ROBOT SIMULATION SOFTWARE

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Hello everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I work in a company where we design robot cells for all types of industry.

I am looking for feedback on robot simulation software.

We implement robots from different manufacturers: KUKA, FANUC, ABB, STAUBLI... etc.

The problem is that each manufacturer has its own simulation software and it's difficult to master each software.

That's why we're looking for software that could simulate all brands of robots.

If not, is it easy with SOLIDWORKS SIMULATION to simulate the trajectories of robots? Do you have any experience with this?

Thank you for your answers.

Have a nice day.

 

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Hi Olivier, 

I think we are competitors because here we do the same thing as you.

Solidworks is really not made for robot simulation. I suggest you look at software like Visual Component (very expensive), PowerMill, Robot DK, ...

A++ and good luck!

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Hello and Happy New Year to you too 

See on your search engine (g..... e)

with this title 

SolidWorks Animation Robot

You will find x example of the possibilities of SW

in this area

@+;-)

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Hello

I confirm the opinion of @charleslr (whom I salute) Solidworks is a disaster except for very simple movements.

When I say very simple, it's two or three axes max and again.

There are two functions that allow you to achieve a correct result:

the first is motion which is included in the Solidworks premium version and in the PRO version. For a robot, Motion must only work with constraint  control, which is very difficult to use for complex movements.

For a FANUC 5 axes I was forced to make a mix between a head control with 3D splines more or less parallel  (as if you had rails the head being the carriage) and constraints for the wrist.  As it was for a simple movement of a frame I did this to sell to the customer. But I promised myself that I would never do that again.

The other solution is a shit that appeared in 2017  or 2018 and is called "constraint driver" I say shit because you can't chain more than 10 sequences. Plus, it's crappy to use because it's not a standalone function like Motion, but it's a feature barely adapted to do ultra basic stuff. At best you can do pick-and-place but you will never drive a welding robot for a fitting workshop for example

So the "trèscherware" solutions indicated by @charleslr  don't seem to be the only ones to look at.

Kind regards

 

PS: on the other hand, a colleague who works at FANUC uses SW simulation to check the calculations that the frames and cells on which the robots are attached because since it works almost all the time in cantilevers it is prudent to make simus on the fixing frames

 

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Thank you for these answers.

All we have to do is talk to the chefs to see what happens next.

I think we will stay with solidworks because the budget is tight.....

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As @zozo_mp says, "Constraint Driver" is not suitable for complex movements because the constraints taken into account are reduced. But if the movements are simple like a small special machine, you can have an interesting result for a small video (see video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NgqkcigBI4 as an example).

 

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With Motion, you must use the Sequential Motion module. I've used it with some pretty simple machines; It requires a certain investment in the software and the result is correct.

But from there to using it with a robot, it must be a good mastery.

There is a little tutorial in SolidWorks.

 

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Good evening Alain

The tutorial! the tutorial! the tutorial!  Otherwise we're going to have a bad year ;-)

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