Neptune Labs

  • The 6-Degree Drift: Solving User Frame Misalignment in Fanuc

    We have all been there. You have a perfectly programmed path in CAD, but once you move to the factory floor, things go sideways—literally. You command the robot to move in a straight line along the edge of a fixture, but instead of a clean path, the tool travels diagonally across the part. If you…

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  • Beyond X, Y, Z: The Essential Guide to Robot Configuration Flags

    If you are new to industrial robotics, you likely believe that a robot’s position is defined solely by its coordinates: the $X, Y, Z$ position, the orientation ($W, P, R$), and the tool offset. However, if you’ve ever watched a FANUC robot suddenly “jerk” or perform a massive, sweeping motion while moving between two seemingly…

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  • Mastering Pointers in CODESYS: A Guide to Efficient PLC Programming

    In the world of IEC 61131-3 programming—specifically within the CODESYS environment—pointers are often viewed with a mix of curiosity and fear. To the uninitiated, they seem like a recipe for a system crash. However, when used correctly, pointers are one of the most powerful tools in a programmer’s arsenal for optimizing performance and managing complex…

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  • The Bearing Decoder

    How to Read Bearing Numbers (And Why You Can’t Use Math) Have you ever been mid-project, realized you need a larger bearing, and thought: “If a 608 bearing has an 8mm hole, then a 12mm version must be a 6012?” Stop right there. If you try to use math to calculate bearing sizes, you are…

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  • Fanuc Home Programs

    This article will go through a simple way to get a robot out of a location after a crash or emergency stop situation. This requires the programmer to think about how the robot will escape the locations it may be in during its normal operations and some considerations for what the robot should do if…

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  • Productivity PLCs Update

    Productivity PLC’s just received a massive upgrade in functionality! They can now do function blocks or what Allen Bradley calls add on instructions(AOI). It looks and functions very similarly to how AOI’s work. A very simple example of this is say I have three stack lights over three different rooms and I want the lights…

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  • Using Offsets with Fanuc Robots

    I just wanted to take some time to write down the process that I have found works best for me in doing offsets in my robot programs using Fanuc robots. To start off I use PR 90 as my temp value PR which is where I will store my offset values. I will then use…

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  • Calculating Moments

    A moment on a lever arm is just another word for torque — the rotational equivalent of force acting on a bar or pivoted arm. To calculate moments, we add up all the torques and use the principle of rotational equilibrium to determine unknown forces. In static systems, the sum of clockwise moments equals the sum of…

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  • Calculating Beam Deflection

    When working with robots and long end-of-arm tools, it’s essential to understand how much the tool will deflect under load. Excessive deflection can cause positioning errors, stress on joints, or tool misalignment. For cantilevered structures (like a tool extending from a robot arm), we use the following formula for beam deflection: 📐 Cantilever Beam Deflection Formula δ=(PL^3)/(3EI)…

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  • Drawing Templates

    Starting with the right drawing template is essential for maintaining consistency, clarity, and efficiency in your documentation. A solid foundation can save time and prevent errors down the line—especially in a collaborative engineering environment. Below, I’ve linked downloadable SolidWorks drawing templates for both the first sheet and second sheet formatted for legal size paper (8.5…

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  • Efficient Part Nesting with Deepnest.io

    If you’re working with subtractive manufacturing processes like laser cutting, CNC routing, or vinyl cutting, nesting your parts efficiently is critical for minimizing material waste and reducing machine time. One of the best tools I’ve found for this purpose is Deepnest.io, a free and open-source nesting application that works on both Windows and macOS. What…

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