Method and control system for the calibration of a handling apparatus

A method to calibrate a handling device (18) comprising a handling robot or parallel kinematic robot (24), with a tool head (28) suspended from at least two parallel kinematically movable arms (26), wherein each of the at least two arms (26) comprises an upper arm (36) the method comprising:

• finding an approximately central position for the tool head (28) within its movement space by iteratively moving each of the at least two upper arms (36) by motor drives (42) connected to each of the at least two upper arms (36), detecting load torques acting on each of the upper-arm swivel axes (38), and comparing the load torques acting on each of the at least two upper arms (36) until the load torques are approximately equal, and detecting initial angular positions for each of the at least swivel axes (38);
• moving all of the at least two upper arms (36) to a limit position by simultaneously or approximately synchronously moving the at least two upper arms (36) about their particular swivel axes (38), wherein the limit position is defined by a mechanical stop, detecting limit angular positions for each upper arm and limit load torques for each motor drives (42), and returning the tool head (28) to the approximately central position,
• moving a first one of the at least two upper arms (36) into one of two end positions by moving the particular upper arms (36) about the particular upper-arm swivel axis (38), detecting a first end angular position reached by the particular one upper arm (36), and returning the particular upper arm (36) to its initial angular position,
• moving a second one of the at least two upper arms (36) into one of its two end positions that was also selected in the previous step by swiveling about the particular upper-arm swivel axis (38);
• and detecting a second end angular position reached by the upper arm (36).