Abb Ab

Abb Schweiz Ag

Abb Research Ltd.

Ralph Sjöberg

Jan Endresen

Erik Carlson

Ivan Lundberg

Tomas Groth

Steve Murphy

Martin Nordvall

Annika Hedlund

Jonathan Styrud

Svein Johannessen

Olov Nylén

Nick Warren

Svein Johannesson

Olov Nylen

An industrial robot including a movable robot arm for supporting a tool, and a control unit configured to control the movement of the robot. The control unit is provided with an alignment function for aligning the tool with at least one specified axis. The control unit is configured to supervise the movement of the robot, and to automatically adjust the orientation of the tool so that the tool is aligned with the specified axis upon detecting that the movement of the robot has been stopped and the alignment function is activated. Also disclosed is a method for controlling the industrial robot, and to the use of the method for teaching a robot a path including a plurality of target points by lead-through programming.

Method and system for aligning a tool during programming of an industrial robot

An industrial robot including a manipulator and a robot control unit are disclosed, wherein the manipulator includes a plurality of joints that are moved under the control of the control unit, and the control unit includes a storage medium including program code for controlling the motions of the robot when executed by the control unit. The control unit is configured to automatically select which part of the program code to be executed next based on the position of the robot. A method for controlling the robot is also disclosed.

Industrial robot and method for controlling the robot to automatically select which program code to be executed next

An industrial robot system including at least one industrial robot including a manipulator and a control unit for controlling the manipulator, a portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating a robot. The portable operator control device includes safety equipment including an enabling device, which upon activation enables manual operation of the robot by the portable operator control device. The portable operator control device is adapted for wireless communication with the control unit, and a detecting unit that detects when the portable operator control device enters an area defined in the vicinity of the manipulator. The robot includes an enabling function which upon activation enables the enabling device of the portable operator control device, and upon deactivation disables the enabling device. The robot system is adapted to automatically activate the enabling function of the robot upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters the defined area.

Industrial robot system

A robot controller including a control unit and a portable device (TPU) for teaching and manually operating the robot. The TPU includes safety equipment, a safety TPU-part having a first communication unit and a main TPU-part having a third communication unit. The control unit includes a safety control part having a second communication unit and a main control part having a forth communication unit. The first and second communication units form a first communication channel for transferring data from the TPU to the control unit. The third and fourth communication units form a second communication channel for transferring data between the TPU and the control unit. Each of the main TPU-part, safety TPU-part, main control part, and safety control part includes a processor for generating and/or handling the data. Each communication unit is connected to a network and forms a node in the network.

Robot control system comprising a portable operating device with safety equipement

An industrial robot including a manipulator, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, a portable operating unit for teaching and manually operating the robot, which operating unit is adapted for wireless communication with the control unit and including an operator control. The transmissions may be made wirelessly with redundant software processes for transmission and/or reception. Safety is increased by ensuring that the operator is within the specified operating area.

Industrial robot system with a portable operator control device

An industrial robot system including at least one industrial robot including at least one manipulator located in a robot cell, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, a portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating the manipulator, a detecting unit detecting when the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, and a warning generator producing a warning to the operator upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell.

An industrial robot including a manipulator, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, a portable operating unit for teaching and manually operating the robot, which operating unit is adapted for wireless communication with the control unit, and an emergency stop unit. The emergency stop unit is arranged movable and the portable operating unit includes a first receiving member for receiving the emergency stop unit.

Industrial robot with portable emergency stop unit

A communication system for safe wireless control of an maneuverable object. A control unit includes an operator for operating the object and a receiver for receiving wireless information. A portable operating unit has a transmitter for transmitting wireless information. The information is divided in time slots, each including a data package. The receiver includes a detector for detecting in a time part of a time slot the presence of the data package and a calculator for calculating upon a reception failure the number of time parts having no presence of the data package following a time slot with presence of the data package. The control unit exercises a control command when a data package with a correct information has been received within a number of time parts just exceeding a full time slot.

Growing community of inventors

Västerås, Sweden

Ralph Sjöberg