Open source machine automation

Comatose · Jun 1, 2014

In the next few weeks I am going to be starting the project of attaching a six axis robot arm to our new Brother Speedio milling machine. This is the only one I'll be doing this year (though I will also be building two new robot assembly cells) and it always seems like a waste to do all that engineering for a one-off. Would anyone here have interest if I open sourced my work? No promises that anything I did would be good or right, but if the code, solid models, assemblies or vision sequences helped someone out, I am thinking that might be a nice thing to get started here.

The basic design is a conveyor input, fixed vision watching the conveyor, Epson s5 robot loading two Kurt hydraulic vises, unload is stacking in a box or tray.

I estimate it will be $40,000 and 100 hours of work. Not counting the machine. All the major parts are already ordered.

Interest?

patindahat · Jun 1, 2014

Though I would likely never use the information in a profitable way, I'd still love to see and learn!

Atomkinder · Jun 1, 2014

I'm with patindahat, in that it may never do me any direct good, but I'd love to see it and possibly play around with it in the future. I ran a robotic loading Nakamura/Fanuc setup at my last job and would love more insight as to how it's set up and organized before construction. Always have to keep learning!

extropic · Jun 1, 2014

Same as above. Sounds interesting and educational.

dstryr · Jun 1, 2014

I'm in. maybe it will give me confidence to tackle my own automation dream

Antarctica · Jun 2, 2014

+1 would love to see this

Brent

the_machinist_ · Jun 2, 2014

Hi. I'd be interested in contributing. You should check out Instructables, GitHub and GrabCAD.

Miguels244 · Jun 2, 2014

Use GitHub

toolsteel · Jun 2, 2014

I would love to see it. I have a few similar projects that are being discussed by the guys in engineering here. I can see that we will be doing something similar in the not to distant future.

CarbideBob · Jun 2, 2014

Interested would be a huge understatement.
By all means let's see the engineering and code.
Dam, two weeks through final debug and runoff.
I'm impressed already. Guessing you know the vision system, robot and machine interface code like the back of your hand.
Bob

Comatose · Jun 2, 2014

Two out of three. I know the vision system and robot well. I don't know the Brother PLC at all. So that integration might bite me, but I'm not doing much on the machine side. This is a much less complicated project than the assembly cell I'm finishing up. I'm figuring 100 hours will be really more like 3-4 weeks, its hard to get a solid 50 hours of work in with other responsibilities.

Tonytn36 · Jun 2, 2014

The Brother won't be bad at all. The C00 control has a **HUGE** amount of improvements over the B00 on the PLC side. We are doing 3 right now. (Not started build yet, in design stage.)

dstryr · Jun 2, 2014

Tonytn36 said:
The Brother won't be bad at all. The C00 control has a **HUGE** amount of improvements over the B00 on the PLC side. We are doing 3 right now. (Not started build yet, in design stage.)

I personally like the older controls (s2a,s2b) better than this thing on the S2C-0. Is the new one better than the B00 user interface wise?

Jashley73 · Jun 2, 2014

Id be interested to learn about the integrating the I/O's between the robot and the cell's periphery's, including the machine. We have a machine-tending cell at work, and while proficient with CNC programming, comfortable with the robot programming, and familiar with I/O troubleshooting across the whole cell, I'd be interested to learn about the initial set up the I/O's.I'm no electrician, but this seems like it would be extremely handy for someone wanting to DIY their own automation cell.

snowman · Jun 2, 2014

Please do, if you don't want to post it all here, I'd be happy to host it on my webspace.

iMillJoe · Jun 2, 2014

Im interested in the data. Huge fan of open source. Even if i might not be able to do anything with it, the robotics is something I'd like to at least like to get a glimpse at. I do prototypes and small batches, but knowledge of the ever increasing trend of robotics in this field is of interest (if not a necessity,) for my career.

Github is great for source files (not so much for 'object files'), but they could do the hosting, or take snowman up on his offer, if he has the bandwidth.

dstryr · Jun 2, 2014

I have plenty of bandwidth to host it as well. Bandwidth is almost free now a days lol.

Tonytn36 · Jun 3, 2014

dstryr said:
I personally like the older controls (s2a,s2b) better than this thing on the S2C-0. Is the new one better than the B00 user interface wise?

I like it so far. Just got a program in one yesterday to do a time study. It has several new features. They added a couple of "favorites" buttons to quick-access common screens. Which screens is up to you as the buttons are configurable.
On the PLC side, you now have 2x high speed and 2x normal user PLC's available. You also have available 3 types of buss comm besides discrete I/O. (CC-Link, DeviceNet and I can't remember what the other one is right off....) We will be adding an Anybus adapter to the DeviceNet to get to Ethernet/IP which is our standard protocol. Having these greatly reduces the need for discrete I/O.

hanermo · Jun 3, 2014

+1.
Love all info you can share.

Akzle · Jun 3, 2014

opensource is the way of the future: collaboratively working for the benefit of all, rather than the profit of few.
good on ya.

Open source machine automation

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