The global site of the UK's leading magazine for automation, motion engineering and power transmission
19 March, 2024

LinkedIn
Twitter
Twitter link

Programming robots inside Siemens controls will cut costs

15 July, 2021

The Italian robot-maker Comau has released a protocol that allows users of Siemens control systems to program Comau robots without leaving their Siemens ecosystem, thus saving time and cutting costs. The Next Generation Programming Platform (NGPP) works with Siemens’ Simatic robot library to eliminate the need for dedicated robot programming.

Comau estimates that the development could cut programming times up to 30% and make integration up to 40% faster. It says that these figures have been confirmed in a project with a major automotive customer, which was able to cut its configuration and programming costs by 30%.

The Next Generation Programming Platform implements the Uniform Robotics Data Interface (URDI) communications standard to simplify robot programming. Users can program one or more Comau robots via the same Siemens equipment that they are using for other applications and processes.

Automation products and cells can be managed without needing robot programming expertise. Efficiency and productivity can be improved without tough learning curves, making it easier for users of Siemens PLCs to add robots to their installations.

Potential applications include pick-and-place, boxing, palletising, logistics and end-of-line processes. It is possible to program Comau’s robots at the same time as Siemens virtual PLCs, allowing end-users and systems integrators to perfect their programming sequences, download the programs on-site, and start running robots immediately. The programming codes are re-usable.

Comau says the NGPP makes integrating robots into existing lines or processes straightforward for companies of any size, working in any industry. They simply use the same Siemens PLCs that are already deployed for other applications. The necessary “intelligence” is transferred instantly from the Siemens library to the robot.

Comau says that its Next Generation Programming Platform will save time and cut costs for Siemens controls users

“The successful integration of Comau’s robot controller with the Siemens ecosystem reflects the company’s on-going commitment to simplifying automation,” says Gaia Salvadore, Comau’s robotics and automation products segment leader. “It also represents an important step towards the easy-to-use vision of Comau for robotics.”

Tobias Fengel, marketing manager for robotics and electronics at Siemens Digital Industries adds that, together with robot-maker, “we are pioneers in offering the market the first seamless interface between industrial robotics and our Simatic robot library”.

Comau is owned by Stellantis, the Dutch-based automotive giant that was formed earlier this year by the 50-50 merger of the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles with the French PSA Group.

Comau:  Twitter  LinkedIn  Facebook

Siemens Digital IndustriesTwitter  LinkedIn  Facebook




Magazine
  • To view a digital copy of the latest issue of Drives & Controls, click here.

    To visit the digital library of past issues, click here

    To subscribe to the magazine, click here

     

Poll

"Do you think that robots create or destroy jobs?"

Newsletter
Newsletter

Events

Most Read Articles