Pivotable Suction Gripper for Flexible Semi-Finished Product Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

In the production of fibre-reinforced plastic components, the flexible and sticky semi-finished products adhere to supports, making it difficult to remove them manually, leading to potential damage, material inhomogeneities, and creases due to excessive tensile stress or careless handling.

Innovation Solution

A gripper arrangement featuring pivotable suction or needle grippers and clamping grippers that lift the flexible semi-finished product minimally invasively at its edge, allowing secure gripping and transfer without manual handling, with adjustable gripper bars and a method that includes picking up the edge with suction grippers and transferring it to clamping grippers for reliable lifting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If manual handling is used to remove the semi-finished product from the support, then the process is simple, but the product is damaged due to excessive tensile stress and careless handling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of removal processVSAvoidproduct integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated gripper system that uses suction cups to attach to and lift the semi-finished product. This substitution eliminates the excessive tensile stress and careless handling associated with manual removal, while maintaining process simplicity through automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The gripper system acts as an intermediary between the support and the semi-finished product. Instead of direct manual contact, the gripper with its suction cups serves as a mediating device that gently attaches to the product surface and transfers it without causing damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the semi-finished product is quickly removed from the heating press, then productivity is improved, but the product adheres to the support making removal difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of removalVSAvoidease of removal from support

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual pulling and prying actions with an automated gripper system using suction cups. This allows quick attachment to the product surface and clean lifting away from the support, achieving both high speed and ease of operation without the adhesion problems that plague manual removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Device complexity

If a fixed-size gripper is used, then the device is simple, but retooling is required for different product sizes increasing time and costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegripper structure simplicityVSAvoidretooling time

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements adjustable gripper bars with movable suction cups that can be repositioned along the bars. This dynamic configuration allows the gripper size and shape to be adapted to different product dimensions without requiring complete retooling, thus reducing changeover time while maintaining relatively simple device structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The gripper system is designed with adjustable components that allow a single device to handle multiple product sizes and shapes. The movable suction cups on adjustable bars provide multi-functionality, eliminating the need for dedicated grippers for each product variant.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Enables reliable and damage-free lifting of flexible semi-finished products from supports, reducing manual error and handling-related issues, while allowing for adjustable gripper size to match the product, thus minimizing retooling times and costs.

Implementation Method 1

at least one pair of grippers with a suction gripper or needle gripper

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 2

the suction or needle gripper pivots around an axis in order to lift the flexible semi-finished product at the edge

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPivoting movement:

Data Source

PatentUS11453563B2Gripper assembly for lifting a flexible semi-finished product from a support, and a corresponding method

Publication Date: 2022.09.27 SAM SUNGAN RALPH PAGENDARM GMBH

AI summary

A gripper arrangement for lifting a flexible semi-finished product from a support, wherein the gripper arrangement comprises a flexible semi-finished product resting on a support and at least one pair of grippers with a suction gripper or needle gripper and with at least one clamping gripper, wherein the suction or needle gripper is pivotable around an axis between a pick-up position for picking up an edge of the flexible semi-finished product and a transfer position for transferring the edge of the flexible semi-finished product to the clamping gripper. Furthermore, a corresponding method is described.