Robot offline programming (OLP): the complete guide (with examples) - Visual Components (2024)

The concept of Robot Offline Programming (OLP) has been discussed for several years but we believe that the manufacturing businesses still don’t fully understand the value of OLP, especially in the production environments where industrial robots are used for applications like welding, processing, spraying, and more. In this article, let’s uncover all the myths around OLP through the following topics,

• What is OLP?
• A Brief History of Robot Offline Programming
• Common Misconceptions and Misunderstandings AboutOLP
• Pain Points in the Typical Workflow WithoutOLP
• Benefits ofOLP
• Applications ofOLP
• Impact on Small Batch Manufacturing
• Examples of SuccessfulOLPCases
• WhyOLPShould be a Standard Tool for Manufacturers Using Robots
• The RoboticsOLPSolution

What is OLP?

Robot Offline Programming (OLP) is a method of generating robot programs in computer software (virtual environment) based on 3D CAD data. Once the robot program is generated and verified in the software, it can be downloaded to the physical robot.

Welding program in OLP software (left) and real welding on the shop floor (right)

Let’s start with an example that illustrates why you might want to useOLP.

Imagine programming a robot to weld a circular part on a metal workpiece. The robot needs to move theweldingtorch in a 3D arc around the circumference of the part, and at the same time maintain a precise orientation with respect to the surface.

You can do this by teaching points with a pendant, but you’ll need a lot of points, and it will take a long time. The gap between the torch will almost certainly vary, as will the orientation of the torch. What’s more, the robot cell won’t be available for production until you’ve finishedprogramming. This stoppage might take from days to weeks. WithOLPproducing therobot programis much easier. ImportaCAD fileof theweldingcellinto theOLPsoftwareand show the path you want the torch to take.Oncefinished, the software generates the robot program and verifies the program for e.g., potential collisions. Once verified, download the program into therobot controller, run once at low speed to double-check, and the cell is ready toresumework.

Circular weld program visualization in OLP software

A brief history ofrobot offline programming

The firstindustrial robotswere programmed by teaching. That is, the arm was moved to the point required, and the position was saved. (Theoperatoror programmer sees this as saving the pose (x,y,z coordinates, and rotations) of the tool center point (TCP) at the end of the arm, i.e. the program savesthe position of each joint motor.)

Manual ways of programming the robot using the robot teach pendant

Robot simulation emerged in the 1980s. This used CAD to show the robot, its movements, and the workcell or environment. A little later, techniques were developed for post-processingthe position information from the CAD program, to generate a robot motion program, similar to producing machining paths for CNC machines.) This is what becameOLP.

Today there are two flavors ofOLP. Most robot manufacturers offer arobot programmingpackage in addition to a teach pendant. Alternatively, a robot user may opt for anOLPproduct from anindependentsource. This has the advantage of being agnostic to the brand of the robot being programmed.

EffectiveOLPdepends on the fidelity of the CAD model to the workcell. To fully capture how the cell is actually laid out, rather than what’s shown in CAD, users need to undertake a procedure call robot cell calibration. This can be done by measuring a set of reference points in a cell, reading the actual pose of a robot tool center point (TCP) and locations of periphery equipment into OLP, and running their specific calibration programs for achieving the true correspondence between the model and real cell – mastering the Digital Twin. The measurements may be carried out using the robot itself as a measuring device or using external measuring equipment like 3D laser scanners.

The modern way of programming robots through OLP software

Common misconceptions and misunderstandings aboutOLP

WhileOLPhas been available for quite a few years, adoption has been relatively slow. This is due, at least in part, to a lack of understanding of what it is and how it’s used.It’s time toclarify the understanding of this topic.

#1:OLPis only for large manufacturers

This stems from the assumption that high production volumes are needed to benefit fromOLP. The reality is a slightly different story.OLPis especially beneficial when the production runs are short, setups or changeovers are frequent, and there’s a lot of variety in the tasks. Small and mid-sized manufacturers can greatly benefit fromOLPif they are running small-batch production.

#2:OLPis difficult to use

Like any software,OLPrequires some training and has a learning curve. Plus, there are probably someOLPproducts that are not particularly user-friendly. The best products though are intuitive, logical, and easy to use, letting novice users quickly become proficient.

Furthermore, don’t underestimate the complexity of programming by robot teach pendant. Different robot brands have different commands and then additionally the systems can change from older to newer robot models. This makes it even more complicated to use manual programming.

#3:OLPis expensive

AnOLPproduct is an additional purchase. However, it only needs buying once and can support whatever brands of robot a facility uses. (This alsohelps a facility avoid being locked intoasingle robot vendor.)

OLPusers report improvedROI from their robot cells,asdowntimeis reduced,and robot utilization increased.There’sevidence it can cut robot downtime due to programming by as much as 90% and can pay for itself on a single project.

#4:OLPeliminates the need for skilled programmers

OLPsoftwarespeeds up program creation, reducing the time required for programming, but it does not eliminate the need for skilled programmers. Path planning and optimization, collision avoidance, and so on are all best done by an experienced programmer. However,OLPsoftwarecan make them more productive, giving them time to work on more complex programming tasks and innovate in a safer work environment.

Pain points in the typical workflow withoutOLP

The alternative to usingOLPis programming directly at the robot. There are at least three problems with this.

1. Risk of project delays and additional costs
2. Safety concerns
3. Lost production capacity

There’s a substantial risk of project delays when programming is done at the robot. To reach this point all the tooling and fixtures have been designed, built, and installed. The conveyors or other material handling devices are set up and parts are ready to use. Only now can the programmer start teaching points for the robot.

It’s almost guaranteed that problems will arise. Perhaps the robot can’t reach a particular location, possibly parts are in the wrong place, or maybe thetargetcycle time isn’t achievable.

Withany of these, the only solution is to redesign the problem points of the cell. Inevitably, that delays the start of production, possiblyby weeks, and adds significant additional costs.

Teaching points with a pendant often requires the programmer to enter the cell: it may be the only way to see where the tool is going or to check for collisions. Putting the robot into “teach” mode should ensure it’s safe, but there’s always a risk of unexpected movement, either of the robot itself or of one of the other mechanisms in the cell.

Last, while the programmer is teaching points inside the workcell, the robot can’t do anything else. This is all non-productive time until the programmer has finished and the program is proven. And even the best programmers are prone to underestimating the time needed for the task!

Benefits ofOLP

Manufacturers who useOLPsoftwarereportmultiplebenefits:

• No robot downtime
  • Programming time can be reduced up to 80% and robot utilization increased by as much as 95%,boostingprogrammer productivity andcuttingcell downtime
• Quick set-up times
  • Less time is needed to launch a new product into production – programming happens concurrently rather than sequentially
• Increased safety
  • Reduced risk of accidents and injuries
• Higher and repeatable quality
  • Robot programs are better optimized, (shorter cycle times, higher accuracy and consistency,) resulting in higher and repeatable production quality.
• Robot brand and process agnostic
  • Regardless of robot brands or types of processes, advanced OLP software can cover all applications.
• No more surprises
  • Last-minute fixture and tooling modifications are avoided

A significant additional benefit is the contributionOLPmakes to Design for Manufacturability (DfM). Primarily, this flows from everyone having access to the same process knowledge, rather than different standards, systems, design methodologies, and so on. In addition, by parallelizing programming with cell design and construction, there are more opportunities to optimize designs for shorter cycle times and better product quality.

Applications ofOLP

Every robot application is a candidate forOLP; the only requirement is to have digital models of the workcell, parts, tooling, and fixtures. (And today everything is designed in CAD, so that should not be a problem.) However, the benefits are magnified as robot paths become more complex andmorepointsneedto be taught.

With these points in mind, some of the best use cases forOLPare:

• Welding– access, and orientation are particular challenges thatOLPhelps with, and complex weld beads can require large numbers of points
• Coating(Painting) – as withwelding, orientation is important, and so too are unified paint thickness and standoff distance, plus ensuring all areas can be reached and painted optimally.
• Dispensing – many assembly operations require the deposition of long, complex adhesive beads:OLPhelps to create the tool paths rapidly offline with consistent quality.
• Processing(Surface) – applications like bead blasting and deburring often need long, complicated paths that require a lot of points
• Assembly applications (jigless) – grasping and insertion-type moves need precise control over gripper orientation, which is achieved at a higher level withOLP
• Material handling applications –OLPlets a programmer determine the fastest distance between two locations, which may not always be the most obvious route
• Cutting – Plasma or laser cutting or waterjet cutting may work for standard parts but for complex geometries, robots are needed with accurate cutting patterns that can be generated with OLP.

Impact on small batch manufacturing

While any manufacturer using robots will benefit fromOLP, the biggest gains are seen where batch sizes are small and productionruns short. The problem is that, when programming at the robot, frequent changeovers and setups willeat intoavailability and running hours. However, withOLP, programs are tested virtually and downloaded to the robots while physical aspects of the cell (fixtures, grippers, and so on,) are being changed. Prudence suggests running the robot through a cycle at low speed to check for collisions, after which the cell is ready to restartproduction.

Furthermore, any design-related issues in the documentation or models are identified in advance and can be communicated to other teams andresolved without losing production downtime.

Examples of successfulOLPcases

Afrit, a South African manufacturer of large trailers, implementedOLP. They saw the time spent onrobot programmingcut from two weeks in the cell to four days offline. Ferdi Beukes, a Mechatronic Engineer at Afrit, said,

We have more time improvingweldingand other systems because of the time saved by not needing to do manual programming and touch-ups on the programming

Volvo is implementingOLPin their articulated haulers, and wheel loaders manufacturing businesses. A pilot cell targeted at a family of high variety, low volume components are using it to implement “jigless welding” in a cell using two robots, one for handling, and one forwelding.

In Finland HT Laser performs small-batch robotic cutting andweldingusing robots from several manufacturers. They adoptedOLPto save programming time and increase production capacity.Janne Tuominen, Product Development Manager at HT Laser, said,

The benefits of offline programming are realized in our production every day. The biggest benefit is time-saving as programming can be done without stopping production and expensive machines. Timesaving is also achieved by certain software macros that speed up the programming process. Offline programming also solves the problem if the welded piece is large or located in a place where it is difficult or unsafe to climb

WhyOLPshould be a standard tool for manufacturers using robots

Given the step-change in productivity thatOLPprovides, robot users who stick with manual programming at the workcell are putting themselves at a disadvantage.OLP:

• Is a cost-effective solution forrobot programming
• Reduces the need for physical testing and debugging of robots
• Improves safety and reduces the risk of accidents and injuries
• Enables faster and more accurate programming

Visual Components RoboticsOLP

Visual Components has long been a leader in 3D manufacturing simulation. AsOLPgrew out of robot simulation, the two technologies became complementary. This is whyVisual Components Group acquired DelfoiRoboticsOLPsoftware, (which is built on top of the Visual Components platform) in October 2022. This acquisition paved the way for Visual Components to introduce their own OLP product: Visual Components Robotics OLP.

Here’s what makesthe Visual Components Robotics OLPsolution unique:

• Intuitive,Fast to Learn
• Layout and Process independent – one software covers most robot applications (Welding, Processing, Coating)
• Robot independent – this software coversOLPfor all major brands including 17 post-processors in one product (more to be added in future) and 40 robot controller versions (old and new)
• Institutionalizes and stores core process knowledge,making it available toall stakeholders involved in product, cell and fixture design
• Extremely Fast, Automated, and Reliable program generation and validation.
• Intelligent and Automatic tools for solving robot program problems.
• Used in over 30 countries and supports multiple languages.

It’s time to move torobot offline programming

Manually Programming a robot at the workcell is slow and imperfect. It ties up the cell for days or weeks and delays the start of production.OLPsolves these problems by enabling programming in a virtual environment. Then, when ready and verified the program is downloaded to the robot and production can begin.

OLPprovides manufacturers with substantial speed, cost, efficiency, and quality advantages over those who aren’t using it. Visual Components Robotics OLP is easy to learn and works with all leading robot brands.If you’re ready to get started,contact ustoday.

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