Rotatable Gripping Assembly for Inaccessible Surface Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing lines face challenges in performing additional operations on items that require access to portions not directly accessible during transport, such as dimensional checks or surface inspections, without redesigning the layout, which is costly and space-constrained.
Innovation Solution
A method and device using rotatable gripping assemblies with two heads that pick up items from a conveyor belt at a different portion than they rest on, rotate to expose inaccessible areas, and swap positions to deposit items on a parallel conveyor, allowing operations like inspections without altering the transport sequence or line layout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a new operating station is added to perform additional operations on items, then operational versatility is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping assembly is designed to perform multiple functions: it can pick up items from the first conveyor, rotate them to different orientations, perform operations on various portions of the item, and deposit them on the second conveyor. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate operating stations for each function, thereby improving operational versatility while controlling device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping assembly incorporates rotational movement to dynamically change the orientation of items during transport. By rotating items around a vertical axis and swapping gripping heads, the system can access different portions of items that would otherwise be inaccessible during linear transport, enabling additional operations without adding fixed operating stations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the manufacturing line layout is redesigned to include additional operating stations, then operational capabilities are improved, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary rotation of items to expose inaccessible portions before the actual operational step. By pre-positioning items in the correct orientation through gripping assembly rotation, the system enables subsequent operations to be performed efficiently without requiring layout redesign or additional production time.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping assembly maintains continuous item transport from the first conveyor to the second conveyor without interrupting the production flow. Items are picked up, rotated, operated on, and deposited in a continuous sequence, eliminating the need to stop the production line for layout redesign or reconfiguration.
3Speed
If items are transported on a conveyor belt, then production speed is improved, but accessibility to item portions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping assembly acts as an intermediary between the conveyor belt and the operational tools. It picks up items from the moving conveyor, provides rotational movement to expose inaccessible portions, and maintains item security during the operation. This intermediary function enables access to all item surfaces while preserving the benefits of conveyor-based rapid transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds rotational movement around a vertical axis to the linear conveyor transport. By introducing this additional dimensional movement, the system can bring different portions of items to accessible positions without compromising the forward transport speed, thereby enabling operations on previously inaccessible surfaces.
4Adaptability or versatility
If gripping heads are swapped during rotation, then operational flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the functions of multiple gripping heads into a single rotating assembly. By combining two or more gripping heads on one rotatable structure, the system achieves operational flexibility (ability to grasp and manipulate items in different orientations) while consolidating what would otherwise require separate stationary gripping mechanisms, thereby controlling overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for performing operations on items (A) transported along a manufacturing line including feeding a sequence of items (A) with respective resting portions along a first feed path onto a first transport surface, arranging a gripping assembly having a first gripping head and a second gripping head, picking up a first item (A) from the first feed path using the first gripping head, rotating the first item (A) around a first rotation axis (R1), performing at least one operation on the item (A) during the rotation thereof around the first rotation axis (R1), swapping the positions of the first gripping head and the second gripping head, resting the first item (A) on a second transport surface and releasing the first item (A), and picking up a further item (A) from the first feed path using the second gripping head.