Robot Hand Multi-Layer Stacking to Cut Placement Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stacking systems using robot arms result in longer cycle times due to the robot arm traveling excessive distances to individually place and stack workpieces, increasing operational inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A stacking system and method that utilizes a robot arm with a hand capable of gripping multiple workpieces simultaneously and stacking them in a stacked state, reducing travel distance by gripping all workpieces at separate locations and placing them collectively at a predetermined location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If workpieces are temporarily placed one by one at the placement location, then the robot arm can complete stacking work, but the travel distance of the robot arm increases resulting in longer cycle time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple placement operations into a single operation by enabling the robot hand to grip multiple workpieces simultaneously. Instead of placing workpieces one by one, the system grips multiple workpieces at their respective locations and places them all at the target location in one travel cycle, thereby reducing the number of trips and shortening the cycle time while maintaining stacking productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the robot hand grip multiple workpieces at their separated locations before moving to the placement location. The hand is designed to acquire multiple workpieces in advance during the gripping phase, so that when the robot arm travels to the placement location, all workpieces are already ready for simultaneous placement, eliminating the need for repeated travel cycles.
2Ease of operation
If the robot arm travels to each acquisition location to grip workpieces individually, then all workpieces can be collected, but the total travel distance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple gripping operations into a single operation by designing a robot hand capable of gripping multiple workpieces simultaneously. The hand travels to each acquisition location once and collects multiple workpieces in one trip, rather than making separate trips for each workpiece, thereby significantly reducing the total travel distance while maintaining the ability to acquire all workpieces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the robot hand gather multiple workpieces at their acquisition locations before the main travel to the placement location. The hand is designed to acquire and hold multiple workpieces in a stacked configuration during the gripping phase, so that subsequent travel involves carrying all workpieces together rather than making multiple separate trips.
Data Source
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AI summary
To shortening a stacking cycle time, a stacking system (10) is equipped with a robot arm (20) with a hand (40) for gripping the plurality of workpieces (30), and a controller (50) to control the operations of the robot arm (20). The hand 40 has a structure that can grip the workpieces (30) such that the workpieces (30) are stacked in multiple layers in the hand (40). The controller 50 performs the gripping and placement processes. The gripping process moves the tip of the robot arm (20) to the vicinity of each of mutually separated acquisition locations (P1 - P3) and grips each of the multiple workpieces 30 one by one with the hand 40. By repeating the gripping process, all the workpieces 30 are gripped by the hand 40 in a multiple-layer stacked state. The placement process then enables the tip of the robot arm (20) to move to the vicinity of the placement location (PP) and place all the multiple-layer stacked workpieces (30) at the placement location (PP).