Robotic Palletizing HMI for Custom Multidrop Pattern Editing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing material handling systems lack user-friendly interfaces for operators to easily define patterns and configure parameters for robotic palletizing arms, leading to inefficiencies in palletizing operations, particularly in environments with mixed or unusual SKUs that require customized placement.
Innovation Solution
A human-machine interface (HMI) system that allows operators to select and drag items to desired locations on a display unit, with a programmable logic controller (PLC) processing these inputs to program the robotic arm for efficient and customized palletizing, enabling multidrop functionality and pattern customization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If pre-loaded pallet pattern recipes are used in the system, then the system can handle standard palletizing tasks efficiently, but the system lacks flexibility for customized patterns and unusual SKUs
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-provisions multiple pallet pattern recipes during initialization or setup phase. These pre-configured patterns include definitions of layer structures, pick sequences, and placement positions. When a standard pattern is needed, the system can immediately execute without requiring complex real-time calculations, thus maintaining efficiency while providing adaptability through the library of pre-configured options.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic modification of pattern parameters such as number of layers, items per layer, pick positions, and placement patterns. By enabling parameter adjustment on top of pre-configured recipes, the system achieves customization flexibility without requiring complete pattern reprogramming, thus balancing adaptability with manageable complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a human-machine interface is provided for creating custom patterns, then pattern flexibility is improved, but operator training requirements and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The HMI provides visual templates and pre-configured pattern examples that operators can copy and modify. Instead of requiring operators to program complex pick-and-place sequences from scratch, the system offers ready-made pattern templates that can be selected and adjusted through simple parameter changes, significantly reducing training requirements while maintaining customization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The HMI acts as an intermediary layer between the operator and the complex robotic control system. It translates simple operator inputs (such as selecting from predefined patterns or making minor parameter adjustments) into complex robotic motion sequences, thereby shielding operators from the underlying complexity while enabling pattern customization.
3Ease of operation
If simplified one-pick-one-place operations are used via HMI, then ease of operation is improved, but system throughput and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple pick operations and multiple place operations into single coordinated sequences. Instead of executing one pick followed by one place in separate simple steps, the HMI enables definition of composite patterns where the robotic arm picks multiple items in one sequence and places them in multiple positions according to a predefined pattern, thereby maintaining operational simplicity while achieving high throughput through efficient multi-item handling.
Data Source
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AI summary
A controller of a material handling system performs a method of creating a multidrop pattern of articles for robotic placement in layers on a pallet. A pattern is presented on a user interface of any currently positioned representations of articles on a pallet. A control affordance for inputing drag' n' drop and numeric inputs is presented on the user interface for robotic control operations to perform a multidrop of the more than one article in an end effector of a robotic arm for placement of the more than one article. User inputs are received that indicate placement position of a first subset of the more than one article. User inputs are received that indicate placement position of a second subset, which is mutually exclusive of the first subset, of the more than one article. The user inputs are converted into a place sequence of robotic control operations to perform a multidrop of the articles by the robotic arm.