Name: ______________________________
What is a Tool Frame?
The robot is a collection of axes that each have a specific range of motion and distance
from one another. The processor calculates the position of the robot’s Tool Center Point
(TCP) by the angle of each axis and the known distance to the next.
Tool Frame
By default, FANUC robots calculate position in the real world by the center of the plate
Introductory Lab on the end of the last actuator. When you attach a tool, you must tell the robot where the
3-Point Method effective end of the tool is, relative to the tool center plate.
Industrial Robotics & Automation
Written By Michael Eagan This can be done through direct entry of measurements taken from the TCP but FANUC
SUNY Erie Community College includes useful utilities for automatically calculating a new tool center point. We will
detail the 3-point method in this lab.
Frames:
Frame Type Details
Where the center of the effective point on the tool is, relative
Tool
to the tool plate.
Where the work area’s origin (zero) point is located, as well as the
User
direction of each cartesian axis.
Prerequisite Knowledge: Example:
Safety
Teach Pendant Navigation
Jogging and Clearing Alarms As an example, a robot may be set up with a drill for drilling holes. This tool may become
obsolete, and the robot repurposed to use a suction gripper for moving around objects.
Required Preliminary Setup:
A Pointer Tool
The length of the suction gripper is not going to be the same as the original drilling tool
A Teaching Tool (chess piece)
Robot at HOME Position and is unlikely to be perfectly centered the same as the drill bit.
For the robot to know where the effective end of the suction gripper’s “cup” is, you must
tell it that a tool has changed.
Additionally, a robot may have more than one tool, each sticking out at a different
position and angle from the tool center plate. Switching between them simply involves
switching the active tool frame selection, making the robot much more useful and capable.
This guide is intended to demonstrate and explain the setup and use of tool frames on FANUC controllers.
All labs assume HandlingTool software.
Start by opening the menu with the MENU button on the keypad.
Using the arrow keys, cursor down to SETUP and select the submenu item
“Frames”.
The SETUP Frames page will be displayed, but depending on which frame was
last edited, may not yet be on Tool Frames.
Additionally, the displayed screen may be the DETAIL page for a frame that was
previously opened. If so, press the PREV hard key to get to the list of available
frames.
The image on the left shows that User Frame is selected. We want to switch to
Tool Frame.
To change to Tool Frame, hit the center softkey |OTHER| and select “Tool
Frame” in the menu.
*You may also type the corresponding number of the menu item on the keypad, or simply
hit the desired menu item with your finger on the touchscreen.
Once on the “Tool Frame” setup page, select an available Tool frame. If none are
available, select one that is not yet in use this semester.
What is the number of the Tool Frame you selected? ____________
At the bottom of the screen, find and hit the softkey “CLEAR”.
Accept all prompts to clear the frame’s data and comment.
At the bottom of the screen, find and hit the softkey “DETAIL”.
The method that appears may not be our desired Three-Point Method. To change
methods, hit the softkey |METHOD| and select “Three Point”.
The Details page for your selected Tool Frame will appear.
Notice the asterisks filling the Comment field. This indicates the field is
uninitialized. Select it and hit the hard key ENTER.
Name your Tool Frame with your initials and the month.
Example: MREJanuary
What did you name your Tool Frame? ________________________
Note: Use Alphanumeric characters and start with a letter.
Notice the name you gave it shows up in the Comment Field.
Notice each Approach Point contains UNINIT. This means no points have been
taught yet.
Select Approach point 1.
Jog the robot so that the center of the robot’s tool touches the teaching object.
Align it as best you can without disturbing the object.
Holding SHIFT, hit the soft key RECORD.
Jog the robot’s tool away from the teaching object so there is no risk of bumping
it.
Select Approach point 2.
Jog in Yaw, Pitch, and Roll to move the robot’s tool to a significantly different
orientation, such as pictured.
Jog in X, Y, and Z to once again touch the center of the tool with the teaching
object.
Hold SHIFT and press the softkey RECORD.
Jog the robot’s tool away from the teaching object so that there is no risk of
bumping it.
Select Approach point 3.
Jog again in Yaw, Pitch, and Roll to move the robot’s tool to a different
orientation. Ensure you are not 180 degrees from either previous point you have
taught.
Jog in X, Y, and Z to once again touch the center of the tool with the teaching
object.
Hold SHIFT and press the softkey RECORD.
With all 3 of the approach points taught, the robot will calculate the position of
the tool’s center relative to the center of the tool plate. This information will be
displayed at the top.
If your tool is inside the gripper, your X and Y values will be very low, and your
Z value will be higher than the gripper’s length.
To switch to the tool frame you have chosen, hold SHIFT and press COORD.
The menu on the top right will appear, letting us switch what our currently
selected frames are.
The top item in that menu is the tool frame. Since it is already selected, type the
number of the tool frame you just set up on the number pad.
Confirm your tool frame is correctly configured by moving the robot into an
empty area of its envelope and jogging around in Yaw, Pitch, and Roll. If
correctly taught, jogging in orientation will result in no translational movement
whatsoever. This means the X, Y, and Z positions won’t change – only the
orientation about them.
Take the robot back to HOME position, turn the teach pendant off, press in
both emergency stop buttons, and hang up your teach pendant.