Double Gripper Cable Laying for Precise Form Board Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable laying systems are complex and expensive due to the use of robots, and there is a need for improvements in the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of laying cables on a form board.
Innovation Solution
A cable laying machine designed for laying cables onto a forming board with guide channels that correspond to the structure of the cable set, utilizing grippers and a simplified mechanical design with translational degrees of freedom, eliminating the need for robot arms and reducing complexity and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If robots are used for cable laying, then automation is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the cable laying task into two independent grippers (first gripper and second gripper) that operate separately but cooperatively. Each gripper handles one end of the cable, allowing independent control and simpler individual mechanisms compared to a single robotic arm system.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a single complex robotic arm to manipulate the cable from one end, the system inverts the approach by using two simpler grippers that each hold one end of the cable and move in coordinated opposition, effectively distributing the complexity across two simpler components.
2Extent of automation
If robots are used for cable laying, then automation is achieved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the expensive robotic manipulation task into two simpler, less expensive gripper mechanisms. Each gripper can be manufactured more economically than a full robotic arm, while together they achieve the same automated cable laying function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses two identical or similar gripper designs rather than a single complex robotic arm. This standardization allows for economies of scale in manufacturing and maintenance, reducing overall system cost while maintaining automation.
3Manufacturing precision
If guide channels are used for cable placement, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide channels act as an intermediary structure between the grippers and the final cable placement. The channels provide physical guidance and constraint that automatically ensure precise cable positioning without requiring complex control systems or sophisticated gripper mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide channels provide self-aligning and self-positioning functionality for the cables. As the grippers move the cables through the channels, the channels themselves enforce the correct final position, eliminating the need for complex positioning control systems.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A laying machine (20) for laying cables (6a-c) as a cable set (4) on a forming board (8) with guide channels (10a-c) open on one guide side (12) for its structure (ST) includes at least two independent grippers (22a,b) and a staging area (26) for the cables (6a-c) and a stationary base frame (28), a carriage (30a,b) per gripper (22a,b) with a gripper guide (32a,b) for the grippers (22a,b) on the carriage (30a,b) with one translational degree of freedom (Z), a carriage guide (34a,b) for the carriages (30a,b) exclusively planar in an XY plane (36) on the base frame (28), and a control device (38) for controlling the grippers (22a,b) by means of controlling the carriage guide (34a,b) and the gripper guide (32a,b).A machine arrangement (2) for manufacturing a cable set (4) includes the laying machine (20) and a cable machine (14) with a cutting module (80) for a line (82) from a line supply (16) and an output module (86) for providing the line (82) as a cable (6a-c) at the staging station (26).