robot path programming software or online using in-house developed path generation algorithms. “Once path generation has been completed, the
grinding or deburring operation begins. In this case, the robot used for this work was a 6-axis Staubli TX200 machine. This is because Staubli was one of the partners on the project,” he says.
LASER SENSING Nuclear AMRC found that the scanCONTROL 2910-100_BL was ideally suited to being mounted on a robot arm as it is a compact, high-performance laser profile sensor or laser line scanner with integrated electronics that provide it with a degree of autonomy. It operates using blue (violet) laser technology
rather than red, making it especially useful for measuring against shiny metallic structures or difficult-to-measure surfaces. The sensor projects a wide laser line from 58mm to 143mm over the object with a profile resolution of 1,280 measuring points. The measuring range in the z-axis is from 100mm to 290mm, which gives useful flexibility for the robot positioning.
EASY INTEGRATION & CONNECTION TO PCs & PLCs The sensor is equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet interface for transferring profile data, as well as a multi-purpose connector for RS422, encoder input triggering, Digital In (HTL/TTL), power supply and synchronisation. The sensors support Power-over- Ethernet (PoE), which means they can be operated with only one cable, thus simplifying installation even further. A simple and intuitive configuration interface
is provided with all sensors to allow sensor configuration, as well as a full software development kit for more detailed machine integration. The sensors are configured with a unique user changeable IP address, which enables future remote configuration and diagnostics. A Modbus protocol (supported via Ethernet and the RS422 interface) also enables direct connection between the sensor and a PLC. “The scanCONTROL laser sensor is a good piece
of equipment. We’ve successfully used the sensor in multiple projects, for example, weld monitoring and weld grinding. The integration was straightforward too. There are a variety of APIs/software tools provided by Micro-Epsilon for integration with different software platforms and programming languages such as LabVIEW and C++, so it was really a plug-and-play set up without much hassle, which saved precious time for us,” concludes Gurdal. The sensor is part of a range of laser scanners,
which share similarly easy set up and a wide range of mounting options. Differences within the range lie mainly in the profile resolution depending on the degree of precision required in the application. Profile resolution varies between 600 points and 2,048 points per profile, with the resolution of the sensor used in the Nuclear AMRC application being 1,280 points per profile. T&TH
February 2020 /// Testing & Test Houses /// 23
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