RWTH Aachen

researches huge dynamic manufacturing potential

of iGPS enabled industrial robots
In search of versatile production system concepts for
German manufacturing industries, RWTH Aachen
invested in Nikon Metrology iGPS metrology. The
renowned institutions Werkzeugmaschinenlabor
WZL uses a cell populated with two industrial
robots to study how manufacturing quality can be
maximized using iGPS. Scientists at WZL confirm that
the affordable combination of off-the-shelf robot
and metrology technology yields better economics
than expensive specialty equipment or manual work.
Invisible iGPS laser beams continuously track the
locations of the robots tool center point, and feed back
the filtered data in closed loop to improve absolute
robot precision. WZL masters this unique concept
to improve the manufacturing quality of numerous
dynamic industrial applications, including handling,
assembly, burnishing, deburring, welding and pleating.

iGPS @ RWTH (GE)

Versatile production concepts driven by metrology

Innovation is shaped by market stimuli and market dynamics, but is
also driven by research findings from RWTH in Aachen. WZL, RWTHs
Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering, develops new
and optimizes existing solutions through a practice-oriented research
and development process for production industries clients, and helps
manufacturers improve their competitiveness. WZLs department of
production metrology and quality management relies on optical metrology
to guide tomorrows shop floor production processes.
The versatility of a production system is an essential aspect that mainly
focuses on the ability to understand organization and technology at low
investment costs, while offering premium flexibility. Optical metrology in
combination with industrial robots is a key enabler to achieve this level of
flexibility. Robots are flexible production entities for handling, mounting,
welding or other production processes that can be effectively deployed
in production systems that manufacture small series first-time-right and
easily switch from one product type to another. Still, their potential is left
largely unexploited because too much time is needed to set up robot
processes, program robot movement, rig it or align process fixtures. B.
Damm, team leader of the imaging processes and coordinate metrology
groups, marks that: metrology is not a necessary evil. In particular, optical
metrology technologies will be the ears and eyes of versatile and selfoptimizing production systems of the future!

iGPS tracks robot tool center point positions in real time, and feed back
the data in closed loop. iGPS metrology is mastered to improve the
manufacturing quality of dynamic industrial applications.

iGPS-turns an entire manufacturing cell into a single

metrology enabled environment
iGPS enabled robots yield better economics than
expensive specialty equipment or manual work
Ideal for flexible robotized production cells
manufacturing small series first-time-right

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Werkzeugmaschinenlabor WZL relies on metrology to guide

tomorrows shop floor production processes

Optical metrology technologies will

be the ears and eyes of versatile and
self-optimizing production systems
of the future.
B. Damm, team leader of the imaging processes and coordinate
metrology groups for WZL of RWTH

As part of calibration, a double ball bar is used to measure the accuracy

of robot motion cooperation

Unique laser-based iGPS robot tracking

Better dynamic robot precision through Kalman filtering

The winning combination of industrial robot workhorses with

innovative large-scale metrology offers distinct advantages compared
to equipment specifically designed for a particular manufacturing task,
says J. Jans, Nikon Metrology Executive V. P. Marketing. Today too many
manufacturing tasks are performed by hand, or when automated the task
is performed by expensive dedicatedly designed precision equipment.
For companies to remain competitive in the global setting, WZL scientists
research enabling industrial application technologies, such as iGPS, to
increase manufacturing precision, flexibility and throughput.

Originally used to allow the spaceship of the Apollo program to land

on the moon, Kalman filtering will guide dynamic robot movement
with higher precision. Robots need continuous adjustment when
manufacturing tasks are actually taking place, says A. Schnberg,
responsible research assistant for the robot cell and member of
the imaging processes group. From a mathematical point of view,
Kalman is the optimum filter type for vector-based Gauss-MarkovProcesses, as no other linear method exists that reaches smaller
errors between the actual and predicted state of a system.

iGPS stirs up manufacturing communities by turning an entire

manufacturing cell into a single metrology enabled environment. iGPS
robot sensors capture their individual elevation and azimuth angles
with respect to multiple iGPS transmitters that are within line of sight,
based on the timing of the arriving invisible coded laser pulses. This is
iGPS unique approach to continuously tracking robot tool center point
positions, and possibly also the part that is clamped by the robot(s).
By returning the acquired metrology data to the robots using a closed
feedback loop, robot positioning improves drastically. iGPS plays an
important role in this innovative metrology-adjusted process, which
nearly eliminates the influence of robot warm-up, drift and backlash.
Following this approach, Nikon Metrology transforms industrial robots
into highly accurate and efficient in-line manufacturing stations.

R. Schmitt, Professor of the Chair of Production Metrology and Quality

Management, concludes: Top-notch iGPS metrology combined with WZL
specialist know-how will lead to flexible and affordable robot technology
that may fit numerous manufacturing applications. This very interesting and
promising topic will be targeted on a highly scientific level in an upcoming
EU-project. Candidate partners are welcome to contact WZL.

Powerful solution for dynamic manufacturing

Nikon Metrology has already an impressive track record in metrologyassisted production. In a project that aimed at stretching the accuracy
limits of industrial robots, Airbus applied iGPS to improve the precision
of robotic drilling and riveting at CAD specified wing locations. As a
result, the aerospace giants wing drilling and riveting cell is capable of
reaching an accuracy level that is 10 times better than before.

An industrial robot cell allows RWTH WZL to study how to manufacturing

quality can be maximized using iGPS

Dynamic applications are much more challenging. When two robotclamped parts are being welded, for example, the positioning of the
parts ideally requires real-time adjustment, not just at the start and end
point of a seam weld. WZL is heavily involved in optimizing this critical
real-time adjustment process that determines the precision of dynamic
manufacturing procedures.
News I Volume 5

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