Robotic Gripper Handling Flexible Substrate Stacks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the printing industry, handling large piles of flexible substrates poses challenges related to machinery and floor space requirements, ergonomics, and quality due to misalignment and scratching issues caused by manual handling and inadequate aeration, leading to production disturbances.
Innovation Solution
A method using a robot with grippers to lift and turn entire stacks of flexible substrates into a pendent state, allowing for precise placement on a vibrating table without additional turning devices, reducing operator workload, and minimizing misalignment and scratching through controlled stacking and alignment techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual handling is used to move stacks of flexible substrates, then operator flexibility is maintained, but misalignment and scratching occur leading to quality deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system performs self-service by autonomously executing the complete sequence of gripping, lifting, turning, and placing substrates without human intervention, thereby eliminating operator-induced misalignment and scratching while maintaining continuous operational capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated robotic system that uses controlled mechanical gripping and positioning mechanisms to transfer substrates, eliminating the variability and human error inherent in manual operations
2Productivity
If a large turning device is used to handle pallets and heavy substrate piles, then the entire pile can be turned upside-down, but machinery costs and floor space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the substrate handling into individual stack units that can be gripped and manipulated separately by the robot, rather than requiring a large turning device to handle entire pallets, thereby reducing machinery complexity and floor space requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic gripper system performs multiple functions including gripping, lifting, turning, and placing substrates, replacing the need for specialized large turning devices and enabling the same robot to handle various substrate sizes and configurations
3Manufacturing precision
If manual gathering of oversized substrates into large stacks is performed, then effective cutting size is achieved, but operator workload and ergonomic strain increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system autonomously performs the gathering and stacking operations, eliminating the need for operators to manually handle oversized substrates, thereby reducing ergonomic strain while maintaining precise control over stack composition for optimal cutting
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns a method of handling stacks of flexible substrates (14) by means of a gripper (8) as well as a robot cell (1) for carrying out the method. The gripper (8) is arranged on an arm (6) of a robot (2) and has a lower finger and a corresponding upper finger. The method comprises the steps of inserting said lower finger below a bottom substrate (14) of a stack resting on a base and said upper finger above a top substrate (14) of the stack, and gripping the stack by clamping it between said lower and upper finger. Then by means of the gripper (8) starting at a stack front the entire stack is lifted into a pendent state and moved to a support (16). There the stack is lowered such that a stack rear, which is opposite to said stack front, comes into contact with the support (16). Finally the entire stack is laid out on the support (16) with said bottom substrate (14) up by further lowering and while horizontally displacing the gripper (8) in a bottom-to-top substrate direction before letting the gripper (8) release the stack.