Container Lock Pin Handling Control for Classified Robotic Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual disassembly and assembly of container lock pins is labor-intensive and time-consuming, hindering automation development, and existing control systems struggle to manage lock pin destinations and sources efficiently, leading to low automation rates and potential ship locking issues.
Innovation Solution
A control system and method utilizing a terminal operating system, guiding system, robot system, feeding/discharging device, transportation unit, and stacked storage unit, with real-time information acquisition and processing, visual recognition, and PLC control to adjust lock pin destinations and sources, ensuring rapid response and accurate control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual disassembly and assembly mode is used for container lock pins, then operation flexibility is maintained, but labor cost and time cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the lock pin disassembly and assembly platform automatically performs operations without manual intervention. The control system autonomously manages the entire process from disassembly to classification and storage, eliminating the need for continuous human labor while significantly reducing operation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated control system that integrates robot systems, feeding/discharging devices, and transportation units. This substitution of mechanical manual labor with automated mechanical systems achieves both high automation rates and reduced time consumption.
2Speed
If traditional control mode is used for lock pin management, then system simplicity is maintained, but response speed to lock pin destinations and sources is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into functional modules including terminal operating system, guiding system, robot system, feeding/discharging device, and transportation unit. Each module handles specific tasks independently, enabling rapid response to lock pin destinations and sources while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding system pre-calculates and determines the destinations and sources of lock pins before operations begin. This preliminary action allows the control system to prepare operation sequences in advance, achieving fast response speeds without requiring complex real-time decision-making during execution.
3Extent of automation
If lock pins are not classified and stored systematically, then storage simplicity is maintained, but automation rate of lock assembling link decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stacked storage unit implements classified storage where different types of lock pins are stored in different locations based on their characteristics and required destinations. This local differentiation in storage quality enables the automation system to efficiently retrieve and assemble the correct lock pins without requiring complex manual sorting processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The transportation unit acts as an intermediary between the stacked storage unit and the robot system. It automatically transports lock pins from classified storage locations to the assembly position, enabling high automation rates in the lock assembling link while keeping the storage management system relatively simple through this mediating component.
4Productivity
If real-time control adjustment of lock pin destinations and sources is implemented, then automation rate increases, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system implements feedback mechanisms where the terminal operating system continuously monitors lock pin operation status and communicates with the guiding system. This feedback loop enables real-time control adjustment of lock pin destinations and sources, increasing automation rates while managing complexity through established feedback control protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding system serves multiple functions including calculating lock pin destinations, determining sources, managing operation sequences, and coordinating various subsystems. This multi-functionality consolidates complex control tasks into a single universal system, increasing automation productivity while avoiding the need for multiple separate complex control systems.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(c)
AI summary
Disclosed in the present invention are a control system and method for guiding classified storage and feeding/discharging takeout and placement of lock pins. The control system for guiding classified storage and feeding/discharging takeout and placement of lock pins comprises a terminal operation system, a guide system, a robot system, a feeding and discharging device, a transportation unit, and a stacking storage unit. The terminal operation system acquires terminal operation information in real time, and transmits, to the guide system, information of containers needing to be unloaded and loaded and information of corresponding lock pins. The guide system performs guide processing on a source and a destination of the lock pins according to the information transmitted by the terminal operation system, and controls the robot system, the feeding and discharging device, the transportation unit, and the stacking storage unit to perform operations of disassembling and assembling, classified storage, and feeding/discharging takeout and placement on the lock pins. According to the present invention, by means of double confirmation of the type and number of the lock pins, the destination of the disassembled lock pins and the source of the assembled lock pins are adjusted in real time to achieve rapid response and accurate control, thereby increasing the automation rate of a container lock pin disassembling and assembling platform.