Abstract: A robot diagnosing method detects a deviation amount caused by a lost motion and includes: a first step of preparing a robot including a robot arm having at least one joint portion, a work conveyed by the robot, and a prealigner including a processing portion configured to detect a center position of the work; and after the first to fifth steps, a sixth step of detecting the deviation amount caused by the lost motion at the one joint portion based on (i) the center position of the work based on the center position of the work detected in the second step and a command value from a robot control portion in the fourth step and (ii) the center position of the work detected in the fifth step.

Abstract: A wrist joint structure in which a direct drive motor is used is provided in a robot in which two hands are mounted on one robot arm. The robot includes: a robot arm; a plurality of stages of hands including a first hand and a second hand that are provided at a tip of the robot arm; a first direct drive motor in which a rotation axis is defined at the tip of the robot arm, the first direct drive motor coupling the first hand to the tip of the robot arm such that the first hand is rotatable about the rotation axis; and a second direct drive motor that couples the second hand to the first hand such that the second hand is rotatable about the rotation axis.

Abstract: A control unit of a substrate conveying robot makes a robot arm and a substrate holding device execute a blade member advancing operation, a substrate receiving operation, and a substrate placing operation. The substrate holding device is configured to be capable of being switched between a first working state that a pair of blade members are arranged in the vertical direction and a second working state that a pair of blade members are arranged in a position out of the vertical direction and a single blade member can be advanced into a substrate placing structure.

Abstract: A robot diagnosing method includes: preparing: (1) a line sensor including a light emitter configured to emit a light ray, a light receiver configured to receive the light ray emitted from the light emitter, and a detecting portion configured to detect a position of the detected portion based on a light receiving state of the light receiver, the detected portion being inserted between the light emitter and the light receiver, and (2) a robot including a robot arm and a detected portion configured to move integrally with a wrist portion of the robot arm; detecting the position of the detected portion by the line sensor while linearly moving the wrist portion based on a command value from the robot control portion such that the wrist portion intersects with the light ray; and diagnosing a linearly moving property of the wrist portion based on the position of the detected portion.

Abstract: A robot diagnosing method detects a deviation amount caused by a lost motion and includes: a first step of preparing a robot including a robot arm having at least one joint portion, a work conveyed by the robot, and a prealigner including a processing portion configured to detect a center position of the work; and after the first to fifth steps, a sixth step of detecting the deviation amount caused by the lost motion at the one joint portion based on (i) the center position of the work based on the center position of the work detected in the second step and a command value from a robot control portion in the fourth step and (ii) the center position of the work detected in the fifth step.

Abstract: A substrate holding hand is provided, which holds a disc-shaped substrate and includes a base plate, and guide members, each provided to the base plate, formed in an L-shape, and formed so that an inner wall surface thereof is bent when seen horizontally. The inner wall surface of the guide member is formed so that an angle between a first inner wall part that is the furthest portion of the inner wall surface from a bottom surface of the inner wall surface and the bottom surface is larger than an angle between a second inner wall part that is the nearest portion of the inner wall surface to the bottom surface and the bottom surface.

Abstract: A robot diagnosing method of detecting a deviation amount caused by a lost motion includes: a first step of preparing a robot and a line sensor, the robot including a robot arm including one or a plurality of joint portions including a first joint portion, the line sensor including a detecting portion configured to detect a position of a detected portion based on a light receiving state of a light receiver, the detected portion being inserted between a light emitter and the light receiver; and a sixth step of detecting the deviation amount caused by the lost motion at the first joint portion based on (i) the position of the detected portion based on the position of the detected portion detected in a third step and a command value from a robot control portion in a fourth step and (ii) the position of the detected portion detected in a fifth step.

Abstract: A substrate conveyance robot has an end effector provided to a robot arm and including a substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate, arm drive unit configured to drive the robot arm, a robot control unit configured to control the arm drive unit, and a holding force detection unit configured to detect a substrate holding force exerted by the substrate holding unit. The robot control unit controls the arm drive unit based on an upper limit value of at least one of acceleration and speed of the end effector which are determined in accordance with the substrate holding force detected by the holding force detection unit.

Abstract: A substrate transfer device 1 includes a casing 8 and a substrate conveying robot 7. A size of the casing 8 in a second direction Y is more than a size of the casing 8 in a first direction X. The casing 8 includes walls (81 to 85) forming a conveying chamber 80 and at least one opening 86 or 87 provided at least one side of the conveying chamber 80 in the first direction X. The substrate conveying robot 7 includes a base 73, a robot arm 71, a robot hand 72, and a controller 74. When a space in the conveying chamber 80 except for a predetermined exclusive region 80E is defined as an effective conveying chamber 80A, an entire link length DL of a link 75 or 76 is less than a conveying chamber size Dx, and an entire hand length Dh of the robot hand 72 is not less than an effective conveying chamber size Dx?.

Abstract: A substrate transfer device includes a casing and a substrate conveying robot. A size of the casing in a second direction Y is more than a size of the casing in a first direction X. The casing includes walls forming a conveying chamber and at least one opening or provided at at least one side of the conveying chamber in the first direction X. The substrate conveying robot includes a base, a robot arm, a robot hand, and a controller. When a space in the conveying chamber except for a predetermined exclusive region is defined as an effective conveying chamber, an entire link length DL of a link is less than a conveying chamber size Dx, and an entire hand length Dh of the robot hand is not less than an effective conveying chamber size Dx?.

Abstract: In this system, regarding an conveyance object placed on a rotary table, based on positions temporarily set previously as a taking position of the disk-shaped conveyance object in a storing container and a reference position of the rotary table, information of the taking position of the conveyance object in the storing container and of the reference position of the rotary table is acquired based on information of the deviation of the conveyance object placed on the rotary table with respect to the reference position of the rotary table acquired by a sensor portion so as to teach a conveying operation of the conveyance object from the storing container to the rotary table by the robot based on the acquired position information.

Abstract: A method of teaching a robot includes: a swinging step of causing a hand to swing about a predetermined pivot, which is on an axis perpendicular to an optical axis of a sensor beam, to scan a target in a horizontal direction of the sensor beam; a determining step of determining whether or not the target has coincided with a position along a central axis of the hand in its longitudinal direction based on a detection signal of a mapping sensor, the detection signal having changed owing to the swinging of the hand; and a shifting step of, if it is determined in the determining step that the target has not coincided with the position, calculating an offset amount of the hand based on the detection signal of the mapping sensor, the detection signal having changed owing to the swinging of the hand, and causing the hand to shift to either right or left along the optical axis of the sensor beam in accordance with the calculated offset amount.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to devices and methods for automating weld termination. In one embodiment, a compensation device is provided to grip a weld dam comprised of silicon dioxide. The compensation device is used to impart linear motion along an x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, and rotational motion about the z-axis, to the weld dam. Via the imparted linear and rotational motion, the weld dam is then abutted against a surface of a workpiece, the workpiece comprising a first and a second section. In some embodiments, the workpiece surface includes uneven terminal ends of the first and second sections. In other embodiments, the workpiece surface is a bottom surface.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for evaluating wafer size handling capabilities of wafer handling robots and wafer stations in a wafer processing environment. In one embodiment, a method is provided in which size parameters for each of one or more wafer stations and one or more robot hands of a wafer handling robot are set based on user input. A user command identifying a desired robot hand and a desired wafer station is received. A first size parameter of the desired robot hand is compared to a second size parameter of the desired wafer station. If the first size parameter is equal to the second size parameter, or if the second size parameter is an all-size parameter, the user command is executed. If the first size parameter is not equal to the second size parameter, an error is generated.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for evaluating wafer size handling capabilities of wafer handling robots and wafer stations in a wafer processing environment. In one embodiment, a method is provided in which size parameters for each of one or more wafer stations and one or more robot hands of a wafer handling robot are set based on user input. A user command identifying a desired robot hand and a desired wafer station is received. A first size parameter of the desired robot hand is compared to a second size parameter of the desired wafer station. If the first size parameter is equal to the second size parameter, or if the second size parameter is an all-size parameter, the user command is executed. If the first size parameter is not equal to the second size parameter, an error is generated.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods for damming and backing welds. In one embodiment, a method of welding a workpiece is provided in which the workpiece includes a first section, a second section, and a weld groove disposed therebetween. Opposing edges of the first and second sections are positioned adjacent to each other and at least partially form a bottom of the weld groove. A silicon dioxide weld dam is abutted against a terminal end of the workpiece relative to a weld direction. The weld dam is positioned at a weld joint termination point to prevent molten metal from flowing through a terminal end opening of the groove at the weld joint termination point. The first and second sections are welded together along opposing edges in the weld direction up to the weld joint termination point. Finally, the dam is removed, exposing the terminal end of the workpiece.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to devices and methods for automating weld termination. In one embodiment, a compensation device is provided to grip a weld dam comprised of silicon dioxide. The compensation device is used to impart linear motion along an x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, and rotational motion about the z-axis, to the weld dam. Via the imparted linear and rotational motion, the weld dam is then abutted against a surface of a workpiece, the workpiece comprising a first and a second section. In some embodiments, the workpiece surface includes uneven terminal ends of the first and second sections. In other embodiments, the workpiece surface is a bottom surface.

Abstract: The device and method prevents a robot from carrying two blanks stuck together i.e., a double blank, from being transported storage station to a workstation. Suction cups on the robot arm grip the blank. The robot transports the blank to a double blank separation station, which has suction cups facing the opposite side of the blank. If the blank is a double blank, the opposing force from the suction cups pulls the blanks apart. The robot carries the separated single blank to the workstation. Instead of returning to the storage station to obtain another blank, the robot returns to the double blank separation station to pick up the separated blank that remained there.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a versatile apparatus for securely storing and retrieving a variety of tools. A tool holding rack according to the present invention has a plurality of tool-holding clamping units. The tool-holding clamping units are mounted in a horizontal array, and a robot arm can access the units from below for retrieving and storing tools on the units. Consequently, the rack can be mounted above a work area, thereby increasing the working space available on the work area for manufacturing operations. In one embodiment of the present invention, each tool holding unit has a first jaw and a second jaw, with at least the second jaw being open at the bottom. The second jaw is movable relative to the first jaw. The tool-holding clamping units have a clamped mode in which the unit is adapted to clamp a tool in place on the rack, and an open mode in which the first jaw is spaced from the second jaw such that the unit is adapted to permit removal of a tool from the rack.