Automation technology for medium-sized companies
Introduction
Automation has so far bypassed German SMEs. This is why automation technology is necessary for the production of small and medium-sized series. With the automation concept presented, a single robot performs a large number of "hand movements" in all weight ranges one after the other.
This concept, which is particularly interesting for medium-sized companies, has only been made possible by the use of a newly developed form-fit gripper (FSG). For the development of this gripper, the inventions.de was awarded a prize by a top-class panel of experts at AUTOMATICA 2008. There is also a positive assessment from DLR.
This gripper allows the holding, assembly and packaging of both fragile and delicate workpieces (ceramics, glass, painted parts) and heavy and robust workpieces or tools by a single robot. The shape of the workpiece can change without the need to change the gripper. The FSG grips more gently than a hand and can handle many times more weights with the same size.
The jaws of the gripper adapt softly to the shape of the objects to be gripped and then become reversibly hard within a short time. The gripper is simple and inexpensive and does not require any special sensors.
Grabs for goods from 1 g to 1000 kg have already been built according to this concept.
A company would have to be set up that provides this robot-aided manufacturing (RAM) to medium-sized companies. To set up this company, it is advisable to form a consortium of interested companies. The company offers a standardized product that includes robots, integration, and service. In this way, increasingly complex automation steps can be integrated into an existing production facility step by step and quickly.
Such an opportunity to enter robot-assisted production has not yet existed for the more than 300.000 medium-sized manufacturing companies in Germany.
In those areas where lower wages abroad are causing an increasing migration of the manufacturing industry, the use of FSG and RAM technology supports the retention of production in high-wage countries such as Germany.
2. State of the art and basics for the work
Previous automation technology works with gripping systems whose "actions" are limited by the shape of the workpieces or tools to be gripped.
In large-scale production, the adaptation of the gripper to the different shapes of the workpieces is unavoidable and also possible. However, since the shape of the workpiece changes during the manufacturing process or new workpieces are added, many gripping processes have to be organized independently and one after the other. Each machine is usually only used for one or a few "movements" in the production process. In the field of robot technology, several robots are connected in series and networked by transport systems (assembly line, etc.).
With the FSG technology achieves the flexibility and gentle grip of the human hand, but also enables a much firmer grip.
Disadvantages of the human hand:
- Limited holding ability of the human hand.
- No locking of the handle, which leads to fatigue when "holding on".
- High complexity of hand movements, which is only possible with elaborate sensor technology under optical control (eye).
3. Description of the innovation
The previous design of the form-fit gripper (FSG) presented here consists of three components:
- Jaws that can quickly switch between very soft and very hard and flow around the workpiece when it is picked up in order to fix it in place when it becomes hard.
- One or two holders for the jaws, which are moved laterally towards the workpiece.
- The sliding mechanism of the holders, which can be electric, pneumatic or hydraulic.
4. Solution with the necessary technical documents and explanatory illustrations
The following figures show solutions that have been partly implemented in hardware. There are also two CDs that show the various applications in reality.
5. Comparison of innovation with prior art
The advantages of the FSG concept:
- Flexibility of the gripping position, regardless of the exact position of the workpiece.
- Low contact pressure on the jaws of 0.5 – 1 bar, for more robust workpieces up to 2 bar.
- Gentle handling of fragile workpieces such as ceramics and glasses.
- No wear problem of the diaphragms due to the lack of relative movement to the workpiece.
6. Presentation of the advantages of use in practical application
In relation to the gripping systems used so far, the following advantages result:
- Jaw gripper: Point loading can damage sensitive surfaces. FSG technology, on the other hand, allows for flexible adaptation.
- Vacuum gripper: Unsuitable for irregular surfaces. FSG grippers can also grip bent and irregular workpieces.
- Previous grippers with milled jaws: High costs for modifications. FSG automatically adapts to any shape.
The FSG technology allows for more efficient automation in medium-sized companies, which makes implementation economically viable.
Result
The presented form-fit gripper (FSG) enables flexible, cost-efficient and versatile automation for medium-sized companies. Thanks to the innovative technology, medium-sized companies in Germany can remain competitive and hold their own against low-wage countries.