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Open resourceCompressed Air for Robotics and End Effectors
Controlled purpose: combine grippers, valves, tool changes and moving-line constraints. Required asset: Robot Air Interface and Cycle Register. Authoring completion does not approve an installed robot cell, a safeguarding function or production publication.
1 How to define the compressed air interface for a robot
A robot air interface must connect every pneumatic function to the robot state, motion path, tool identity and handling result. Establish the supply boundary, reference-flow basis, pressure at the moving interface, hose and dress-pack configuration, valve response, gripper retention method, vacuum-ejector control and behaviour after loss of air or electrical power. Then compare cycle sequences using the same part, pick and place locations, handling outcome and permitted motion limits.
Average air use alone cannot demonstrate the interface. A short gripper close event may require little total air but fail when pressure falls during simultaneous motion. A vacuum ejector may dominate consumption if it remains on throughout travel, even though evacuation takes only a fraction of the cycle. A tool change can connect a second manifold, vent stored air and alter hose routing. The useful record is therefore a Robot Air Interface and Cycle Register that links the air event, moving connection, control command, safe state and evidence.
It does not select a robot, certify an end effector, determine a machinery safety function, or prescribe a universal pressure, hose life, vacuum level, response time or stored-energy limit. The robot integrator and responsible safety functions must approve moving connections and safe states before release.
2 Set the cell boundary and identify every configuration
Draw the pneumatic boundary from the fixed plant connection to the moving tool. Show isolation, treatment, regulation, fixed pipe, base connection, rotary or linear passages, moving hoses, dress pack, wrist coupling, tool changer, onboard valve manifold, ejector and each actuator or gripper branch. Mark every point at which air can enter, leave, vent, cross to another utility or remain stored after isolation.
Identify the robot, controller, cell, process, tool and product or workpiece. One robot program can call several tools, and one tool can have several jaw sets or vacuum cups. Treat each materially different combination as a configuration. Record payload, permitted orientation, reach region, motion class and cycle revision because they can change hose movement, pressure loss, grip requirement and sequence timing.
The measurement boundary must match the conclusion. A meter at the cell inlet captures all downstream consumption but cannot by itself assign air to individual tools. A tool-level meter can support comparison but may add mass, restriction or cable-routing consequences. Record temporary instrumentation and confirm that it does not invalidate the motion envelope or integrator-approved dress arrangement.
3 Describe the handling requirement before comparing sequences
State the handling task in observable terms: workpiece identity, mass, centre of gravity, surface, porosity, required orientation, pick and place locations, acceleration constraints, hold duration, process interaction and acceptable result. Include whether the tool must retain the part during a controlled stop, energy isolation or another defined state. Do not replace these requirements with a generic phrase such as secure grip.
Two robot sequences are comparable only when they meet the same handling requirement. If one sequence uses a shorter path, a different acceleration, an extra confirmation dwell or a different tool orientation, keep that difference visible. A lower air result is useful only when the same accepted handling outcome and approved safe-state requirements remain satisfied.
Record rejected or interrupted cycles. Air consumed before a failed pick, dropped part, repeat evacuation or recovery movement remains part of the resource used to achieve accepted output. Keep attempts, successful picks, completed transfers and accepted products as separate counters.
4 Map robot states and pneumatic states together
Robot motion state and pneumatic state are related but not identical. A robot can be stationary while a gripper remains pressurised, an ejector cycles to maintain vacuum or a tool changer is clamped. Conversely, a robot can move while no new air is admitted if the tool retains the workpiece using trapped pressure or a nonpneumatic mechanism. Build a time-aligned state map.
Robot or cell state | Pneumatic events to record | Evidence and accounting treatment |
|---|---|---|
Start and home | Manifold charge, homing actuators, tool identity checks | Record starting inventory and separate startup from repeat cycles |
Approach and pick | Jaw open or close, cup evacuation, blow-off cancellation | Align commands, pressure or vacuum, motion and pickup confirmation |
Transfer | Retention pressure, vacuum maintenance, hose movement | Record moving-interface pressure and any maintenance pulses |
Place and release | Jaw open, vacuum break, release blow | Include release air and verify part release result |
Tool change | Unclamp, vent, disconnect, connect, clamp and leak check | Treat each tool and coupling state explicitly |
Waiting or blocked | Retained grip, ejector duty, bleed and leakage | Measure duration and authorised control behaviour |
Stop or fault | Controlled motion, hold, vent or maintained supply | Use approved safe-state definitions and evidence |
Isolation and restart | Stored-energy release, recharge and revalidation | Reconcile inventory and do not count stored air twice |
Record state transitions because they often govern demand and risk. Recovery after a missed pick can add a blow, jaw reset and repeat evacuation. Restart after an interlock may align several tools or refill volumes that are normally charged at different times. Include permitted manual, teach and maintenance modes without defeating safeguards to create a convenient test.
5 Define reference flow pressure and inventory
Reference flow expresses gas mass as an equivalent volume at declared pressure, temperature and moisture conditions. Do not combine values labelled normal, standard, free air or actual line volume until their bases are reconciled.
Use bar(a) for absolute pressure and bar(g) for gauge pressure. Gas calculations require absolute pressure and kelvin. A pressure statement must identify its location and state, such as fixed cell inlet during transfer, wrist manifold during gripper closure or ejector inlet during evacuation. A static regulator gauge before motion does not establish the pressure available at the end effector during the event.
For compatible gas and moisture bases, V_ref = V_actual x (p_abs/p_ref) x (T_ref/T_actual) x (Z_ref/Z_actual). An ideal-gas screen sets the compressibility ratio to one and states that assumption. A fixed volume that is vented from p_high to p_low releases approximately V x (p_high - p_low)/p_ref x T_ref/T when temperature and composition assumptions are valid.
Inventory matters when hoses, accumulators, manifolds or tools start and end at different pressures. Consumed air within a boundary equals incoming air plus other incoming streams, minus outgoing transfers, minus the increase in stored inventory. A falling inventory increases calculated consumption relative to measured inlet flow; a charging inventory reduces it. Use matched start and end states or apply a signed correction.
6 Account for grippers without double counting
For pneumatic jaw grippers, determine whether the device is single acting, double acting, pressure maintained, mechanically retained, spring retained or another architecture. Use applicable supplier data or a reviewed volume model for each powered direction. Record whether the stated quantity represents one jaw action, a complete open-close cycle or a value at specific inlet conditions.
Air passing through a valve into the gripper belongs to the gripper stream. Do not add valve rated capacity as consumption. Add only distinct pilot use, bleed, purge, leakage or coupling volumes that are not already included. A whole-tool measurement already includes downstream refill and should remain the primary quantity; component estimates explain it rather than being added again.
Grip force is not proved by air quantity. It depends on device geometry, actual pressure at the gripper, jaw position, friction, finger design, workpiece contact, acceleration and orientation. Use the selected gripper documentation and responsible mechanical assessment. The compressed-air interface verifies delivery under the approved duty; it does not replace retention calculations or tests.
7 Treat gripper retention as a state requirement
Define the states in which the workpiece must remain retained and for how long. Normal transfer, programmed hold, protective stop, emergency stop, loss of electrical signal, gradual pressure decay and complete air isolation can produce different responses. State what the approved system should do in each case and which energy source supports that response.
Trapped pressure can support retention only if the valve architecture, check arrangement, leakage, connected volume and pressure band have been assessed. A check valve does not create air, prove the pressure at the actuator or establish an indefinite hold. A spring or mechanical lock changes the failure behaviour but still requires device-specific confirmation. Do not infer a safe state from the fact that the tool remained closed during one brief test.
Where the approved response is to release the workpiece, define the conditions and destination that make release acceptable. Where the approved response is to retain it, define how the robot, tool and safeguarding system manage stored energy and later recovery. These are integration decisions.
8 Model moving hoses as part of the mechanism
Moving hoses are both flow paths and moving mechanical components. Record material, inside and outside diameter, length, minimum bend radius, pressure and temperature ratings, fitting type, restraint, torsion allowance and routing through every relevant pose. Identify sliding, bending, twisting, rubbing, snagging and pinch points. A hose that supplies adequate flow in one pose may kink or stretch near another point in the envelope.
The dress pack influences robot motion and the robot influences hose condition. Mass, stiffness and routing can affect payload calculations, wrist torque, reach, collision clearance and repeatability. Any substitution needs integrator review even if its connector thread and nominal bore match. A longer or softer hose can alter both pressure response and mechanical behaviour.
Inspect moving connections under slow authorised motion before production-speed validation. Use the integrator's approved procedure and all required safeguarding. Record the governing poses, direction changes and accumulated cycles.
9 Check pressure loss through the moving path
Pressure loss depends on flow, bore, length, fittings, bends, coupling passages, valve paths and gas conditions. The relevant question is the delivered pressure and response at the tool during its governing event. A fixed inlet can remain stable while a restrictive wrist passage or coupling causes a transient tool-side dip.
Use simultaneous or time-aligned readings upstream and downstream of suspected restrictions. Preserve sensor location, range, response and sampling. A before-event inlet reading compared with a during-event tool reading cannot establish differential pressure. If direct tool instrumentation is not practical, use a justified alternative such as a validated temporary measurement, supplier characteristic or controlled diagnostic configuration.
Exhaust can govern response as strongly as supply. A jaw may close slowly because the opposite chamber cannot exhaust through a silencer or long return path. Diagnose supply and exhaust separately. Do not increase the cell header pressure to compensate for a local restriction without checking component limits and the actual cause.
10 Define valve response from command to mechanical result
Valve response includes controller output timing, electrical switching, spool movement, pressure propagation, actuator motion and sensor confirmation. Record timestamps on a common clock where possible. A robot program delay can mask pneumatic variation; removing it without evidence can create an intermittent fault even if average air use falls.
Document valve identity, porting, electrical state, manual override, pilot arrangement, exhaust, flow controls and installed orientation where relevant. Long tubes and restrictive fittings can make a fast valve appear slow at the end effector. A catalogue switching time under stated conditions is useful evidence but does not establish complete installed response.
Use percentile or range evidence across representative cycles where variability matters. One clean trace can explain the mechanism but cannot prove repeatability. Keep the response criterion tied to the handling requirement, such as jaw-confirmation before acceleration, rather than treating the shortest observed delay as a universal setting.
11 Account for vacuum ejectors correctly
A vacuum ejector consumes compressed motive air at its inlet and produces a separate suction flow at the cup or tool. Do not add suction flow to compressed-air consumption. Record ejector model and configuration, motive pressure, inlet reference flow, evacuation command, achieved vacuum indication, hold control, leakage behaviour, release method and exhaust arrangement.
Porous workpieces, cup leakage, imperfect sealing and flexible surfaces can keep the ejector operating. A vacuum switch with hysteresis can reduce motive-air duty after evacuation, but repeated maintenance pulses remain part of the cycle. Capture actual on-time and pulse count. A continuous-on assumption may overstate a controlled tool; a perfect shutoff assumption may understate a leaky or porous duty.
The vacuum indication must be interpreted at a named point. Tubing restrictions and filters can make an ejector-side reading differ from the cup condition. Retention depends on effective area, differential pressure, workpiece surface, cup condition, acceleration and safety factors established by the responsible design.
12 Control release blow and air saving functions
Release blow can shorten part release or clear a cup, but its quantity and pressure must be tied to the actual result. Record command duration, observed valve delay, flow, workpiece release and any secondary movement. Excess blow can disturb adjacent parts or contaminate a process; insufficient blow can cause a carried part or missed placement.
Air-saving control should preserve the same handling outcome and approved safe-state behaviour. Compare total motive air, maintenance pulses, release air and rejected attempts. A lower ejector on-time that increases pick failures may worsen air per accepted transfer. Do not disable retention monitoring or protective control merely to obtain a lower consumption number.
13 Define tool changer pneumatic functions
List every pneumatic function in the tool-change sequence: support or dock preparation, tool release, venting, separation, approach, connection, clamp, lock confirmation, manifold charge, identification and leak check. Identify which ports seal before mechanical engagement and which volumes vent when tools separate. Keep electrical, fluid and pneumatic interfaces linked to the same tool identity.
Stored air can remain in the disconnected tool or be released at uncoupling. Record the intended residual state and any controlled vent path. A disconnected tool must not be assumed depressurised because the robot-side supply is isolated. Maintenance instructions and safe access depend on the actual coupling and tool architecture.
Tool-change demand may be infrequent but can create a larger event than normal picking. Include it in source capacity and pressure-recovery assessment when it can occur during production or recovery. Keep its air per change separate from air per handling cycle so production comparisons are not distorted by different tool-change frequency.
14 Separate productive air standby demand and leakage
Classify air as productive event demand, required continuous demand, standby demand, startup or tool-change overhead, or identified leakage. This classification supports diagnostics and improvement without labelling a required purge or retention bleed as waste.
Measure ready, waiting, stopped and isolated states separately. A robot at zero speed can still consume air through an ejector, retained gripper, valve manifold or leak. Record the state, tool, pressure and connected branches. If safe isolation is unavailable, retain the unallocated flow as an open item.
After repair or control change, repeat a compatible measurement. Report reference-air reduction before claiming energy savings. Compressor electrical response depends on the wider system controls, pressure and other demand; the tool measurement alone cannot establish a cost or carbon result.
15 Combine robot and line motion constraints
Some end effectors interact with a moving conveyor, indexing line or another robot. Record the permitted timing window, tracking state, handover condition and collision constraints. A pneumatic action cannot be shifted freely if the new timing changes the capture point, part velocity, handover load or safeguarded sequence.
Where several robots share a header, add their time-based flows on a common clock. Free-running cycles can drift into alignment. A stagger demonstrated during one short run is not a guaranteed diversity factor unless control logic enforces it through stops, restarts and speed changes.
The integrator must approve any sequence change. Air-system analysis can identify an overlap that causes a pressure dip and can test a permitted alternative, but it cannot silently delay a clamp or release event to make the supply appear adequate.
16 Measure the installed cycle
Select instruments for the pressure, temperature, flow range and dynamic response. Record whether the flow output is mass, actual volume or reference volume and preserve configured reference conditions. A slow totaliser can support batch consumption while missing short peaks; a fast sensor can show shape but need careful integration and range control.
Collect robot program state, motion segment, tool command, valve output, gripper or vacuum confirmation, pressure, flow and product result on aligned clocks. Preserve raw data, original units, sample intervals, gaps and processing revision. Do not fill missing peak samples with an unmarked constant.
Choose a representative interval covering normal cycles, permitted variations, stops, retries and relevant tool changes. Start and end with reconciled pneumatic inventory or apply a correction. Explain why the sample supports the conclusion. Keep configuration files, tool identity and controller revision with the trace.
17 Calculate air per cycle and accepted transfer
For interval-average reference-flow samples, V_ref = sum(q[j] x delta_t[j]/60) when q is in L_ref/min and time is in seconds. For instantaneous samples of a continuous trace, use a justified integration such as the trapezoidal rule. Do not trapezoid-average values that already represent interval means.
Air per robot cycle equals consumed reference volume divided by completed robot cycles under the declared definition. Air per attempted transfer uses attempt count. Air per accepted transfer uses accepted handling outcomes. If the accepted count is zero, report air and zero output; the ratio is undefined rather than zero.
Keep tool-change overhead and standby allocation visible. A batch metric can include production air plus an explicitly allocated share of startup, waiting and tool changes. Compare sequences on the same boundary and allocation policy. Do not make one sequence appear better by excluding a state that only it requires.
18 Worked case A comparing two equivalent robot sequences
This bounded example uses fictional data. A robot transfers the same nonporous 1 kg test part from the same pickup to the same placement point with the same tool, motion path, acceleration limits and accepted handling result. Both sequences complete 120 attempts with 118 accepted transfers. Reference basis is dry air at 1.000 bar(a) and 293.15 K. Starting and ending inventory are assumed equal.
Sequence A commands the vacuum ejector for 1.20 s per attempt at an interval-average motive flow of 180 L_ref/min and uses a 0.15 s release blow at 60 L_ref/min. Other tool events consume 0.80 L_ref per attempt. Air per attempt is 180 x 1.20/60 + 60 x 0.15/60 + 0.80 = 4.55 L_ref. Total is 546 L_ref. Air per accepted transfer is 546/118 = 4.627 L_ref.
Sequence B evacuates at the same 180 L_ref/min for 0.45 s, then closes an air-saving valve. Observed maintenance pulses total 0.12 s per attempt at 180 L_ref/min. Release blow remains 0.15 s at 60 L_ref/min and other events remain 0.80 L_ref. Air per attempt is 180 x (0.45 + 0.12)/60 + 0.15 + 0.80 = 2.66 L_ref. Total is 319.2 L_ref. Air per accepted transfer is 319.2/118 = 2.705 L_ref.
Sequence B reduces the fictional measured quantity by 226.8 L_ref over the comparison, or 41.5 percent, while the stated handling result and counts remain identical. The result does not authorise an air-saving setting. Real acceptance requires vacuum retention, response, moving connections, safe states and integrator approval under the installed duty.
19 Worked case B gripper chamber and hose refill
Assume a fictional double-acting gripper has documented effective fill volumes of 45 cm3 for close and 35 cm3 for open. It fills to 6.0 bar(a) from an assumed 1.0 bar(a) residual at 293.15 K, with a 1.0 bar(a) reference and ideal behaviour. The reference increments are 0.045 x (6 - 1) = 0.225 L_ref and 0.035 x 5 = 0.175 L_ref. One open-close cycle uses 0.400 L_ref before distinct accessories.
Assume 2.0 m of moving hose has an internal volume of 0.12 L and normally remains pressurised through the cycle. It is not added as a full refill every movement. If a tool change vents that hose from 6.0 to 1.0 bar(a), the change event adds 0.12 x 5 = 0.60 L_ref. Treating the hose as a 0.60 L_ref cycle load would overstate normal demand; omitting it from the tool-change event would understate that event.
20 Worked case C pressure dip across a moving interface
A fictional trace shows 6.4 bar(g) at the fixed cell inlet and 5.6 bar(g) at the wrist manifold during jaw closure. The readings are time aligned and use sensors with adequate response for the event. The observed differential is 0.8 bar during this configuration and event.
The differential locates a delivery issue between measurement points but does not identify its cause. Inspect the coupling, hose pose, fittings, regulator and valve path. Repeat the measurement after one authorised change. Do not declare the hose undersized from the differential alone or adopt 0.8 bar as an allowable universal loss.
21 Worked case D vacuum leakage and maintenance pulses
Assume two fictional workpieces meet the same handling requirement. Part X seals well and needs 0.40 s initial ejector operation plus one 0.08 s maintenance pulse during a 3.0 s transfer. Part Y is porous and requires 0.40 s initial operation plus six 0.08 s pulses. Motive flow is 150 L_ref/min.
Part X uses 150 x 0.48/60 = 1.20 L_ref for evacuation and hold. Part Y uses 150 x 0.88/60 = 2.20 L_ref. The 1.00 L_ref difference belongs to workpiece and sealing behaviour under these assumptions. It should trigger cup, surface, filter and control review before increasing supply capacity.
22 Worked case E concurrency and enforced staggering
Two fictional robots each have a base demand of 12 L_ref/min and a 160 L_ref/min additional 0.20 s evacuation pulse every 2.0 s. The average pulse contribution for each robot is 160 x 0.20/2.0 = 16 L_ref/min, so combined mean demand is 56 L_ref/min.
If the pulses align, the simplified common peak is 12 + 12 + 160 + 160 = 344 L_ref/min. If verified control prevents overlap, the simplified peak is 184 L_ref/min. Total reference volume is unchanged. The lower peak is a valid design case only if the sequence remains enforced after stops, faults, tool changes and speed transitions.
23 Worked case F loss of supply inventory screen
Assume an integrator-approved retention review requires a fictional gripper circuit to support two defined hold actions after upstream isolation. Each action consumes 0.55 L_ref, and verified leakage plus control demand over the stated interval is bounded at 0.30 L_ref. The quantity screen is 2 x 0.55 + 0.30 = 1.40 L_ref.
This is an inventory requirement, not a receiver selection or safety proof. Usable pressure band, temperature, check-valve integrity, hose and manifold volume, component ratings, residual pressure and restart behaviour still govern. Two actions are an example input, not a universal requirement.
24 Worked case G tool change overhead
A fictional batch contains 600 accepted transfers. Production air is 1,620 L_ref. Startup uses 50 L_ref. Three tool changes each vent and recharge 18 L_ref, and waiting demand totals 90 L_ref. Batch air is 1,620 + 50 + 54 + 90 = 1,814 L_ref. The production-only ratio is 2.700 L_ref per accepted transfer; the batch ratio is 3.023 L_ref.
Both values can be useful if labelled. The first describes repeat-cycle performance. The second supports batch and source planning. Comparing a long batch using the production-only ratio with a short batch using the full ratio would be misleading.
25 Diagnose response and retention problems
Use symptom timing to choose measurements. Avoid changing pressure, delays and flow controls together. Preserve the original trace and configuration, change one authorised factor, and repeat the governing case.
Observation | Explanations to distinguish | Evidence and next disposition |
|---|---|---|
Jaw confirmation arrives late | Supply dip, exhaust restriction, valve delay, mechanical load | Align command, pressure, exhaust and position evidence |
Vacuum falls during transfer | Cup leak, porous part, hose movement, switch logic | Compare vacuum at the tool with pose and pulse history |
Fixed inlet stable but tool pressure dips | Moving hose, wrist coupling, local valve or regulator restriction | Use time-aligned upstream and downstream readings |
Part lost after stop | Unapproved safe state, leakage, valve architecture, stored-energy decay | Hold release and obtain integrator and safety review |
Air rises after tool change | Wrong tool identity, coupling leak, extra vent or control mismatch | Verify connected tool, ports, program and leak evidence |
Good air trace but handling fails | Grip mechanics, surface, acceleration, alignment or sensing | Escalate to mechanical and controls review |
Model exceeds measured total | Double counting, partial fills, residual pressure | Reconcile boundary and component ownership |
Measured total exceeds model | Missing branch, retries, leakage, inventory change | Close state and inventory balance |
26 Commission the pneumatic interface with the robot cell
Agree the test matrix before motion. Name the robot, cell, tool, part, program revision, speed case, payload, path, acceleration constraints, supply boundary, moving connection, safe states, loss-of-air cases and acceptance owners. Obtain applicable robot, tool, valve, hose, coupling and safeguarding instructions.
Inspect identities and routing with the cell in an approved safe condition. Confirm hose support, bend and torsion through relevant poses using the integrator's method. Verify treatment, regulation, valve and exhaust configuration. Check that temporary instruments do not create an unreviewed payload, collision, restriction or entanglement hazard.
Run representative production cycles, permitted stops, retries and tool changes. Record flow, pressure, vacuum, control states, motion segment and handling outcome. Test approved loss-of-air and safe-state behaviour only under the authorised procedure. A calculation or normal-cycle demonstration cannot replace a required safety validation.
27 Write an auditable acceptance statement
An acceptance statement should identify the robot and cell, tool and revision, workpiece, program and speed, payload and path, moving-connection configuration, supply boundary, pressure and quality evidence, cycle counts, accepted handling outcome, safe states, loss-of-air treatment, deviations and responsible approvals.
Use HOLD when a critical rating, moving-route approval, safe-state decision or test record is absent. Conditional acceptance must name the restricted configuration and duration. A successful pick sequence does not approve every tool, part, speed or pose. Changes to hose, coupling, valve, tool fingers, cups, ejector, program, motion path, payload or safety logic require applicability review.
The R01 release gate is satisfied only when the robot integrator approves the moving connections and safe states. Engineering authorship, arithmetic validation and Library delivery are separate from that project approval.
28 Frequently asked questions
Can robot air demand be sized from average flow
No. Average flow supports quantity and energy analysis, but the moving interface must also deliver pressure and response during short gripper, tool-change and ejector events. Use time-aligned flow, pressure and state evidence.
Does a check valve guarantee gripper retention
No. Retention depends on the approved architecture, starting pressure, usable pressure band, connected volume, leakage, actuator mechanics and required duration. A check valve is one component in that assessment.
Should valve rated flow be added to gripper consumption
No. Rated flow describes capacity. Air flowing through the valve into the gripper is the same stream. Add only separate pilot, bleed, leakage or vented volumes not already included.
Can a vacuum switch eliminate ejector consumption during transfer
It can reduce motive-air on-time when the seal and control permit, but maintenance pulses, leakage, release blow and failed picks remain part of the balance. Verify the actual tool and workpiece.
Does a hose with the same connector provide equivalent performance
No. Bore, length, fittings, material, bend behaviour, torsion, mass and routing can change flow and mechanical integration. The robot integrator must review a moving-hose substitution.
Is a safe state always depressurised
No. Some approved systems retain pressure to hold a part; others vent or use another mechanism. The correct state comes from the cell risk assessment and integrator design, not a universal pneumatic rule.
Can the fictional worked values become controller settings
No. They demonstrate accounting methods. Real settings must come from applicable equipment data, handling validation and integrator approval.
29 Required asset Robot Air Interface and Cycle Register
Use one register for each materially different robot, tool, part, program and moving-connection configuration. Copy event rows as needed. Every numerical field requires a value, unit, reference basis, source, revision and evidence status. Use Unknown during preparation; never convert an unknown to zero.
Dispositions are DRAFT, READY FOR REVIEW, HOLD and ACCEPTED FOR STATED DUTY. READY FOR REVIEW means evidence has been assembled. ACCEPTED FOR STATED DUTY requires completed technical evidence and named approvals, including the robot integrator's approval of moving connections and safe states.
A Identity and handling duty
Field | Entry to complete | Evidence and disposition |
|---|---|---|
Register identity | [Record ID, revision, date, preparer] | [Owner and change reference] |
Robot and cell | [Make, model, serial, controller, cell] | [Applicable manuals and drawings] |
Tool configuration | [Tool ID, changer, manifold, jaws or cups] | [Tool drawing and revision] |
Workpiece | [Identity, mass, centre of gravity, surface] | [Product and handling requirement] |
Robot program | [Program and revision, cycle definition] | [Controller export and approval] |
Motion duty | [Path, poses, speed, acceleration, payload] | [Simulation or approved motion record] |
Handling result | [Pick, retain, transfer, place criteria] | [Quality or process acceptance] |
Attempt policy | [Attempts, retries, rejects, accepted count] | [Counter definitions and logs] |
B Pneumatic boundary and moving connections
Field | Entry to complete | Evidence and disposition |
|---|---|---|
Supply boundary | [Inlet, isolation, meter and inventory] | [Marked pneumatic drawing] |
Reference basis | [Pressure absolute, temperature K, moisture] | [Meter configuration] |
Treatment and regulation | [Components, settings, condition] | [Applicable data and inspection] |
Fixed distribution | [Pipe, valves, couplings and losses] | [Installed identity and evidence] |
Moving hoses | [Material, ID, OD, length, rating, bend] | [Supplier data and as-built route] |
Dress arrangement | [Supports, torsion, clearances, poses] | [Integrator approval reference] |
Wrist and tool coupling | [Passages, seals, ratings and venting] | [Changer or coupling documentation] |
Substitution status | [Original, proposed or installed item] | [Equivalence review and decision] |
C Tool event and cycle record
Field | Entry to complete | Evidence and disposition |
|---|---|---|
Event identity | [State, command, start, end, frequency] | [Robot and valve trace channel] |
Pneumatic function | [Grip, release, eject, blow, change] | [Tool circuit and ownership] |
Flow or volume | [Value, unit, reference basis, window] | [MEASURED, DOCUMENTED or CALCULATED] |
Dynamic pressure | [Location, minimum, timing, recovery] | [Sensor and trace evidence] |
Vacuum function | [Evacuation, hold pulses, release] | [Switch, sensor and ejector evidence] |
Valve response | [Command to pressure and position result] | [Aligned timestamps and criterion] |
Product association | [Attempt, accepted result, retry] | [Counter and workpiece evidence] |
Accounting owner | [ADD, SUBCOMPONENT ONLY or EXCLUDE] | [Reason and reviewer] |
D Safe states and loss of air
Condition | Required response to complete | Approval and evidence |
|---|---|---|
Normal stop | [Robot, tool, pressure and part state] | [Integrator sequence reference] |
Protective stop | [Retention or release, monitoring] | [Risk assessment and validation] |
Emergency stop | [Approved tool and energy response] | [Safety-function evidence] |
Loss of signal | [Valve state and mechanical outcome] | [Electrical and pneumatic design] |
Gradual pressure decay | [Detection, hold, controlled action] | [Test or analysis evidence] |
Complete air isolation | [Stored energy, venting, recovery] | [Isolation and restart procedure] |
Disconnected tool | [Residual pressure and access state] | [Tool-change and maintenance evidence] |
Open actions | [Gap, consequence, owner, closure date] | [HOLD until resolved] |
E Results and approvals
Output or decision | Entry to complete | Evidence and reviewer disposition |
|---|---|---|
Integrated cycle air | [L_ref or m3_ref over named cycles] | [Trace and inventory reconciliation] |
Air per attempt | [Value and denominator] | [Attempt policy] |
Air per accepted transfer | [Value and accepted count] | [Handling acceptance record] |
Governing event | [Peak window, duration, pressure] | [Instrument capability] |
Tool-change overhead | [Air per change and batch allocation] | [Tool-change trace] |
Moving-connection review | [Configuration and approved envelope] | [Robot integrator name, decision, date] |
Safe-state review | [Conditions tested or analysed] | [Integrator and safety decision owners] |
Overall disposition | [DRAFT, REVIEW, HOLD or ACCEPTED] | [Scope, exclusions, signatures and date] |
30 Filled illustrative register record
Robot Example R1, tool Example Vacuum Tool A and part Example Part A are labels only. Sequence A and B use the identical handling requirement defined in Worked Case A. No actual robot, supplier rating or accepted safe state is represented.
Register item | Filled illustrative value | Evidence and disposition |
|---|---|---|
Attempts and accepts | 120 attempts, 118 accepted | Fictional counter EX-COUNT-A |
Sequence A air | 546 L_ref total; 4.627 L_ref/accept | Fictional trace EX-TRACE-A |
Sequence B air | 319.2 L_ref total; 2.705 L_ref/accept | Fictional trace EX-TRACE-B |
Difference | 226.8 L_ref; 41.5 percent | Arithmetic comparison only |
Moving hose | Identity and route Unknown | HOLD for integrator approval |
Dynamic tool pressure | Unknown | HOLD for installed measurement |
Safe states | Not established | HOLD for risk and integrator review |
Overall acceptance | Not established | Method demonstration only |
31 Uncertainty and decision limits
Suppose Sequence B's fictional 319.2 L_ref total has a bounded plus or minus 3 percent volume uncertainty and the 118 accepted count is exact. The volume interval is 309.624 to 328.776 L_ref, producing 2.624 to 2.786 L_ref per accepted transfer. This is a bounded input propagation, not an automatic statistical confidence interval.
Agree the decision rule before comparing with a threshold. Timing uncertainty, missed pulses, clipped peaks, sensor position and count errors may require a different analysis. Keep numerical uncertainty separate from engineering approval. A result can be mathematically precise while the moving route or safe state remains unapproved.