Tilted-Axis Serial Manipulator Layout for Press Brake Reach
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing combinations of press brakes and serial manipulators face challenges in maintaining accuracy and speed while minimizing costs, as large manipulators are required to meet positioning and reach demands, leading to potential robot singularities and reduced efficiency near workspace boundaries.
Innovation Solution
The first axis of the serial manipulator is tilted towards the press brake, increasing reach and maintaining a compact configuration, allowing for higher accuracy and speed, with angles between 45° and 90°, preferably 70°, and optimizing tool storage and tool exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a large serial manipulator is selected to meet positioning and reach demands, then the reach and positioning capability are improved, but the cost increases and the risk of robot singularities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first axis of the serial manipulator is tilted at an angle between 45° and 90° (preferably 70°) relative to the vertical direction, creating an asymmetric configuration. This asymmetric tilt optimizes the workspace distribution, allowing the manipulator to achieve sufficient reach for sheet material handling while maintaining a more compact overall structure and reducing cost compared to a large perpendicular manipulator.
Solution Approach 2:
By tilting the first axis from the vertical dimension into a tilted dimension, the manipulator redistributes its workspace across different spatial dimensions. This dimensional transformation allows the manipulator to access the press brake workspace effectively while maintaining a compact base configuration, reducing the need for an overly large manipulator structure.
2Length of moving object
If a serial manipulator is positioned at the edges of its work space to maximize reach, then the reach is improved, but the accuracy and speed are reduced due to robot singularities
Solution Approach 1:
The tilted first axis creates an asymmetric workspace distribution that shifts the singularity locations away from the critical press brake positioning area. This allows the manipulator to maintain accurate positioning within the press brake workspace while still achieving sufficient reach, as the singularities occur in less critical regions of the workspace.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the orientation parameter of the first axis from vertical to tilted (45°-90°), the manipulator's workspace geometry and singularity distribution are transformed. This parameter change optimizes the trade-off between reach and accuracy, ensuring high positioning accuracy within the press brake area while maintaining adequate reach through the tilted configuration.
3Device complexity
If the first axis is perpendicular to the base surface, then the structure is simple, but the reach in the direction of the press brake is limited and the underarm cannot be kept low
Solution Approach 1:
The first axis is tilted at an angle between 45° and 90° (preferably 70°) relative to the vertical direction, creating an asymmetric configuration that optimizes reach towards the press brake. This asymmetric tilt allows the manipulator to achieve greater horizontal reach in the press brake direction while maintaining a compact underarm profile, compared to a simple perpendicular configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
By tilting the first axis from the vertical dimension into a tilted dimension, the manipulator redistributes its reach capabilities. This dimensional transformation projects more of the manipulator's reach capability into the horizontal plane towards the press brake, while keeping the underarm lower, effectively optimizing the reach without significantly increasing structural complexity.
4Length of moving object
If the serial manipulator needs to reach far to pick up sheet material from stock position and put down folded sheet material, then the reach is improved, but the configuration becomes long and accuracy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The tilted first axis creates an asymmetric workspace distribution that allows the manipulator to achieve sufficient reach for stock position and tool storage station while maintaining a more compact configuration during press brake positioning. This asymmetric tilt optimizes the trade-off between maximum reach and positioning accuracy within the press brake workspace.
Solution Approach 2:
By tilting the first axis, the manipulator redistributes its workspace across different spatial dimensions, allowing it to access distant locations (stock position, tool storage) while maintaining a compact configuration during critical positioning operations. This dimensional transformation enables the manipulator to achieve long reach without sacrificing accuracy in the press brake area.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a combination of a press brake and a serial manipulator having at least six joints. The press brake includes a frame arranged on a base surface; two beams for clamping press brake tools, said beams being arranged in the frame and being movable towards to and away from each other in a direction perpendicular to the base surface. The serial manipulator includes a base, having a main plane, on which a first joint of the serial manipulator is arranged, which first joint is rotatable around a first axis perpendicular to the main plane. The serial manipulator is arranged at a distance from the press brake; and the first axis of the serial manipulator is tilted towards the press brake.