Automated manufacturing of shoe parts with a pickup tool

A system for manufacturing an article, the system comprising:

• a first manufacturing station;
• a second manufacturing station having a first predetermined location for a first article component that is a textile and a second predetermined location for a second article component;
• a pickup tool for capturing the first article components and the second article component, wherein the pickup tool comprises a contact surface having a first pickup force type and a second pickup force type, wherein the first pickup force type and the second pickup force type are effective on a plane of the contact surface;
• and
• a robotic actuator coupled to the pickup tool to capture the first article components and the second article component and to move the pickup tool to reposition the captured first article components and the captured second article component over the first and second predetermined locations at the second manufacturing station, respectively, wherein the pickup tool releases the first article components and the second article component onto the first and second predetermined locations, respectively for attaching the first and second article components to one another to generate an assembled article component.

A method of manufacturing an article with the aid of a pickup tool, the method comprising:

• capturing a first article component that is a textile with the pickup tool having a contact surface using a first pickup force type and a second pickup force type;
• moving the captured first article component to a position aligned with a second article component that is a textile;
• releasing the captured first article component to be placed in alignment with the second article component;
• attaching the first and second article components to one another to generate an assembled article component, wherein the attaching the first and second article components to one another comprises at least one selected from stitching, fusing, welding, gluing, or heat pressing;
• and
• returning the assembled article component to a manufacturing station.