MicroChallenge 4 – BETTER TOGETHER

Objective

This MicroChallenge is focused on integrating a collaborative robot in a safe modern industrial environment with external equipment.

During previous MicroChallenges gripper was designed for robot, and robot was programmed to use this gripper to palletize pieces. After programming, safety aspects have been elevated by adding safety features like light curtain and emergency stops.

This MicroChallenge is about PLC and HMI programming. The focus is on programming a workstation that will be controlled by PLC through HMI.

Each team will create a presentation, where they present their solutions and the process of getting there, to teachers and company representatives. Company representatives should be chosen from a field that is either directly associated with robotics or closely adjacent.

The students will learn how to work on a real project, time management, communication, how to perform rapid prototyping, and solve problems in a multinational team.

Acquired skills

Technical Skills
  • UR programming
  • PLC programming
    • With given parameters
    • With given restrictions
    • While including safety considerations
  • HMI programming
  • Industrial communications (Profinet)
  • Report and presentation development
Abbreviations
  • PLC – Programmable Logic Controller
  • HMI – Human Machine Interface
Soft skills
  • Organization and time-management 
  • Communication (with teams, teacher, etc.) 
  • Collaboration 
  • Conflict management 
  • Decision-making 
  • Presenting to an audience

The Case

The aim of this MicroChallenge is integrating a PLC and an HMI to the previously designed collaborative robot application. 

 

 

Required skills:
  • Basic PLC programming
  • Basic robot programming

Required resources: Hardware/Software

Hardware:

  • Computers
  • Collaborative robots
  • Safety PLCs (or PLC + safety modules)
  • HMIs
  • Safety switches and sensors

Software:

  • PLC programming software
  • HMI programming software
  • Office 365 / Google Docs

Structure

Before the MicroChallenge

The instructors should have knowledge in the fields of:

  • PLC programming
  • UR robots programming
  • HMI programming
  • Industrial communications
  • Safety

Collect information of students who will participate in challenges and create complimentary groups, for example using DISC profiles.

Arrange meetings for teachers to discuss upcoming challenge week.

Arrange a meeting for students to be assigned into groups before challenge week. It is a good time for students to get to know each other. During meeting students can also come up with the name of the group.

Prepare workstations for each team that will include PLC’s, Robots, HMI, conveyor, sensors, and pneumatic actuators. Workstation should have solution that students can strive for.

During The MicroChallenge

Teams will be assigned to prepared workstation. Teams will receive presentation on the previous challenges, upcoming case, and PLC programming. Case will include explanation on how robot should interact with conveyor belt through PLC and its sensors.

Teams will program PLC to communicate with Robot, HMI and sensors. PLC will control what happens on the conveyor belt through sensors and will operate pneumatic actuators depending on sensor input. The robot will be programmed to interface with PLC and react to PLC commands. While working on the project students should pay special attention to safety features of the program and workstation.

The result should be a system where the operator can control and monitor the workstation only through HMI.

While working on their project, the teams will also write a presentation that will be held at the end of the challenge week on Friday before panel of experts from local and relevant companies. The presentation should also include risk assessment of the whole station.

Program for MicroChallenge 4

Resources/ Presentations

Activity

Resources

3D Files for all parts

[hyperlink to 3D_models.zip] Link to github repository

Introduction to previous challenges

Presenting the case

1. The Case 4 PowerPoint presentation and the Process pdf 

Introduction to PLC programming

2. TIA Portal Program or similar

Explanation of the Sequence

Sequence of the Depalletizer

PLC programming, HMI and Robot programming

4. Programming and UR and Siemens resources to be used in TIA Portal 

All participants at MC4, Egibide, April 2023

Disclaimer

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Creative commons

This work; RoboCup – Teaching safety in robotics, is free of known copyright restrictions. CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication