Modelling the energy consumption of an industrial robot with different types of trajectory for machining tasks

Industrial robots are being used more and more for machining operations, in particular due to their agility in the case of products with complex geometries, as well as their adaptability across various applications. For some years, as industries become more ecologically conscious, energy consumption (EC) during operations becomes an important consideration. This growing awareness motivates the need for models that monitor the EC of a robot during machining operations. Firstly, the robot multibody model used in the simulations will be completely described. The computational methodology used to calculate EC during these machining tasks will also be outlined, including a discussion of the motors model applied in the simulations. Then, to validate the established model, an initial simulation will be carried out using a simple general case, depicting a straight line trajectory, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model used. Finally, other relevant simulation tests will be presented for distinct cases: a smooth and continuous machining trajectory with variations in the curve parameter and the followed axes. The results of these numerical tests provide insights into how different machining strategies impact EC, providing guidelines for optimizing robot operation in an environmentally conscious industrial context.