Dual-Palette Material Supply for Continuous Sheet Height Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing material supply apparatuses face interruptions during press operations due to the need to exchange palettes, requiring temporary stops and the use of buffer devices to maintain material height, which increases equipment costs and operation time.
Innovation Solution
A material supply apparatus with a lift unit, support unit, and control unit that maintains the uppermost surface height of materials during exchange operations, allowing continuous replenishment without interrupting take-out operations, and eliminates the need for buffer devices by controlling the lift and support units to alternate and maintain predetermined heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single palette is used for material storage and take-out, then the structure is simple, but the press operation must stop temporarily when exchanging palettes
Solution Approach 1:
The single palette is divided into two separate palettes (first palette and second palette). One palette can be used for take-out operations while the other is prepared for replenishment, allowing continuous operation without stopping the press. This segmentation eliminates the need to stop operations for palette exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
While one palette is being used for take-out operations, the other palette is preliminarily prepared with new sheet materials in advance. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the first palette is depleted, the second palette is already ready for immediate exchange, maintaining continuous press operation without delays.
2Reliability
If the robot hand uses a buffer device to maintain material height during take-out, then the material height is maintained, but the equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a buffer device that adds complexity to the robot hand, the solution moves the height maintenance function to another dimension by using two palettes at different vertical positions. The first palette maintains material height during take-out, while the second palette is positioned lower for replenishment, eliminating the need for buffer devices.
3Reliability
If the robot hand requires a lift stroke by buffer during take-out, then the material height is maintained, but the take-out operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer function is extracted from the robot hand and transferred to the dual-palette system. The first palette naturally maintains material height without requiring the robot hand to perform additional lift strokes, thereby reducing take-out operation time while maintaining reliability.
4Manufacturing precision
If a magazine with guide rods is used for blank materials, then the materials are positioned, but the material height decreases as materials are taken out one by one
Solution Approach 1:
The second palette is preliminarily loaded with new blank materials and positioned in advance. As materials are taken out from the first palette causing height decrease, the second palette is ready to be exchanged, ensuring continuous supply without interruption to the press operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The material supply apparatus 1 includes a lift unit 2, a lift drive unit 3, a support unit 4, a support drive unit 5, a position detection unit 6 and a control unit 9 configured to control the support drive unit 5 so that the height position of the uppermost surface of the materials is maintained at a preliminarily registered height position based on the current height position information while the lift unit 2 descends for replenishing the material.