Stäubli software enables robot programming through PLCs

Stäubli has launched a software solution that will enable robot programming to be implemented in the future via a PLC, using plug-and-play in the Siemens TIA Portal.

The company says that the uniVAL pi communication interface allows users to program Stäubli robots without manufacturer-specific, high-level language knowledge in their familiar environment.

All Stäubli kinematics products can now can be ordered with the uniVAL pi option. In this configuration, the communication interface to the PLC is already fully developed. Analogous to the already known uniVAL plc solution, which was developed for the PLCs of all common manufacturers, customers only need to connect the robot to the Siemens world even with the uniVAL pi version and can get started immediately.

Whereas PLC and robot programming were two different worlds in the past, these tasks can now simply be handled centrally by the PLC programmer via the Siemens TIA Portal.

The company says the plug-and-play solution brings the advantage of uncomplicated integration of robots and faster commissioning, with no interface problems or programming in VAL 3, just simple programming of the robot functionalities in the PLC. The Stäubli controller continues to handle the internal path planning. This means that the path behaviour of Stäubli robots remains fully intact. In addition, users no longer need a backup strategy, as their data is stored centrally in the PLC.

Another advantage of using PLC programming is that the safety functions of the Stäubli CS9 controller remain active. These safety functions run on an additional CPU that monitors the path planning of the regular CPU and then intervenes if the set parameters are exceeded. For example, if the robot were to move into a work area defined as a safe zone, the higher-level safety CPU takes over and brings it to a stop.