Students Learn the Importance of Precision in Industrial Robotics

Nash Community College Automated Manufacturing students recently tested their precision by setting up a Tool Center Point (TCP) control to assist an industrial robot.

Using a three-point method, the students helped NCC’s FANUC robotic arm identify where to pick up assembly parts by defining the movements of the tool’s center point. “By default, the Tool Center Point is the center of the faceplate located on the end of the arm. So when you add a tool to the end arm, you must redefine the new tool center point,” Instructor Spencer Davis said.

“It is important for students to know how to do this before they enter an industrial setting. If the robot does not know the exact tool frame location, it can not accurately pick and place items when it is working at full speed. In a manufacturing application, this could result in lost productivity, inefficiency and could even be a safety concern.”

The ATR 281 Automated Manufacturing course introduces the concepts and principles of automation in the manufacturing environment. Students learn how to operate industrial equipment used in hard and flexible automated systems, including the study of inputs, outputs, and control system integration. The goal of the coursework is to teach students how to properly plan, design, and implement automation to support modern manufacturing processes.

Nash Community College has been a trusted provider of customized industry training since 1968. The college’s Advanced Manufacturing students learn in a new state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2018. Electrical Systems, Computer-Integrated Machining, and Electronics Engineering, including robotics and a simulated manufacturing laboratory, are housed in the new facility.