Planning BenchBot Robot teachpoints

About this topic

Carefully planned teachpoints can optimize results and throughput. This topic presents the following:

•	About teachpoints

•	Teachpoint zone

•	Teachpoint components

•	Guidelines for setting teachpoints

•

Examples

About teachpoints

A teachpoint is a set of coordinates that define where the robot picks up or places labware. The teachpoint can be on an integrated device or a platepad.

You set and edit teachpoints in the BenchBot Robot Diagnostics Teachpoints tab.

 

Teachpoint zone

 

 

The teachpoint zone is the region within which you can set teachpoints. The following diagram shows the top and side views of the teachpoint zone. The outermost line shows the robot’s maximum reach, through the center of the gripper and labware. The region within the inner line is the the robot zone. The teachpoint zone is between the two boundaries.

IMPORTANT The maximum teachpoint height (427.5 mm) is the sum of the teachpoint's z-axis coordinate plus the approach height. For a description of the approach height, see Teachpoint components and Setting the Approach Height and Approach Distance parameters.

IMPORTANT To optimize performance results, teachpoints should be set within 30 mm to 415 mm along the z-axis.

IMPORTANT If you are planning a modular system where devices on docking tables can be added or removed frequently, make sure these device teachpoints are within the robot teachpoint zone.

Note: The robot cannot access the rectangular region enclosing the back half of the mast. Do not set teachpoints within this region.

Figure. BenchBot Robot teachpoint zone top view (left) and side view (right)

 

 

Teachpoint components

A BenchBot Robot teachpoint consists of the following:

•	Coordinate information. See Coordinate information.

•	Orientation information. See Orientation information

•	Parameters that define robot movements near and at the teachpoint. See Parameters that define robot movements

Coordinate information

A set of coordinates define each teachpoint: (x, y, z, yaw). The coordinate information consists of the x-, y-, and z-axis values. The angle of the labware or grippers, yaw (n°), is also included with the coordinate information. All coordinate values are measured with respect to the center of the labware.

Note: The z-axis origin is 27.5 mm above the attachment surface.

 

You can view the teachpoint coordinates in the BenchBot Robot Diagnostics Teachpoints tab.

 

Orientation information

Each teachpoint contains the following orientation information:

 

Orientation	Description
Labware	Landscape	Portrait
A1 well	Away from the robot grippers in either labware orientation	Toward the robot grippers in either labware orientation
Robot arm	Left (L), when the elbow is to the left of the wrist	Right (R), when the elbow is to the right of the wrist

The labware and A1-well orientations are displayed in the first column of the Teachpoints tab. The left- and right-arm information is displayed in the Bend column.

 

Parameters that define robot movements

A number of parameters define the robot movements near or at a teachpoint:

•	Teachpoint type (regrip station, delidding device, and so on)

•	Approach height

•	Approach distance

•	Gripper offset at the location

For more information, see Creating a new teachpoint.

Guidelines for setting teachpoints

Before setting teachpoints, determine the best orientations for each location. In addition, be aware of how varying robot and labware orientations between teachpoints can affect robot speed and efficiency.

IMPORTANT The software will not permit you set teachpoints within the robot zone. Prompts will display to let you know that you are in the robot zone. For information about the robot zone, see Retracting the robot into the robot zone.

Orientations to consider

Before you set a teachpoint, take into consideration all of the following:

•

Labware orientation. Determine the best labware orientation (landscape or portrait) for the location. The orientation might be determined by device requirements. For example, the Labware Stacker requires labware to be in the landscape orientation, but the MiniHub permits labware to be in either the landscape or portrait orientation.

•

A1-well orientation. Determine the A1-well orientation of the labware. In general, for devices that require the landscape orientation, such as the Labware Stacker and the Centrifuge, the optimal A1-well orientation is typically away from the grippers. For storage devices that require the portrait orientation, the optimal A1-well orientation depends on the requirements at other teachpoints in the system. See Examples.

•

Arm orientation. For the best robot freedom of movement and approach distances, use the right-arm orientation for teachpoints on the robot’s left side (1) and use the left-arm orientation for teachpoints on the robot’s right side (2). This recommendation becomes a requirement when setting teachpoints next to and behind the robot shoulder.

IMPORTANT For teachpoints that are next to or slightly behind the robot shoulder, make sure two sides of the teachpoint stage are parallel to the side of the robot base. See Examples.

 

For a description of the orientations, see Orientation information.

Factors that affect robot speed and efficiency

To increase robot speed and efficiency, you should:

•

Add multiple orientations to a teachpoint. A regrip station is used if the robot needs to change the orientation of the labware it is holding as it transfers labware from one location to another. To reduce the number of regrips necessary, you can add multiple orientations to a teachpoint. For more information, see Adding multiple orientations to a teachpoint.

•

Maximize the gripper offset ranges. A regrip station is used if the robot needs to adjust gripping height as it transfers a labware from one location that requires a gripper height that is different from the next location. To provide the system with the greatest flexibility for identifying a grip position that works for all locations, you should set the widest possible range for each gripper offset parameter. For more information about gripper offset ranges, see Setting the Min and Max Gripper Offset parameters.

•

Set Approach Distance at the smallest possible value. In general, rotating robot movements are faster than linear movements. To ensure that the robot rotates from the robot zone directly to the teachpoint approach height, set the Approach Distance at 0. If obstacles near or at the teachpoint do not permit the rotating movement, set the Approach Distance at the smallest possible value for the location. For more information, see Setting the Approach Height and Approach Distance parameters.

Examples

Example 1: Robot-arm orientation

In the following example, the platepad (1) is on the left side of the robot. When setting the teachpoint at the platepad, use the right-arm orientation.

The Bravo Platform (2) is on the right side of the robot. When setting teachpoints at the Bravo Platform, use the left-arm orientation.

 

Example 2: A1-well orientation and the regrip station

In an example workstation, one device requires the A1 well to be away from the grippers, and another device requires the A1 well to be toward the grippers. To move labware between the two teachpoints in succession, the robot must stop at a regrip station. When setting the teachpoint at the regrip station, be sure to include both the A1-well away and A1-well toward orientations.

 

Example 3: Approach distance

In the following example, the platepad is next to and slightly behind the robot shoulder. Notice that the sides of the platepad are parallel to the robot base. To optimize the robot movement in this case, use a larger approach distance value so that as the robot approaches, the grippers will be parallel to the base.

 

Example 4: Approach distance and approach height

In the following example, the platepad is close to the robot zone. To optimize the robot movement, set the approach distance parameter close to or at 0, and set the approach height higher.

 

Related information

 

For information about...	See...
Teachpoint files	Teachpoint files
Setting teachpoints	Setting new teachpoints