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US 12,722,237 B2Granted
Fast part forming using intelligent robotic system with interchangeable tools
AssigneeMachina Labs, Inc.
InventorEdward Mehr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system includes a frame holding a part, a robot arm adjacent to the frame, a tool rack with a plurality of tools that are interchangeable, and a controller. The controller controls the robotic arm to automatically attach a forming tool from the tool rack to the tool holder; controls the robotic arm with the forming tool to form the part in a first geometry into a second geometry; and controls the robotic arm to automatically return the forming tool to the tool rack and detach the forming tool from the tool holder.
Claims19
A system comprising:
- a frame configured to hold a metal sheet;
- a robotic arm adjacent to the frame and configured to move through space;
- a tool rack;
- a plurality of tools in the tool rack, the plurality of tools including a forming tool and a trimming tool, each tool of the plurality of tools interchangeably attachable to a tool holder at a first end of the robotic arm;
- and
- a controller configured to control the robotic arm through execution of program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the program code when executed causes the controller to:
- control the robotic arm to automatically attach the forming tool in the tool rack to the tool holder;
- control the robotic arm with the forming tool to form the metal sheet in a first geometry into a second geometry different than the first geometry;
- control the robotic arm to automatically return the forming tool to the tool rack and detach the forming tool from the tool holder;
- control the robotic arm to automatically attach the trimming tool in the tool rack to the tool holder;
- control the robotic arm with the trimming tool to trim the metal sheet in the second geometry into a trimmed metal part, wherein to control the robotic arm to trim the metal sheet, the program code, when executed, causes the controller to:
- while trimming the metal sheet along a trimming path, use a scanner sensor attached to the robotic arm at the first end to determine a current geometry of a portion of the metal sheet;
- and
- while trimming the metal sheet, revise the trimming path for the trimming tool to trim the portion of the metal sheet based on the determined current geometry of the portion of the metal sheet;
- and
- control the robotic arm to automatically return the trimming tool to the tool rack and detach the trimming tool from the tool holder.
13 more elements
A system comprising:
- a robotic arm configured to move through space and positioned to interact with a first side of a metal sheet;
- a forming tool and a trimming tool, each of which is interchangeably attachable to a tool holder at a first end of the robotic arm;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- control the robotic arm to attach the forming tool to the tool holder;
- control the robotic arm with the forming tool to form the metal sheet in a first geometry into a second geometry different than the first geometry;
- control the robotic arm to detach the forming tool from the tool holder;
- control the robotic arm to attach the trimming tool to the tool holder;
- control the robotic arm with the trimming tool to trim the metal sheet in the second geometry into a trimmed metal part, wherein to control the robotic arm to trim the metal sheet, the controller is further configured to:
- while trimming the metal sheet along a trimming path, use a scanner sensor attached to the robotic arm at the first end to determine a current geometry of a portion of the metal sheet;
- and
- while trimming the metal sheet, revise the trimming path for the trimming tool to trim the portion of the metal sheet based on the determined current geometry of the portion of the metal sheet;
- and
- control the robotic arm to detach the trimming tool from the tool holder.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.