Methodology for remanufacturing of industrial robotic manipulators using open control architecture

Currently, an increasing number of robotic manipulators are discarded on the factory floor, because they are classified as unserviceable equipment, while still being able to be re-used. This problem occurs due to the fact that robot manufacturers use fully closed architecture control to their hardware and software systems. Thus, there is no interchangeability between the control cabinets and the programming languages used to generate kinematics, which make the repairs, modifications and implementations to system more expensive, due to these processes being dependent of each manufacturer. Therefore this paper proposes a methodology for the implementation of remanufacturing industrial robotic manipulators. In this methodology electronic components and electromechanical robot original can be re-used and its control systems are adapted to new technologies, using a fully open control architecture. Thus, the hardware devices are interchangeable with other processes and the programming language is not proprietary and can be modified or replaced by another.