Generating programs from STEP-files
Traditionally, welding robots are programmed in two ways: online programming using a teach pendant and offline programming using software such as DTPS from Panasonic. Robot supplier Valk Welding and their software partner ArcNC developed an advanced programming tool for Panasonic welding robots, ARP powered by ‘ArcNC for Panasonic’, which automatically analyses 3D CAD/STEP-files, identifies welds and recommends welding positions and sequences. ‘‘We are in contact with the developers almost every day,’’ says de Villiers, ‘‘and together we do a lot of testing and development for the Panasonic software.’’
Solution to the programmer shortage
The main challenge that this collaboration aims to address with ARP is the shortage of skilled programmers for robotic welding. ARP powered by ArcNC for Panasonic is easy to use and requires minimal programming knowledge, unlike traditional software. Many time-consuming tasks are automated, including the selection of weld seams, the best weld sequences to avoid product deformation, and robot positions to avoid collisions. Operators can program up to a couple thousand points in a single day with ARP, a feat that would take an online programmer up to nine times as long, even with a cobot.
