Lingchen PLC powers Spider Mobile Robot

In automated production lines in industries such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and precision components, the demand for flexibility and high precision in the feeding process is increasingly prominent. Traditional feeding equipment is bulky and slow to respond, making it difficult to adapt to narrow production line spaces and high-tempo production requirements.

Lingchen Technology has launched a flexible feeding solution for Spider Hand (Delta Robot) with Lingchen compact PLC as the core controller. The robotic arm features a compact structure and small size, allowing it to be integrated into narrow production line spaces. With extremely fast motion response, it can accurately grasp tiny workpieces and is suitable for high-precision assembly scenarios, helping enterprises achieve efficient, stable, and flexible automated feeding.

1. Customer needs and core technological challenges

Core customer needs

·Production efficiency: The takt time for the next process in the customer's specified path is required to reach 1 second per piece

·Movement speed: The uniform speed at the end must reach 2 m/s to ensure the feeding cycle time

·Positioning accuracy: The repeatability of positioning accuracy should reach ±0.03mm, meeting the requirements of high-precision assembly

·Space adaptability: Compact structure, capable of being integrated into narrow production line spaces

·Smooth operation: smooth speed, optimized instructions, avoiding shock and vibration

Technical implementation difficulties

Spider-like mobile robots must maintain high-precision positioning while moving at high speeds, posing extreme demands on the control system in terms of trajectory planning, speed smoothing, and hardware accuracy. At the same time, they need to work in coordination with peripheral devices such as vision systems, flexible vibration plates, and material bins to ensure seamless material feeding processes.

2. Robot mechanical structure and kinematic model

Mechanical structure analysis

The Delta robot consists of three fixed links, three sets of movable links, and a worktable. All movements of the movable links are rotational movements.
Core parameters of mechanical structure:

Fixed connecting rod: The length from the base to the connection point of each movable connecting rod is equal and fixed, allowing only rotation and not movement

Active linkage arm: Each set of arms connecting the workbench to the fixed linkage has equal length and possesses three degrees of freedom, allowing rotational movements around the X, Y, and Z axes

Three sets of active connecting rods: defined as A0, A1, and A2, each set consisting of two connecting rods with equal spacing length

Kinematics model configuration

Establish a mechanical coordinate system (MCS) and determine the zero point: When the three active link arms are horizontal, the center position of their workbench serves as the zero point of the coordinate system.

Configuration of structural parameters:

dArmLength1: 200

dArmLength2: 300

dArm1Radius: 112

dStewartRadius: 53

dDistance: 41

dMaxAngleBallJoint: 41

Axis parameter configuration:

A1 is mapped to Axis0

A2 is mapped to Axis1

The Z axis is mapped to Axis2

Configure shaft parameters based on the actual rotation ratio

The Lingchen bus PLC integrates the Delta robot kinematics algorithm, enabling real-time calculation and precise control of the end-effector trajectory through the aforementioned parameter configuration.

3. Lingchen Solutions

hardware configuration

This solution utilizes the full suite of automation products from Lingchen Technology:

·Main controller: Lingchen compact PLC, supporting high-speed motion control and EtherCAT communication

·Servo drive: Lingchen series servo driver, compatible with all axes of Delta robots

·Vision system: Cooperate with flexible vibration disc to achieve workpiece positioning and recognition

·Human-machine interface: Lingchen HMI, enabling parameter setting, status monitoring, and alarm prompting

Self-developed HMI teaching pendant

The HMI teaching pendant independently developed by Lingchen Technology provides a convenient on-site debugging and operation experience for the Spider Hand:

Demonstration function support:

Supports switching between joint coordinates and Cartesian coordinates to accommodate different debugging habits

Supports speed scaling, facilitating safety verification during the debugging phase

Supports joint coordinate and Cartesian coordinate teaching, allowing point-to-point teaching for A0, A1, A2, and Z axes, enabling rapid establishment of robot operating trajectories

Self-developed pseudo-code editor:

Support instruction insertion and parameter writing

Support basic operations such as creating new, loading/saving, and editing

Support simple process control and program reset

Support location modification and editing functions

Support the calibration function for subsequent development tool coordinate systems and user coordinate systems (currently under development)

Through the teaching pendant and pseudo-code editor, operators can complete robot trajectory teaching and process editing without requiring a professional programming background, significantly reducing the threshold and time cost of on-site debugging.

Core technology implementation

① High-speed motion control, with a terminal speed of up to 2m/s

Lingchen PLC optimizes the command speed and trajectory planning algorithm to achieve a terminal speed of 2 m/s for the Delta robot, while ensuring smooth and impact-free movement, meeting the efficient takt time of 1 second per piece.

② High-precision positioning, with a repeatability of ±0.03mm

By combining a high-resolution encoder with a precise motion control algorithm, the robot achieves a repeatable positioning accuracy of ±0.03mm, enabling it to stably grasp tiny workpieces such as chips, micro connectors, and precision gears, making it suitable for high-precision assembly scenarios.

③ Compact structure, suitable for narrow spaces

The robotic arm body is designed to be compact and small in size, allowing it to be easily integrated into existing production lines or narrow equipment gaps without requiring significant modifications to the production line layout.

④ Visual guidance + flexible vibration disc coordination

PLC communicates with the vision system in real-time, and the flexible vibration disc disperses the workpieces into appropriate orientations. After the vision system recognizes the coordinates, the PLC controls the spider hand to quickly grab and place the workpieces into the target position, achieving fully automated flexible feeding.

⑤ Speed smoothing and command optimization

For high-speed start-stop scenarios, the PLC incorporates a built-in speed planning algorithm that automatically optimizes the acceleration and deceleration curves, preventing robot jitter and ensuring stable grasping and releasing.

⑥ Flexible configuration of kinematic parameters

Through the HMI interface, kinematic parameters such as dArmLength, dArm1Radius, and dStewartRadius can be adjusted in real-time, quickly adapting to different specifications of Delta robot bodies and shortening the on-site debugging cycle.

 

Performance indicators are met

After on-site testing and verification, this solution has demonstrated excellent performance in various performance indicators:

·Production efficiency: The takt time under the customer-specified path consistently reaches 1 second per piece

·Uniform velocity at the end: up to 2 m/s, meeting the demand for high-speed feeding

·Repeatable positioning accuracy: ±0.03mm, enabling precise grasping of tiny workpieces

·Motion smoothness: smooth speed, no impact, stable equipment operation

·Space adaptability: Compact structure, suitable for narrow production lines

Kinematic parameters: dArmLength1/2, dArm1Radius, dStewartRadius, etc., can be flexibly configured to accommodate various Delta models

4.Highlights of the plan and customer value

Highlights of technological innovation

·High speed and high precision: 2m/s tip speed + ±0.03mm repeatability, balancing efficiency and quality

·Compact design: Small size, allowing integration without significant modification to the production line

·Flexible feeding: With the integration of vision technology and flexible vibration feeders, it can adapt to various workpiece shapes

·Speed smoothing optimization: Reduce mechanical shock and extend equipment lifespan

·Bus communication: EtherCAT high-speed communication ensures real-time synchronization across multiple axes

Value created for customers

·Enhance production capacity: With a high-speed takt time of 1 second per piece, the feeding efficiency is significantly improved

·Quality assurance: ±0.03mm high precision, reducing the rate of incorrect grasping and workpiece damage

·Space-saving: Compact structure, suitable for old production lines or narrow workstations

Reduce debugging difficulty: Visual HMI and rapid calibration tools to shorten delivery cycle

·High cost-effectiveness: Lingchen's solution boasts a short cycle, significant price advantage, and efficient service response

summary

As the core execution unit for flexible feeding, the Spider Hand (Delta Robot) directly impacts the efficiency of the entire production line and the quality of the products through its speed and precision. Lingchen Technology, with Lingchen PLC at its core, has successfully enhanced the robot's end-effector speed to 2 m/s, maintained a repeatable positioning accuracy within ±0.03mm, and achieved a stable cycle time of 1 second per piece, thanks to technological innovations such as high-speed motion control, precise algorithm optimization, and visual coordination.

This solution boasts a compact structure and extremely fast response, making it widely applicable to flexible feeding scenarios in industries such as electronic assembly, medical devices, and precision components. It aids enterprises in achieving high-precision and high-efficiency automation upgrades.

About Us

Established in 2006, Suzhou Lingchen Data Acquisition & Computer Co., Ltd. operates under a business philosophy centered on creating value for clients and fostering win-win partnerships. The company provides customers with core components and system solutions for a wide range of automation equipment, including industrial computers, motion control systems, test and measurement instruments, machine vision systems, and robotics. Currently, Lingchen oversees two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Suzhou Xun'ya Automation Technology Co., Ltd. and T.O.K. Robotics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., which specialize in the sales of robotic systems and the R&D, manufacturing, and sales of linear motion products, respectively.

Product System Network

Within the hierarchical structure of automated control networks, Lingchen Technology offers a comprehensive range of products spanning the device, control, and information layers.

01  Industrial Computers

Lingchen Industrial Chassis provides comprehensive physical protection for critical computing cores through its industrial-grade robust structure, exceptional thermal management, and dust-proof design, ensuring enduring and stable operation even in harsh industrial environments characterized by vibration, dust, and extreme temperatures.

02 Embedded Industrial PC

Lingchen Embedded Industrial PCs feature a compact and rugged industrial design, integrating high-performance computing, extensive I/O interfaces, and broad tolerance for wide temperature and voltage ranges. Specifically engineered for embedded applications—such as machine vision, edge computing, and automation equipment—these systems provide a stable and reliable intelligent core within limited spaces, empowering smart manufacturing and IoT applications.

03 Motion Control Card

The Lingchen motion control card is capable of controlling up to 32 motion axes and simultaneously supports the control of up to 512 DI points and 512 DO points, with a maximum bus communication cycle of 250 µs. In terms of motion control, it supports functions such as single-axis relative motion, absolute motion, jogging, and drive-based homing; multi-axis interpolation; multi-axis point table motion; and electronic gearing.

04 LMC Series Motion Controllers

The Lingchen LMC series motion controllers are designed around an open, hard real-time kernel (with jitter < ±0.3 µs). This design thoroughly resolves the non-real-time limitations inherent in traditional Windows-based platforms, ensuring both determinism and instantaneous response for multi-axis commands. Installation is remarkably simple, requiring only a single Ethernet cable for connection; furthermore, utilizing highly efficient asynchronous communication technology, the system enables the synchronized issuance and control of motion commands for up to 12 axes within just 1 millisecond.

05 NAC Series High-Performance Motion Controllers

At the core of the Lingchen NAC controller lies a powerful bus expansion capability, supporting four EtherCAT masters to enable the precise control of 256 axes per station—totaling 4,096 I/O channels. Its motion control capabilities are both comprehensive and robust: beyond standard point-to-point, linear, and circular interpolation, it features advanced functions such as 5-axis interpolation, spline-based trajectory smoothing, and dynamic coordinate systems. Furthermore, it integrates vibration suppression, "soft landing" capabilities, and high-precision position comparison outputs; combined with eight independent interpolation groups and continuous interpolation functionality, it effectively meets the demands of complex trajectories and high-speed synchronization. The development environment is open and flexible, supporting multiple programming languages—including C++, C#, and Python—and allows for direct programming within the real-time operating system, thereby significantly enhancing integration and debugging efficiency.

06 PLC Motion Controller

Lingchen PLC controllers strictly adhere to PLCopen specifications and the IEC 61131-3 international standard, combining high performance, a compact footprint, and a modular design to facilitate easy development and flexible deployment. Widely applicable to automation equipment and production line systems across sectors such as 3C electronics, lithium-ion batteries, packaging, and printing, these controllers can also be extended to serve as network communication nodes within integrated production lines for logistics, automotive, and consumer goods industries. By meeting requirements for internal/external network isolation, high-speed bus communication, and real-time data processing, they provide a stable and reliable control core for a diverse range of industrial environments.

07 Industrial Network Cards

Lingchen industrial network cards are specifically engineered for harsh industrial environments, featuring 10/100/1000Mbps auto-negotiation capabilities to deliver stable and reliable high-speed network connectivity. Characterized by robust anti-interference, surge protection, and wide-temperature operation, these cards are widely deployed in critical applications such as motion control, machine vision, and automation systems. The products feature a flexible installation design—including a standard full-height bracket and an optional half-height bracket—enabling seamless integration into a wide range of smart manufacturing equipment and industrial networks.

08 IO Module

Lingchen Technology offers a comprehensive range of I/O module solutions, designed to meet the diverse requirements of industrial automation flexibly.

LC/LD Series Expandable I/O Modules: Supporting multiple protocols—including EtherCAT, Profinet, Ethernet/IP, and Modbus TCP—these modules allow for the flexible expansion of data acquisition capabilities covering digital signals, analog signals, temperature, pressure, and pulses. They are widely applied across sectors such as 3C electronics, lithium-ion batteries, semiconductors, automotive manufacturing, and medical equipment.

MINI Series I/O Modules: Characterized by their compact size and high real-time performance, this series encompasses digital I/O, analog I/O, temperature modules, and communication modules. They are ideally suited for control and data acquisition scenarios where space constraints and real-time responsiveness are critical requirements.

GWS Series Cabinet-Free I/O Modules: Featuring exceptional stability and convenient network cabling capabilities, these modules are designed for distributed system layouts, enabling significant reductions in both system integration time and costs.

Our entire product portfolio is dedicated to providing users with reliable, easy-to-integrate, and adaptable I/O module support for a wide variety of application scenarios.