Stäubli Integrates Siemens PLC and Robot Programming on the TIA Platform
Stäubli robotics can now be implemented on the Siemens TIA platform through a PLC communication interface software package from Stäubli.
Stäubli, a robotics and mechatronics automation solution supplier, announced its plug-and-play software solution allowing their robots to be programmed quickly and integrated into automation solutions via the widely used Siemens TIA portal.
What is the Siemens TIA Portal?
The Siemens TIA (Totally Integrated Automation) portal is a framework that supports a flexible, faster, productive approach to automation. It has been designed to benefit machine builders, system integrators, and plant operators as they work together to automate and digitize at the enterprise level through digital workflow, transparent operation, and integrated engineering.
uniVAL pi is a PLC interpreter that helps develop automation solutions using Stäubli robots. Image used courtesy of Stäubli
Key industrial automation features available through the TIA portal include scalable automation simulation, open systems with data consistency across tool boundaries, and cloud solutions. Additional software critical to industrial automation available through the Siemens TIA Portal includes the following.
- SIMATIC STEP 7 for PLC programming
- SIMATIC WinCC for visualization
- SINAMICS Startdrive for drive parameterization
- SIMOCODE ES
- SIMOTION SCOUT TIA
- TIA Portal Multiuser Engineering
- SIMATIC Energy Suite
- Stäubli uniVAL pi
uniVAL pi is the Stäubli interpreter interface designed for the Siemens Simatic Robot Library. It allows users to easily integrate and program Stäubli robots in the Siemens TIA portal via a fully developed communication interface between Siemens PLC (programmable logic controller) and the robots.
The Simatic Robot Library works with uniVAL pi to combine the functionality of Stäubli robots with Simatic tools. Image used courtesy of Stäubli
Stäubli’s uniVAL pi is a plug-and-play solution allowing users to start immediately, claiming to save up to 30% programming time by further eliminating the need for coordination between robot programmers and the PLC programming, as in traditional robotic cell integration projects. In addition, it provides a single backup point to reduce issues with data split between the controller and the PLC.
Stäubli’s uniVAL pi also supports seamless integration into any production environment, regardless of its complexity. Because of its simple integration with the Simatic Robot Library, a complete set of motion function blocks do not require high-level, manufacturer-specific language. In addition, all Stäubli kinematics can be ordered with the uniVAL pi option.
Stäubli uniVAL pi and the Siemens TIA Portal
Combining the Siemens TIA Portal with the ability to easily program Stäubli robots through the uniVAL pi interface makes developing, simulating, and integrating automated solutions implementing Stäubli technology easier.
The Stäubli uniVAL pi and the Stäubli robots it empowers can be utilized in various industries and applications, including automotive manufacturing, healthcare, semiconductor cleanrooms, plastics processing, photovoltaics, mining, and metalworking.
One of the challenging issues in industrial automation involves using solutions from multiple manufacturers, an issue which the Stäubli uniVAL pi software package seeks to address through its plug-and-play PLC interpreter interface.
