robotmaster software.
机器人在每条铁道钢轨上松紧数十种螺纹栓，铁道上720条钢轨起点的编程工作由Robotmaster软件完成。

              

                                                                       离线编程解决松紧螺丝之繁琐编程 

"You have hundreds of holes that you have to go into with this robot," explains Cakmak. "Using our software (and a CAD model of the rail plate), you can very quickly program the process. It automatically detects the holes, creats the screwing cycle, takes the bolts and threads them into the correct locations, while always checking for robotic errors and collisions. It validates the process and then outputs an error-free robot program."
“你有几百个孔洞要用机器人去处理”，Cakmak解释道，“用我们的软件中（和铁道钢轨的CAD模型），可以很快地对工艺进行编程。软件自行检查孔洞，创建螺旋程式，将螺栓和螺纹锁进正确的位置，同时检查机器人报错和碰撞，在验证工艺后输出无误的机器人程序”。

Using Robotmaster OLP software allows personnel to focus on other maintenance work, while the robot makes sure it doesn’t miss any bolts. Instead of the original four, only two maintenance workers are required for the new robotic process, saving Mevert significant costs.

使用Robotmaster 离线编程软件让雇员在机器人确保不错漏过任一螺栓的同时，可以关注到其它的维护工作。新的机器人工艺仅用两人就替代完成了原来四人的工作，节省了Mevert大量成本。

On the job is a collaborative robot, or cobot, from Universal Robots. These power and force limiting robots allow operators to work in close proximity without the need for elaborate safety fencing. More on these cage-free cobots later, and why they also benefit from offline programming.
工作中用的是一台优傲(Universal Robots)协作机器人。这些力控机器人可让操作者近距离工作，而无需精心设计的安全防护栏。

High-Mix Low-Volume, No Problem  款多、量少，没问题

Making offline programming easier for users helps facilitate wider adoption of robotic processes. Robots are no longer the exclusive domain of megacorporations with deep pockets and high-volume production. Small and midsized enterprises (SME), even mom-and-pop job shops, can get in on the action. High-mix, low-volume production is no longer a constraint when you have the latest simulation and offline programming tools at the ready.
让离线编程对用户来说更简便，帮助促进了机器人加的更广为接受。机器人不再是那些拥有雄厚资本、大批订单的大企业的专利。中小企业，甚至夫妻加工作坊，都可以行动起来。款多量少的产品不再是限制，当你手上有了最新的仿真和离线编程工具。

“We have some customers that have robot engineers who are running the robot and are very capable of programming it manually. They are also very capable with the software,” says OCTOPUZ’ Director of Sales. “We have other companies that are just starting to automate. They don’t have a robot engineer on their staff. They can be hard to find and they can be expensive. They may be promoting a manual welder to now work with the robot and he may not have much experience.“
我们有些客户有操作机器人的工程师，其同时会手工编程和软件编程”，OCTOPUZ销售总监表示，“另一些公司正准备上自动化，他们员工中没有机器人工程师-这些人难招又高薪，可能会提升经验不足的手焊工使用机器人工作”。

“We take the approach that anyone should be able to program a robot,” continues House. “We have worked with people that have never touched a robot in their life and do not use software that often. It requires a little bit more training, but we can definitely get them to the point where they are comfortable programming a robot.”
“我们定位的目标是：谁都应该能对机器人编程”，House接着讲，“我们有过和以前从没接触过机器人，也没怎么用过软件的人一起工作过，只需要多一点培训，我们绝对能让他们到轻松地给机器人编程的程度”。

Accumetal Manufacturing Inc. is a producer of high-mix fabricated components for the off-road equipment industry, including subassemblies for mining equipment. The Canadian company has less than 100 employees, with welding proficiency at the heart of their success.
Accumetal制造公司是一家产品杂多的焊接组件生产商，供应野外设备行业，包括矿山设备部件。加拿大公司不到100名雇员，成功的关键是其焊接的高水平。

After many years of manually programming their Panasonic robot, the volume of work increased to the level where Accumetal needed to take some pressure off of their welders. They acquired a new robotic welding cell in early 2018 and sought out OCTOPUZ for a simulation and OLP software solution.
Accumetal公司多年来一直由手工给松下机器焊接机器人编程，现在工作量增加到了公司需要给焊工分担压力的地步。2018年初，他们增加一套新的机器人焊接工作站，并且找到OCTOPUZ寻求仿真和离线编程软件解决方案。

                                                               弧焊单元用离线编程节省大半编程和停机时间                                         

The new cell consists of a six-axis Panasonic welding robot and a single-axis headstock/tailstock workpiece positioner. House says this type of cell is very popular in the welding industry.
新的工作单元由一台六轴松下焊接机器人和一个单轴首尾夹持工件固定装置组成。House表示这类工作单元在焊接行业大量使用。

“Our software handles all seven axes easily,” says House. “We can either index the part in position and weld it, or we can support coordinated motion where the robot and positioner are moving at the same time.”
"我们的软件轻松应付七个轴”，House道，“可让部件保持某一转动位置来焊接，或让机器人与固定装置随动来焊接”。

OCTOPUZ added support for Panasonic robots expressly for Accumetal. The software easily converts the programming code into Panasonic robot-specific code.
OCTOPUZ增加了为Accumetal定制的支持松下机器人功能，软件轻松将编程代码转换成松下机器人特定格式的执行代码。

“That’s one of the benefits of using our software. We program every robot in exactly the same way,” says House. “You could be programming three different robots to do the same process and the software would convert it to each robot code.”
“这是使用我们软件的一个好处，软件可在同一时间给多个机器人编程”，House讲，“你可以给三个做同一加工的不同机器人编程，而且软件可以输出各个机器人的执行代码”。

This also allows for application flexibility. House says it allows the user to grow with automation. A company may be using the software for welding right now. If for example they want to do a trimming application in the future, they can use their same seat of software to program that application.
House说软件支持灵活的用途，使用户可通过自动化来发展。一家公司可能现在把软件用在焊接上，假如以后想做修边加工，可用同一套软件来编程。

“It also allows them to work on more jobs,” says House. “Many companies will have a welding robot, but they are only comfortable running one or two parts on that robot. Everything else might be manually welded, because they’re not sure the robot can handle it. But with offline programming, you can do things like R&D and testing to make sure you can weld a new part. You’re doing all this from the comfort of your office and your computer. This allows you to start opening new jobs for your robot.”
“软件也让客户能做更多工作，许多公司有一台焊接机器人，但仅一两个零件在上面加工顺畅，其它的零件或许由手工来焊接，因为公司不确定机器能否加工得好。有了离线编程，你可以干活像搞研发和测试，确保你可以焊接一个新零件。你在办公室和电脑上轻松地干活，软件让你开始给自己的机器人找些新的工作”。House总结。

In addition to helping Accumetal reduce programming time, OCTOPUZ was able to help their new customer reduce robot downtime and meet production demand. The customer reports that their initial programming time was cut in half. Check out the full case study.
在帮Accumetal减少编程耗时之余，OCTOPUZ能够帮新客户减少机器人停机时间和满足生产要求。检视所有的客户案例研究，客户的初始编程时间省掉一半。

Accumetal’s cell also uses through-arc seam tracking (TAST) for real-time tracking of the weld joint. This is in case the robot needs to adjust its trajectory on the fly, like when the CAD model and the actual part don’t match, as mentioned in the earlier discussion on calibration.
Accumetal的工作单元也使用焊缝追踪来实时定位焊点。这是在机器人需要在运行中调整轨迹的情形下，像实际部件与CAD模型不匹配，在之前关于标定的讨论中提及过。

“We do a lot in the welding industry,” says House. Welding is notorious for having parts that are not exact, especially for the CAD. There can be quite a bit of discrepancy. Lasers are very popular. You create a path in our software and then using a laser seam tracker, if the part is not perfect, it will modify our path to follow that seam. 
“我们在焊接行业做了大量案例”，House表示，“焊接的部件的一致性是出了名的差，特别是较之于CAD模型，可能有些相当不一致。激光焊缝追踪广受欢迎-在软件中创建一条路径，接着用激光焊缝追踪仪，如果部件不标准，它将自动调整路径来追随焊缝”。

离线编程软件中仿真七轴弧焊单元和定制实时焊缝追随工艺与一键焊接技巧 

House says they have in-depth support for welding, with over 200 different variables for welding applications alone. You can modify variables like your torch tilt, torch twist, push/pull angle, and touch-sensing. 
House表示，他们软件深度支持焊接工艺，超过200个不同的焊接应用参数。你可以调整参数，像焊枪角度、焊枪旋转度、推拉角度和触觉感应值。

One OLP Tool, Multiple Robot Brands  第三方离线编程软件支持多机器人品牌
A key advantage of third-party simulation and offline programming software is its universality. Most can manage multiple robot brands. This is in sharp contrast to the OLP solutions offered by robot manufacturers. Robot OEM software is proprietary and specific only to that brand.
第三方仿真与离线编程软件的一大优势是它的通用性。多数可以支持多机器人品牌，这与本体厂商的自带离线编程软件仅支持自家机器人形成鲜明对比。

Even Easier, Cobots and OLP Collaborate  操作更简单的协作机器人与离线编程软件的协作
Cobots aren’t out in the cold either. OLP software supports these robotic rebels, too. Cobots can often be “taught” an intended path via a lead-through teach feature common to these types of robots, where you simply push the arm to the desired position and record the points. However, complex edge-following tasks often call for a more sophisticated programming solution than the standard platform that comes with some of these cobots. Our third-party OLP providers once again come to the rescue.
协作机器人也不会被晾在一边，离线编程软件也支持这些小众机器人。协作机器人这类机器人常以引导式示教-通过简单推动机器人手臂到想要的位置，机器人会自动储存路径。不过，复杂的线性驱动加工需要有比机器人厂商自带的标准平台之功能更复杂的编程解决方案。第三方离线编程软件供应商再一次提供了帮助。

OCTOPUZ and RoboDK are both part of the Universal Robots UR+ Solutions Program that certifies products for plug-and-play compatibility with UR cobots.
OCTOPUZ和RoboDK同为联合机器人UR+解决方案项目成员，该项目对配套UR协作机器人的产品进行即插即用兼容性认证。

House says they have a number of customers using UR cobots. Glue dispensing is a popular application for these lightweight, power and force limiting robots that can work in tight spaces near their human coworkers typically without safety cages. He says OCTOPUZ also works with FANUC CR Series collaborative robots and the KUKA LBR iiwa cobot.
House道，他们有一定数量的使用UR协作机器人的客户，这些轻量级、带力控的机器人可以在紧凑的空间里和人类近距离协作，通常不需要安全护栏。OCTOPUZ也能支持FANUC CR系列协作机器人和KUKA LBA 伊娃协作机器人。

“It all comes down to the application, not the robot,” says House. “For a pick-and-place application with only four or five points, you can drag the robot arm manually from point to point. But if you have a complex edge-following dispensing program you want to do with a UR robot, you can program it manually, but it’s going to be very time-consuming. That’s where software will help.”
“最终一切落到了应用上，不是机器人”， House说，“像一个仅四到五个点的取放应用，你可以手工拖拽机器人手臂由一点到另一点。但是你有一个用于UR机器人的复杂的边缘跟随程序，你可以手工来编程，但是会非常浪费时间，这是软件可以帮忙的地方”。

NASA研究人员用协作机器人和离线编程软件做自动飞机热力学检测 
 

RoboDK simulation and OLP software helps researchers at NASA Langley Research Center automate a novel aircraft inspection method using collaborative robots. The UR10 cobots are equipped with FLIR infrared inspection cameras. These thermal sensors can detect material or structural defects in composite aircraft fuselages without damaging them by analyzing the flow of heat through the structure.
RoboDK仿真编程软件帮助了NASA Langley研究中心的研究人员使用协作机器人进行一款新型航天器的自动检测。UR10协作机器人装备了FLIR红外检测摄像头---通过分析穿过结构的热量的流动，这些红外传感器能检测到航天器机身组装过程中材料或结构的缺陷，而无需破坏机身。

The inspection system is bulky and heavy, and must be moved across the entire exterior and interior surfaces of the fuselage. So while the UR cobots handle the heavy lifting, RoboDK software simulates and programs the inspection pattern, ensuring the robots don’t miss any areas.
检测系统粗重、笨拙，还必须沿机身内外表面移动，人力不能胜任。于是研究人员选择由UR协作机器人举起沉重的升降机构，配合RoboDK软件对检测路径进行仿真和编程，确保机器人不错过任何区域的检测。

But why offline programming when cobots are supposed to be easy to program?
但为何在协作机器人被认为容易去编程的情况下选择离线编程？

“Their user interface is made very simple, but it’s made for people that have never programmed a robot,” explains RoboDK’s Nubiola. “If you want to move the robot from point A to point B, that’s very easy. Probably a 10-year-old can do it. But as soon as you want to do something more sophisticated, Universal Robots may be more complicated than other robot brands.”
“协作机器人的用户界面很简单，可又是为从没对机器人编程过的人而设计”，RoboDK公司的Nubiola解释道，“如你想拖拽机器人从A点到B点，很简单，10岁的小孩都可能做到。但你要想做些更有难度的，联合机器人可能比别的机器人品牌更复杂。

For a complex process like NASA’s inspection system, where the thermal sensors are analyzing hundreds of points, OLP software is a no-brainer. Manual operation or even point-to-point robotic programming would be tedious, and it would take three or four people to do the same thing one robot and one operator can achieve.
对于像NASA的检测系统这样的复杂处理，红外传感器分析数百个点位，离线编程软件一键完成。手工操作甚或点到点的机器人编程将是漫长无趣的工作，需要3-4个人才能干一台机器人和一位操作人员就能完成的活。

Using calibrated 3D CAD models of the robot, fuselage and inspection tool, NASA uses RoboDK software to not only generate the robot paths, but also test for the most efficient path. Automating the process with a robot also creates digital data of the inspection that can remain with the vehicle record. Subsequent test results on the exact same areas can reveal structural and material changes over time.
用标定过的机器人三维CAD模型、机身和检测工具，NASA借助RoboDK软件不单能生成机器人路径，同时能验证最优。机器人自动检测产生了归于航天器档案的数字信息，相同部位的后续检测结果可以反映出结构和材料随着时间而产生的改变。

软件中仿真机器人轨迹-配有红外传感器的协作机器人检测飞机结构缺陷 

The inspection system using one cobot on a wheeled base has been in testing at NASA for about a year. Nubiola says a new version of the system, which uses two UR10 cobots working together on the same linear rail has been in testing for a few months. This speeds inspection time and saves the operator from having to repeatedly wheel the robot from one section of the fuselage to another. The movements of the two cobots are coordinated in the RoboDK simulation and subsequent program. The new setup brings this system one step closer to a production scenario.
检测系统使用一台固定在滚轮式基座上的协作机器人，已在NASA测试了一年左右。Nubiola说，新版本的系统-使用两台固定在同一直线导轨上搭配工作的UR10协同机器人，已测试了数月。新系统加快了检测时间，也让操作人员从非得不停地推动机器人通过滚轮从机身一个区域到另一个区域的动作中解脱。两台协作机器人的运动在RoboDK中协调好后并进行编程，新配置让系统离投产更近一步。

Less Time Programming, More Time Producing  编程时间变短，生产时间延长
In a perfect world, a state that is rarely attainable, a virtual solution should replicate the physical world. But part and process variances, or deviations, can throw a monkey wrench into your simulation and offline programming setup. That’s where calibration is critical. Complex robotic processes and sophisticated software are no longer the exclusive domain of megacorporations. High-mix, low-volume job shops can join the OLP part  to approach flexible production. 
虚拟方案应映射真实环境，并完全一致的情形很少做到。工件、工艺参数或误差让你的仿真与离线编程大为乱套-标定是关键的。复杂的机器人加工和复杂的软件不再是大企业的专属领域。款多、量少的工件加工车间可以结合离线编程组件，实现柔性生产。

Yes, there are growing pains. But offline programming software has come of age, with better functionality, ease of use and reliability. Spend less time programming and more time producing. OLP is up to the task! Are you? 
没错，存在发展中的痛点，但离线编程软件已经到了具备更好的功能、易用性、可靠性的时候。编程耗时减少，可生产时间加长。
离线编程准备好了，那么你呢？