topic Re: Robot Plugin Inches in PowerMill Forum

Robot Plugin Inches

rafael.sansao — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 21:52:40 GMT

Hello guys,

Robot Plugin Accepts Inch Programming?

I can not see the values in inches in the plugin.

Re: Robot Plugin Inches

alexandre.pintoAGNAU — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 09:51:04 GMT

Hi,

If PowerMill units are set to imperial (inches), then PM Robot also works in inches.

The output will be in inches.

Have you tried post processing a file? The units will be in inches.

Re: Robot Plugin Inches

rafael.sansao — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 10:06:45 GMT

Hi @alexandre.pintoAGNAU,

Are the values always shown in millimeters in the plugin?
Check the attached image. The code executed is:

MODE NOGUI COORDINPUT COORDINATES -1 -0.393700787401575 -0.393700787401575

Values are being displayed in millimeters and running in inches.

Should not I see the values in inches in the plugin?

Re: Robot Plugin Inches

alexandre.pintoAGNAU — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 10:53:14 GMT

Hi Rafael,

I did not mention this before, so my answer was incomplete - only issue is Industrial Robots run in SI units, this means they use metric not inches!

I have driven a few robots in US and they ran mm. I have run PM code on hundreds of robots elsewhere and all in mm.

Even if on an industrial robot you can view the feed/speed in inches/min/sec it will still run in mm.

The menu you have chosen is ideal example.

After creating the worklplane (G54) on the part by 3 point method, for example, you will read the position of the part/workplane relative to the robot world coordinate (robot ZERO). This is read on the teach pendant, and is displayed in mm

And the units displayed are generally in mm, so we have the menu in mm, because these are the units you will see on the teach pendant.

If PM is in inches:

- tool creation in is inches

- import of tap file would also be in inches

- feedrate etc in inches

Output file after post processed will be in mm because of the Robot units.

Have I been clear?

I hope this helps, if not let me know what else I can help with.