ROBOT METROLOGY

RCA - Robot CMM arm
K-Robot
Adaptive Robot Control

RCA, the revolutionary Robot CMM Arm, combines the best of two worlds by offering the automation capability of a traditional CMM and the mobility and part accessibility of an articulated arm. A rugged design, easy programming and intrinsic absolute accuracy step up 3D laser scanning productivity and ﬂexibility of on-site inspection assignments.

AUTOMATION

Automatic part-to-CAD inspection guarantees high inspection consistency and productivity anywhere repetitive inspection is performed.

ACCESSIBILITY

The capability to access inner cavity locations of specimens, such as vehicle body shells, is a major leap forward compared to traditional CMMs and even articulated arms.

MOBILITY

Docking stations facilitate fast and repeatable installation of the RCA at different inspection locations.

Download: RCA- Robot CMM arm - Introduction movie (WMV file-15Mb)

DIGITAL 3D LASER SCANNER

The ﬁrst release of RCA is equipped with the Metris MMD laser scanner
In order to consequently maintain optimal scanning conditions, RCA supports continuous adaptation of scanner orientation. The Robot CMM Arm runs quick, repeatable and accurate part-to-CAD inspection, increasing measurement productivity anywhere repetitive inspection is performed on series of parts or part variants.

CAMIO-DRIVEN INSPECTION PROCESS

The RCA seamlessly integrates with Metris Camio CMM software. Scanner path and orientation can be interactively deﬁned using a handheld control panel, or directly from CAD using Camio’s off-line programming capability.

The inspection process – from scan data acquisition and feature recognition to full-featured reporting – is executed from within Metris Camio. Alternatively, process automation engineers may opt for a third-party robot programming software to deﬁne RCA motion.

PATENTED ROBOT CMM ARM CONCEPT

Metris RCA is a robotized CMM arm that introduces patented technology to accelerate repetitive 3D inspection jobs. The Robot CMM Arm interfaces a highly accurate internal 7-axis articulated arm with an external skeleton driven by electromotors. This unique concept creates a measuring robot that drives a Metris MMD laser scanner along the programmed motion path.

Robot CMM Arm - Revolutionizing 3D inspection

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Inline robotic scanning and inspection

K-Robot upgrades any industrial robot or actuator into a flexible, productive and accurate metrology solution. The K-robot metrology chain features proven Metris metrology components. K-Robot is perfectly suited for applications that require productivity and flexibility while offering metrology accuracy.

K-Robot proven metrology chain

MMD digital laser scanner for scanning the part
K-Series Optical CMM to accurately track the motion of the laser scanner
Focus Inspection Automation software for analyzing part-to-cad inspection of features, gap&flush, sections and surfaces

Key benefits and features

Independent metrology chain
- Requires no external metrology, reference part or CMM
- Independent of robot accuracy : Robust for robot drift, warm-up, backlash
- No need for cyclic robot calibration
Increase product quality by introducing metrology accuracy
- Focus on the product quality by measuring part against CAD
- Global absolute accuracy: better than 100 μm in working volume

K-Robot for inline 3D inspection and scanning

K-Robot: Automated 3D scanning on sheet metal door

Process integration by using industrial robots

Fast and lean manipulator for laser scanner
Flexible adaptation for different parts and models
Interfaces to any robot brand, size and accuracy level
Time savings due to offline teaching and programming (KUKA feature)

Robust and flexible integration

Scans almost all materials due to enhanced sensor performance
Robust against ambient light conditions
K-Series dynamic reference auto-alignment on rotating tables
Inspection results in MS Excel and SPC compatible formats (Q-Stat, QC-Calc)
Standard Ethernet interface to robot controller

Applications

Production line inspection
- Feature and surface inspection – Gap & flush – Water leak analysis
- Partial inline inspection of the entire production volume
- Complete bypass inspection of production samples
Automated rapid digitizing of large parts or assemblies for
- Part-to-CAD inspection
- Adaptive machining

Technical specifications

Laser scanner productivity	Up to 1000pts/stripe, up to 80 stripes/s
Global accuracy	< 0,1mm (2σ)
Temperature range	15 to 35°C
Measurement volume	17m³ -> 136m³ (planned 2008)
Software interface	TCP/IP and OPC protocols (robot controls the scanner)
Laser scanner compatibility	MMD100, MMD200
Optical CMM compatibility	K500, K600, K610
Probe weight	< 5kg

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Key Features & Benefits

Designed for manufacturing engineers who are dissatisfied with (or want to avoid) high recurring costs of concessions on drilling holes
ARC is a simple, robust technology to put a standard industrial robot “in the right place” every time, guided with highly accurate optical metrology
It provides a cost efficient, concession-free solution using any standard industrial robot “off-the-shelf”
A hole is never drilled unless the drill is in the correct place with respect to the product, independent of the robot inaccuracies, unlike manual operations (with secondary metrology systems for determinant hole measurements or template maintenance/certification) or expensive bespoke systems
We have assembled a modular product interfacing to any robot (KUKA, ABB and FANUC currently available and others very simple to port to) with large and medium volume metrology systems (no ceiling)
Programs driven direct from standard robot simulation systems (CAD) to final hole positions better than 0.2mm from nominal, meeting the need for aerospace production

Turn industrial robots into high-accuracy prodution tools with Nikon Metrology technology!

Adaptive Robot Control is the a process of embedding a metrology system in a robot cell: controlling the robot to higher accuracies than are available with a robots own coordinate system and construction, by introducing a full 6D closed loop feedback.

ARC principle

Nikon Metrology offers 2 metrology technologies, that are suited for building a robot cell with "Adaptive Robot Control":

1. Optical CMM

The principle:

K-Series Principle

In the example real-life case below, infrared LEDs are attached to both the drilling/riveting machine and the part (through its fixture). The LEDs are dynamically tracked by the optical CMM camera.

Adaptive Robot Control in Action

2. iGPS or infraredGPS

Compared to 'optical CMM' technology, iGPS has the additional advantage of being able to cover a very large space.

Metris iGPS integrated in robot cell

For more information on the iGPS principle, click here.

Typical result:

The graph shows the results of a test, performed with a robot, that drills holes in a flat 2D plate.

ARC results

The red dots represent the deviations from the nominal hole positions, in case no Adaptive Robot Control was used. The blue dots represent the deviations from the nominal hole positions, in case Adaptive Robot Control was used.
Thanks to ARC, the accuracy of the driling robot could be improved from several mm to +/- 0.2mm.

Do you want to find out more?

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