Robotic End of Arm Tool for Automated Product Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual stacking of products into containers for shipment is inefficient and labor-intensive, necessitating automation to enhance productivity and reduce labor costs.
Innovation Solution
A product stacking system utilizing a robotic arm, a product orienting member, and a product transport member, equipped with a frame, fingers, spatulas, and actuators, to automate the picking and stacking of products from an orienting member to a transport member, such as a bin or pallet, allowing for precise orientation and support of products during the stacking process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual stacking is used, then labor flexibility is maintained, but productivity is low and labor costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system performs stacking operations autonomously without continuous human intervention. The end of arm tool with fingers and paddles automatically grasps, lifts, and positions products on conveyors, enabling the system to serve itself in completing the stacking task while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical stacking operations are replaced with an automated robotic system. The robotic arm with specialized end of arm tool substitutes human labor, using controlled mechanical movements to grasp and position products, thereby increasing productivity while reducing labor dependency.
2Productivity
If a robotic arm is used to automate stacking, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end of arm tool is designed with universal functionality to handle various product types and weights. The fingers and paddles can adapt to different product geometries, and the tool can perform multiple operations (grasping, lifting, positioning) with a single device, reducing the need for multiple specialized components and thereby managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates dynamic elements such as movable fingers that can open and close to grasp different product sizes, and adjustable paddles that can position products at varying heights. This dynamic adaptability allows the robotic system to handle diverse products without requiring completely different mechanisms for each product type, balancing complexity with versatility.
3Manufacturing precision
If fingers and paddles are used to grasp products, then product handling precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end of arm tool is segmented into multiple independent components: fingers for grasping and paddles for support. Each finger can move independently to adapt to product contours, and paddles can be positioned separately to provide support at different locations. This segmentation enables precise product handling while keeping each individual component relatively simple in design.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods used to pick and stack product for transport are disclosed. The systems and methods include a robotic end of arm stacking tool coupled to a robotic arm and including a product support. The product support includes fingers that pivot about an axis to allow spatulas coupled to the fingers to slide under and support the product when the product is picked from a product orienting member and stacked in a product transport member. An actuator can be activated to maintain the product support in a product support state and deactivated to release the product into the product transport member.