How to Integrate Linear Rails with Fanuc Robots

In this article, I will show you how to integrate a linear rail. Then I will show you how to set up the robot to use six pallet stations so that the robot can handle six unit loads.

If you’re interested in learning about Fanuc robots and Roboguide software, we highly recommend checking out our Fanuc Robot Training course series. Start with the basics and work your way up to the advanced level.

Creating a new robot cell

Let’s start by creating a new cell in PalletPro.

Go ahead and name your cell. My uncreative name for this cell will be PalletPro2.

We will create a new robot configuration.

We will be using whatever version is the newest. At the time of writing this article, the latest version was 9.40. Click the Next button.

For this article, we will be using HandlingTool because palletizing robots are usually rather large robots, not small robots.

I will use the default M-410iC/185 for this article. Before clicking the Next button, click on the checkbox that says Add Extended Axis. Then click the drop-down and select Integrated Rail +Y.

Now set the range of the robot. I will set the lower limit to be -8700 mm and +8700 mm, which is the maximum range in Roboguide. You may use another range depending on your use case.

We are not using any other group axes so we will click Next. Notice that J518 Extended Axis Control is already selected. This is because we set this up when we choose our robot. Click Next.

Now click Finish and wait until the robot cell is set up fully before going further.

Adding rail components to robot setup

Now we need to set up a machine in Roboguide so that we can see the motion of the robot on the rail visually. In the Cell Browser right-click on Machines. Click Add Machine. Then select Box.

You can select other options, but this article will not cover them.

Notice that a box appears. This box is going to represent our linear rail. We need to move it so that the robot base will sit on top of the rail. I will be using these coordinates for this simulation.

Now let’s resize the box to look more like a linear rail. I will use these coordinates for this article. You may adjust these coordinates according to your use case.

Now, in Roboguide we have to tell the robot to be put on top of the rail. This object is called a link. On Machine1 in the cell browser, right-click and attach the robot by clicking Attach Robot and selecting your robot.

You may notice that this link popup box is showing you some information about how it is set up. Since we used Roboguide we don’t need to change anything here. Click OK.

Jogging the robot

Now here’s the fun part. We can now jog the robot using the integrated axis using the teach pendant. Open the teach pendant. Click on the POSN button on the teach pendant.

Now you have to remember how many axes your robot has because you may become confused while jogging. In my example, the robot has four axes. So J5 will be my integrated rail. If you had a six-axis robot then your integrated axis would be J7.

Now jog your integrated rail using your last axis. I will use J5 and jog it in the Y+ direction by holding shift and pressing J5.

You may notice that the robot didn’t go where I wanted it to go, so we must check the link to make sure we set it up correctly.

Double click on link 1. Notice that we went with the default, which was Z Axis direction.

Change the direction to Y-Axis by clicking on the dropdown.

Now click Apply and then OK.

The robot is now on the plane we want it to be on.

Let’s jog the robot on J5 again. See that our robot actually jogs in the +Y direction.

Now press the J5- button, which is the -Y direction.

Pallet station configuration

We will set up a cell that will use six infeed stations and six pallet and infeed stations. They will all be placed apart so that if the robot was stationary, it could not reach each position.

You would want to do this scenario in real life only if you had a situation with high mix/low volume (meaning that you have a variety of products which run slow).

Let’s move Pallet Station 1 all the way to the left, to make it easier to identify each pallet and infeed station.

Click on the pallet station and use the Y part of the triad to move it to the left in the current view. I will use 800 mm in the X coordinate and -7000 mm in the Y coordinate.

Now, right-click on the Fixtures on the cell browser. Click Add Fixture and then Pallet Station.

Now let’s use the same X Coordinate value, which is 800 mm. Type 800 in the X location. Now type -4400 for the Y coordinate. Now, click Apply and OK.

Let’s add another pallet station, which will be Pallet Station 3. Just like before, use the add fixture button on the cell browser to add a pallet station. Now let’s make the X coordinate 800 mm and the Y coordinate 4400 mm. Type 800 in the X coordinate. Type -1900 in the Y coordinate. Now click Apply and OK.

Click and add another Pallet Station just like before. Type 800 for the X coordinate and 800 for the Y coordinate. Click Apply and OK.

Add pallet stations 5 and 6 with these coordinates.

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Configuring infeed stations

Now we need to pick some positions on the rail for the robot to be at when palletizing at each station and infeed. I will use the following values for each build station and infeed station:

• Infeed 1 E1 = -5700
• Infeed 2 E1 = -3100
• Infeed 3 E1 = -490
• Infeed 4 E1 = 2050
• Infeed 5 E1 = 4320
• Infeed 6 E1 = 6700

Infeed 1

We need to navigate to the Karel variables in order to change these values. Press the SELECT button.

Move the cursor down to the program PMINF001. Press ENTER.

Notice that the Program is Selected.

Now press the DATA key. Press F1 for TYPE. Press 5 for KAREL Posns.

Now press ENTER.

Move the cursor down to E1. This is the nomenclature for the external axis number 1, or E1 for short.

Type -5700 and then press ENTER.

Now we need to tell PalletPro that we changed this program. If we neglect this step PalletPro will overwrite the value. Click File, Upload.

Now, click on the Upload From drop-down. Select Workcell Robot Controller. Move the cursor down until the file PMINF001 is highlighted. Then click the Upload key. Then click OK.

The changes that we made to E1 are now synced with PalletPro.

Let’s verify that our robot will palletize on Infeed 1 and Pallet 1.

Click the Play button.

Make sure that you only run Infeed 1 and Pallet 1, due to the others not being set up yet. They will probably fault if they are run.

Click start and watch the simulation.

The robot will go to the perch position and then go to Infeed 1 and then to Pallet 1.

The robot will stack on Pallet 1 and Infeed 1.

Now, stop the simulation, and let’s do Infeed 2.

Infeed 2

Click on the teach pendant. Press the SELECT button.

Move the cursor down to the file PMINF002 and press ENTER.

Now press the DATA key.

Then press the ENTER key or press F2 for DETAIL.

Move the cursor down to E1. Now type -3100 in the E1 variable and press ENTER.

Just like before, let’s synchronize PalletPro.

Click File, and Upload.

Now click on the Upload From drop-down. Select Workcell Robot Controller. Select PMINF002, Upload, and then click OK.

Now we will test Pallet 2 and Infeed 2. Click on the Play button.

Now change the pick from Infeed 1 to Infeed 2. Then change the place from Pallet1 to Pallet2.

Now press Start.

The robot will stack on Pallet 2 and Infeed 2.

Now, stop the simulation, and let’s do Infeed 3.

Infeed 3

Click the teach pendant. Press the SELECT button.

Move the cursor down to the file PMINF003 and press ENTER.

Now press the DATA key.

Then press the ENTER key or press F2 for DETAIL.

Move the cursor down to E1. Now type -490 in the E1 variable and press ENTER.

Just like before, let’s synchronize PalletPro.

Click File, Upload.

Now, click on the Upload From drop-down. Select Workcell Robot Controller. Select PMINF003, press Upload, and then click OK.

Now we will test the Pallet 3 and Infeed 3. Click on the Play button.

Now change the pick from Infeed 2 to Infeed 3. Then change the place from Pallet2 to Pallet3.

Now press Start.

Infeed 4

Click on the teach pendant.

Press the SELECT button.

Move the cursor down to the file PMINF004 and press ENTER.

Now press the DATA key.

Then press the ENTER key or press F2 for DETAIL.

Move the cursor down to E1. Now type 2050 in the E1 variable and press ENTER.

Just like before, let’s synchronize PalletPro. Click File, and Upload.

Now click on the Upload From drop-down. Select Workcell Robot Controller. Select PMINF004, press Upload, and then click OK.

Now we will test the Pallet 4 and Infeed 4. Click on the Play button.

Now change the pick from Infeed 3 to Infeed 4. Then change the place from Pallet3 to Pallet4.

Now press Start. When we run the simulation E1 is moving way more than we would like it to, and slows down the robot rate as well.

Now, due to the external axis being negative, we need to add the pallet E1 position as well.

For pallets 1–3 we did the harder way for setup. Now we will use Roboguide to show the easier way.

Double click on the Infeed 4.

Now click on the Infeed tab.

Notice that with the external axis, there is a Move To button and a Record Ext button. Let’s make this 2050 mm for E1. Then click Apply.

Now click on Pallet 4.

Click on the Pallet Tab.

Just like the infeed tab on the infeed station, the pallet tab on the pallet station can do the same thing. Change the E1 value to be 2050.

This is so that the robot base doesn’t move when palletizing. The robot will move while changing pallet and infeed combinations or when PalletTool changes the term Cycle.

Click Apply.

Play the simulation.

Notice that E1 stays in one spot while palletizing.

Stop the simulation.

Infeed 5

Now we will do the easy way on Pallet 5 and Infeed 5. Double-click on Infeed 5.

Click on the Infeed tab. Type 4320 in the E1 field. Click Apply then OK.

Double-click on the Pallet 5.

Click on the Pallet Tab.

Change E1 to 4320. Then click Apply and OK.

Now run the cell to verify. Click Start.

Infeed 6

Now we will add the E1 position for Pallet 6 and Infeed 6.

Double-click on Infeed 6.

Click on the Infeed tab.

Change the E1 value from 0 to 6700 mm. Then click Apply, then OK.

Double-click on the pallet.

Click on the Pallet tab.

Change E1 to 6700 mm.

Then click Apply, then OK.

Now click the start button to run the cell.

Change the pallet and infeed to Pallet 6 and Infeed 6. Click Start.

When you’re done, verify the simulation, then press the “Stop” button.

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Change the pallet system

Now that we can palletize on each pallet, let’s change the pallet system to pick one layer before moving on to a new pallet.

Double-click on Robot Controller1.

Move to the Pallet System tab.

Let’s change the Pallet Switch from Per Pick to Per Layer. Click Apply then OK.

Click the Start button.

Add the unit load 6 times, once for each of the infeed and pallet combinations.

Now change the pick to be Infeed 1–6.

Do the same for the pallet stations or place positions.

Click Apply then Start.

You should see the robot picking and placing one layer then moving on to the next infeed and pallet station.

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In the Fanuc Robot Training course series, we cover more about Fanuc robots and how to work with Roboguide software to interact with them. Check out this series for more information.

Summary

Now you know how to pick and place from multiple pallets and infeeds using one robot and an internal axis.

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