Rotating End Effector for Faster Part Orientation in Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional part assembly machines face challenges in efficiently orienting parts for assembly, leading to delayed operation and reduced throughput due to the need for separate orientation devices or time-consuming feeder tray actuation, which increases costs and operating time.
Innovation Solution
A part assembly machine equipped with a robot arm and end effector featuring a rotation platform and gripper, coupled with a vision inspection station using imaging devices and AI for determining part orientations, allows for automatic part picking and reorientation from a pick station to a place station, enabling efficient part handling without the need for fixturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional vibrating tray feeder is used to orient parts, then parts can be held and oriented, but the actuation time delays the pick-and-place device and reduces throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the part orientation function with the pick-and-place robot arm by integrating a rotation mechanism directly into the end effector. This merging eliminates the need for a separate vibrating tray feeder, allowing the robot to orient and pick parts in a single integrated operation, thereby increasing throughput while maintaining orientation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the orientation function from the conventional vibrating tray feeder system and relocates it to the robot arm's end effector. By taking out the orientation capability from the feeder and placing it on the robot, the system eliminates the sequential delay between orientation and picking, enabling simultaneous execution of both functions.
2Ease of operation
If a separate part orientation device is used to orient parts, then parts can be properly oriented, but the overall machine cost increases and operating time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the orientation device functionality into the pick-and-place robot arm itself by equipping the end effector with a rotation mechanism. This integration eliminates the need for a separate orientation device, reducing overall machine cost and complexity while maintaining the ability to properly orient parts before picking.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot arm's end effector is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as the picking mechanism and the orientation device. The rotation platform integrated into the end effector allows the same component to perform both orientation and picking operations, eliminating redundant equipment and reducing overall system cost.
3Ease of operation
If conventional feeder tray actuation is used continuously to orient parts, then parts can be oriented correctly, but the operating time is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The vision system performs preliminary action by identifying and locating parts in the correct orientation before the robot arm moves to pick them. This advance detection allows the robot to plan its motion path efficiently, picking correctly oriented parts immediately without needing to actuate the feeder tray repeatedly, thereby reducing operating time while ensuring proper part orientation.
Data Source
AI summary
A part manipulator includes a robot arm movable in three-dimensional space between a pick station and a place station. The part manipulator includes an end effector coupled to a distal end of the robot arm. The end effector includes a rotation platform rotatable between a first position and a second position. The end effector includes a part gripper coupled to the rotation platform movable between a releasing position and a holding position. The part gripper is configured to hold a part in the holding position. The part gripper is rotated by the rotation platform as the rotation platform is rotated from the first position to the second position to move the part from a picking orientation to a placing orientation. The end effector picks up the part in the picking orientation at the pick station. The end effector releases the part in the placing orientation at the place station.