Palletizing Builder in Simulation

Please read our Legal Disclaimer before executing any steps on this article. 

Palletizing Builder is part of DENSO’s Wincaps Plus software. It allows you to generate the positions on your pallet for both palletizing and de-palletizing operations. It allows you to specify your box sizes, pallet type, pallet size, and box arrangement. In addition to creating the pallet positions, it can also determine if the robot can reach all the positions as well as create a work offset that the robot can use to reach the positions on the pallet.

We will use Wincaps III software to create the simulation of the robot and the pallet to view the motion.

In order to create a palletizing operation, you must know the layout of the robot relative to the pallet. We can use this example below.

The origin of the pallet is located on the specified corner in the above image. In this case, this pallet is located 150 mm in X and -50 mm in Y relative to the base coordinate system. You will need to specify this corner to one of the WORK coordinate systems. For this example, we will use WORK 1.

Here is an image of the Palletizing Builder software. There is no current project open.

Create a new project by clicking FILE > NEW PROJECT

A window will pop up requiring you to name your project.

Once you create your project you see 3 items under the Project Explorer. These are essentially the 3 steps needed to create the positions on the pallet.

The first step is Boxes. This step allows you to select the specifications of your box such as its dimensions and weight. Press OK once you finish inputting your box specifications.

The next step is Pallets. This step allows you to choose a pallet type, if you have a specific type you are using, as well as the pallet dimensions, weight, and color.

Press OK once you have finished inputting the pallet specifications.

The next step is Analyses. This step allows you to determine the layout of the pallet and put in constraints for how you want the pallet to be setup.

If you created multiple boxes or pallets, you can select which box and pallet you want to use for the analysis. You can also select the box orientation and select the maximum height, weight, and number of boxes. You can also click the overhang and space tabs to specify if you want overhang on the pallet or require specific spacing between the boxes. Once you set all these values, you can select one of the generated patterns. Once you select the pattern, you can edit it as needed or click Next to proceed.

The above image is the layout edit of the pallet. Clicking and dragging the red arrows to shift and rotate the boxes.

After clicking Next from the Analyses step, you will get a generated layout of the boxes on the pallet. You will also see how the boxes are stacked based on the maximum height, weight, and number of boxes.

If the layout looks good, the next step is to calculate the positions. Click the icon noted in the image below.

The above image pops up after clicking the Export to Robot Controller button. Select the Wincaps III project and click choose file and select the Wincaps III project you want to use for simulation.

Click Next to continue.

This screen will ask if you want to Pallet or Depalletize. You can also specify the figure set for each calculated position as well as the starting position variable for the generated points. For instance, if this start position is set to 10 and there are 20 positions, than the software will write to positions P10 to P29. Be careful not to overwrite positions being used by other programs.

The middle section of this menu shows the pallet origin based on the specified WORK coordinate system from the Wincaps III project. It will also display the selected TOOL coordinate and allow you to specify the approach length to check the motion range.

Selecting the Check the motion range options will allow the software to check the motion range of the robot relative to the points calculated. Clicking Start will start to calculate the positions. If the robot cannot reach a certain position, it will let you know it cannot reach.

If you selected the Search the pallet position option, the software will generate a WORK coordinate system where the robot can reach and store that in the specified New Pallet Origin (WORK).

Clicking Yes will transfer the positions and WORK coordinate to Wincaps III.

From here, you can go into Wincaps3 and create a program to move the robot to all the positions on the pallet.