Automated Connector Assembly with Dynamic Cavity Shift Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated systems for assembling electrical connectors face challenges in accurately inserting components into grommets due to shifting cavity positions during the assembly process, leading to misalignment and potential reassembly or discarding of the connectors.
Innovation Solution
An automated assembly system that includes a component insertion sub-system, an imaging sub-system, and a grommet shift determination sub-system, which acquires images of the grommet, determines distance changes between cavities, and generates an insertion map to account for these shifts, ensuring accurate component placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If components are inserted into grommet cavities during automated assembly, then the assembly process progresses, but the cavities radially shift outward causing insertion position deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically updates the insertion map during the assembly process. Instead of using a static pre-mapped cavity positions, the system continuously tracks cavity positions as components are inserted, adjusting the insertion map in real-time to compensate for radial shifting. This dynamic adaptation allows the robotic system to maintain insertion precision despite the changing geometry of the grommet cavities during assembly.
2Measurement precision
If the robot uses a pre-mapped insertion map, then the initial positioning is accurate, but the map becomes outdated as cavities shift during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring cavity positions during the insertion process and using this information to update the insertion map. The robotic system receives feedback on actual cavity positions after each insertion event and adjusts subsequent insertion targets accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that the insertion map remains accurate throughout the entire assembly process, preventing position deviations that would occur with a static pre-mapped approach.
3Productivity
If multiple components are inserted into the grommet, then the connector assembly is completed, but cumulative cavity shifting increases position deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and storing an insertion map that accounts for expected cavity shifts. Before actual insertion begins, the system maps the initial cavity positions and prepares compensation data. During assembly, this pre-prepared information is used to proactively adjust insertion targets, preventing cumulative position errors rather than correcting them after they occur. This preliminary preparation enables the system to maintain precision throughout multi-component insertion.
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
Automated assembly systems and methods are configured to automatically insert components (260) into grommets (200). The systems include a component insertion sub-system (302) configured to insert first components (260) into first cavities (206) of a first grommet (200), an imaging sub-system (304) configured to acquire images of the first grommet (200), and a grommet shift determination sub-system (300) in communication with the component insertion sub-system (302) and the imaging sub-system (304). The grommet shift determination sub-system (300) is configured to compare at least two images of the first grommet (200) acquired by the imaging sub-system (304) to determine distance changes between the first cavities (206) in response to one or more of the first components (260) being inserted into one or more of the first cavities (206), and generate an insertion map that accounts for the distance changes.