System and method for aligning and for controlling the position of a robot tool

1. A method for alignment, position and orientation monitoring of a robot tool, wherein the alignment of the robot tool is determined, is compared with a reference direction and with tolerance values which are predetermined by a tolerance band, and the robot tool is at least one of disconnected and deactivated on leaving the at least one tolerance band, automatically by measured-value recording and processing units and taking account of at least one predeterminable reference direction of the robot tool, and at least one predeterminable tolerance angle, which defines the tolerance band around the at least one reference direction of the robot tool, wherein at least two reference directions are predetermined, each having a tolerance angle, with the respective robot tool being disconnected even on leaving and/or exceeding just one tolerance band which is defined by a tolerance angle.

2. A method for alignment, position and orientation monitoring of a robot tool, wherein the alignment of the robot tool is determined, is compared with a reference direction and with tolerance values which are predetermined by a tolerance band, and the robot tool is at least one of disconnected and deactivated on leaving the at least one tolerance band, automatically by measured-value recording and processing units and taking account of at least one predeterminable reference direction of the robot tool, and at least one predeterminable tolerance angle, which defines the tolerance band around the at least one reference direction of the robot tool, wherein a working area of the robot is subdivided into at least two working area elements each having at least one reference direction with a tolerance angle, with a plurality of locally distributed, different reference directions and/or tolerance angles then being taken into account.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein various required tool orientations and/or alignments and/or positions are associated with the respective working area elements of the robot.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the tool alignment and/or position and orientation are/is quoted in quaternions.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the appropriate or suitable reference directions and/or references and/or tolerances are selected automatically as a function of the position of the robot and/or of the robot tool in relation to the respective working area element, and therefore as a function of the position and/or on a position-resolved basis.

6. A system for alignment, position and orientation monitoring of a robot tool, with a monitoring device being provided which has a recording unit and a processing unit, interacts with a checking device of the robot and automatically determines the alignment of the robot tool by the recording unit, taking into account at least one predeterminable reference direction of the robot tool and at least one predeterminable tolerance angle which defines a tolerance band around the at least one reference direction of the robot tool and the processing unit compares the determined alignment with the predeterminable reference direction and/or with tolerance values predetermined by the defined tolerance band, and/or, in conjunction with the checking device of the robot, at least one of disconnects and deactivates the robot tool on leaving the at least one tolerance band;

wherein at least two reference directions are predetermined, each having a tolerance angle, with the respective robot tool being disconnected by the monitoring device on at least one of leaving and/or exceeding just one tolerance band which is defined by a tolerance angle.

7. A system for alignment, position and orientation monitoring of a robot tool, with a monitoring device being provided which has a recording unit and a processing unit, interacts with a checking device of the robot and automatically determines the alignment of the robot tool by the recording unit, taking into account at least one predeterminable reference direction of the robot tool and at least one predeterminable tolerance angle which defines a tolerance band around the at least one reference direction of the robot tool and the processing unit compares the determined alignment with the predeterminable reference direction and/or with the tolerance values predetermined by the defined tolerance band, and/or, in conjunction with the checking device of the robot, at least one of disconnects and deactivates the robot tool on leaving the at least one tolerance band;

wherein the monitoring device subdivides a working area of the robot, depending on a requirement, into at least two working area elements each having at least one reference direction with a tolerance angle, with a plurality of locally distributed, different reference directions and/or tolerance angles then being taken into account.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein various required tool orientations and/or alignments and/or positions are associated with the respective working area elements of the robot.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the monitoring device automatically selects the appropriate or suitable reference directions and/or references and/or tolerances as a function of the position of the robot and/or of the robot tool in relation to the respective working area element, and therefore as a function of the position and/or on a position-resolved basis.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein an input apparatus is provided in order to record and/or vary reference and/or tolerance values.