Tray system for robotic part processing

A tray for use in robotic part processing, comprising:

• a base including an upper surface and a lower surface:
• a frame connected to the upper surface and including a plurality of segments defining a plurality of pockets:
• a plurality of alignment features on one of the upper surface or the lower surface of the base;
• and
• a plurality of spacers integrally formed on another of the upper surface or the lower surface of the base, each spacer being configured to engage with an alignment feature on one of an upper surface or a lower surface of a base of a different tray.

A tray for use in robotic part processing, comprising:

• a base including an upper surface and a lower surface;
• a frame connected to the upper surface and including a plurality of segments defining a plurality of pockets;
• and
• a plurality of spacers coupled to the base, the plurality of spacers including a plurality of alignment features positioned adjacent one of the upper surface or the lower surface of the base, a plurality of stackable posts positioned adjacent another of the upper surface or the lower surface of the base, each stackable post having a centering end and an alignment end, and a plurality of bolts configured to couple the plurality of alignment features and the plurality of stackable posts to the base:
• wherein the centering end of each of the stackable posts is configured to mate with any of the plurality of alignment features and any of the alignments ends of other stackable posts to increase the length of the spacer.

A method of robotic workpiece transfer, comprising:

• positioning a robot relative to a workspace of a processing machine:
• positioning an infeed support relative to the robot;
• determining a coordinate system of the infeed support relative to a base of the robot from fixed features on the infeed support:
• positioning an outfeed support relative to the robot:
• determining a coordinate system of the outfeed support relative to the base of the robot from fixed features on the outfeed support:
• calibrating a 3D space to establish a location and orientation, relative to the base of the robot, of a plurality trays positioned on the infeed support:
• performing a workpiece transfer sequence to transfer workpieces from a tray of the plurality of trays positioned on the infeed support, to the workspace, and to a tray on the outfeed support:
• repeating the workpiece transfer sequence until an uppermost tray of the plurality of trays on the infeed support is empty:
• determining, in response to the uppermost tray being empty, whether the empty uppermost tray is a bottom tray of the plurality of trays;
• and
• responding to the empty uppermost tray not being the bottom tray by controlling the robot to move the empty uppermost tray onto an uppermost tray on the outfeed support and repeating the workpiece transfer sequence, the repeating step and the determining step.