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Simulation of Robotic Workspace and Inegration

with a VMC Machine for Loading and Unloading
Application

Article December 2011

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IJAMR: Vol. 4, No. 2, July-December 2012; pp. 67-76
International Science Press, ISSN: 0975-6108

Simulation of Robotic Workspace and Inegration with a VMC

Machine for Loading and Unloading Application
*
Khushdeep Goyal
*
Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering, University College of Engineering,
Punjabi University, Patiala-147002, India, Email: khushgoyal@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
The workspace of a robotic manipulator plays an important role in installing the robot in actual
manufacturing environment. In this paper, the workspace of a robotic manipulator is generated after
finding out the singularities. The system developed also shows three dimensional view of the
workspace, front view, and top view of the workspace. The utility of the workspace development is
shown through a case study, in which, Robot wrist range is determined at different heights of Machine
bed, for integration of Robot RV-M1 and VMC Machine. A loading and unloading application of
the VMC Machine by the Robot can be planned using this data.
Keywords: Robot, Workspace, Kinematics, Simulation

1. INTRODUCTION
Exact computation of boundaries of a robotic manipulator plays important role in design,
and implementing the robot in actual manufacturing environment. Haug et.al [1] explained
numerical algorithms for mapping boundaries of manipulator workspaces. In this paper, a
numerical method is first developed for finding an initial point on the boundary. From this
point, a continuation method that accounts for simple and multiple bifurcation of one
dimensional solution curves is developed. The method has proved efficient for determining
the general shape of workspace. The main difficulty is in determining the status of a
singularity at point along continuation curve. Singular behavior occurring at points along
the curves is not identical. In addition, this method is completely numerical and does not
result in analytical surfaces bounding the workspaces. Ceccarelli [2] presented a synthesis
algorithm for three revolute manipulators by using an algebraic formulation of workspace
boundary and explained a synthesis algorithm for general three degree of freedom
manipulator. The authors Snyman and Plessis [3] gave an optimization approach to the
determination of the boundaries of manipulator workspace. This numerical method consists
of finding a suitable radiating point in the output coordinate space and then determining the
points of intersection of a representative pencil of rays, emanating from the radiating point,
with the boundary of the accessible set. Kumar and Waldron [4] presented another algorithm
to compute the manipulators workspace. In their analysis, an imaginary force is applied to
68 Khushdeep Goyal

the reference point at the end effector in order to achieve the maximum extension in the
direction of the applied force. The manipulator reaches its maximum extension when the
forces line of action intersects all the joint axes of the rotational joints and it is perpendicular
to all joint axes of the prismatic joints (since the moment of the force about each joint axis
must be zero). Malek and Yeh [5] explained a broadly applicable formulation for representing
the boundary of swept geometric entities using Jacobian rank deficiency conditions. A
constraint function is defined as one entity is swept along another. Boundaries in terms of
inequality constraints imposed on each entity are considered which gives rise to an ability
of modeling complex solids. Malek and Yu [6] presented the Criteria and implementation
for the placement robot manipulators with the objective to reach specified target points are
herein addressed. Placement of a serial manipulator in a working environment is
characterized by defining the position and orientation of the manipulator's base with respect
to a fixed reference frame. Determination of workspace boundaries is also referred by Jo et
al [7], Malek and Yeh [8], Tsai et. A. [9], [10].

2. GENERATING WORKSPACE OF THE ROBOT RVM-1

The Robot RVM-1 and its dimensions along with the joint axes are shown in figure 1.

Figure 1: Mitsubishi RV-M1 Robot Joints and Dimensions

Simulation of Robotic Workspace and Inegration with a VMC Machine for Loading ... 69

D-H Parameters
The D-H parameters for RV-M1 robot manipulator are given in the following table.

Table 1
D-H Parameters for RV-M1

Joint i
d i (mm) i
ai (mm)
0
1 q1 152 90 0
2 q2 0 0 250
3 q3 0 0 160
4 q4 0 0 72

Where the joint limits are:

0 0
150 q1 150
0 0
30 q2 100
0 0
110 q3 0
0 0
90 q4 90
The workspace of the robot is simulated in MATLAB and is shown in figure 2.

Figure 2: Three Dimensional View of Workspace

70 Khushdeep Goyal

3. SIMULATION OF ROBOT RVM-1 WITH VMC MACHINE

The RVM1 robot model is developed and it is integrated with the workspace.. The resulting
figure is shown as:

Figure 3: Robot and Workspace

Robot RV-M1 Mitsubishi can be shown in the workspace at any configuration.

4. ROBOT AND VMC MACHINE INTEGRATION

Finding the exact location of VMC machine bed with respect to the robot workspace is of
utmost importance. This objective is achieved by first determining the range of Robot wrist
at different heights. Then at the bed height, the position of bed can be adjusted with respect
to the Robot, so that, it should be within the Robot reach at that particular height.
In figure 4, the Machine bed is at height H, and the minimum and maximum reach of
the Robot wrist at that height H are R(min), and R(max). The ground level is fixed at z =
700. The coordinates of Robot reference coordinates are fixed at (0, 0, 0). Then at height,
H, the wrist range R(max) - R(min), is determined in the table 2, with reference to figure 4.
Simulation of Robotic Workspace and Inegration with a VMC Machine for Loading ... 71

Figure 4: Robot Wrist Range

Table 2
Machine Bed Height and Robot Wrist Range

S.No. H R(min) R(max) Range = R(min)-R(max)

1 700 50 520 470
2 750 148 542 394
3 800 178 542 364
4 850 214 558 344
5 900 230 550 320
6 950 221 558 337
7 1000 171 525 354
8 1050 188 588 320
9 1100 193 471 278
10 1150 178 442 264
11 1200 135 378 243

A graph is drawn between the machine bed height (H) and Robot wrist range (R),
which is shown in figure 5. When the height H, of machine bed is known, the Robot wrist
range can be known from figure 5. And the machine bed could be accordingly adjusted so
that is should lie within the Robot reach.
72 Khushdeep Goyal

Figure 5: Graph between Range and Height

The figure 6 shows the integration of robot and the VMC Machine.

Figure 6: Robot and VMC Machine

5. LOADING AND UNLOADING APPLICATION

The utility of three dimensional view of the workspace is shown as loading and unloading
application. Before installing a Robotic manipulator and integrating with a CNC machine it
is made sure that the loading an unloading area should lie within the workspace of the
Robot. Generally, four points in loading/unloading application are described. First point is
picking point, from where Robot gripper has to pick up the object. This point is called
Initial point. Second point, Lift-off point, is along the normal vector to the surface out from
the Initial position. Third point, which is called set down point, is above the unloading
Simulation of Robotic Workspace and Inegration with a VMC Machine for Loading ... 73

point and second and third points are in one x-y plane. Fourth point, final point, is below
third point where gripper places the object.
All the four points should lie in the workspace. If any point is outside the workspace
then the Robot platform is moved with respect to the machine so that all the points should
be within the reach of Robot gripper.
Generally, loading and unloading is done in four steps,
1. Robot gripper moves to Initial point to pick up the object.
2. After picking up the object, gripper moves vertically to the Lift-off point.
3. Then the gripper moves in xy plane to reach the Set down point vertically above the
unloading point.
4. Gripper moves vertically downwards to Final point to place the object.
The simulated model of this application is developed in Matlab, the four positions are
shown in figure7 to figure 10.

Figure 7: Robot Picking the Workpiece

74 Khushdeep Goyal

Figure 8: Robot Arm in Second Position with Workpiece

Figure 9: Robot Arm in Third Position with Workpiece

Simulation of Robotic Workspace and Inegration with a VMC Machine for Loading ... 75

Figure 10: Robot Placing the Workpiece on Pallet

4. CONCLUSIONS
The full three dimensional workspace of Robot RVM-1 has been developed using
MATLAB. The utility of the workspace development is shown through a case study, in
which, Robot RVM-1 is integrated with VMC Machine. Robot wrist range is determined
at different heights of Machine bed, for integration of Robot RV-M1 and VMC Machine.
A loading and unloading application of the VMC Machine by the Robot is simulated
using MATLAB. Further this data can be used to integrate the Robot RVM-1 with any
manufacturing environment.

REFERENCES
[1] Haug, E.J., Luh, Chi-Mei, Adkins, F.A., and Wang, J.Y., 1996. Numerical Algorithms for Mapping
Boundaries of Manipulator Workspaces, Transactions of the ASME, 118, pp. 228-234.
[2] Ceccarelli, M., 1995. A Synthesis Algorithm for Three-Revolute Manipulators by Using an Algebraic
Formulation of Workspace Boundary, Transactions of the ASME, 117, pp. 298-302.
[3] Snyman J. A. and Plessis, L., 2000. An Optimization Approach to the Determination of the Boundaries
of Manipulator Workspaces, ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, 122, pp. 447-456.
[4] Kumar, K. and Waldron, 1981. The Workspace of a Mechanical Manipulator, ASME Journal of
Mechanical Design, 103, pp. 665-672.
 76 Khushdeep Goyal

[5] Malek and Yeh, 1997. Analytical Boundary of the Workspace for General 3-DOF Mechanisms, The
International Journal of Robotics Research, 16(2), pp. 198-213.
[6] Malek and Yeh, 2000, Interior and Exterior Boundaries to the Workspace of Mechanical Manipulator,
Journal of Robotics and Computer Integrated Manufacturing, 16, pp. 365-376.
[7] Jo, D.Y. and Haug, E.J., 1989. Workspace Analysis of Multibody Mechanical Systems Using Continuation
Methods, Journal of Mechanisms, Transmissions, and Automation in Design, 111, pp. 581-589.
[8] K. Abdelmalek, 1996. Criteria for the Locality of a Manipulator Arm with Respect to an Operating
Point, Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 210 (1), pp. 385-394.
[9] Tsai, M. and Chiou, Y., 1990. Manipulability of Manipulators, Journal of Mechanical Machines Theory,
25(5), pp. 575-585.
[10] Tsai, T. and Soni, A., 1983. An Algorithm for the Workspace of a General n-R Robot, ASME Journal of
Mechanical Design, 105, pp. 52-57.

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