Robot Tool Head with Front Rear Holders for Ampoule Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robot-assisted loading of pharmaceutical ampoules into processing machines poses challenges due to their fragility and requirement for upright positioning, and existing methods struggle with reliably loading and unloading empty cassettes without ampoules falling over or being damaged.
Innovation Solution
A method and tool head design featuring a receiving mold with a fixing element comprising front and rear legs that protect ampoules during transport and loading, along with a support unit that adjusts to accommodate various cassette sizes, ensuring stable and secure positioning and transport of ampoules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If robot-assisted loading is used to achieve high-speed processing, then productivity is improved, but the risk of ampoules falling over or being damaged increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool head is divided into multiple independent holders (front holder and rear holder) that can move independently along the vertical axis. Each holder has comb-like fingers that can independently engage with and support individual ampoules, allowing precise control over each ampoule during the loading process while maintaining high-speed operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The holders are positioned and adjusted before the ampoules are fully inserted into the cassette. The front holder moves down to close the opening of the receiving mold in advance, creating a protective enclosure before the ampoules complete their insertion, thereby preventing them from falling over or being damaged during the high-speed loading process.
2Stability of the object's composition
If ampoules are fed into the processing machine upright to maintain their stability, then ampoule orientation is improved, but the complexity of handling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The front holder and rear holder are both positioned along the same vertical axis and can move independently along this axis. This vertical arrangement creates an equipotential environment where gravity acts uniformly on all ampoules, allowing them to be fed upright without requiring complex lateral positioning mechanisms. The comb-like fingers of the holders provide support points that maintain the upright orientation naturally.
Solution Approach 2:
The holders with comb-like fingers act as intermediary elements between the robot and the ampoules. Instead of the robot directly manipulating the fragile ampoules, the holders serve as a mediating mechanism that simplifies the handling process while maintaining upright orientation. The combs engage with the ampoules in a straightforward vertical motion, reducing the complexity of the overall handling system.
3Ease of operation
If a receiving mold with opening is used to load ampoules, then ease of loading is improved, but the risk of ampoules falling out increases
Solution Approach 1:
The front holder is designed to move dynamically along the vertical axis during the loading process. It starts in an elevated position that allows easy insertion of ampoules into the open receiving mold, then moves downward to close the opening after the ampoules are in place. This dynamic motion provides both ease of loading and secure containment without requiring a permanently closed or complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The front holder moves down to close the opening of the receiving mold in advance, before the tool head is fully moved with the receiving mold. This preliminary action creates a protective enclosure that prevents ampoules from falling out during subsequent movements, while the opening remains accessible during the initial loading phase.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for loading an empty cassette (12) with ampoules is described, comprising the steps of: - loading the empty cassette (12) into a receiving mold (6), wherein the receiving mold (6) comprises at least two side walls (10) and an opening (O) on a front side (V); - arranging the receiving mold (6) on a tool head (4) of a robot (2); - moving a front holder (46a), in particular configured as a comb, along a vertical axis (HA) such that it is above the ampoules exiting a processing machine (24); - moving a rear holder (46b), in particular configured as a comb, in the direction of the opening (O); - moving the rear holder (46b) during the loading of the cassette (12) towards a rear side (R) of the receiving mold, wherein the rear holder (46b) serves as a stop for the ampoules exiting the processing machine (24);- The front holder (46a) moves downwards along the vertical axis (HA) to at least partially close the opening (O) of the receiving mold, so that when the tool head (4) is moved with the receiving mold (6), the ampoules are protected against tipping over and/or falling out by the front and rear holders (46a, 46b).