Autonomous Spinning Can Handling for Reliable Sliver Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing transport trolleys for spinning cans between spinning machines rely on operator intervention, leading to unreliable sliver supply and potential production stoppages due to dependency on personnel.
Innovation Solution
A driverless transport vehicle equipped with an autonomous travel drive, a transport platform, and an autonomous manipulator unit with a gripper and adjusting device, capable of autonomously navigating and handling spinning cans between spinning machines, eliminating the need for human operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If operator intervention is used to load and unload spinning cans on transport trolleys, then the system structure remains simple, but the sliver supply becomes unreliable and production stoppages occur due to dependency on personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The transport vehicle is equipped with an autonomous manipulator unit that can independently detect spinning cans, navigate to spinning machines, and perform loading/unloading operations without human intervention. The vehicle serves itself by autonomously managing the sliver supply process, thereby improving reliability while maintaining reasonable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical operation of operators loading and unloading spinning cans is replaced by an automated manipulator unit with gripper. This substitution eliminates human dependency in the sliver supply process, ensuring continuous and reliable operation of spinning machines
2Productivity
If manual operation is used for transport trolley adjustment and can handling, then the device complexity is low, but productivity decreases due to personnel dependency and potential production stoppages
Solution Approach 1:
The transport vehicle autonomously performs all operations including navigation to spinning machines, detection of can positions, manipulation of spinning cans, and return trips. This self-service capability eliminates idle time and ensures continuous sliver supply, significantly improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous manipulator unit is pre-equipped with sensors and navigation systems that enable it to proactively seek out spinning machines that need sliver replenishment. The vehicle performs preliminary detection and preparation actions before actual can handling, ensuring seamless and efficient sliver supply
3Extent of automation
If autonomous manipulator unit with gripper and adjusting device is implemented, then personnel-independent operation is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator unit is designed as a multi-functional system that combines navigation, detection, gripping, and positioning capabilities in a single integrated unit. This universal design achieves high-level autonomy while avoiding the need for separate specialized devices for each function, thereby controlling overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the travel drive, transport platform, and manipulator unit into an integrated autonomous vehicle system. The control unit coordinates all subsystems (navigation, manipulation, sensing) working together, achieving high automation through functional integration rather than through multiple independent complex systems
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a driverless transport vehicle for the autonomous transport and changing of at least one spinning can. To provide a driverless transport vehicle that reliably ensures the automated supply of fiber-strip-fed spinning machines, it is provided that the vehicle has an autonomous drive system, a transport platform for receiving the at least one spinning can, and a manipulator unit for picking up and setting down the at least one spinning can, wherein the manipulator unit has a gripper for grasping the spinning can and an adjusting device for adjusting the gripper.