Robot Tap Assembly Sequencing to Prevent Damage and Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing assemblies including taps are inefficient and prone to errors, with risks of tap damage and breakage during assembly, requiring skilled operations that compromise efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing system utilizing a robot with a chuck and arm, controlled by a control section, to produce assemblies by sequentially engaging and inserting components such as caps, collets, and taps, with force and moment detection to ensure reliable attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual assembly of tap assemblies is performed by operators, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but reliability deteriorates due to risks of tap damage, breakage, and assembly errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical assembly operations with an automated robot system. The robot includes a chuck for gripping components and an arm for positioning, controlled by a control section that coordinates the assembly process. This substitution eliminates human error and tap damage risks while maintaining precise mechanical control through automated gripping and positioning mechanisms.
2Reliability
If skilled operators perform careful manual operations, then tap damage and assembly errors are reduced, but productivity decreases due to time-consuming operations
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system performs self-guided assembly operations through automated control. The control section autonomously coordinates the chuck and arm movements to complete the assembly sequence without requiring skilled human operators. The system serves itself by automatically gripping components, positioning them accurately, and completing attachments, thereby eliminating the time penalty associated with skilled manual operations.
3Productivity
If automated robot assembly is implemented, then productivity and consistency are improved, but device complexity increases due to additional equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system is designed with multi-functionality to justify its complexity. The chuck can grip various components (caps, collets, taps) of different sizes and shapes, and the arm can position and assemble multiple component types. The control section coordinates these functions universally across different assembly operations, making the complex system adaptable to various tapping requirements and reducing overall system complexity through standardized multi-purpose mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An improvement in reliability of manufacture of an assembly including a tap is achieved. A control section of a manufacturing system for manufacturing an assembly including a tap causes a robot to perform: a step of producing a first assembly by gripping a cap having an opening and engaging the cap with a collet having a recess such that the cap is placed on the collet; a step of producing a second assembly by gripping the first assembly and inserting the first assembly into a recess of a tap holder; and a step of producing a third assembly, which is an assembly including a tap, by gripping the tap and inserting the tap through the opening of the cap of the second assembly into the recess of the collet.