Mastering & calibration
Mastering After a Collision
For a technician restoring accurate positioning after the robot has struck a fixture, part, or other object hard enough to shift its mechanical position. Inspect first, then choose the remastering scope that matches what moved.
- Step 1.
Inspect for mechanical damage first
Check gearboxes, timing belts, and structural components for damage before considering mastering at all. Assessing a possibly damaged arm is a qualified-technician job.
Caution: Lock out and tag out before opening covers. Support the arm on a solid support before releasing any brake; a collision can damage a brake and the arm can fall.
- Step 2.
Review the alarm log around the collision time
Identify which axes reported overtravel, servo, or mastering alarms during the event.
- Step 3.
Attempt a reference-point check
If a known program point is still accessible safely, jog to it at low speed and note how far off the position is.
- Step 4.
Decide on remastering scope
A small offset on one axis after motor or pulsecoder work typically calls for single-axis mastering. If quick mastering is available and the reference is still valid, that is often the fastest recovery. Zero-position mastering (jogging to the witness marks) is an emergency measure only.
- Step 5.
Perform the chosen mastering
Run the selected method from System, Master/Cal. Zero-position mastering aligns axes to the visual zero-degree witness marks and is explicitly less accurate than other mastering types.
Caution: Do not treat zero-position mastering as high-accuracy. Use it only when no better reference is available.
- Step 6.
Calibrate and power-cycle
Run CALIBRATE, then restart the controller so the new mastering takes effect.
- Step 7.
Verify across the envelope
Check multiple known points across the work envelope at low speed, not just one.
- Step 8.
Re-teach affected program points if necessary
If positions remain off after remastering, the fixture or part itself may have shifted and points may need re-teaching.
- Step 9.
Document the incident and back up mastering
Log the collision and the corrective mastering performed. On the pendant, go to File, press F4 BACKUP, and save System files. SYSMAST.SV holds the mastering data.
Common questions
- How long does Mastering After a Collision take?
- Mastering After a Collision is rated Advanced and takes about 60 minutes across 9 steps.
- What tools do I need?
- You will need Teach pendant, Dial indicator (recommended), Mechanical support for any gravity loaded axis.
- What should I do before starting?
- Robot has been inspected for mechanical damage and cleared for further work.. Affected axes have been identified from alarms and observation..
- What is the first step?
- Inspect for mechanical damage first. Check gearboxes, timing belts, and structural components for damage before considering mastering at all. Assessing a possibly damaged arm is a qualified-technician job.