Mobile Robot Wall Panel Fastening Without Floor Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial prefabricated house construction, the manual or semi-automated assembly of wall elements from nailable and stapleable materials is inefficient, particularly for small and medium-sized companies, due to high investment costs and long payback periods associated with portal systems or articulated arm robots, and the need for a good industrial floor for guide rail installation.
Innovation Solution
A mobile autonomous robot equipped with a compressed air setting device and/or milling unit, controlled by a central controller and optical detection system, moves automatically along the wall panels to fasten them to a frame and process them, enabling fully or semi-automated assembly of wall elements with reduced effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a portal system or articulated arm robot is used for automated assembly, then productivity and manufacturing precision are improved, but device complexity and investment costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components: a mobile robot unit with compressed air setting device, a separate optical detection device, and a central controller. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and reduces overall system complexity compared to integrated portal systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical portal systems with a mobile robot that navigates autonomously. The robot uses optical detection and automated control instead of mechanical guide rails, substituting a simpler mobile platform for complex fixed infrastructure.
2Productivity
If a portal system is installed for automated manufacturing, then productivity is improved, but the requirement for industrial floor quality and installation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static portal structure to a dynamic mobile robot that can move freely on the floor. This eliminates the need for fixed guide rail installations and high-quality industrial flooring, as the robot adapts to the existing floor conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the automation function from the floor infrastructure itself. Instead of building automation into the floor through guide rails, the automation is contained in a self-contained mobile robot that operates independently of floor quality.
3Device complexity
If manual assembly is used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and manufacturing precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile robot performs automated detection, navigation, and fastening operations independently. The optical detection device automatically identifies panel positions, the robot navigates autonomously, and the compressed air setting device automatically fastens panels, eliminating the need for manual operations while maintaining system simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for efficient, automated manufacturing of wall elements with reduced manual intervention, lowering costs and eliminating the need for extensive industrial floor preparations, making it suitable for small to medium-sized companies.
Implementation Method 1
the wall panels are fastened to the wall element frame by nails and/or staples, which are driven in by means of a compressed air setting device
Implementation Method 2
an optical detection device adapted to detect the position and/or the shape of the wall element frame
Data Source
AI summary
A process for manufacturing wall elements from nailable and/or stapleable materials, in which a wall element frame is positioned on a horizontal worktable. Wall panels are placed on the frame and the wall panels are fastened to the frame by nails and/or staples, which are driven by a compressed air setting device. A mobile robot—in particular an autonomous mobile robot—has a compressed air setting device and/or at least one milling unit and is movable on the surface formed by the wall panels. The robot motion is automatically controlled along the surface formed by the wall panels. At predetermined positions, the milling unit and/or the compressed air setting device is actuated to process the wall panels and/or to fasten them to the wall element frame.