IRC5 - Industrial Robot Controller

Based on more than four decades of robotics experience, the IRC5 is the robotic industry’s benchmark in robot controller technology. In addition to ABB’s unique motion control it brings flexibility, safety, modularity, application interfaces, multi-robot control and PC tool support. The IRC5 comes in different variants to provide a cost-effective and optimized solutions for every need.

Features and benefits

Fast and accurate

Based on advanced dynamic modeling, the IRC5 automatically optimizes the performance of the robot by reducing cycle times (QuickMove®) and providing precise path accuracy (TrueMove®).

Safe

It fulfills all relevant regulations and is certified by third party inspectors world wide

Compatible

It supports the majority of all state-of-the-art industrial networks for I/O.

Programmable

All ABB robot systems are programmed with RAPID™, ABB’s flexible, high-level programming language.

Reliable

Built-in diagnostic functions help ensure fast recovery and production restarts when operations are interrupted on the factory floor.

TPU4 FlexPendant for IRC5

ABB Robotics is continuously enhancing the user experience of its FlexPendant TPU (Teach Pendant Unit) and starts to deliver TPU4 for IRC5 controllers from March 2023. This fourth generation TPU is based on the design of the OmniCore FlexPendant and offers a more intuitive and efficient user interface for industrial applications.

How does ABB support customers
TPU4 comes with pre-installed software that supports the latest RobotWare versions. ABB Robotics continues to support older RobotWare versions via RobotStudio add-In.

Benefits of TPU4

Larger 8” screen and intuitive multi-touch interface with access to swipe and scroll
Faster time and touch response (capacitive instead of resistive touch

Controller software

Features

Options

SafeMove

Motion technology
QuickMove 2^nd generation	A unique self-optimizing motion control feature that keeps cycle times to a minimum by ensuring maximum acceleration at every moment. ABB robots cycle times are up to 25% shorter than competitors.
TrueMove 2^nd generation	TrueMove ensures that the motion path followed by the robot is the same as the programmed path regardless of the robot speed.
Additional axes	Up to 36 axes can be run from the control system. The robot main axes can be coordinated with external mechanical structures such as work-piece positioners and track-motion devices or gantries.
Electronically linked motors	Create robot control master/slave motor configurations to replace mechanical driving shafts in gantries or positioners.
Motion Process modes	Optimize robot behavior based on specific needs, i.e. optimize the performance of the robot for a specific application.
Motion Error Handler	Maintain RAPID execution when motion errors such as collision and singularities occur

Programming technology
Error handling	Exceptional robot behaviour is ensured through customized error handlers which can be set up to take a certain action depending on error type.

Communications technology
Robot web services	Programming interface based on HTML5 to communicate with robot from from any device, regardless of operating system.
Socket messaging	Allows for the exchange TCP/IP messages over a network for machine-to-machine communication.

Service technology
Remote Service enabled	A robot in need of maintenance will, through wireless technology, alert ABB so we can offer quick support.
Service Information System	Predicts robot service needs. It includes operating time, calendar time and advanced algorithms for calculation of gearbox services.

General technology
User-authorization system (UAS)	The data, functionality, and commands of a controller are protected by the UAS, which defines the access rights for the individual users of the robot controller.
Power failure support	If the power supply is cut off during operation, the robot restarts at the exact same position and system status as before the power failure.
Installation Manager	Installing RobotWare and adding new options has never been as hassle free and easy.
Improved jogging response	Manual robot movement, also known as jogging, is more responsive.

Motion performance
Advanced Robot Motion	Functionality for optimizing the robot’s motion control and for minimizing path deviation.
Absolute Accuracy	Makes your robot even more precisely. Perfect for off-line programming and fast replacements of robots.

Motion coordination
MultiMove™	Allows four robots to run on one controller with a compact drive module added for each additional robot. The motion of the robots can be either coordinated or independent of each other.
Conveyor tracking	Coordinates the robot motion with a conveyor line.
Machine synchronization	Adjusts the robot speed to external moving equipment (e.g. a press or a conveyor) with the help of a sensor.

Motion functions
World Zones	Defines actions when a robot enters a defined area of the working space.The zones can be used to stop the robot from entering a zone, either permanently or only when another robot is working in the zone.
Independent Axis	Makes an additional axis (linear or rotating) run independently of the other axes in the robot system.
Path Recovery	Stores all system data, when an interrupt occurs (fault message or other) and restores them after necessary actions have been taken. Useful for service interrupts.
Path Offset	Tracks the programmed robot path at a given offset distance. The robot can alternate following the path and making an offset, depending on inputs from an AI/DI or serial channel.
SoftMove	In applications where materials or tools cannot be precisely positioned, the robot can be set to Soft Servo mode, allowing the robot to act like a mechanical spring when encountering resistance from the environment.
Collision Detection	Protects equipment and robot from severe damage. It stops the robot if the motion torque values are exceeded.

Communications
OPC UA	With OPC UA, you can seamlessly transmit data from the factory floor from machine to machine (M2M), to the monitoring system (MES) or to the cloud, connecting ABB robots to other vendors’ devices, your ERP system or the cloud for truly joined up production.
FTP and NFS Client	FTP/NFS Client makes it possible to read information on a remote hard disk directly from the controller.
PC interface	PC Interface provides the communications interface between the robot and a network PC. This is useful when you want to: – Use an OPC server interface for SCADA integration. – Use RobotStudio® to interact with the controller over a network connection. Note: For local connection over the service channel, PC Interface is not required.

User interaction applications
Robotstudio App Connect	Allows for the use of standard commercially available tablets for commissioning at the shop floor as an alternative to the FlexPendant.
FlexPendant Interface	Allows users to run their own application on the FlexPendant, e.g. an operator panel. Applications are developed in Microsoft’s Visualstudio.net.

Engineering tools
Multi-tasking dialogue	Run up to 14 RAPID programs simultaneously. Use them for supervision of external equipment, operator or advanced calculations.
Continuous Application Platform	Used for designing continuous path process applications, such as arc welding applications. By using CAP, the development work is much faster and results in robust high performance applications.
Discrete Application Platform	Used for designing discrete point process applications, such as spot-welding applications. By using DAP, the development work is much faster and results in robust high performance applications.
Sensor Interface	Toolbox to integrate sensors based on serial communication.
Externally Guided Motion (EGM)	Enables external sensors and controllers to control the robot motion with very fast robot response.
Production Screen	Production Screen is a user-friendly graphical based HMI for your FlexPendant. The software is based on widgets, graphical elements that are used to execute features of your choosing.

Servo Motor Control
Servo Tool Change	Enables on-line change of tools (e.g. spot welding guns). The robot keeps track of the design data of up to 8 different tools.

Vision
Integrated Vision interface	Makes the most advanced vision tools an integral part of ABB robots. Enables a variety of applications with minimum experience and programming time.

Applications options
RobotWare-Arc	Optimizes the robot for arc welding. The positioning of the robot and the process control and monitoring are handled in one and the same instruction as well as process equipment supervision, error recovery, etc
RobotWare Spot	This option provides dedicated spot weld instructions for fast and accurate positioning combined with gun manipulation, process start and supervision of the weld equipment.
RobotWare Dispense	This option provides support for different types of dispensing processes such as gluing and sealing.
Multiprocess	Use to apply RobotWare-Arc or RobotWare-Dispense to multiple robots in a MultiMove system.
Prepared for PickMaster	PickMaster application are configurable integration of robots, vision systems and conveyors.
RobotWare Force Control	Allows the robot to be contact force controlled. Typically this is useful in assembly and machining. The option requires dedicated hardware sensors.
RobotWare Machining	This is a set of instructions, which facilitate the use of robots for machining applications.
RobotWare Cutting	A software product primarily developed for laser cutting and other similar cutting methods requiring advanced robot motion performance.
RobotWare Machine Tending	A software product for programming, installation and operation of ABB robots in machine tending and material handling applications. The software makes it easier to manage the robot and the peripheral equipment in handling applications, both for the operator as well as for the programmer.

More information

ABB IRB robot and IRC5 controller

ABB FlexArc Welding Cell

PDF

Technical data for the IRC5 controller

CAD Models

Customer story (PDF)

ABB CSi Case - Being safe saves space and money

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