在本月初在芝加哥举行的国际制造技术展（IMTS）展览会上，我有机会与客户和潜在客户分享有关新的自动化应用程序的信息，该应用程序涉及一些良好，坚实的在这里和现在的技术- 新兴的黄金时段，新兴的技术令人兴奋。该应用程序涉及绘画机器人，再加上激光扫描和非接触式编码。
The painting applications I have typically encountered come in one of two flavors: 1) either fixturing a part up and loading it into a booth (or on a carriage in moving line applications), or 2) hanging it on a rack to be conveyed through a paint booth. The former is generally used to support robotic painting applications, while the latter is used in manual operations. Both are accompanied with significant costs that can be eliminated with the application of technology.
要了解这一新应用程序，首先想象一个系统，该系统消除了机器人绘画所需的广泛固定装置的要求，其中固定装置的成本和固定时间和定位零件的时间都被消除了。然后，想象一个系统，可以消除与手动绘画相关的不一致和浪费。
If you're struggling to imagine how those costs can be eliminated and still have a system that results in a quality painted part, it'll help to have some insight into the technologies that enable this.
Laser scanning is a powerful tool that can capture a 3D model of parts either as they sit stationary or as they are conveyed down a line. With this technology and properly developed algorithms, a system can be designed to identify parts (differentiating between parts, so now we can mix parts on a common line) and determine their position and orientation in space, thereby eliminating the need for fixturing.
With this technology alone, many lines could be equipped with automated robotic painting by scanning a part once it is moved into the paint booth or as the part is conveyed into the paint booth. For example, using the 3D model to define the path of the robot, and then dispatching the robot to paint. When parts are being conveyed, all the major brands of robot include an auxiliary axis that can tie in the conveyor axis for seamless integration with the robot, making painting on a moving line relatively straightforward once the path is generated.
The process becomes more challenging when we start considering parts that move relative to the conveyor as they are conveyed. Think of parts that are hanging from a chain as they are moved through a paint booth. Those parts may sway or rotate as they are conveyed. To solve this challenge we need to look at non-contact encoding, which provides the ability to track these movements in 3D space. The challenge here is doing it fast and accurately enough to close the loop with the motion of the robot as it is painting.
看起来似乎很困难，我在这里说，正如我在这里所描述的那样的机器人画即将到来，并且没有像您想象的那样被取走。我们已经在测试类似应用程序方面取得了良好的成功。关键是要合并一个已知的目标，该目标不相对于零件移动或在零件上选择目标点。然后，扫描系统将其锁定在此目标上，并监视其位置和方向，直接转化为零件的位置和方向。然后将该运动传递到机器人上，该机器人使用它相应地调整其路径，从而有效取消摇摆或旋转运动。有一些速度的限制，但是工具已经在这里，并且每个新处理器都从英特尔释放出来，它变得更好。
As an automation solution partner, it is important that we keep our eye on these emerging technologies and how they can be applied to benefit our clients. This may be a bit premature, but I would like to go ahead and invite you to come check out our booth in Chicago at IMTS 2016. As sure as I am to be there on booth duty, this technology is sure to be on display.
Michael Gurneyis co-CEO ofConcept Systems Inc., aCertified member of the控制系统集成商协会. Concept Systems is headquartered in Albany, Ore., U.S. Learn more about Concept Systems on the工业自动化交换.
