How do I know if offline programming software is right for me?

Over the years, industrial robots have been subject to several programming methods. The two most prominent are manual teach pendant programming and offline programming (OLP) software.

With manual teach pendant programming, the robot arm is taken out of production, and, for each position of the desired process, must be moved either by hand or by the robot controller, and saved as a sequential program point. You may have to follow this process dozens, or even hundreds of times for the average industrial robot program.

How do I know if offline programming software is right for me

When using an offline programming software (OLP), the programming is done totally independently of the physical robot, on a computer, allowing the robot to stay in production. The robot trajectories can be automatically created from a CAD model of the part, the program can be validated via simulation to ensure it is error and collision-free, and robot code can be outputted for production or saved for later use.

To help determine whether offline programming software is a good fit for you, answer the questions below regarding your robotic process.

  Is programming time a bottleneck in your manufacturing process?

  Do you have to take your robot out of production to program?

  Do you have multiple robot brands you wish to program?

  Do you have high-mix and low-volume production runs?

  Are engineering design changes made after programming?

  Is quick part changeover and quicker cycle times a priority?

  Is high accuracy and repeatability a priority?

  Is part complexity a challenge when programming?

  Are you experiencing a skilled labor shortage?

  Would you like to be able to increase your robot’s productivity?

  Would you like to reduce the amount of scrap and waste in your operation?

If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, there is a strong chance offline programming software can help you reduce programming time, errors, and scrap, while improving your overall profitability. Contact us to set up a commitment-free evaluation of your robotic application.