SETUP OPTIMAL PATH SCREENS


SETUP OPTIMAL PATH SCREENS

1. SETUP OPTIMAL PATH SCREEN

A path is the route the robot takes to go from one place to another. An optimal path is the best path the robot can take to perform the application. Optimal path data adjusts the path of the robot to avoid obstacles in the workcell and to minimize cycle time. The Optimal Path SETUP Menu includes several items that you can set. Each item affects a specific component of the robot path.

Table 1.  Optimal Path Setup Menu Items

menu item description

Unit load

This item specifies the unit load that this set of Optimal Path data will affect.

Gripper Type

This item specifies the gripper designation. The following items appear when F4, [CHOICE] is pressed with PalletTool Turbo: Single Double Triple Multicase Custom 1 through 4, Bag and Servo Hand. The Servo Hand choice appears only when the Servo Tool option is installed. When you select a gripper using this menu item, the gripper you select becomes the current gripper when the unit load is executed. With “PalletTool” (not Turbo) you could see Fork n The fork/bag gripper n is selected and used as a fork. Bag n The fork/bag gripper n is selected and used as a bag.

Infeed approach length units: mm

This item specifies the distance between the infeed unit position and the infeed perch position along the length of the infeed station. Note: This item might also be referenced as "infeed perch length."

Pick Delay units: seconds

This item specifies the pick delay in seconds the robot uses prior to turning on the activation I/O to pick a part.

In PalletTool Turbo version lower than V7.70P/20, this item was not available on a unitload basis. It was setup in the Gripper Setup menu. It is no longer available in the Gripper Setup and you should always specify the pick delay here.

The pick delay property is available only from version V7.70P/20 and higher.

Place Delay units: seconds

This item specifies the place delay in seconds the robot uses prior to turning off the activation I/O to place a part.

In PalletTool Turbo version lower than V7.70P/20, this item was not available on a unitload basis. It was setup in the Gripper Setup menu. It is no longer available in the Gripper Setup and you should always specify the place delay here.

The place delay property is available only from version V7.70P/20 and higher.

Infeed approach width units: mm

This item specifies the distance between the infeed unit position and the infeed perch position along the width of the infeed station. Note: This item might also be referenced as "infeed perch width."

Infeed approach height units: mm

This item specifies the height between the infeed unit position and the infeed perch position. Note: This item might also be referenced as "infeed perch height."

Infeed retreat height units: mm

This item specifies the distance the robot would move up straight before heading towards the infeed perch position. In previous versions of PalletTool, this item was named "Clear part at infeed by."

Pallet approach length units: mm

This item shifts pallet approach position away from pallet unit position , along the length of the pallet, by the dimension you specify.

Pallet approach width units: mm

This item shifts pallet approach position away from pallet unit position , along the width of the pallet, by the dimension you specify.

Pallet approach height units: mm

This item shifts pallet approach position up from pallet unit position by the dimension you specify. When you use a double ICC gripper, this dimension should be greater than the height of the unit being palletized.

Pallet retreat height units: mm

This item specifies the distance between pallet unit position and pallet retreat position. When you are using a gripper with more than one case, this dimension should be greater than the height of the unit being palletized. If the pallet retreat height is greater than the infeed approach height, the infeed approach height will be raised automatically to the same height as the pallet retreat height. If the pallet retreat height is less than the infeed approach height, the pallet retreat height will be raised automatically to the same height as the infeed approach height.

Configure all layers

This item allows configuration of all layers in the unit load. TRUE all layers must be configured. FALSE normal and flipped layers only must be configured.

Unit load seating units: mm

This item specifies how the unit load is seated on the pallet. The following items appear when [CHOICE] is pressed: Center Centers the unit load along the length and width of the pallet CenterLen Centers the unit load along the length of the pallet CenterWid Centers the unit load along the width of the pallet Manual Places the unit load origin at the location you specify, relative to the pallet station origin.

Offset along length

This item displays the unit load seating offset along the length of the pallet.

Offset along width

This item displays the unit load seating offset along the width of the pallet.

Robot speed override

This item specifies, as a percentage, the fastest robot speed to be used when the robot is actually carrying units. This does not affect other robot motions .

Servo Tool Schedule

This item is required only for servo gripper palletizing and is only available to edit when the gripper is “Servo Hand”. It specifies the schedule number of the Servo Tool function. Servo Tool is an option that allows you to specify the torque limit to be used and other items that need to be setup to use the Servo gripper. The setup menu for Servo Tool can be found in the teach pendant under Menus — Setup — Servo Tool.

Fork dropoff height

This item specifies the measurement from the bottom of the fork to the top of the previous layer. The forks can almost touch the bags on the previous layer, or they can be the same distance above the pallet, so that the bags drop into place.

Sequence screen (F2)

This item displays the sequence configuration menu to allow changes to the palletizing sequence, pick orientation, and placement types for all units. This allows layer barrier specification.


Table 2.  Optimal Path Sequence Details

ITEM DESCRIPTION

SEQ

This item is the actual order of the units to be placed and how the units are grouped together. & = Units placed simultaneously, ; = units placed separately. * = units are placed on the next layer.

ROT

This item is the placement rotation of each unit. Each unit is given a choice. However, if the unit is being placed at the same time as another one (pick 2, place 2), the rotation used is the one referenced by the first unit of the pair. If the unit is picked up with another one, but is placed separately (pick 2, place 1, place 1), each unit is placed with its own rotation.

AprLenAprWid

 

SOLDIER

This item is not implemented at this time.

2. UNIT LOADS IN MEMORY SCREEN

Table 3.  Unit Loads in Memory Screen Items

ITEM DESCRIPTION

ITEM

This item is the row number for each unit load as it is displayed on the screen.

UNIT LOAD

This item is the number of a particular unit load.

ID NAME

This item is a comment field into which you can type a name for the selected unit load.

3. PALLET SEQUENCE SCREEN

Table 4.  Pallet Sequence Screen Items

ITEM DESCRIPTION

#

This item is the pick cycle number.

Inf

This item specifies the orientation of the units on the infeed for each pick.

Sequence

This item represents the actual order of the units to be placed on the pallet. This also specifies the grouping of how the units are placed, as follows:
  • & = simultaneous pick ( D ) and place ( P )

  • ; = individual pick ( D ) and place ( P )

  • * = pick ( D ) and place ( P ) on the next layer