Method to test a brake of a robot
AssigneeKUKA Laboratories GmbH
InventorsTobias Ortmaier, Marc-Walter Ueberle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a method to test a brake of a robot that has a number of axes, an actuator associated with one of the axes, a brake associated with this axis that is set up to at least reduce a movement of this axis, and a torque sensor associated with this axis, which determines the torque acting on this axis. The brake is activated, the torque acting on the axis is determined by the torque sensor given an activated brake, and the functional capability of the brake is assessed in a processor based on an evaluation of the torque determined by the torque sensor.
Claims12
A method for testing a brake of a robot, comprising the steps of:
- operating a robot having a plurality of axes by actuating movement, with an actuator of the robot, of one of said axes among said plurality of axes;
- braking said one of said axes with a brake that is a component of said robot;
- with a torque sensor that is a component of said robot, sensing torque acting on said one of said axes upon activation of said brake;
- and
- providing an output signal from said torque sensor representing said torque to a processor and, in said processor, automatically assessing a functional capability of said brake by evaluating said torque represented by said output signal.
A robot system comprising:
- a robot having a plurality of axes operated by actuating movement, with an actuator of the robot, of one of said axes among said plurality of axes;
- a brake that brakes said one of said axes with a brake that is a component of said robot;
- a torque sensor that is a component of said robot, said torque sensor sensing torque acting on said one of said axes upon activation of said brake;
- and
- a processor provided with an output signal from said torque sensor representing said torque, said processor being configured to automatically assess a functional capability of said brake by evaluating said torque represented by said output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.