Robodrill Cobot Tending

This was my primary responsibility for 5 years at my previous employer. It began when they bought a complete robot integration for the first robodrill. I was tasked with copying the installation across several different models of robodrill for a total of 5 installations. I started by diagramming the electronic and pneumatic systems as well as gathering specifications for each component. I copied the design of the table and subcontracted it to a local fabricator. The actual design, acquisition, and installation only took a few months, but I continued to maintain and program the setups for new projects for the remainder of my time there.

Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the installation without parts in them that would violate the NDAs with the companies we were contracted to. I am including images of the CAD models we based the installation on.

• don't be afraid to change things even when you were tasked with copying something
• having robots of multiple generations massively increases the programming overhead
• spec. rounded corners on tables, working around a cobot is pretty safe unless you smash into a pointed corner
• cobots have a lot of precision but looser clearances are desirable where possible to allow for easier setup
• vises should have sensors for position so that you can detect dropped material
• sensors are more reliable than operator input
• offline programming is much more efficient than programming on the robots