Automated E-Coat Drain Plug Insertion Tool
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Solution Overview
Problem
The electrodeposition process in the automotive industry faces challenges in safely and efficiently inserting plugs into numerous apertures of electrocoated vehicle bodies, posing safety hazards and ergonomic concerns for human operators due to manual insertion requirements.
Innovation Solution
A robot system equipped with a tool featuring a plug reservoir, sensor, and actuator is used to automate the insertion of plugs into apertures, allowing for precise detection and positioning of apertures and efficient plug placement, with a modular design for easy tool change and plug reservoir replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual plug insertion is used, then operational flexibility is maintained, but safety hazards and ergonomic concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical plug insertion operation with an automated robotic system. The robot equipped with a specialized tool can automatically grasp plugs and insert them into apertures, eliminating the need for operators to reach inside moving vehicle bodies and exposing them to safety hazards such as sharp edges and moving parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated system performs the plug insertion task independently without requiring human operators to manually handle plugs. The robot system self-manages the entire process from plug retrieval to insertion, improving safety while maintaining operational efficiency.
2Reliability
If multiple apertures need to be plugged, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system can continuously perform plug insertion operations across multiple apertures without interruption. The automation allows the system to move from one aperture to the next seamlessly, maintaining continuous productive action and reducing total time compared to manual operations where operators must repeatedly position and manually insert each plug.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the plug insertion task into discrete, manageable steps that the robotic system can execute sequentially: locating the aperture, grasping the plug, positioning, and inserting. This segmentation allows for systematic handling of multiple apertures while maintaining precision and reducing overall time through automated transitions between steps.
3Productivity
If automated robot system is used, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is designed with a universal tool that can handle multiple plug types and accommodate various aperture configurations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple specialized devices, thereby managing complexity while maintaining high productivity across different vehicle body designs and aperture requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a specialized tool as an intermediary between the robot and the plugs/apertures. This tool serves as a mediator that simplifies the interaction by providing a standardized interface for plug handling and insertion, reducing the complexity of direct robot-to-aperture interaction while enabling high-speed automated operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for installing a plug into an aperture of an article are provided, such as drain hole in an electrocoated vehicle floor pan. A robot system used herein includes a robot and a tool, where the tool includes a plug reservoir, a sensor, and an actuator. The sensor is configured to detect the aperture of the article and the actuator is configured to place one of the plugs from the plug reservoir into the aperture. The robot system can include a tool change nest, where the plug reservoir can be received with the tool change nest and the removed from a remainder of the tool. Quick change of plug reservoirs using the present technology improves operation speed and use of one or more tool change nests can reload and/or reconfigure the robot system for plugging various apertures with minimized input or interaction.