Sheet Metal Unloading Calibration for Robot Coordinate Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for unloading machining products, such as sheet metal products, from a conveyor using a robot often suffer from inaccuracies due to misalignment and orientation discrepancies between the conveyor and the robot's coordinate systems, leading to inefficient and unreliable unloading processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving calibration of the numerical unloading control system to align the coordinate systems of the supply device and the unloading device, using a reference object with a marking to adjust for deviations, ensuring accurate positioning and orientation of the machining product before unloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a robot is used to unload machining products from a conveyor, then automation is improved, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to coordinate system misalignment between the conveyor and robot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing coordinate system calibration before the actual unloading operation. A reference object with known markings is positioned on the conveyor, and the robot's coordinate system is adjusted to match the conveyor's coordinate system based on the detected marking positions. This preliminary calibration ensures that subsequent unloading operations achieve high positioning accuracy while maintaining full automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment procedures with an automated optical measurement and computational calibration system. Instead of physically adjusting the robot's mechanical coordinate system through manual intervention, the system uses image processing to detect markings on a reference object, calculates coordinate transformations, and automatically adjusts the robot's coordinate system parameters, thereby maintaining automation while improving positioning accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If coordinate systems of supply device and robot are aligned manually, then positioning accuracy is improved, but automation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by enabling the robot and coordinate system calibration to perform the alignment task autonomously. The robot uses its own measurement capabilities to detect the reference marking, calculate the coordinate transformation, and adjust its coordinate system parameters without external intervention. This self-calibration process maintains full automation while achieving high alignment accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using the detected position of the reference marking to continuously adjust and refine the coordinate system alignment. The system measures the actual marking position, compares it with the expected position, calculates the deviation, and uses this feedback information to correct the coordinate system parameters, thereby achieving accurate alignment while maintaining automation.
3Reliability
If calibration process is implemented, then unloading reliability is improved, but process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the coordinate system calibration once before a series of unloading operations. Although the calibration process takes additional time initially, it establishes accurate coordinate relationships that ensure high reliability for all subsequent unloading operations, thereby reducing the time penalty to a one-time cost rather than a recurring delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes the calibration process by changing parameters such as using high-contrast markings that can be detected quickly, optimizing the reference object placement for rapid measurement, and using efficient image processing algorithms. These parameter optimizations reduce the calibration time while maintaining the reliability benefits of accurate coordinate system alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
An unloading method unloads a sheet metal machining product produced on a sheet metal working machine. The method includes: supplying the machining product to a supply device for unloading with a position and an orientation defined in a coordinate system of the supply device; moving an unloading member of the unloading device with a transfer movement into a transfer position on the machining product supplied to the supply device for unloading; calibrating, before the machining product is unloaded from the supply device, the numerical unloading control of the unloading device; and unloading the machining product from the supply device by the unloading device. The unloading of the machining product is controlled by the programmable numerical control which includes the programmable numerical unloading control of the unloading device and in which the coordinate system of the supply device and the similar coordinate system of the numerical unloading control are stored.