Resin Composition for Industrial Robot Grippers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional resin compositions for industrial robot gripping sections face challenges in achieving high tensile strength and dimensional accuracy while ensuring detectability by metal detectors, as excessive metal particles lead to viscosity issues and sedimentation, and insufficient metal content results in inadequate strength and detectability.

Innovation Solution

A resin composition comprising a photocurable compound and metal-containing particles surface-modified with a surface modifier, with a content of 10-55 mass% metal particles, which enhances dispersibility and prevents sedimentation, maintaining low viscosity and ensuring detectability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a large amount of metal particles is added to the resin composition to improve tensile strength and detectability, then the tensile strength and detectability are improved, but the viscosity increases and sedimentation occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetensile strengthVSAvoidviscosity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the surface properties of metal particles by applying surface modifiers (silane coupling agents, titanium coupling agents, or zirconium-based coupling agents) to alter how metal particles interact with the resin matrix. This surface modification allows for higher metal particle content (10-55 mass%) while maintaining low viscosity by improving dispersibility and preventing aggregation, thus resolving the contradiction between strength enhancement and viscosity control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite material system consisting of metal particles combined with resin, where the metal particles are surface-modified with coupling agents. This composite structure enhances the interfacial bonding between metal and resin, allowing the mixture to maintain low viscosity even with high metal content, while simultaneously improving tensile strength through better stress transfer at the interface

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Measurement precision

If a large amount of metal particles is added to the resin composition to ensure detectability by metal detectors, then the detectability is improved, but sedimentation occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovedetectabilityVSAvoidsedimentation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies surface parameters of metal particles by introducing surface modifiers that change the surface energy and chemical properties. This surface treatment improves the wettability and compatibility of metal particles with the resin matrix, preventing sedimentation by ensuring uniform distribution and stable suspension, while maintaining sufficient metal content for detectability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces coupling agents (silane, titanium, or zirconium-based) as intermediary substances between metal particles and resin. These intermediaries act as mediators that bridge the interface between metal and resin, preventing direct unfavorable interactions that cause sedimentation, while allowing metal particles to remain uniformly distributed and detectable

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If insufficient metal particles are added to the resin composition, then the viscosity remains low, but the tensile strength and detectability are inadequate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveviscosityVSAvoidtensile strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the surface characteristics of metal particles through coupling agent modification, which fundamentally alters the rheological properties of the resin composition. This surface parameter change allows the system to achieve optimal viscosity at higher metal particle concentrations (10-55 mass%), while simultaneously achieving adequate tensile strength through improved interfacial adhesion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Quantity of substance

If insufficient metal particles are added to the resin composition, then the viscosity remains low, but the detectability by metal detectors is inadequate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveviscosityVSAvoiddetectability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies surface parameters of metal particles using coupling agents, which enables the system to maintain low viscosity at higher metal particle loadings. This surface modification ensures that sufficient metal content (10-55 mass%) can be incorporated without viscosity penalty, while achieving adequate detectability through uniform distribution and proper metal-detector interaction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 resin composition achieves high tensile strength and dimensional accuracy for three-dimensional shaped objects, while maintaining sufficient detectability by metal detectors, addressing the limitations of conventional methods.

Implementation Method 1

a liquid resin composition containing an active energy ray-curable compound is selectively irradiated with an active energy ray to cure the resin composition into a desired shape

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotopolymerization: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentEP3685989B1Object-gripping attachment and industrial robot using object-gripping attachment
Publication Date: 2023.03.15 KONICA MINOLTA INC
  • EP3685989B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3685989B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3685989B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a resin composition which is capable of producing a three-dimensional object having high tensile strength and dimensional accuracy and is easily detectable by a metal detector. The resin composition is used in a method in which a liquid-liquid type resin composition is selectively irradiated with an active energy ray to produce a three-dimensional object composed of a cured product of the resin composition. The resin composition contains a photopolymerizable compound and a metal-containing particle, which can be detected by a metal detector and has been surface-treated with a surfactant, the content of the metal-containing particle being 10-55 mass% with respect to the solid content of a resin.