07 run

7. Run on the robot

Outside the plugin, outside RoboDK. The post-processed .nc file is now ready to load on the KUKA CNC ISG 2.1 controller and run on the physical CCL-ALTAR-01 cell. This page captures the lab's pre-flight + run-time checklist.

📷 The KUKA controller display showing the loaded program and the start button highlighted.

Pre-flight checks

Before you load the program:

Check	What to verify
Clay loaded	Ram is full or topped up; no air pockets; nozzle wiped
Build plate clean	Previous skirt + part removed; surface flat and dry
Nozzle aligned	TCP matches the program's tool (T10 / T11 / T12)
Ratio pot at 1	Front-panel auger/ram ratio confirmed at 1 (the calibrated position — see Calibration)
Cell clear	No tools or fingers in the work envelope; door / fence in place
E-stop tested	Quick test of the E-stop response time

Loading the program

The lab's transfer mechanism (USB stick or shared folder) puts the .nc file onto the controller's drive. From the controller HMI:

1. Navigate to the program location.
2. Open the program — verify the filename matches what RoboDK generated (no silent renames).
3. Step through the first few lines on the HMI to confirm the post-processed output is what you expect.

📷 Controller HMI showing the program loaded, with the first few lines of G-code visible.

Dry run (recommended on every new geometry)

For any part you haven't run before, do a dry run with the extruder off first:

1. Manually set SPD to 0 on the controller (or use the lab's "extruder disable" toggle).
2. Run the program.
3. Watch the robot motion — does it match the RoboDK simulation?
4. Confirm no collision, no wrist limit hit, no unexpected reorientation.

If the dry run is clean, run again with the extruder enabled.

Real run

1. Re-enable the extruder.
2. Trigger the program from the HMI.
3. Watch the first three layers:
   • Skirt prints cleanly and adheres
   • Layer 1 of the part sits on the skirt without lifting it
   • Layer 2 bonds to layer 1 (no air gap visible from the side)
4. Once layer ~5 is down and stable, you can step away — the rest of the print typically just runs.

📷 A successful first three layers in progress on the build plate.

During the print

• Watch for wobble. If the tower starts oscillating, the speed is too high for the clay's water content. See Materials for the water% / nozzle / speed relationship.
• Watch for under-extrusion. Thin or breaking beads → SPD too low for the chosen feed rate. Re-check the SPD value vs the calibration curve.
• Watch for clay starvation. If the ram bottoms out mid-print, the part fails. Plan ram refills around layer count and known flow rate.

📷 A finished print on the build plate, ready for unmolding and drying.

Safety conventions

• The plugin always emits S1 at the end of every path (extruder off — true zero flow). Never override this manually in the .nc file.
• Slow Z plunge / retract at F600. Never increase this — fast Z motion in clay tears the layer below.
• See G-code conventions for the full list of lab-mandated post-processor outputs.

After the run

1. Note any issues in the lab log — geometry, settings, observed defects, photos.
2. If running a lab study, file the result there.
3. Document any G-code surprises (unexpected dwells, missed tool changes) for follow-up — issues with the post-processor go in Contributing.

End of pipeline.