Pendular handling system for a press line
AssigneeABB Schweiz AG
InventorsRamon Casanelles Moix, José Ruiz González
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pendular handling system for handling parts in a press line may have two articulated robots arranged on opposite sides with respect to the central vertical plane of the press line, each robot having at least four rotational axes in series between a robot base and a robot wrist, and each robot being mounted with the first axis horizontal and perpendicular to the press line flow direction, a first arm of each robot can swing in a vertical plane in the press line flow direction.
Claims16
A pendular handling system for handling parts in a press line, the press line having a central vertical plane and a press line flow direction, the system comprising
- two articulated robots mounted on opposite sides with respect to the central vertical plane of the press line,
- each robot comprising at least a robot base, a robot wrist, a first arm and at least four rotational axes in series between each robot base and each robot wrist, the at least four rotational axes including a first axis and a last axis, the last axis being defined as a rotational axis of the robot wrist, and
- each robot being mounted with the first axis of the at least four rotational axes horizontal and mounted perpendicular to the press line flow direction, and,
- the two robots being mounted such that the first axes of the two robots, which are horizontal and perpendicular to the press line flow direction, are aligned with each other;
- the first arm of each robot operable to swing in a vertical plane in the press line flow direction;
- each robot further comprising an additional arm that has a proximal end fixed to the robot wrist and a distal end carrying an additional rotational axis;
- the system further comprising a crossbar with its ends attached to the additional axes of the two robots and adapted to carry a gripper system for picking parts to be handled;
- the rotational axis of the wrist of each robot, the additional rotational axis carried at the distal end of each additional arm, and the crossbar, all being disposed as parallel to each other.
A method for handling parts in a press line, comprising:
- providing two articulated robots having at least four rotational axes in series between a robot base and a robot wrist, each robot further comprising an additional arm that has a proximal end fixed to the robot wrist and a distal end carrying an additional rotational axis, the at least four rotational axes including a first axis and a last axis, the last axis being defined as a rotational axis of the robot wrist;
- mounting the robots on opposite sides with respect to the central vertical plane of the press line, with their first axes horizontal and perpendicular to the press line flow direction, the first arm of each robot disposed to swing in a vertical plane in the press line flow direction,
- including mounting the two robots such that the first axes of the two robots, which are horizontal and perpendicular to the press line flow direction, are aligned with each other;
- and
- operating the robots with the swing of the first arm of each robot in a vertical plane in the direction of the press line flow to unload parts from one station of the press line and load the parts in another station of the press line
- the method further comprising attaching a crossbar to the two robots with the ends of the crossbar attaching to the additional axes of the two robots and the crossbar carrying a gripper system for picking parts to be handled;
- disposing parallel to each other the rotational axis of the wrist of each robot, the additional rotational axis carried at the distal end of each additional arm, and the crossbar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.