Tool Centre Point (TCP)

The tool centre point (TCP) is the reference point defined on a robot's tool, such as a welding wire tip or the centre of a gripper, whose position and orientation the controller uses when programming and executing motions.

The TCP is defined as an offset and orientation from the robot's mounting flange. When the robot moves linearly or reorients the tool, it does so about the TCP, and programmed positions record where the TCP should be. A controller can store several tool definitions, each with a mass, centre of gravity and inertia used for dynamic control.

An accurate TCP is essential in welding, dispensing, cutting and measurement, where the process happens at a precise point, and for reorienting tools without the tip drifting. Controllers usually provide calibration routines, for example touching a fixed reference point from several orientations, and some cells use automatic TCP measurement stations to recheck tools after collisions or changes.

Errors in the TCP shift every taught point and distort paths whenever the tool reorients. After a collision, torch replacement or gripper change, the TCP should be verified before production resumes. TCP also abbreviates the Transmission Control Protocol used in networking, so context matters when reading documentation.

Key points

Reference point on the tool around which robot motions are programmed
Defined as an offset and orientation from the robot flange
Calibrated by touching a reference point from several orientations
Should be rechecked after collisions or tool changes

Where AiVibe comes in

AiVibe designs and manufactures the AiAmbA AI Factory, whose edge devices and AI agents let people talk to robot controllers in plain language. Robotics perception is an AiAmbA use case, and robot safety functions follow ISO 10218 and never depend on the AI layer.

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Tool Centre Point (TCP)

Key points

Where AiVibe comes in

Related terms

Terms that refer to Tool Centre Point (TCP)