Dual Gripper Robot Arm for Automated Product Stack Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for handling product stacks, such as those in the graphic industry, require significant manual effort and lack automation for efficient movement and orientation, particularly in moving and depositing stacks of varying sizes and formats.
Innovation Solution
A device equipped with an articulated robot arm featuring dual grippers with movable and immovable jaws, allowing for precise positioning and orientation of product stacks, enabling automatic movement and deposition, including the option to turn or not turn stacks, controlled by a digital computer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual transport methods are used for moving product stacks, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but physical workload is high and productivity is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated robot system featuring an articulated arm and specialized gripper device. The robot performs all transport operations automatically, eliminating manual labor while maintaining the ability to handle various product stack configurations through programmable motion control.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot system is designed to autonomously perform transport tasks without human intervention. The control unit enables the robot to navigate, grasp, move, and place product stacks independently based on programmed instructions, making the system self-sufficient for automated material handling.
2Productivity
If a robot with articulated arm is used for automated handling, then productivity increases, but the complexity of the gripping device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper device is segmented into multiple independent components: a first gripper with first and second gripper jaws, and a second gripper with third and fourth gripper jaws. Each gripper can operate independently, allowing complex stacking patterns to be achieved through coordinated simple gripping actions rather than a single complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripper device is designed with universal capability to handle various product stack formats and orientations. The same basic gripper structure can grasp stacks at different positions (corners, edges, centers) and orientations (upright, on edge, on face) by adjusting gripper positions and robot arm configurations, eliminating the need for specialized gripping mechanisms for each scenario.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed gripper positions are used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different product formats is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper device transitions from fixed positions to dynamic, adjustable positions. The first and second grippers can move to various locations on the product stack through programmable control, enabling adaptation to different stack formats, sizes, and orientations. This dynamic positioning capability allows the same gripper system to handle diverse product configurations without physical reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (gripper positions, gripper orientations, robot arm trajectories) to adapt to different product formats. By programmatically adjusting these parameters rather than physically reconfiguring the gripper structure, the system achieves high adaptability while keeping the mechanical device relatively simple.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple grippers are used for precise positioning, then manufacturing precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning function is segmented across multiple independent grippers rather than relying on a single complex positioning mechanism. Each gripper independently controls its own jaw movements and positioning, allowing precise coordination to achieve accurate stack placement through the combined actions of simple, well-controlled components.
Data Source
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AI summary
An inventive device for moving a product stack with a robot, wherein the robot (10) comprises an articulated arm (11) on which a first gripper (30) for the product stack (1) is arranged, is characterized in that a gripping device (20) is arranged on the articulated arm (11), which comprises the first gripper (30) and a second gripper (32), wherein the first gripper and the second gripper can be positioned relative to each other. The invention advantageously enables the automated movement of product stacks and, in particular, their placement in either a flipped or unflinched position.