Design of a robotized workstation making use of the integration of CAD models and Robotic Simulation software as way of pairing and comparing real and virtual environments

Abstract

Over the last years, there has been an increasing tendency and pressure on the faster implementation robotic devices and systems in manufacturing. Such transition involves several disciplines starting with the prototyping of CAD models itself. The paper addresses the creation of CAD models and is mainly aimed at their integration in a given simulation environment according to the conception and guidelines of Industry 4.0, where the part itself becomes the entity carrying most of the needed information at any time of a production process. The creation of such CAD models is key for the further and better customization of simulations. In other to better exemplify all this, the paper describes the whole process of “virtual to real life implementation” of a given robotized workplace needed to be developed at the Institute. The design of such robotized workplace included the use of an ABB IRB 120 robot and several other devices which were all designed, simulated and analyzed in a virtual environment before the final development and implementation. This paper helped demonstrating the importance of having exactly the same model (real and virtual) with respect to the success of the offline simulations.