Test Cycle Optimization using Regression Analysis

Abstract: Industrial robots make up an important part in today’s industry and are assigned to a range of different tasks. Needless to say, businesses need to rely on their machine park to function as planned, avoiding stops in production due to machine failures. This is where fault detection methods play a very important part. In this thesis a specific fault detection method based on signal analysis will be considered. When testing a robot for fault(s), a specific test cycle (trajectory) is executed in order to be able to compare test data from different test occasions. Furthermore, different test cycles yield different measurements to analyse, which may affect the performance of the analysis. The question posed is: Can we find an optimal test cycle so that the fault is best revealed in the test data? The goal of this thesis is to, using regression analysis, investigate how the presently executed test cycle in a specific diagnosis method relates to the faults that are monitored (in this case a so called friction fault) and decide if a different one should be recommended. The data also includes representations of two disturbances. The results from the regression show that the variation in the test quantities utilised in the diagnosis method are not explained by neither the friction fault or the test cycle. It showed that the disturbances had too large effect on the test quantities. This made it impossible to recommend a different (optimal) test cycle based on the analysis.