Dynamic and Friction Parameters of an Industrial Robot: Identification, Comparison and Repetitiveness Analysis

This paper describes the results of dynamic tests performed to study the robustness of a dynamics model of an industrial manipulator. The tests show that the joint friction changes during the robot operation. The variation can be identified in a double exponential law and thus the variation can be predicted. The variation is due to the heat generated by the friction. A model is used to estimate the temperature and related friction variation. Experimental data collected on two robots EFORT ER3A-C60 are presented and discussed. Repetitive tests performed on different days showed that the inertial and friction parameters can be robustly estimated and that the value of the measured joint friction can be used to estimate the unexpected conditions of the joints. Future applications may include sensorless identification of collisions, predictive maintenance programs, or human-robot interaction.