Bulk workpiece picking system and method

A bulk workpiece picking system comprising:

• a robot which is provided with an electromagnetic hand capable of magnetically attracting a metal workpiece;
• a buffer stage which is arranged in an operation range of the robot;
• a determination section which determines whether or not two or more workpieces are magnetically attracted to the electromagnetic hand;
• and
• a control section which controls the robot,
• wherein, when it is determined by the determination section that two or more workpieces are magnetically attracted to the electromagnetic hand, the control section controls the robot so that the workpieces are arranged above the buffer stage, and then, the control section reduces the magnetic force of the electromagnetic hand to lower the workpieces toward the buffer stage.

A picking method for taking out, by magnetic attraction, a single workpiece from a plurality of metal workpieces placed in bulk, the picking method comprising:

• a first magnetic force setting step of setting a magnitude of magnetic force of an electromagnetic hand so that the electromagnetic hand can suspend one workpiece and cannot suspend two workpieces;
• an attraction step of magnetically attracting the workpiece to the electromagnetic hand which generates the magnetic force set in the first magnetic force setting step;
• a determination step of determining whether or not the workpiece is magnetically attracted to the electromagnetic hand successfully by the attraction step;
• and
• a second magnetic force setting step of increasing the magnetic force of the electromagnetic hand when it is determined by the determination step that the workpiece is magnetically attracted to the electromagnetic hand.