Day 3’s training was structured very much like that of Day 2. The morning consisted of instructor demonstrations with the afternoon dedicated to hands-on activity for the trainees. The subject matter was programming the robot to utilize stacking patterns from a pre-established library of options. Great stuff! The benefit of this approach is ultimately realized over time as more product programs are added.
Much like the manual programming we did yesterday, a fair amount of time is required to initially program the robot. In this case, rather than programming each specific position the robot will travel through, we measured and input data associated with the pallet size and location, conveyor location, etc. Once this series of data is input, the robot software automatically calculates the positions through which the arm will travel for a given product.
The time required for the two types of programming are similar for the first product. However, adding new products is significantly easier when utilizing the library of patterns. Since the fundamental conveyor and pallet data is not changing, programs for new products can be added through simply adding the new product’s parameters and choosing a stacking pattern option. The initial setup has already been done and can be reused.
On the other hand, with manual programming, nearly the same series of steps needs to occur with the addition of each product. Safe to say we’ll be trying to use the library of patterns whenever possible!
We finished the day by reviewing how a robot arrives in shipment and the proper way to secure and unload it on-site. As would be expected, there are some best practices that should be used to ensure the robot is safely maneuvered into position. Next week we will dig into installation details, Fuji’s software, and real life applications. I’ll keep you posted.
As for Saturday – we’re off to Hiroshima! I’ll take pictures!
Mike
Tags: Fuji Robotics Palletizer