Pick-and-Place Systems with Planar Motor Transfer Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pick and place systems face challenges in managing trade-offs between manipulator size and number for efficient product handling, leading to increased complexity and automation costs, especially when dealing with varying product volumes and sizes.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating planar motors as either the infeed or outfeed conveyor, synchronizing the movement of shuttles with the product trajectory to minimize the pick and place distance, thereby reducing manipulator size and increasing operation speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of manipulators is increased to handle high volume of smaller products, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical conveyor systems with a planar motor system that uses electromagnetic fields to levitate and transport products. This substitution enables precise control of product positions and trajectories, allowing a single manipulator to efficiently handle multiple products simultaneously through coordinated motion control, thereby improving productivity without increasing the number of manipulators or complexity of pick strategies
Solution Approach 2:
The planar motor system enables dynamic adjustment of product trajectories and conveyor speeds during operation. The system can adaptively synchronize product movement with manipulator picking actions, optimizing the picking process in real-time. This dynamic control allows flexible handling of varying product volumes and sizes while maintaining high productivity with simplified operational complexity
2Force
If larger manipulators are used for heavier products, then handling capability is improved, but manipulator size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a planar motor system that uses electromagnetic forces to levitate and transport products, replacing traditional mechanical conveyor mechanisms. This substitution eliminates the need for large, complex mechanical manipulators by using field-based interaction to handle products of various weights. The electromagnetic system can dynamically adjust force output without increasing physical manipulator size, thereby maintaining handling capability while reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The planar motor system allows dynamic adjustment of electromagnetic field parameters (such as field strength and distribution) to adapt to different product weights and sizes. By changing these parameters rather than physical manipulator dimensions, the system can handle both light and heavy products efficiently without requiring multiple manipulator configurations or increasing overall system size
3Force
If manipulator arm linkage size is increased for heavier products, then handling capability is improved, but operation speed decreases due to higher inertia
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical manipulator arm linkages with a planar motor system that uses electromagnetic fields for product manipulation. This substitution eliminates the inertia limitations of mechanical arms by using field-based interaction. The electromagnetic system can rapidly adjust forces and positions without the mass-related speed constraints, enabling both heavy product handling and high operation speeds simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The planar motor system enables dynamic control of electromagnetic forces with rapid response times, allowing the system to adapt to different product weights while maintaining high operation speeds. The system can switch between handling light and heavy products without the mechanical inertia constraints that would require slower operation, thereby achieving both high force capability and high speed performance
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
This approach reduces the required pick and place distance, minimizes manipulator size, and enhances system flexibility, resulting in faster transfer times and lower operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
a planar motor has a stator which forms a movement plane above an active surface of the stator. One or more movable devices, so-called shuttles, can be moved mainly in two dimensions in the movement plane formed by the stator, whilst levitating above the active surface of the stator
Data Source
AI summary
An improved pick and place system is disclosed. The system minimizes the pick and place distance and the size of a manipulator, increases operation speed of the pick and place system, and uses a planar motor to serve as an outfeed conveyor. The outfeed planar motor is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone to an infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor. An infeed planar motor is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone to an outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor.