Design and Simulation of a Robotic Fiber Laser Cutting Cell for Thin Stainless-Steel Pipe Sections : Concept Development, Safety Design, Virtual Validation and PLC Control Architecture
Nanayakkara, Kariyawasam (2026)
2026
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202604156491
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202604156491
Tiivistelmä
This thesis was conducted in response to a real production automation requirement from a medium-sized sheet metal manufacturing company in Central Finland. The objective was to develop a technically justified conceptual design for a robotic fiber laser cutting cell capable of automatically processing thin stainless-steel pipe sections with wall thicknesses ranging from 1 to 3 mm, meeting a path accuracy target of 0.08 mm or better.
The work followed a structured engineering methodology covering technology background research, concept development and evaluation, mechanical and equipment selection, safety design, digital simulation and PLC control system design. Three alternative robotic cutting concepts were evaluated against defined criteria and a synchronized dual-robot motion concept was selected as the most suitable solution. The system was designed around two Hyundai industrial robots, a 3 kW IPG Photonics fiber laser source and a fully enclosed laser-safe cell structure. Safety design was carried out in accordance with ISO 11553-1, IEC 60825-1, ISO 13849-1, and ISO 12100. The complete system was modelled and validated in Visual Components Premium 4.10, and a full state machine control program was developed in CODESYS V3.5 Patch 5 using IEC 61131-3 Structured Text.
The simulation confirmed collision-free robot trajectories, correct synchronization logic, functional safety interlocks and a production output of 700 parts per 8-hour shift. The PLC program covered 18 production states with continuous safety monitoring, layered watchdog timeout protection and a 10-code fault identification system. The conceptual design was found to be technically feasible, operationally synchronized and capable of meeting the defined production and safety requirements. Physical implementation, commissioning and cutting parameter optimization were identified as the recommended next steps.
The work followed a structured engineering methodology covering technology background research, concept development and evaluation, mechanical and equipment selection, safety design, digital simulation and PLC control system design. Three alternative robotic cutting concepts were evaluated against defined criteria and a synchronized dual-robot motion concept was selected as the most suitable solution. The system was designed around two Hyundai industrial robots, a 3 kW IPG Photonics fiber laser source and a fully enclosed laser-safe cell structure. Safety design was carried out in accordance with ISO 11553-1, IEC 60825-1, ISO 13849-1, and ISO 12100. The complete system was modelled and validated in Visual Components Premium 4.10, and a full state machine control program was developed in CODESYS V3.5 Patch 5 using IEC 61131-3 Structured Text.
The simulation confirmed collision-free robot trajectories, correct synchronization logic, functional safety interlocks and a production output of 700 parts per 8-hour shift. The PLC program covered 18 production states with continuous safety monitoring, layered watchdog timeout protection and a 10-code fault identification system. The conceptual design was found to be technically feasible, operationally synchronized and capable of meeting the defined production and safety requirements. Physical implementation, commissioning and cutting parameter optimization were identified as the recommended next steps.