Robotic Engineering Project

1.Introduction
An industrial robot is defined by ISO as an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose
manipulator programmable in three or more axes. The field of robotics may be more practically
defined as the study, design and use of robot systems for manufacturing (a top-level definition
relying on the prior definition of robot).
Typical applications of robots include welding, painting, assembly, pick and place, product inspection,
and testing; all accomplished with high endurance, speed, and precision.
1.1. Short history
1954: The first programmable robot is designed by George Devol. He coins the term Universal
Automation.
1956: Devol and engineer Joseph Engelberger form the world's first robot company, Unimation.
1960: Unimation is purchased by Condec Corporation and development of Unimate Robot
Systems begins. American Machine and Foundry, later known as AMF Corporation, markets a
robot, called the Versatran, designed by Harry Johnson and Veljko Milenkovic.
1962: The first industrial robot was online in a General Motors automobile factory in New Jersey.
It was Devol and Engelberger's UNIMATE. It performed spot welding and extracted die castings.
1973: German robotics company, KUKA, creates the first industrial robot with six
electromechanically-driven axes. It is called the Famulus.
1974: A robotic arm (the Silver Arm) that performed small-parts assembly using feedback from
touch and pressure sensors was designed. Professor Scheinman, the developer of the Stanford
Arm, forms Vicarm Inc. to market a version of the arm for industrial applications. The new arm is
controlled by a minicomputer.
1978: Vicarm, Unimation creates the PUMA (Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly)
robot with support from General Motors. Many research labs still use this assembly robot.
1979: Nachi developed the first motor-driven robots for spot welding.
1987: ASEA of Vasteras, Sweden (founded 1883) and BBC Brown Boveri Ltd of Baden,
Switzerland, (founded 1891) announce plans to form ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd., headquartered
in Zurich, Switzerland. Each parent will hold 50 percent of the new company.
1988: The Motoman ERC control system was introduced with the ability to control up to 12 axes,
more than any other controller at the time.
1992: FANUC Robot School was established.
1994: The Motoman MRC control system was introduced with the ability to control up to 21
axes. It could also synchronize the motions of two robots.
1998: The introduction of the XRC controller allowed the control of up to 27 axes and the
synchronized control of three to four robots.
2003: OTC DAIHEN introduced the Almega AX series, a line of arc welding and handling robots.
The AX series robots integrate seamlessly with the OTC D series welding power supplies for
advanced control capabilities.
1.2. Types of Robots
Cartesian robot / Gantry robot: Used for pick and place work, application of sealant, assembly
operations, handling machine tools and arc welding. It's a robot whose arm has three prismatic
joints, whose axes are coincident with a Cartesian coordinator.
Cylindrical robot: Used for assembly operations, handling at machine tools, spot welding, and
handling at diecasting machines. It's a robot whose axes form a cylindrical coordinate system.
Spherical robot / Polar robot (such as the Unimate): Used for handling at machine tools, spot
welding, diecasting, fettling machines, gas welding and arc welding. It's a robot whose axes form a
polar coordinate system.
SCARA robot: Used for pick and place work, application of sealant, assembly operations and handling
machine tools. This robot features two parallel rotary joints to provide compliance in a plane.
Articulated robot: Used for assembly operations, diecasting, fettling machines, gas welding, arc
welding and spray painting. It's a robot whose arm has at least three rotary joints.
Parallel robot: One use is a mobile platform handling cockpit flight simulators. It's a robot whose
arms have concurrent prismatic or rotary joints.
Anthropomorphic robot: Similar to the robotic hand Luke Skywalker receives at the end of The
Empire Strikes Back. It is shaped in a way that resembles a human hand, i.e. with independent fingers
and thumbs.
1.3. Terminology
Articulated Robot: An articulated robot is one which uses rotary joints to access its work space.
Usually the joints are arranged in a chain, so that one joint supports another further in the chain.
Continuous Path: A control scheme whereby the inputs or commands specify every point along a
desired path of motion. The path is controlled by the coordinated motion of the manipulator joints.
Degrees Of Freedom (DOF): The number of independent motions in which the end effector can
move, defined by the number of axes of motion of the manipulator.
Gripper: A device for grasping or holding, attached to the free end of the last manipulator link; also
called the robots hand or end-effector.
Payload: The maximum payload is the amount of weight carried by the robot manipulator at reduced
speed while maintaining rated precision. Nominal payload is measured at maximum speed while
maintaining rated precision. These ratings are highly dependent on the size and shape of the
payload.
Pick And Place Cycle: Pick and place Cycle is the time, in seconds, to execute the following motion
sequence: Move down one inch, grasp a rated payload; move up one inch; move across twelve
inches; move down one inch; ungrasp; move up one inch; and return to start location.
Reach: The maximum horizontal distance from the center of the robot base to the end of its wrist.
Accuracy: The difference between the point that a robot is trying to achieve and the actual resultant
position. Absolute accuracy is the difference between a point instructed by the robot control system
and the point actually achieved by the manipulator arm, while repeatability is the cycle-to-cycle
variation of the manipulator arm when aimed at the same point.
Repeatability: The ability of a system or mechanism to repeat the same motion or achieve the same
points when presented with the same control signals. The cycle-to-cycle error of a system when
trying to perform a specific task
Resolution: The smallest increment of motion or distance that can be detected or controlled by the
control system of a mechanism. The resolution of any joint is a function of encoder pulses per
revolution and drive ratio, and dependent on the distance between the tool center point and the
joint axis.
Robot Program: A robot communication program for IBM and compatible personal computers.
Provides terminal emulation and utility functions. This program can record all of the user memory,
and some of the system memory to disk files.
Maximum Speed: The compounded maximum speed of the tip of a robot moving at full extension
with all joints moving simultaneously in complimentary directions. This speed is the theoretical
maximum and should under no circumstances be used to estimate cycle time for a particular
application. A better measure of real world speed is the standard twelve inch pick and place cycle
time. For critical applications, the best indicator of achievable cycle time is a physical simulation.
Servo Controlled: Controlled by a driving signal which is determined by the error between the
mechanism's present position and the desired output position.
Via Point: A point through which the robot's tool should pass without stopping; via points are
programmed in order to move beyond obstacles or to bring the arm into a lower inertia posture for
part of the motion.
Work Envelope: A three-dimensional shape that defines the boundaries that the robot manipulator
can reach; also known as reach envelope.
1.4. Defining Parameters
Number of axes two axes are required to reach any point in a plane; three axes are
required to reach any point in space. To fully control the orientation of the end of the arm
(i.e. the wrist) three more axes (yaw, pitch, and roll) are required. Some designs (e.g. the
SCARA robot) trade limitations in motion possibilities for cost, speed, and accuracy.
Degrees of freedom - this is usually the same as the number of axes.
Working envelope the region of space a robot can reach.
Kinematics the actual arrangement of rigid members and joints in the robot, which
determines the robot's possible motions. Classes of robot kinematics include articulated,
cartesian, parallel and SCARA.
Carrying capacity or payload how much weight a robot can lift.
Speed how fast the robot can position the end of its arm. This may be defined in terms of
the angular or linear speed of each axis or as a compound speed i.e. the speed of the end of
the arm when all axes are moving.
Acceleration - how quickly an axis can accelerate. Since this is a limiting factor a robot may
not be able to reach its specified maximum speed for movements over a short distance or a
complex path requiring frequent changes of direction.
Accuracy how closely a robot can reach a commanded position. When the absolute
position of the robot is measured and compared to the commanded position the error is a
measure of accuracy. Accuracy can be improved with external sensing for example a vision
system or Infra-Red. See robot calibration. Accuracy can vary with speed and position within
the working envelope and with payload (see compliance).
Repeatability - how well the robot will return to a programmed position. This is not the same
as accuracy. It may be that when told to go to a certain X-Y-Z position that it gets only to
within 1 mm of that position. This would be its accuracy which may be improved by
calibration. But if that position is taught into controller memory and each time it is sent there
it returns to within 0.1mm of the taught position then the repeatability will be within 0.1mm
1.5. Components
The basic components of an industrial robot are the
the manipulator, which is the robots arm, consists of segments jointed together with axes
capable of motion in various directions allowing the robot to perform work.
the end effector (which is the part of the manipulator). which is a gripper tool, a special
device, or fixture attached to the robots arm, actually performs the work.
the power suplly provides and regulates the energy that is converted to motion by the robot
actuator, and it may be either electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic.
the controller initiates, terminates, and coordinates the motion of sequences of a robot. Also
it accepts the necessary inputs to the robot and provides the outputs to interface with the
outside world.
1.6. Major robotics companies
1.6.1. KUKA
KUKA is a German manufacturer of industrial robots and solutions
for factory automation. The KUKA Robotics Corporation has 25
subsidiaries worldwide, mostly sales and service subsidiaries,
including in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China,
Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India, Russia and most European countries.
The company name, KUKA, is an acronym for Keller und Knappich
Augsburg.
The company was founded in 1898 in Augsburg, Germany, by
Johann Josef Keller and Jacob Knappich. At first, the company
focused on house and street lights, but soon expanded to other
products (welding equipment and solutions; big containers), to
become the market leader in communal vehicles in Europe by
1966. Keller & Knappich GmbH merged with part of Industrie-
Werke Karlsruhe AG to become Industrie-Werke Karlsruhe Augsburg Aktiengesellschaft, eventually
KUKA for short.
In 1973, KUKA created its own industrial robot FAMULUS. At this time, the company belonged to the
Quandt group. However, in 1980, the Quandt family withdrew and a publicly owned firm was
established. In 1995, the company was split into KUKA Robotics Corporation and KUKA
Schweianlagen (now KUKA Systems), now both subsidiaries of KUKA AG. Today, KUKA concentrates
on solutions for the automation of industrial manufacturing processes.
Most robots are finished in "KUKA Orange" (the official corporate color) or black.
The company headquarters are located in Augsburg, Germany. As of September 30, 2012, KUKA
employed more than 3,150 workers. While previously emphasizing customers in the automotive
industry, the company has since expanded to other industries.
Notable milestones
1971 Europes first welding transfer line built for Daimler-Benz.
1973 The worlds first industrial robot with six electromechanically driven axes, known as
AMULUS.
1976 IR 6/60 A completely new robot type with six electromechanically driven axes and
an offset wrist.
1989 A new generation of industrial robots is developed brushless drive motors for a low
maintenance and a higher technical availability.
2007 KUKA Titan at the time, the biggest and strongest industrial robot with six axes,
entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.
2010 As the only robot family, the robot series KR QUANTEC completely covers the load
range of 90 up to 300 kg with a reach of up to 3100 mm for the first time.
2012 The new small robot series KR AGILUS is launched.
2014 On February 9, the company uploaded a video on its official Youtube channel
KukaRobotGroup, teasing the audience with their new KUKA robot, specialized in Table
Tennis. The teaser video shows a trailer of KUKA's robot initiating fight against a human in
Table Tennis. The human is Timo Boll, legend in Table Tennis. This new robot is described as
KUKA KR AGILUS, Fastest Robot on Earth. The full video was available on March 10, 2014.
1.6.2. ABB
ABB is a multinational corporation
headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland,
operating in robotics and mainly in the
power and automation technology areas. It
ranked 158th in the Forbes Ranking (2013).
ABB is one of the largest engineering companies as well as one of the largest conglomerates in the
world. ABB has operations in around 100 countries, with approximately 150,000 employees in
November 2013,[4] and reported global revenue of $40 billion for 2011.
ABB resulted from the 1988 merger of the Swedish corporation Allmnna Svenska Elektriska
Aktiebolaget (ASEA) and the Swiss company Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC); the latter had absorbed the
Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon in 1967. CEO at the time of the merger was the former CEO of ASEA, Percy
Barnevik, who ran the company until 1996.
ABB's history goes back to the late 19th century. ASEA was incorporated by Ludwig Fredholm in 1883
and Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) was formed in 1891 in Baden, Switzerland, by Charles Eugene Lancelot
Brown and Walter Boveri as a Swiss group of electrical companies producing AC and DC motors,
generators, steam turbines and transformers.
Allmnna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget was a Swedish industry company. It merged with the
Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) in 1988 to form Asea Brown Boveri. ASEA still exists, but only as a
holding company owning 50% of the ABB Group.
ASEA logo used from the late nineteenth century until 1933
ASEA was founded 1883 by Ludvig Fredholm in Stockholm as manufacturer
of electrical light and generators. By a merging with Wenstrm's &
Granstrm's Electrical Power Company (Wenstrms & Granstrms Elektriska
Kraftbolag)
1889 - the partner Jonas Wenstrm creates 3-phased generators,
motors and transformers.
1933 - The company removes the swastika from the logotype, due to the symbol's
association with Nazi Germany.
1953 - ASEA creates the first industrial diamonds.
1954 - HVDC Gotland project, first static high-voltage DC system
1960s - ASEA builds 9 of 12 nuclear plants in Sweden.
1974 - Industrial robots are introduced by ASEA
1987 - Acquires Finnish Oy Strmberg Ab
1988 - Merges with BBC Brown Boveri
Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) was a Swiss group of electrical engineering companies. Brown, Boveri
synchronous motor of 1901 in the lectropolis museum of Mulhouse, France
It was founded in Baden, Switzerland, in 1891 by Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown and Walter Boveri
who worked at the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. In 1970 BBC took over the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon.
In 1988 it merged with ASEA to form ABB.
The company produced DC Motors, AC motors, generators, steam turbines, gas turbines,
transformers and the electrical equipment of locomotives. Some of BBC's technology went into
German U-boats of World War II, such as the depth controls.
1.6.3. Motoman
Founded in 1989, Yaskawa Motoman is a leading
robotics company in the Americas. With nearly
300,000 Motoman robots, 10 million servos and 18
million inverter drives installed globally, Yaskawa
provides automation products and solutions for
virtually every industry and robotic application;
including arc welding, assembly, coating, dispensing,
material handling, material cutting, material
removal, packaging, palletizing and spot welding.
Our product line includes more than 175 distinct
robot models and a full-line of pre-engineered
"World" solutions that are complete application
specific work cells, including robot, process and
safety equipment.
Combined with our sister and partner companies, we support robotic solutions throughout the
world. Our proven track record of delivering industry leading quality, innovation and customer
satisfaction can help you exceed your robotic automation goals.
Figure 1 ASEA logo
Yaskawa Motoman is backed by a powerful parent, Yaskawa Electric Corporation of Japan. Since
1915, Yaskawa Electric has demonstrated a passion for automation by developing specialized
solutions to help customers increase efficiency, improve quality, boost productivity, and deliver
outstanding ROI. As one of the world's largest manufacturers of industrial robots, Yaskawa Electric
has offices in 28 countries and approximately 14,000 employees worldwide.
Our sister division, Yaskawa America, Inc., Drives & Motion Division, is a manufacturer of various
control products, AC servo motors and drives, and inverters.
1.6.4. Fanuc
FANUC is a group of companies, principally FANUC
Corporation of Japan, Fanuc America Corporation of
Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA, and FANUC Robotics
Europe SA of Luxembourg, that provide automation
products and services such as robotics and computer
numerical control systems. FANUC is one of the largest
makers of industrial robots in the world. It is part of the
Furukawa Group. FANUC had its beginnings as part of
Fujitsu developing early numerical control (NC) and
servo systems. The company name is an acronym for
Factory automation numerical control.
In 1972, the Computing Control Division became independent and FANUC Ltd was established.
FANUC Robotics Europe S.A., a sister company, is headquartered in Luxembourg, with customers in
Europe, and which provides sales, service and support in Europe and abroad.
FANUC Robotics America Corporation (1992-2013) supplied robotic automation in North and South
America, with over 240,000 robots installed. It also produced software, controls, and vision products
that aid in the development of robotic systems. Headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan, the
company had 10 regional locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Brazil. The company provided
these systems for applications including automotive and fabricated metals to medical devices and
plastics. It was founded in 1982 as a joint venture between FANUC Ltd and General Motors
Corporation, named GMFanuc Robotics Corporation. A staff of 70 began work at the GM Technical
Center in Warren, Michigan. In 1992, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of FANUC Ltd
of Oshino-mura, Japan. The company was a member of the Robotics Industries Association (RIA) and
of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
1.6.5. Comau
Comau (COnsorzio MAcchine Utensili) is an
Italian multinational company based in Turin,
Italy and is part of the Fiat Group. Comau is an
integrated company, including 20 companies,
which develops and produces process
automation, manufacturing and service
solutions and specializes in welding robots.
Established in 1973, it currently has 23
different operative centers, 15 manufacturing
plants, and 3 research and development
centers throughout the world. It employs more than 14,500 people in 13 different countries Italy,
Russia, China, India, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Romania, Poland, Germany, France, the United States
and the United Kingdom. The company has more than 100 patents and all major automotive
manufacturers use Comau systems and machinery at facilities in Europe, America and Asia.
2. Choosing the robot and the wrist mechanism
2.1 The robot
The robot I choose for this project is KUKA KR 10 R1100 SIXX WP (KR AGILUS) (http://www.kuka-
robotics.com/usa/en/products/industrial_robots/small_robots/kr10_r1100_sixx_wp/) from the class
of small robots from KUKA. Thanks to new waterproofing, the KR AGILUS is
also right at home under intensive outdoor production conditions. Stable
stainless steel covers have replaced plastic parts, and resistant surface
treatments and additional seals in the interior of the six-axis robot enable it
to be used in a machine tool environment, for example. The waterproof
version of the KUKA small robot complies with the higher protection rating
IP67.
The main operation performed by this robot should be handling (loading
and unloading)
Technical specifications
Loads
Payload 10 kg
Working envelope
Max. reach 1101 mm
Other data and variants
Number of axes 6
Repeatability <0,03 mm
Weight 54 kg
Mounting
positions
Floor, Ceiling, Wall
Controller KR C4 compact
Protection class IP 67
Sound level < 70 dB (A) outside the working
envelope

Axis Range of
motion,
software
limited
Speed
with
rated
payload
Acceleration
with rated
payload
1 +/-170 300 /s
2 +45 to -190 225 /s
3 +156 to -
120
225 /s
4 +/-185 381 /s 800 /s
2
5 +/-120 311 /s 700 /s
2
6 +/-350 492 /s 1000/s
2

Payloads
Rated payload 5 kg
Max. payload 10 kg
Distance of the
load center of
gravity
L
xy
100
mm
Distance of the
load center of
gravity
L
z
80 mm
Max. total load 10 kg

Foundation Data
Type of load Force/torque/mass
Normal operation Maximum load
F
v
= vertical force F
vmax
= 967 N F
vmax
= 1297 N
F
h
= horizontal force F
hmax
= 1223 N F
hmax
= 1362 N
M
k
= tilting moment M
kmax
= 788 Nm M
kmax
= 1152 Nm
M
r
= torque M
rmax
= 367 Nm M
rmax
= 880 Nm
Total mass for load acting on
the foundation
KR 10 R1100 sixx WP: 66 kg
Robot KR 10 R1100 sixx WP: 56 kg
Total load for foundation load
(suppl. Load on arm+ rated
payload)
KR 10 R1100 sixx WP: 10 kg

2.2 Wrist mechanism
A robot manipulator needs at least 6 degrees of freedom to manipulate an object freely in space.
Typically, the lengths of the first three moving links are much longer than those of the last three
links. An end effector is attached to the last moving link for grasping or fine manipulation of an
object. Thus the first three moving links are used primarily for manipulating the position, while the
last three links are used for controlling the orientation of the end effector. For this reason, the
subassembly associated with the first three moving links is called the arm, and the subassembly
associated with the last three moving links is called the wrist. Furthermore, the last three joint axes
are often designed to intersect at a common point called the wrist center. The arm delivers the wrist
center anywhere in its primary workspace, while the wrist controls the orientation of the end
effector.
Theoretically, we can mount one motor with a proper gear reduction unit on each link to drive the
joints. This kind of arrangement. however, requires the motors and their gear reduction units to be
located close to the wrist subassembly, which will inevitably increase the inertia load to the motors
of the arm subassembly. Therefore, it is highly desirable to incorporate some kind of mechanical
transmission mechanisms, which allow the actuators to be installed away from the wrist center. In
practice, a good wrist design should possess the following characteristics:
1. Three degrees of freedom
2. Spherical motion
3. Large workspace (i.e., large angular orientation range)
4. Remote drive capability
5. Compact size, light weight, and low inertia
6. High accuracy and repeatability
7. High mechanical stiffness
8. Low manufacturing cost
9. Rugged and reliable design
The development of wrist mechanisms can be dated back to the early nineteenth century. It is
related especially to the needs in handling nuclear materials, in space exploration, and for other
hazardous tasks. To achieve the necessary characteristics, mechanical transmission mechanisms such
as epicyclic gear trains, push-rod linkages, and tendon drives are often employed
Epicyclic gear drives are commonly used for speed reduction and torque amplification in mechanical
systems. Bevel-gear wrist mechanisms have been incorporated in most industrial robots because
they are comparatively simple and compact in size, can be sealed in a metallic housing that keeps the
gear trains free of contamination, and can be produced economically and reliably. Furthermore,
using bevel gear trains for power transmission, actuators can be mounted remotely on the forearm,
thereby reducing the weight and inertia of a robot manipulator.

Proposed solutions
2.2.1. Spherical wrist mechanism


2.2.2. Orthogonal wrist mechanism 1



2.2.3. Orthogonal wrist mechanism 2


2.2.4 Synchronous belts wrist mechanism
A wrist mechanism of an industrial robot is provided with a forearm, a wrist base mounted on the
forearm so as to be rotatable about a lengthwise rotary axis of the forearm, a wrist body mounted on
the wrist base so as to be swingable about a swing axis perpendicularly crossing the rotary axis of the
wrist base, and a wrist top mounted on the wrist body so as to be rotatable about an axis
perpendicular to the swing axis of the wrist body. The wrist base is characterized in that a motor for
rotating the wrist tip and a motor for swinging the wrist body are arranged opposite to each other in
a lengthwise direction.
This invention relates to a structure for miniaturizing a wrist of an industrial robot.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a conventional industrial robot. This industrial robot generally makes
motions similar to ones of portions of a human body from the shoulder to the wrist.
In FIG. 7, a shoulder 2 is provided rotatably on a base 1. An upper arm 3 is mounted swingably on the
free end portion of this shoulder. A forearm 4 is provided at the free end portion of the upper arm 3
so that the forearm 4 can swing with respect to the upper arm 3. The forearm 4 is driven via a
forearm driving motor (no shown), a lever 47 and a driving link 48. A wrist base 5 is provided on a
front portion of the forearm 4 so that the wrist base 5 can rotate around the longitudinal axis of the
forearm 4. A wrist body 6 is provided on a front portion of the wrist base 5 so that the wrist body 6
can swing around a pivot extending at right angles to the axis around which the wrist base 5 rotates.
A wrist tip 7 is provided on a front portion of the wrist body 6 so that the wrist tip 7 can be rotated
around an axis extending at right angles to the wrist body-swinging pivot. Various kinds of
instruments 8, such as a tool, a welding torch or a handling device are attached to the wrist tip to
carry out various machining and processing operations. The above description is of the construction
of a commonly used wrist of an industrial robot. There is also a wrist of an industrial robot, the
construction of which is partially different from that of the abovementioned industrial robot wrist.
For example, the wrist base-rotating axis, wrist body-swinging axis and wrist tip-rotating axis referred
to in the above statement extend at substantially right angles. The angles of these axis do not
necessarily cross each other at right angles and they can be regulated in accordance with the working
posture.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59390/1984 discloses a construction of a conventional industrial
robot wrist, as discussed above. According to the technique disclosed in this publication, motors for
rotating a wrist tip and swinging a wrist body and reduction gears are provided within a wrist base so
that this wrist can also be applied to a small-sized industrial robot.
According to the prior art disclosed in the above publication, however, the two motors in the wrist
base are parallel-arranged so that each of them orients at right angles to the lengthwise axis of the
wrist. Therefore, it is difficult to miniaturize a wrist which generally has an elongated structure of a
columnar shape.
If these two motors are arranged so that they extend in the lengthwise direction of the wrist, the
following problems which must be solved arise. (1) The transmitting of a driving force from a motor
to a tip portion of the wrist is generally done by a belt (including a chain), which is generally extended
in the lengthwise direction of the wrist in view of the necessity of miniaturizing the wrist. If these
motors are arranged in this manner, it becomes necessary that the driving force from the lengthwise-
arranged motors be transmitted to the belts after the direction of the driving force has been changed
at right angles, so that the length of the driving force transmitting path increases. If the driving force
transmitting path increases, the path along which an external force imparted to the tool at the free
end of the wrist tip is transmitted also increases. This would cause the wrist to be displaced
accordingly with ease, i.e., the rigidity thereof decreases. (2) If the two motors are arranged in the
lengthwise direction of the wrist with no sufficient space left between the rear ends of the two
motors and structural members of the wrist facing the rear ends, it becomes troublesome to take out
the motors when the maintenance work for the wrist is carried out. Since the output shaft of a motor
is generally meshed with a gear, the motor must be taken out by moving the motor in the axial
direction thereof. However, when the length of the wrist is not set so large, the motor cannot be
moved axially. In such a case, it is necessary that the motor be taken out by moving it in a direction
perpendicular to the lengthwise axis thereof. This makes it necessary to disassemble the gear box
meshed with the output shaft of this motor, so that the motor-removing operation becomes
troublesome. Summary of the Invention
An object of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot capable of being miniaturized by
arranging a wrist tip-rotating motor and a wrist body-swinging motor in the lengthwise direction of
the wrist, preventing a decrease in the rigidity of the wrist, and carrying out the maintenance work
therefor with ease.
A wrist mechanism of an industrial robot according to the invention comprises a forearm, a wrist
base provided rotatably around a lengthwise axis of the forearm, a wrist body provided swingably
around a pivot or shaft (swing shaft) disposed perpendicularly to the lengthwise axis of the wrist
base, a wrist tip portion provided rotatably around a rotary shaft perpendicular to the swing shaft
around which the wrist body is swung, and the wrist base has a motor for rotating the rotary shaft
and a motor for driving the swing shaft to cause the wrist body to swing around the swing shaft,
those two motors being arranged opposite to each other in a lengthwise direction thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a wrist of an industrial robot according to the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view, which continues from FIG. 1, of the forearm joined to the wrist of the robot;
FIG. 3 is a sectioned side elevation of what is shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view for explaining an operation of the portion of the wrist which is shown in FIG.
3;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a wrist according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a part of a wrist according to another embodiment of the present
invention; and
FIG. 7 is a diagram of the arm as a whole of a conventional industrial robot.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-4. FIGS. 1
and 2 constitute one drawing. An example of an industrial robot comprises a base, a shoulder
rotatably mounted on the base, an upper arm swingably mounted on the shoulder, a forearm
swingably mounted on the upper arm and a wrist mechanism rotatably mounted on a free end
portion of the forearm. The base, shoulder, upper arm and forearm corresponds to ones of the
conventional industrial robot shown in FIG. 7, respectively. The wrist mechanism is installed with
various kinds of tools to carry out various operation. The wrist mechanism comprises a wrist base 5
rotatably mounted on the forearm 4 around a lengthwise axis of the forearm 4, a wrist body 6
swingably mounted on the wrist base 5, and a wrist tip 7 rotatably mounted on the wrist body 6. The
robot carries out various operation with the wrist tip 7 being installed with a tool. The forearm 4
shown in FIG. 2 is supported on an upper arm as shown in FIG. 7 by reference number 3 via a fulcrum
41a. The axial force of a driving link as shown in FIG. 7 by reference numeral 48 is transmitted to a
fulcrum 41b, and the forearm 4 is swung around the fulcrum 41a. The rear portion of the wrist base 5
is housed rotatably in the interior of the forearm 4. The rear portion of this wrist base 5 is formed
cylindrically and supported on a rotation supporting bearing 42 provided in the forearm 4. A gear 45
on the side of a motor 44 for rotation is meshed with a gear 43 formed on the rear end portion of the
wrist base 5. The gear 45 on the side of the rotation motor 44 is connected to the same motor 44 via
a harmonic final reduction gear 46.
A method of transmitting power to the wrist body 6, which is provided swingably with respect to the
wrist base 5, will now be described with reference to FIG. 1. A motor 61 for swinging the wrist body 6
(referred to as swing motor) is provided in the interior of the wrist base 5 so as to extend in the
lengthwise direction thereof. An output shaft 62 of the swing motor 61 faces in the forward
direction, and is provided with a bevel gear 63 at the free end portion thereof. A bevel gear 65 is also
mounted on a first transmission shaft 64 which extends at right angles to this output shaft 62, and
these two shafts 62, 64 are connected at right angles via the bevel gears 63, 65. A pulley 66 is
mounted on the other end portion of the first transmission shaft 64, and a belt 67 is engaged with
this pulley 66. This belt 67 runs in the lengthwise direction of the wrist base, and is engaged with an
opposite pulley 68. This pulley 68 is mounted on a swing shaft 69 around which swing is effected,
which shaft is supported on a bearing 52 provided in a housing 51 of the wrist base 5. A harmonic
final reduction gear 601 is connected with this shaft 69, and the wrist body 6 is supported on a shaft
support bearing 53 via this reduction gear so that the wrist body can be swung. The axis of this shaft
69 extends at right angles to the axis around which the wrist base 5 is turned.
A method of transmitting power to the wrist tip 7 which is provided rotatably with respect to the
wrist body 6 will now be described. A rotation motor 71 for rotating the wrist tip 7 is provided in
opposition to the swing motor 61 in the wrist base 5 so as to extend in the lengthwise direction
thereof. An output shaft 72 of this motor 71 has at its free end portion a bevel gear 73 meshed with a
bevel gear 75 mounted on a second transmission shaft 74 which extends at right angles to the output
shaft 72, and these two shafts 72, 74 are connected to each other at right angles. The second
transmission shaft 74 is provided at the other end portion thereof with a pulley 76 with which a belt
77 is engaged. The belt 77 runs in parallel with the above-mentioned belt 67 in the forward direction
in the interior of the wrist base 5. A pulley 78, the other pulley around which this belt 77 is passed, is
mounted on a third transmission shaft 79. This third transmission shaft 79 is positioned in parallel
with the second transmission shaft 74. The third transmission shaft 79 is provided at its inner end
portion with a bevel gear 701, which is meshed with a bevel gear 703 mounted on a rotary shaft 702.
The two shafts 79, 702 extend at right angles to each other. The wrist tip 7 is mounted on the front
end portion of the rotary shaft 702 via a harmonic final reduction gear 704. The wrist tip 7 is
supported on a rotary movement supporting bearing 705 and rotated.
The axes of the shaft 69 and third transmission shaft 79 are aligned with each other, and these
aligned axes and the axis of the rotary shaft 702 cross at right angles. The axes of the first and second
transmission shafts 64, 74 are also aligned with each other, and a gear box 10, which is described
later, can be turned around these aligned axes.
The two output shafts 62, 72, two transmission shafts 64, 74 and bevel gears 63, 65, 73, 75 mounted
on these output shafts are housed in the single gear box 10, which can be turned with respect to a
bearing housing 101 for the first and second transmission shafts 64, 74. The turning movement of the
gear box 10 is normally prevented by a motor holder 104 as shown in FIG. 3. The turning of the gear
box 10 is done so as to carry out a maintenance inspection operation easily. The gear box 10 is
provided with an opening 102 through which the output shafts 62, 72 of the motors extend. This
opening 102 is made so large that the bevel gears 63, 73 mounted on the free end portions of the
output shafts 62, 72 can be passed therethrough.
The operation of this embodiment will now be described briefly. When the rotation driving motor 44
is energized, the wrist base 5 is turned with respect to the forearm 4. This turning movement is made
around the lengthwise axis of the forearm 4. When the swing motor 61 is energized as the wrist base
5 is turned, the wrist body 6 is swung. This swinging movement is made around the shaft 69, which
extends at right angles to the axis around which the wrist base is turned. When the motor 71 is
energized as the wrist body 6 is swung, the wrist tip 7 is rotated. Accordingly, the wrist of this
industrial robot has three degrees of freedom. A tool is attached to the free end of this wrist tip,
whereby machining and processing operations are carried out.
The maintenance work will now be described. FIG. 3 is a side elevation of what is shown in FIG. 1,
and FIG. 4 illustrates an operation of the portion of the embodiment which is shown in FIG. 3. When
it is necessary to take out the two motors 61, 71 during a maintenance operation, a cover 103 for the
wrist base 5 is removed first, and then the motor holder 104, the gear box 10 being then turned
around the bearing housing 101. The gear box 10 is turned with the two motor 61, 71 fixed thereto.
This turning movement is made around the aligned axes of the first and second transmission shafts
64, 74.
During this time, relative movement occurs between the bevel gears 63, 65; 73, 75 which are meshed
with each other. Since brakes are generally provided in these two motors 61, 71, relative rotating
movements occur in the free bevel gear 65, 75 positioned on the driven side. Since the angles of such
rotating movements of the bevel gears are not more than 90, and since the speeds of the same
movements are reduced (to, for example, around 1/50-1/100) by the harmonic final reduction gears
601, 704 installed at the terminal ends on the power transmission paths, the angles of rotating
movement of the wrist body 6 and wrist tip 7 constituting driven members are very small, i.e., the
wrist body 6 and wrist tip 7 are not rotated until they contact the mechanical stoppers. The meshing
condition of the pairs of gears 63, 65; 73, 75 does not change. Namely, the bevel gears are not
pressed against each other, nor they are disengaged from each other. Accordingly, if the gear box 10
and motors 61, 71 are turned back to the original positions, the positions of the driven members, i.e.
the wrist body 6 and wrist tip 7 can be restored.
In order to remove motors 61, 71 from the gear box 10, the gear box 10 is turned. The motors 61, 71
are then ready to be taken out easily from the opening 102 with the bevel gear 63 on the output
shaft 62 and the bevel gear 73 on the output shaft 72 attached to the motors 61, 71. This means that
it is unnecessary to draw back the first and second transmission shafts 64, 74 in the axial directions
thereof for disengaging the bevel gears thereon from those on the output shafts. Accordingly, it is
also unnecessary to remove the belts 67, 77 from the pulleys 66, 76. Thus, the motors or detectors
(position detectors or speed detectors) provided in the rear end portions of the motors are allowed
to project to the outer side of the wrist base 5, and the motors can be removed. This enables the
maintenance, inspection and replacement of the parts to be carried out easily.
According to the present invention, the motors in the wrist are arranged in the lengthwise direction
thereof, so that the wrist can be miniaturized. Since the paths of transmitting the power from the
motors are at right angles, the lengths of the power transmission paths increase due to the first and
second transmission shafts 64, 74 which are part of these paths. However, the increase in the rigidity
of the wrist, which is caused by the increase in the lengths of these transmission paths, can be
minimized by providing the harmonic final reduction gears 601, 704 at the terminal ends of the
transmission paths. Since the two motors are arranged in an opposed state, only one gear box for
housing them need be provided. Moreover, since this gear box is formed so that it can be turned
around the aligned axes of the first and second transmission shafts, the two motors are allowed to
project or can be removed from the wrist base during the maintenance work without disassembling
the gear box. This enables the maintenance work to be carried out easily.
Next, another embodiment, wherein a power transmitting method is different in part from a method
of transmitting power to the wrist body 6 swingably mounted on the wrist base 5 and to the wrist tip
portion 7 rotatably mounted on the wrist body 6 as explained in FIG. 1, will be described referring to
FIG. 5. The present embodiment is the same in operation and effects of the invention as ones of the
previously mentioned embodiment.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the belt 67 and pulley 68 are used as a power
transmitting means from the first transmitting shaft 64 to the swing shaft 69. In this embodiment,
the first transmission shaft 64 is connected to the swing shaft 69 through a fourth transmission shaft
613 and bevel gears 611, 612, 614 and 615. Namely, the first transmission shaft 64 has the bevel gear
612 at a tip thereof and is connected to the fourth transmission shaft, which is perpendicular to the
first transmission shaft 64, through the bevel gear 612 mounted on one end of the fourth
transmission shaft 613. The fourth transmission shaft 613 has the bevel gear 614 at the other end
thereof and is connected to the swing shaft 69 through the bevel gear 614 which is meshed with the
bevel gear 615 mounted on the swing shaft 69.
Further, power transmission between the second transmission shaft 74 and the third transmission
shaft 79 also is effected in a similar manner. Namely, the second transmission shaft 74 has a bevel
gear 711 at its tip, and the bevel gear 711 is meshed with a bevel gear 712 mounted on one end of a
fifth transmission shaft 713 disposed perpendicularly to the second transmitting shaft 713. The fifth
transmission shaft 713 has, at the other end thereof, another bevel gear 714 which is meshed with a
bevel gear 715 of the third transmission shaft 79 perpendicular to the fifth transmission shaft 713,
thereby connecting the third and fifth transmission shafts 79 and 713.
Next, a method of connecting electric wires both to the motor 71 and the motor 61 within the wrist
base 5 is described referring to FIG. 6.The electric wires 801 are surrounded by flexible pipes 802,
respectively. One end of each electric wire 801 is fixed to the wrist base 5 and connected to the
motors 71, 61. The other end of each wire 801 is fixed to the forearm 4.The electric wires 801 pass
through a hole which is formed in a gear 43 so as to be concentric with the wrist base 5.The electric
wires 801 are provided along a central axis of the wrist base 5, so that the wires are twisted as the
wrist base rotates. Deformation caused in the electric wire 801 is mainly one caused by twisting. The
wires are easily deformed, so that they are not easily damaged.
3. Calculations