Creation of robot setting load and dynamic visualisation of setting loads for setting and unloading plants simplified by Windows 3D Graphics
Graduates of the Technical College in Osnabrück and Steinfurt develop Software at KELLER HCW
[November 2007] KELLER HCW GmbH offers students of different disciplines the possibility to carry out practical work in connection with the preparation of their diploma thesis.
"In our departments, the professional performance and engagement of the students are particularly advanced" explains the head of the KELLER HCW department for electrical engineering, automation and process control engineering, Mr. Dipl.-Ing. Josef Schröter. "In close cooperation with universities and technical colleges we develop future-oriented concepts for the ceramic industry. With the KELLER K-matic system we set the benchmark in the automation of heavy clay processes. Our customers know and appreciate that KELLER’s products consistently meet the requirements for practical use. Absolute reliability of plant control and monitoring systems, future security with at the same time a high operating convenience and rapid learning are advantages which benefit our customers."
The task of the graduates of the Technical College in Osnabrück was to develop at KELLER HCW the software for the parameterisation of robot setting plants by means of Java3D. This opportunity was taken up by Christian Deddens and Christian Linkemeyer – students of Engineering Science and of Computer Science at the Technical College in Osnabrück. They prepared jointly a diploma thesis for this subject:
"Design and realisation of a graphical 3D surface including analysis of development tools (VRML, X3D, Java3D), for the parameterisation of robot setting plants by using relational databases and communication via Ethernet TCP/IP to the robot."
On the basis of this software one graduate of the Technical College in Steinfurt developed a graphical animation of the robot setting plant, integrated into WinCC visualisation. By this, the user is in position to see the conditions of the controlled robot setting plant at a glance and to paramterise the robot cycles by means of a 3D presentation. This task was taken over by Eugen Neg – Student of Machinery Computer Science at the Technical College in Steinfurt. The diploma thesis for this was:
"Design and realisation of a Java3D based user interface for process visualisation and parameterisation of PLC controlled robot setting plants."
The graduates developed the application for the graphical generation of setting patterns for robot setting plants. From the data of a generated setting pattern, robot programmes are automatically prepared and transmitted to the robot by means of the network (Ethernet). The robot programmes are integrated into the existing programme pack of the robot control system. Thus, the newly generated setting pattern can be set on tunnel kiln cars by means of the robot. This application is used with robot setting plants and supports the brick factory personnel with the generation of setting loads. This programme application can be used on standard PCs with a Windows operating system. The generation and testing of a setting load can be made offline at the PC.
In case the setting load already sent to the robot is just being handled, the current robot cycles can be read from the PLC and by means of the respective 3D graphic it can be animated in the plant visualisation. Furthermore, it is possible to select a cycle by means of the graphic and to transmit it to the robot as next working step (cycle correction). The dynamic visualisation of the setting structure offers the possibility to check the process of the robot setting and unloading plants. The part of the programme used in the visualisation has been designed for the operation on a Touch Panel PC with Windows operating system.
Photo 2 gives an overview of implemented application.
By means of the operating surface of the application (KELLER-VisualRobotics), setting loads can be easily generated, edited and stored. Furthermore, it is possible to copy or to delete setting loads. In order to generate a setting load, firstly the gripper loadings have to be defined and these can then be placed at the requested position on the operating surface to create a complete setting load. As soon as the setting load has been completely configured, the data can be transmitted to the robot via the network. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations of the setting load provide graphical support and facilitate parameterisation. Modifications of the position of brick rows, gripper loadings and setting layers can be tracked optically. Therefore, faulty inputs can be avoided and can be checked as to whether the requested setting load has been created. So far unwanted effects or faulty inputs on the generation of a setting load could only be determined on the implementation of the robot programme. Furthermore, complicated programming modifications, which for the creation of a new setting load had to be carried out directly on the robot, are no longer necessary.
By means of the integrated operating surface in the plant visualisation the respective setting load is presented during operation and the current working steps of the robots are animated by the size data stored in the SQL database. The PLC data are transmitted in cycles and in case of failures cycles can be corrected. By this, the user is able to use the programme, in addition to visualisation, also for the parameterisation of robot setting and unloading plants. By means of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphic the operator is able to get a comprehensive overview about the condition on site, without the necessity to deal with a new size before. The application can be handled by the existing WinCC visualisation or can be called as stand-alone version.
Description of functional characteristics
• Generation, editing, storage, copying and deletion of setting loads
• Menu-driven creation of setting loads
• Preparation of types of bricks, rows, gripper loadings and layers for repeated use
• Generation of own types of bricks and their textures via image files such as GIF and JPEG files
• Integration of brick types as VRML objects (Virtual Reality Modelling Language)
• Backup and resetting of stored database data
• Two-dimensional and three-dimensional representation of bricks, rows, gripper loadings, setting layers and complete setting loads
• Zooming, rotating and translation functions of graphical views
• Fading in of robot and machinery overviews resp. (avatars)
• Automatic generation of robot programmes
• Transfer of robot programmes between PC and robot via Ethernet TCP/IP
• Language switching of software by selection of language
• Reading and presenting of the current size and cycle from the PLC
• Editing of a cycle for correction
• Dynamic generation of the programme menu
• Access to a common central network database
• Integration and application in the WinCC plant visualisation
Description of used software tools
The application was realized with the Java programming language and the Java3D extension. Java3D is an Application Programming Interface (API) for the Java programming language, facilitating the programming of 3D applications. For the realization of virtual worlds, compact object libraries are available to the developer. Java3D is a collection of classes and is offered as an extension pack for Java.
The elements and concepts for modelling 3D objects are similar to that of the VRML descriptions. However, Java3D offers more possibilities for the creation of objects, since in Java3D programmes, all language designs of the standard Java API can be used.
As with VRML or X3D, Java 3D disposes of a scene graph serving for the structural configuration of a 3D surrounding. This contains all information of the scene and at the same time is the specification of the Java3D programme. Contrary to VRML the root of the scene graphs is not created by the file itself, but by a Virtual Universal Object. Since Java3D continuously maintains the model of object orientation, multiple objects of the Universe Type can be started.
By means of Java3D loaders it is possible to import three-dimensional contents created in programmes, for example 3D Studio Max or other 3D-CAD systems. These loaders read the file to be imported and convert the content to the internal Java3D data structure.
The main difference of languages is the integration of Java3D into the comprehensive Java programming language, while VRML and X3D are describing languages only, which must be interpreted by an additional Plug-in in the Netscape or Internet Explorer.
Main objective
The main objective of the diploma thesis was to represent the setting load of a robot setting and unloading plant in a three-dimensional way. On one hand a visual impression should be created, and on the other hand it should be possible to react early enough on obvious faulty inputs. In combination with the standard Java2 API and the possibility to process special brick sizes by means of VRML loaders, Java3D was the ideal solution to achieve the requested visualisation. In addition, the customer has the opportunity to use the programme for process visualisation and for parameterisation of PLC controlled robot setting and unloading plants by means of the three-dimensional user interface.
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