| 1. |
- Augustsson, Svante, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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How to Transfer Information Between Collaborating Human Operators and Industrial Robots in an Assembly
- 2014
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Ingår i: Proceedings the NordiCHI 2014: The 8th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. - New York, NY, USA : ACM Publications. - 9781450325424 ; , s. 286-294
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Flexible human-robot industrial coproduction will be important in many small and middle-sized companies in the future. One of the major challenges in a flexible robot cell is how to transfer information between the human and the robot with help of existing and safety approved equipment. In this paper a case study will be presented where the first half focus on data transfer to the robot communicating the human's position and movements forcing the robot to respond to the triggers. The second half focuses on how to visualize information about the settings and assembly order to the human. The outcome was successful and flexible, efficient coproduction could be achieved but also a number of new challenges were found.
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| 2. |
- Augustsson, Svante, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Human and robot interaction based on safety zones in a shared work environment
- 2014
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Ingår i: HRI '14. - New York : ACM Publications. - 9781450326582 ; , s. 118-119
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper, early work on how to implement flexible safety zones is presented. In the case study an industrial robot cell emulates the environment at a wall construction site, with a robot performing nailing routines. Tests are performed with humans entering the safety zones of a SafetyEye system. The zone violation is detected, and new warning zones initiated. The robot retracts but continues its work tasks with reduced speed and within a safe distance of the human operator. Interaction is achieved through simultaneous work on the same work piece and the warning zones can be initiated and adjusted in a flexible way.
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| 3. |
- Bolmsjö, Gunnar, 1955-, et al.
(författare)
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Collaborative Robots to Support Flexible Operation in a Manufacturing System
- 2012
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Ingår i: Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing, FAIM 2012. - Tampere, Finland : Tampere University. - 9789521527838 - 9789521527845 ; , s. 531-538
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Collaborative robotic systems where human(s) and robot(s) cooperate in performing a common task is an attractive solution to introduce automation combined with high flexibility for tasks that have a high complexity and characterized by low volume or down to one-off. By introducing collaboration in robotics systems, the operator can complement with cognitive capacity and skill in order to gain in flexibility and agility in the task operation. This paper describes on-going work related to work on collaboration between operator and robot. User scenarios are outlined together with methods, software components and hardware to support collaboration, where some of these are under development. As the standards related to collaborative robotic systems are soon to be completed, it is expected that this type of semi-automatic systems will be important for flexible and agile automation of production which otherwise cannot be automated.
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| 4. |
- Bolmsjö, Gunnar, 1955-
(författare)
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Reconfigurable and Flexible Industrial Robot Systems
- 2014
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Ingår i: Advances in robotics & automation. - : OMICS international. - 2168-9695. ; 3
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Forskningsöversikt (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This paper presents a concept for reconfigurable and flexible robot systems. To reach a technology readiness level where solutions and results can be implemented in industry, the focus in this work is on systems with limited number of robots, and work scenarios which are reasonable complex but hard to automate using standard solutions.Four distinct areas have been identified as important within the concept and further studies: (i) human machine interaction, (ii) safety including collaboration, (iii) programming and deployment, and (iv) planning and scheduling. Feasibility studies have been made which addressed issues (ii) and (iii), in scenarios with collaboration between robot and human, or between two robots. For the chosen work scenario, manufacturing of structures in wood for family houses, challenges related to programming and safety was identified and possible solutions outlined.The concept and the studies indicate that feasible solutions can be found and designed given a reasonable consistent work processes and products. In this study, the processes are similar, nailing and screwing but different sizes may apply, the material is similar but variations may apply, and the construction is different of each product, but include the same type of operations at different locations. Our study confirm that human collaboration improves the ability to implement and use robots as it make it possible to move some operations to the human which otherwise would add to the complexity of the system. Furthermore, programming can also I general be simplified although methods for automatic programming has been tried out. But in some cases, the solution space is limited and the ability to move certain operations to a human simplifies the programming task. However, further work needs to be done in this area specifically related to safety issues for safe collaboration.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- De Backer, Jeroen, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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Deflection model for robotic friction stir welding
- 2014
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Ingår i: Industrial robot. - Bingley : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0143-991X .- 1758-5791. ; 41:4, s. 365-372
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper aims to present a deflection model to improve positional accuracy of industrial robots. Earlier studies have demonstrated the lack of accuracy of heavy-duty robots when exposed to high external forces. One application where the robot is pushed to its limits in terms of forces is friction stir welding (FSW). This process requires the robot to deliver forces of several kilonewtons causing deflections in the robot joints. Especially for robots with serial kinematics, these deflections will result in significant tool deviations, leading to inferior weld quality.This paper presents a kinematic deflection model, assuming a rigid link and flexible joint serial kinematics robot. As robotic FSW is a process which involves high external loads and a constant welding speed of usually below 50 mm/s, many of the dynamic effects are negligible. The model uses force feedback from a force sensor, embedded on the robot, and predicts the tool deviation, based on the measured external forces. The deviation is fed back to the robot controller and used for online path compensation.The model is verified by subjecting an FSW tool to an external load and moving it along a path, with and without deviation compensation. The measured tool deviation with compensation was within the allowable tolerance for FSW.The model can be applied to other robots with a force sensor.The presented deflection model is based on force feedback and can predict and compensate tool deviations online.
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| 7. |
- De Backer, Jeroen, 1987-
(författare)
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Feedback Control of Robotic Friction Stir Welding
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process has been under constant developmentsince its invention, more than 20 years ago. Whereas most industrial applicationsuse a gantry machine to weld linear joints, there are applications which consistof complex three-dimensional joints, requiring more degrees of freedom fromthe machines. The use of industrial robots allows FSW of materials alongcomplex joint lines. There is however one major drawback when using robotsfor FSW: the robot compliance. This results in vibrations and insufficient pathaccuracy. For FSW, path accuracy is important as it can cause the welding toolto miss the joint line and thereby cause welding defects.The first part of this research is focused on understanding how welding forcesaffect the FSW robot accuracy. This was first studied by measuring pathdeviation post-welded and later by using a computer vision system and laserdistance sensor to measure deviations online. Based on that knowledge, a robotdeflection model has been developed. The model is able to estimate thedeviation of the tool from the programmed path during welding, based on thelocation and measured tool forces. This model can be used for online pathcompensation, improving path accuracy and reducing welding defects.A second challenge related to robotic FSW on complex geometries is thevariable heat dissipation in the workpiece, causing great variations in the weldingtemperature. Especially for force-controlled robots, this can lead to severewelding defects, fixture- and machine damage when the material overheats.First, a new temperature method was developed which measures thetemperature at the interface of the tool and the workpiece, based on the thermoelectriceffect. The temperature information is used as input to a closed-looptemperature controller. This modifies primarily the rotational speed of the tooland secondarily the axial force. The controller is able to maintain a stablewelding temperature and thereby improve the weld quality and allow joining ofgeometries which were impossible to weld without temperature control.Implementation of the deflection model and temperature controller are twoimportant additions to a FSW system, improving the process robustness,reducing the risk of welding defects and allowing FSW of parts with highlyvarying heat dissipation.
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| 8. |
- De Backer, Jeroen, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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Investigation of path compensation methods for robotic friction stir welding
- 2012
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Ingår i: Industrial robot. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0143-991X .- 1758-5791. ; 39:6, s. 601-608
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – Friction stir welding (FSW) is a novel method for joining materials without using consumables and without melting the materials. The purpose of this paper is to present the state of the art in robotic FSW and outline important steps for its implementation in industry and specifically the automotive industry.Design/methodology/approach – This study focuses on the robot deflections during FSW, by relating process forces to the deviations from the programmed robot path and to the strength of the obtained joint. A robot adapted for the FSW process has been used in the experimental study. Two sensor-based methods are implemented to determine path deviations during test runs and the resulting welds were examined with respect to tensile strength and path deviation.Findings – It can be concluded that deflections must be compensated for in high strengths alloys. Several strategies can be applied including online sensing or compensation of the deflection in the robot program. The welding process was proven to be insensitive for small deviations and the presented path compensation methods are sufficient to obtain a strong and defect-free welding joint.Originality/value – This paper demonstrates the effect of FSW process forces on the robot, which is not found in literature. This is expected to contribute to the use of robots for FSW. The experiments were performed in a demonstrator facility which clearly showed the possibility of applying robotic FSW as a flexible industrial manufacturing process.
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| 9. |
- De Backer, Jeroen, 1987-
(författare)
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Robotic Friction Stir Welding for Flexible Production
- 2012
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a modern welding process that joins materials by frictional heat, generated by a rotating tool. Unlike other welding processes, the material never melts, which is beneficial for the weld properties. FSW is already widely adopted in several industries but the applications are limited to simple geometries like straight lines or circular welds, mostly in aluminium. The welding operation is performed by rigid FSW machines, which deliver excellent welds but puts limitations on the system in terms of flexibility and joint geometries. Therefore, several research groups are working on the implementation of the FSW process on industrial robots. A robot allows welding of three-dimensional geometries and increases the flexibility of the whole system. The high process forces required for FSW, in combination with the limited stiffness of the robot brings some extra complexity to the system. The limitations of the robot system are addressed in this licentiate thesis.One part of the thesis studies the effect of robot deflections on the weld quality. A sensor-based solution is presented that measures the path deviation and compensates this deviation by modifying the robot trajectory. The tool deviation is reduced to an acceptable tolerance and root defects in the weld are hereby eliminated. The sensor-based method provided better process understanding, leading to a new strategy that uses existing force-feedback for path compensations of the tool. This method avoids extra sensors and makes the system less complex. Another part of this work focuses on the extra complexity to maintain a stable welding process on more advanced geometries. A model is presented that allows control of the heat input in the process by control of the downforce. Finally, the robot’s limitations in terms of maximal hardness of the materials to be welded are investigated. Parameter tuning and implementation of preheating are proposed to allow robotic FSW of superalloys.
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| 10. |
- De Backer, Jeroen, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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Temperature control of robotic friction stir welding using the thermoelectric effect
- 2014
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Ingår i: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. - : Springer. - 0268-3768 .- 1433-3015. ; 70:1-4, s. 375-383
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Friction stir welding (FSW) of non-linear joints receives an increasing interest from several industrial sectors like automotive, urban transport and aerospace. A force-controlled robot is particularly suitable for welding complex geometries in lightweight alloys. However, complex geometries including three-dimensional joints, non-constant thicknesses and heat sinks such as clamps cause varying heat dissipation in the welded product. This will lead to changes in the process temperature and hence an unstable FSW process with varying mechanical properties. Furthermore, overheating can lead to a meltdown, causing the tool to sink down into the workpiece. This paper describes a temperature controller that modifies the spindle speed to maintain a constant welding temperature. A newly developed temperature measurement method is used which is able to measure the average tool temperature without the need for thermocouples inside the tool. The method is used to control both the plunging and welding operation. The developments presented here are applied to a robotic FSW system and can be directly implemented in a production setting.
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