UV Adhesive Fixturing Assembly for Off-Cell Setup Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing UV adhesive fixturing systems require time-consuming setup processes within the workcell for each combination of fixture, work piece, and orientation, tying up expensive robotic machinery and limiting production flexibility.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a UV delivery assembly with integrated UV light sources and a support structure controller, allowing attachment and validation outside the workcell, enabling remote setup and validation, and connecting to the workcell bus for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If UV delivery endpoints are manually placed and aligned within the workcell for each fixture combination, then alignment precision with gripper pins is improved, but setup time and workcell occupancy are significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The UV delivery assembly is pre-assembled and pre-aligned with the fixture outside the workcell before being brought into the workcell. This preliminary alignment action eliminates the need for time-consuming manual placement and alignment operations within the workcell, while still achieving the required alignment precision between UV delivery endpoints and gripper pins.
Solution Approach 2:
A validation system with photodetectors serves as an intermediary to verify UV light delivery alignment before production use. This validation step ensures alignment precision is achieved without requiring extensive manual adjustment time within the workcell, as the pre-assembled unit either passes or fails validation criteria.
2Manufacturing precision
If the workcell is dedicated to each fixture-work piece combination setup, then setup accuracy is ensured, but productivity and throughput are reduced due to repeated setup operations
Solution Approach 1:
The UV delivery assembly is designed as a universal, pre-assembled unit that can be quickly exchanged between different fixture-work piece combinations. This multi-functional design allows the same workcell to handle multiple different configurations without requiring dedicated setup for each combination, thereby maintaining setup accuracy while significantly improving productivity and throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static, permanent workcell configurations to dynamic, exchangeable UV delivery assemblies. This dynamic approach allows rapid reconfiguration of the workcell for different production needs while maintaining precision through pre-assembled alignment, enabling both high setup accuracy and improved productivity.
3Reliability
If manual setup operations are performed within the workcell for each combination, then proper alignment and validation are achieved, but the expensive robotic machinery is tied up and unit costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The setup and validation operations are extracted from the expensive workcell environment and performed externally using simpler, lower-cost equipment. The UV delivery assembly is pre-assembled and validated outside the workcell, then brought in as a complete unit. This extraction eliminates the need to tie up expensive robotic machinery for setup operations while maintaining alignment validation reliability through the external validation process.
4Adaptability or versatility
If UV delivery endpoints are repositioned for different work piece orientations, then adaptability to various configurations is improved, but setup time and complexity are increased
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple UV delivery endpoints are pre-positioned and pre-aligned on the UV delivery assembly before it enters the workcell. This preliminary action allows the system to adapt to different work piece orientations and configurations without requiring complex repositioning operations within the workcell, thereby maintaining configuration flexibility while reducing setup complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies setup, frees up workcell time for other tasks, increases throughput, reduces unit costs, and allows for flexible production by enabling setup and validation outside the workcell, thus enhancing the efficiency and flexibility of automated fixturing operations.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of UV light sources are aligned with the gripper pins of a fixture when the fixture and the support structure are in alignment. The UV light sources are operably connected to a support structure controller
Implementation Method 2
The adhesive may be 'UV adhesive' cured by ultraviolet light
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, system and method for adhesive fixturing include UV light sources that are connectable to a fixture when the fixture is not attached to the stage of a workcell. A support structure holds the UV light sources in alignment with gripper pins communicating through the fixture. A bus connector operably connects the UV light sources to a control box of the workcell. Attaching the UV light sources to the fixtures outside of the workcell increases the throughput of the workcell and reduces the cost of the fixtured work pieces.