Page 37 - Welding Robots Technology, System Issues, and Applications

Introduction and Overview
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operations, adjust the way the robot approaches the surface of the glass, etc.. These
adjustments are necessary to obtain the most efficient operation in accordance with
the observed production conditions, to solve daily problems and to cope with
production variations.

Figure 1.10. Operator interface for deburring robot

Finally, it is important to mention that the robot is equipped with a force/torque
sensor mounted on the wrist. The objective is to adjust automatically the model
setup introduced by the operator, correcting the points where the measured force
between the belt and the glass exceeds the recommended values, attempting to
avoid damage to the glass and to increase the deburring efficiency. This procedure
is active during the process of applying a new model, and also during production, if
explicitly activated by the operator, constituting an automatic correcting feature.

The system has worked for some time and proved to be very simple to operate
with, showing also quick adaptation from operators [36]. The adjusting features
added to the system proved to be very helpful, allowing the company to respond in
a timely fashion to production changes, avoiding variations in the quality of the
final product, and to introduce quickly new models into the production database.
Since the models are identified automatically, using barcode readers placed on the
pallet platform, the system works continuously without operator intervention. The
only thing needed is to feed the system with pallets full of glasses, removing the