Abstract: An automatic setting method is provided, in which the position of a tool tip point in a coordinate system set for a faceplate of a robot, can be set easily and accurately. The robot is caused to assume different postures while maintaining the tool tip point of a tool (2) at one point (4) within a space in which the robot is installed. Four or more coordinate positions of a faceplate center point (3) corresponding to the individual postures of the robot are given for instruction. Subsequently, a spherical surface (5) passing through these instruction positions is determined by the method of least squares, and the position of the tool tip point in the faceplate coordinate system is calculated and set on the basis of a calculated value of the position of the center of curvature of the spherical surface, the individual instruction coordinate positions, and tool posture vectors.

Abstract: There is provided a track control method for a robot, in which a welding operation can be executed by moving a workpiece along a predetermined track, with respect to a fixed welding torch. The welding torch (1) is disposed fixedly, while the workpiece (W) is held by means of a robot hand. Before starting the welding operation, the workpiece is located at each target point (a1, a2), and a workpiece coordinate position (T1, T2) corresponding to a hand operating position, at each target point, is taught. During the welding operation, a playback function of the robot is utilized for driving various robot operating sections, including robot arms and a robot hand, so that positions to which the workpiece is moved are coincident with a series of calculated workpiece coordinate positions. Thereupon, the welding is performed along the predetermined track on the workpiece as the workpiece moves, despite the change of the position of the workpiece relative to the distal end of an arm (4).

Abstract: A tool posture control method for a robot is provided, which is capable of always controlling the posture of a tool as intended, between a starting point and an ending point of operation, in moving the tool from the starting point toward the ending point along a straight line or a circular arc. Based on positions and postures of the tool at a starting point and an ending point, previously given to the robot for instruction, and a tool position at an intermediate point, additionally given as required for instruction, a control device calculates (S2) a first angle formed between the tool and a datum plane, at the starting point, a second angle formed between the tool projected on the datum plane and a datum line set on the datum plane, at the startingt point, and the rotational position of the tool at the starting point around a tool axis, and then calculates (S3) the first angle, the second angle, and the rotational position around the tool axis, at the ending point.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an industrial robot in a shared manner using a plurality of operation controllers so that the robot automatically works under the optimum load condition. When power is turned on, the operation controllers (5) to (7) connected via a common bus (1) operate their own respective initial loaders to read control data (TCB) from an external memory (3) into their own respective memories (RAM) and any one of the operation controllers (5) to (7) loads the control data (TCB) and synchronization control data in a shared memory (4). When synchronized with each other, the operation controllers (5) to (7) load the tasks from the external memory (3) in their own memories (RAM), depending upon their capabilities determined by the control data (TCB) and upon their shares of the task. Therefore, the industrial robot is controlled in a shared manner depending upon the task that is loaded.

Abstract: A carbon fiber having a cross-sectional structure of regular mesh form orientation as observed by a polarizing microscope is produced by a method comprising melt spinning pitch material through spinning nozzles, followed by infusible treatment and carbonization, wherein a mesh filter layer is provided at an upstream portion of each nozzle, and the pitch material is passed first through the mesh filter layer and then through the nozzle for spinning.

Abstract: A velocity control apparatus according to the invention controls velocity when moving the movable element of a robot hand or NC machine tool and includes velocity override control for changing the movable element command velocity at a predetermined rate, and acceleration/deceleration circuits (2X, 2Y) of a time constant inversely proportional to a velocity set by the override control. When the amount of a velocity override is changed, the time constant of the acceleration/deceleration circuits (2X, 2Y) is altered in dependence upon the commanded velocity, and an accumulated quantity of command pulses at the time of acceleration/deceleration is controlled so as to be held constant. This makes it possible to control movement at a predetermined velocity without changing the trajectory of the movable element at a corner portion.

Abstract: A carbon fiber having a cross-sectional crystal structure of substantially uniform mesh form orientation as observed by a polarizing microscope.

Abstract: An industrial robot arc control method subjects the position of a working member to circular-arc control by interpolation while controlling the target angle of the working member with respect to a surface to be worked, which working member is mounted on the wrist of an industrial robot. The industrial robot circular arc control method includes obtaining corresponding points (P1, P2 . . . ; Q1, Q2 . . . ;) of the tip and base of the working member (TC) at plural taught points for circular-arc control of the tip of the working member, which is mounted on a wrist (HD) of the robot, finding interpolated points of the tip and base of the working member by interpolation from the corresponding taught points, and obtaining command quantities for the motion axes of the robot from the interpolated points.