Defines the position of the tip of the robot's tool relative to the tooling flange on the last axis of the robot. An accurate TCP is essential for the robot to maintain accurate tool speed and position. When I first started programming Advanced Robotics Cyro 750 robots in 1982, TCP was generated using robot positioning, a fixed tooling pointer, and some trigonometry. Years later, ABB came out with a single laser BullsEye automatic TCP checking and compensation system. Since then, others have developed multiple 1D lasers to speed up the process.

When you are working on a deep-water drill ship with an operating cost of over $1 million per day, seconds count.

At ARC Specialties, we now use 2-D lasers and fixed tooling spheres. Watch the video below to see how Jim Walker does it on Offshore Robotics Riser Robots using Micro-Epsilon laser sensors and FANUC America Corporation robots.

ARC Specialties thrives on problems; send us yours!