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A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?

Posted by Ohmarinus 
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Ohmarinus
A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
January 21, 2014 07:24PM
Hi guys, I've seen some awesome works done with a real robot arm. Like the ones used in car factories.

Would any of you know if a smaller version of that would work in a 3D-printer?

I can imagine that you would need much stronger stepper motors and very strong and balanced joints, but it would surely be great to make one I guess.

Are there already projects done like this? And are they not super-expensive?
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Gomez.Marcos
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
January 21, 2014 07:49PM
I think that this class of robot arms (cars factories) dont have the precision needed, but would be a good project to do a mini arm, similar to this one for example [www.youtube.com]
I have made something similar to an arm but only in two axis [forums.reprap.org] with a rotational base and some modifications, would be similar to the arm on the video

dont should be really expensive
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nicholas.seward
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
January 21, 2014 10:50PM
Backlash prevention on the hobby scale is hard. The arm can have the precision. That is an easy design challenge. Backlash removal is a trick. When you spend $100,000 for a robot arm it isn't a big deal to get all the fancy backlash prevention components. I know we can do this on a budget but it will be a fun engineering challenge.

For inspiration here is a 5 axis arm using the same steppers that we use for 3D printing. [youtu.be]
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cozmicray
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
January 21, 2014 10:51PM
That would be SCARA

Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm or Selective Compliance Articulated Robot

[forums.reprap.org]

Wally and Morgan may in this class


confused smiley
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nicholas.seward
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
January 21, 2014 10:59PM
[www.kickstarter.com]

This is also inspirational.
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Ohmarinus
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
January 22, 2014 06:34AM
Quote
nicholas.seward
Backlash prevention on the hobby scale is hard. The arm can have the precision. That is an easy design challenge. Backlash removal is a trick. When you spend $100,000 for a robot arm it isn't a big deal to get all the fancy backlash prevention components. I know we can do this on a budget but it will be a fun engineering challenge.

For inspiration here is a 5 axis arm using the same steppers that we use for 3D printing. [youtu.be]


Hi nicholas, this is exactly what I am looking for! smiling smiley This kind of machine would be what I imagined.
I don't think I can build something like that with my current budget (I imagine all aluminium milled parts), but maybe it's possible to build an 'armstrap' that is able to mill alu parts to use in it's later development?

No idea where to start, after building two different printers, an arm is a completely new thing. I don't really like the SCARA types, wally and morgan look cute, but what I really want is this kind of arm movement.

My first inspiration came from Dutch artist Dirk van der Kooij, and his video can be found here, about his way of working and recycling the plastics found in refrigerators to print with:
[youtu.be]
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Gomez.Marcos
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
January 22, 2014 01:14PM
[www.youtube.com]
another great design from above to avoid interposicion of arm
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VDX
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
May 22, 2014 05:59AM
... I've got two old (1997) industry robots ABB IRB1400 in exchange for a scanning+milling job and actually reactivating them - here a video of the first test, 'drawing' a 200x200mm square and a point 300mm above the center of the square: [vimeo.com]

This type can handle 6kg load with an overall accuracy of 0.1mm, so precise/accurate enough for FDM-printing winking smiley

Have plans to test laser-applications and foam-printing with one of them ... the other was 'reserved' by my boss for an internal pick-n-place project ...

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
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A2
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
May 22, 2014 12:04PM
Awesome thumbs up
Looking forward to following your development.
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VDX
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
May 23, 2014 05:45PM
... for programming them offline at home (the robots are 120km away from my home-office and I don't have enough room for them in the basement) I've downloaded a new version of RobotStudio and found the old model in the virtual/simulation database.

The software version of the robots is 3.0, the version in the virtual simulator 5.61 (and the control pad is much more modern), but the RAPID software seems to be the same in the basic functions.

So I can program them offline at home and port the program on the real hardware when visiting them (next monday again) ...



Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
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Ohmarinus
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
May 23, 2014 07:21PM
Wow, thats so cool, I'm very jealous of what you got there smiling smiley
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VDX
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
May 24, 2014 02:50AM
... there seems to be a sort of 'niche-market' for outdated industry equipment ... I'm sometimes finding really good opportunities with private contacts or online -- got my old Isel-CNC-mill for 300 Euros from a company that for 20 years glued glass-blocks with it ... and the two roboters would have cost me 3000 Euros + shipping from Switzerland to Germany ... and some other equipment or tools (e.g. lasers and microtech) even cheaper, in exchange or complete for free - but you'll need a big basement winking smiley

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
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Ohmarinus
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
June 18, 2014 11:01AM
Well, this robot arm (ABB IRB1400), I would buy it immediately if it would cost <1000 euros!

Imagine the possibilities....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2014 11:02AM by Ohmarinus.

http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/
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VDX
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
June 18, 2014 04:33PM
... yes, this were my thougts then too winking smiley

My plan was to get one of them for my experiments/develpment and give the other 'free' for company projects ... but now it seems, both are 'captured' for customer projects!

So I'll have to find another (hopefully smaller) robot-arm for my AM-experiments eye popping smiley

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
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VDX
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
August 25, 2014 02:22PM
... adjusting a multi-tool gripper:



Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
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sandinotorresg
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
March 29, 2015 10:33AM
Hi,
Can anyone help me with this same project, I'm trying to adapt an injection nozzle to a robot arm 5 axis mitsubishi the software that use is called melfsoft, how I should to generate the trajectories of the nozzle based on GCode.

Regards
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VDX
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
March 29, 2015 05:18PM
... you'll need a software or converter which will import G-code (generated for FDM-printing) and control you roboter accordingly - there should be some programs around for Mitsubishi robots too, as this is a common problem ...

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
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sandinotorresg
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
March 30, 2015 07:30AM
Hi,
I need a postprocessor ?, Which software I should use?

Regards
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theothermike
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
April 03, 2015 06:53AM
Dear Viktor,

you mentioned the ABB robotstudio....I wondered how the software communicates with the robot itself?
Sometime back I read about a guy who has interfaced his diy robot with the robotstudio. Unfortunately he did not tell how he has done that.
So there must be a way to use the robotstudio to control diy robots??

Do you have an idea how to tackle this?

BR
Mike
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VDX
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
April 03, 2015 05:40PM
... with newer controllers it seems as simple as define the controller type and connect them per ethernet ... but my controllers from 1996 needs a special driver software, which isn't available anymore - so I've made a sort of parallel port simulation with a 16bit-USB-I/O card and defined the I/O-pins of the controller-SPS, so I can transfer binary coded decimals to adress spcial codes and positions eye rolling smiley

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
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Cmmain
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
June 01, 2015 07:51AM
Quote
VDX
... you'll need a software or converter which will import G-code (generated for FDM-printing) and control you roboter accordingly - there should be some programs around for Mitsubishi robots too, as this is a common problem ...

Do have any suggestions for software to convert G-code to control a robot arm? Or know of any existing firmware?
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VDX
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
June 01, 2015 09:05AM
... not yet ...

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
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John Meacham
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
October 24, 2015 12:31AM
I have a scorbot III, they can be found cheaply on ebay every now and again, perfect desktop size. I have not tried mounting a print head on it yet though, but shouldn't be hard to adapt some of the rotary firmwares to it (like morgan) as you can easily constrain it to just rotate and extend like the morgan.
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MechaBits
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
March 05, 2016 07:45PM
Wish I had one that could cope with milling, just seen a scorbot for $1000 (though shipping to UK adds a little onto it) but not sure what I could do with it, or if I could get it doing anything useful but it led to a load of other machines I've not seen before, there's so much gear out there it's mind bending.
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Billie020
Re: A 'real' robot arm? Where to get it?
November 24, 2020 06:05AM
The robots that I have seen out there have incredible precision, such as this one here [robotnik.eu] that the truth is that I have no idea what Ok but I have seen it and it seems great to me because it is also a mobile robot.
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