Pneumatic manifold-based flexible tooling system

A vacuum-and-air-supplying pneumatic manifold-based flexible tooling system, comprising:

• one or more pods attached to a table frame, each of the pods comprising:
• a top plate shaped to attach to the table frame, the top plate comprising one or more pass through shaft guides;
• a lower plate;
• a plurality of structural elements connecting the top plate to the lower plate;
• and
• one or more integrated motor and screw modules connected to the lower plate, each comprising:
• a motor co-axial with one of the pass through shaft guides;
• an encoder configured to detect the motor being in one of a plurality of positions;
• a motor controller configured to command the motor to take one of the positions using feedback from the encoder;
• a drive screw mechanically coupled to an output of the motor, wherein the drive screw is moved upon the motor moving from one of the positions to another one of the positions;
• an anti-rotation linear guide comprising a nut element that mounts onto the drive screw and a linear guide element that is attached to the nut element and that prevents rotation of the nut element, wherein the movement of the drive screw causes a linear motion of the nut element along a length of the drive screw;
• and
• a hollow shaft mounted onto the nut element, the hollow shaft extending through one of the pass through shaft guides and configured to connect to a tooling element comprising an end effector configured to hold a load;
• a pneumatic manifold which provides air and vacuum to the end effectors, wherein the vacuum is used to secure the load to the end effectors, and the air is used to release the load from the end effectors, and wherein the pneumatic manifold is controlled in providing the air and the vacuum to one or more of the end effectors by one or more manifold controllers comprised in that pod, the pneumatic manifold further comprising:
• a manifold block;
• air fittings connecting the manifold block to a supply of the air and a supply of the vacuum;
• and
• a plurality of pairs of valves attached to the manifold block, wherein flow of the vacuum or the air through a plurality of exit pneumatic ports of the manifold block is controlled by the pairs of the valves;
• and
• one or more internal pneumatic tubes, each connected as part of a path from the pneumatic manifold to one of the end effectors, wherein both the air and the vacuum are supplied to each end effector via the internal pneumatic tube different from the internal pneumatic tubes supplying the remaining end effectors and under the control of the manifold controller that is comprised in that pod and that is associated with that end effector.