Packaging Manipulator Motion Teaching for Automated Roll Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging machines require significant manual intervention and support for automated roll changes, leading to increased personnel costs, risk of malfunctions, and potential injuries due to the heavy weight of packaging materials.
Innovation Solution
A packaging machine equipped with a program-controlled manipulator and sensor system that adapts movement routines based on external influences, allowing for collaborative robot operation (COBOT mode) to minimize human intervention and automate the handling of consumables, such as packaging film rolls, by recording and modifying movement routines through user input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual intervention is used for roll changes, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but personnel costs increase and safety risks arise due to heavy packaging materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera system and image processing unit as intermediaries between the robotic manipulator and the packaging material rolls. The camera captures images of the rolls, and the image processing unit extracts position and orientation data, enabling the robot to locate and handle rolls without direct manual intervention while maintaining system adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated robotic manipulator system. The robot arm, controlled by a control unit that processes image data, automatically positions and exchanges rolls in the packaging machine, eliminating the need for manual handling of heavy materials while reducing overall system complexity through integration
2Productivity
If automated handling systems are implemented, then personnel costs are reduced, but the risk of malfunctions increases due to precise positioning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the camera system continuously monitors the position and orientation of packaging rolls, and this information is fed back to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the robotic manipulator's movements based on this feedback, ensuring precise positioning and reducing malfunctions while maintaining high exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by capturing images of the rolls before the actual handling operation. The image processing unit pre-calculates the required manipulator movements and positions, allowing the system to prepare for the exchange operation in advance, thereby improving efficiency and reducing the risk of malfunctions during execution
3Object-affected harmful factors
If collaborative robots are used for roll handling, then safety during human-robot interaction is improved, but monitoring and control effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the camera system as an intermediary that continuously monitors the robot's movement area for human presence. This intermediary system detects when a person enters the workspace and automatically adjusts the robot's operation accordingly, improving safety while keeping the monitoring system relatively simple through the use of standard vision technology
Data Source
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AI summary
A packaging machine (10) with at least one program-controlled manipulator (14) and a method for programming motion routines of at least one program-controlled manipulator (14) used within a packaging machine (10) are disclosed. The manipulator (14) is equipped with sensors for detecting external influences acting upon it. The signal data detected by the sensors are provided to a manipulator controller (32) as input variables for adapting the manipulation movements performed by the manipulator (14) to the external influences detected by the sensors. At least defined segments of the manual influences specified by the user (42) and detected by the sensors are recorded and processed for the creation of new motion routines or for the modification of existing ones for the program-controlled manipulator (14).