Dual-Sided Manipulator for Wood Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wood processing apparatuses require a long time for manipulation means to grip and remove wooden semi-finished products, slowing down the production process.
Innovation Solution
A wood processing apparatus with a line of vices and a manipulator that uses a gap between vices to quickly pick up and drop products, allowing for efficient handling and processing of wooden semi-finished products of varying sizes, utilizing a manipulator with hands and fingers to secure and move products through a controlled system of horizontal and vertical movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional manipulation means are used to grip and remove wooden semi-finished products, then the products can be handled, but the processing time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulation means is divided into multiple independent hands (first manipulator hand and second manipulator hand), each capable of independently gripping and releasing products. This segmentation allows parallel manipulation operations, reducing total manipulation time and increasing processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The hands are pre-positioned and configured to automatically grip products as they are conveyed into position. The system performs preliminary gripping actions before processing operations begin, eliminating delays and ensuring continuous flow of products through the system.
2Productivity
If a manipulator with hands and fingers is used to quickly pick up products through vice gaps, then processing speed increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator hands are designed with universal gripping capability that can accommodate wooden semi-finished products of various sizes and shapes. The hands can grip products at different positions and orientations, making the same manipulator structure applicable to multiple product types without requiring specialized gripping mechanisms for each variant.
Solution Approach 2:
The fingers are nested within the hands, with each hand containing multiple fingers that can independently move and position themselves. This nested structure allows compact packaging of the manipulator components while maintaining the flexibility needed for precise gripping actions through the vice gaps.
3Speed
If the manipulator enters through vice gaps to access products, then manipulation speed increases, but the precision of product positioning may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The control system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor the position and status of products as they are manipulated through the vice gaps. This feedback allows real-time adjustment of the manipulator hands to maintain precise positioning accuracy even during high-speed manipulation operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces purely mechanical positioning with a hybrid approach that includes electronic control and sensing. This substitution allows for more precise control of the manipulator hands' movement and positioning, ensuring accuracy is maintained despite the rapid manipulation speeds achieved through the vice gaps.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wood processing apparatus (10) is described for processing, in a time sequence, wooden semi-finished products (1, 2), said wood processing apparatus (10) comprising: a plurality of vices (23) able to support wooden semi-finished products (1, 2); first processing means (31) able to process said wooden semi-finished products (1, 2); manipulation means (40) able to manipulate said wooden semi-finished products (1, 2); support and moving means (60) able to sustain and move said manipulation means; said wood processing apparatus (10) being characterised in that said manipulation means (40) comprise a manipulator (43) presenting a first and a second manipulator side (41, 42), each of said first and second manipulator sides (41, 42) being able to sustain one of said wooden semi-finished products (1, 2) respectively, wherein said support and moving means (60) are suitable for achieving: the rotation of said manipulator (43); the horizontal shift of said manipulator (43); the vertical shift of said manipulator (43) between a first vertical height, higher with respect to said plurality of vices (23) and a second vertical height, at the same level as the said plurality of vices (23).