Robot integration in the TIA Portal

Integrated programming of automation and robots

The digital transformation is opening up new chances to reduce downtimes, cut operating costs and increase productivity. Constant growth in networking between machines and plants means additional potential can be expected from the integration of robots into the automation environment. To make efficient use of the resulting advantages, however, you need to be able to combine the programming and operation of both plant and robots. PLC experts can make this a reality using the Totally Integrated Automation Portal (TIA Portal), with no need for extra tools, in a shared development environment.

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Benefits

Integrate robots faster and easier

Robot integration in the TIA Portal makes it possible to achieve more and reduce your engineering expenses and the complexity of operations at the same time. It’s an efficient way of bringing robots and the PLC environment together.

Less effort

One engineering environment and a uniform operating philosophy for PLCs and robots reduce the time needed for engineering, commissioning and operator training. 

Potential errors

Use the extensive function libraries in the TIA Portal and make use of simulations to validate the robot program.

Lower lifecycle costs

Reduce costs thanks to vendor-independent robot programming and identical faceplates for different robot manufacturers.

Easier remote maintenance

Use all the diagnostic options offered by SIMATIC controllers for the robot cell too. You can also include the robots as part of condition monitoring at your plant.

At a glance

Robots and automation work hand in hand

The integration of robots in automation systems is playing an increasingly important role. With the TIA Portal you’ll find the programming easy and efficient.
Easy integration of 2-6-axis kinematics in SIMATIC T-CPU
Find out more about integrating robots in the TIA Portal.
In detail

Teaching and simulation of robot functions

Integrating robots into your automation environment using the TIA Portal is ideal for teaching applications like palletizing and pick-and-place. Connecting PLM software like Process Simulate to the TIA Portal also supports simulation applications like welding, gluing or sorting.

A shared engineering tool for automation systems and robots

The conventional way of integrating robots into an automation environment involves two different engineering tools, two separate operating philosophies, and communication between the plant PLC and robot controller using I/O commands. TIA Portal offers an innovative and more elegant solution: using just one engineering tool and control panel, and a predefined interface, you can create both the machine program and the robot program in a uniform environment. 

From simulation software directly into TIA Portal

With the previous standard method of having two separate controllers for robots and the automation system, path points from Process Simulate had to be loaded into the robot controller, bypassing the TIA Portal. Because the robot program can now run in the PLC, and the Openness interface of the TIA Portal is open to Process Simulate, the simulation data can be imported directly into the TIA Portal. The program code is generated there, based on the function block library. The robot program is downloaded from there onto the PLC.

Get started immediately with ready-to-use solutions

Robot integration into TIA Portal enables you to start immediately without programming in the engineering tool. After configuring the robot, simply download our application examples that control the robot thanks to ready-to-use. You can create and follow paths for the robot directly via the HMI. The robot vendor doesn’t matter for operations because we offer vendor-agnostic faceplates.

We’ll provide you with regular updates with news about the TIA Portal.

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Learn more

How will you integrate robots into your automation environment in the future?

Reduce times to market, improve flexibility and efficiency: digitalization offers both challenges and opportunities. By integrating robots into the TIA Portal, you get the chance to benefit from additional optimization potential, in addition to increasing your availability and productivity. 

We’ll provide you with regular updates with news about the TIA Portal.

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