The challenge with robotic dispensing applications that require a high level of precision - the “Tool Center Point (TCP)” of the robot will change every time the syringe or tip is changed. This can result in translations that will affect the reliability and repeatability of your automated process. The TCP Calibration Station automates the recalibration process, so that an accurate TCP can be automatically redefined within seconds either from a running program or triggered manually by the operator.
The TCP calibration station relies on the principle that a well created TCP will be used to define all the station planes to be used in the application including the calibration plane of the TCP calibration station.
After a tip change, the TCP could be manually recalibrated by moving the tip visually to the origin of the calibration plane and changing the TCP position offsets so that the position of the robot relative to the plane is all zeros.
This is what the TCP calibration routine automates by first measuring the offsets of the original TCP to the sensor limits with the original tip and then creating a new TCP after a tip change so that the offsets of the new TCP cancel out any translation that has occurred as the result of the different tip.
