Zero Position Program

Zero Position
Program

This document contains information proprietary to its author, or one of its affiliates, and is intended solely for the use of the individual or
entity to whom addressed and shall be maintained in confidence and not disclosed to third parties without the written consent of this
documents author. Any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or copying of this document is strictly prohibited. January 2014
 Zero Position Program

A Zero Position Program has 2 functions:

a. to check robot calibration (mastering).
b. to assist in teaching a tool center point.

It must be the first taught program and be run after receiving the robot.

Write-protect this program for future use.

If points in a production program appear to have shifted for no

apparent reason, you must run the zero program to verify calibration.
 Zero Position Program

How to Create
A Zero Position
Program
 Zero Position Program

To create a Zero Position Program:

a.

c.
c.

b.

a. Move the cursor over the Point number

b. Press F5-POSITION
c. This screen appears
 Zero Position Program

To create a Zero Position Program - Continued

e.

d. f.

d. Press F5-REPRE and choose JOINT. All values will be in degrees.

e. Move cursor over the J1 value. Type in 0 & press ENTER.
f. When 0 was Entered for J1 thru J6, press F4-DONE.
 Zero Position Program

To create a Zero Position Program - Continued

g.

h.

g. Move the cursor over the Line number: 1

h. Hold down the SHIFT key and press F5-TOUCHUP
 Zero Position Program

i. The robot will move to its Zero Position (above).

j. Check to see if all Witness Marks are aligned.
 Zero Position Program

Witness Mark
Locations
 Zero Position Program

Witness marks, or scribed marks, exist for each axis of the robot. Sometimes,
especially on older robots, these witness marks are difficult to see.

To help locate and see the witness marks, place a small dot on either side of them.

If the witness mark is on a yellow painted surface, mark if with a black Sharpie
marker. If on a black surface, mark with a white paint marker.
 Zero Position Program

ARC Mate 50iC/5L Witness Marks

 Zero Position Program

ARC Mate 50iC/5L Witness Marks

 Zero Position Program

ARC Mate 100iC & 100iC/6L Witness Marks

 Zero Position Program

ARC Mate 100iC & 100iC/6L Witness Marks

 Zero Position Program

ARC Mate 100iC & 100iC/6L Witness Marks

 Zero Position Program

ARC Mate 120iC & 120iC/10L Witness Marks

 Zero Position Program

ARC Mate 120iC & 120iC/10L Witness Marks

 Zero Position Program

M-710iC/20L Witness Marks

 Zero Position Program

Zero Position
Program
Lab
 Zero Position Program

Lab Exercise 15 – Zero Position Program

1. A zero program has 2 functions: to check robot calibration (mastering) and to

assist in teaching a tool center point. It must be the first taught program and be
run after receiving the robot.

2. Write-protect this program for future use. If points in a production program appear
to have shifted for no apparent reason, you must run the zero program to verify
calibration. More than likely, the problem will turn out to be a wire feed-path
problem, often allowed to develop without the cell operator being aware of it.

3. This exercise will reteach a point position to a new location without having to jog
the robot. Therefore, caution must always be used when manipulating data in the
P[*] portion of a line of programming. One could unknowingly reteach a point if
he were not exactly sure what he was doing in this column, with the end result
being a crash.
 Zero Position Program

4. Calibration marks or scribe marks will be observed for correct line-up. They are etched into
the arm at 6 locations, see drawing. It is recommended that these be “high-lighted” in
order to enable better detection and viewing.
 Zero Position Program

Teach the Teach Pendant Program

1. Power-up robot if necessary, turn teach pendant on.

2. A TPP called ZERO already exists, so create new program titled Z.

3. Record a point where the robot is currently positioned. Edit line to appear as:
1: J P[1] 100% CNT100

4. Cursor to the right onto the P[1]. Press [F5 POSITION] key, then press [F5
REPRES] key. Cursor to ‘Joint’, press Enter key. The screen will appear similar
to below, displaying the current position of all 6 axis in degrees.
 Zero Position Program

5. With cursor on first axis, keypad in 0, then press ENTER. Repeat with the remaining
5 axis; all 6 axis becoming 0°.

6. The point has now been retaught to a new position without moving the robot to do so.

7. Press [F4-DONE] key, then move cursor back to the step number 1 column.

8. Run the program by pressing [SHIFT]+[FWD], robot will move to newly taught
position.

9. If robot is calibrated correctly, the arm will go to a position where all 6 pairs of
calibration marks will up in a straight line.
 Zero Position Program

Zero Position
Program
Quiz
 Zero Position Program

Quiz: Weaving
True or False
1. Before the robot ships from the factory, the Zero Position Program is created.

2. Each axis of the robot has witness marks or scribed marks for each axis.

3. Zero Position Program is used to verify that a robot is mastered and calibrated
correctly.

4. In order to better see and locate the scribe marks, they Sharpie marker and white
paint markers are used to put marks next to them.

5. The Zero Position Program should be write protected.

 Zero Position Program

Zero Position
Program
END

This document contains information proprietary to its author, or one of its affiliates, and is intended solely for the use of the individual or
entity to whom addressed and shall be maintained in confidence and not disclosed to third parties without the written consent of this
documents author. Any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or copying of this document is strictly prohibited.