Automated HDD Unpacking via Cutting and Robotic Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual process of removing hard disk drives from boxes and disposing of internal packaging is labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring extensive human effort and special handling.
Innovation Solution
An automated system comprising a cutting subsystem to divide boxes into halves, a dunnage gripper subsystem to remove internal packaging, and robotic arms to extract and position hard disk drives into totes, significantly reducing manual labor and processing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual labor is used to open boxes and remove internal packaging, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor intensity and processing time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the robotic arms autonomously perform box opening, dunnage removal, and drive extraction without human intervention. The automated cutting elements self-adjust to cut box flaps, and the robotic grippers automatically navigate and remove internal packaging, eliminating the need for manual labor while maintaining operational flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical operations are replaced with automated robotic systems. The patent substitutes human hands and tools with robotic arms equipped with specialized grippers, and replaces manual cutting with automated cutting elements that can programmatically open boxes and remove packaging without human physical involvement
2Productivity
If extensive manual handling is used for box opening and dunnage removal, then adaptability to different packaging is maintained, but processing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the unpacking process into distinct functional modules: cutting elements for box opening, robotic arms for dunnage removal, and extraction mechanisms for drive handling. This modular segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for speed while managing overall system complexity through functional decomposition
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting elements perform preliminary action by pre-cutting box flaps and preparing the packaging structure before the robotic arms arrive. This preliminary preparation reduces the complexity of subsequent dunnage removal operations and accelerates the overall processing speed by eliminating sequential manual steps
3Reliability
If special handling procedures are used for unique dunnage, then protection of hard disk drives is ensured, but handling complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arms serve as intermediaries between the dunnage packaging and the hard disk drives. They carefully navigate and remove dunnage components without directly contacting the drives, maintaining protective handling while eliminating manual time consumption. The automated system acts as a mediator that preserves drive integrity through controlled, programmed movements
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses vision systems and sensors to create digital copies or models of the packaging structure and dunnage arrangement. By replicating the understanding of packaging geometry through sensing, the robotic arms can automatically navigate and remove dunnage with the same care as manual handling would provide, but at much higher speeds without time loss
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a cutting sub-system arranged for cutting a box into a first half and a second half and including at least one pair of cutting elements, a dunnage gripper sub-system arranged downstream of the cutting sub-system and including a dunnage gripper configured to selectively grip and release a portion of the box, and a robotic system including at least a first robotic arm and a second robotic arm. The first robotic arm includes a plurality of grippers configured to selectively grip and release items contained in the box. The second robotic arm includes a plurality of grippers configured to selectively position the items into a tote positioned at a second predetermined location.