Fingerpad force sensing system
AssigneesAmada Company, Limited, Amada America, Inc.
InventorsAnne Marie Murray, Richard M. Moore, Jr., David Alan Bourne, Melvin W. Siegel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fingerpad force sensor system is disclosed which is useful for detecting process variations during manufacturing processes in which a plurality of force sensors are applied to the gripper of a robot in order to monitor shear forces applied to the workpiece held by the robot during, for example, sheet-metal bending manufacturing processes. Each sensor is encapsulated in rubber pads which are secured to the gripper of the robot such that they monitor the status of the workpiece during all phases of automated bending: material acquisition, material handling, machine loading and unloading.
Claims9
A method of controlling a movement of a gripper which grips a sheet metal workpiece and feeding the sheet metal workpiece into a press brake, the method comprising:
- affixing at least one fingerpad force sensor to the gripper such that the fingerpad force sensor is positioned between the gripper and the workpiece in order to experience a shear force experienced by the workpiece;
- determining a threshold of the shear force such that a slippage between the gripper and the workpiece occurs when a value of the shear force experienced by the workpiece exceeds the threshold;
- detecting by the fingerpad force sensor the shear force experienced by the workpiece;
- when the shear force experienced by the workpiece is above the threshold, changing the movement of the gripper from a predetermined movement.
An apparatus for controlling a movement of a gripper for gripping a sheet metal workpiece and feeding the sheet metal workpiece into a press brake, comprising:
- said gripper having at least one fingerpad force sensor such that the fingerpad force sensor is positioned between the gripper and the workpiece in order to experience a shear force experienced by the workpiece;
- means for determining a threshold of the shear force such that a slippage between the gripper and the workpiece occurs when a value of the shear force experienced by the workpiece exceeds the threshold;
- means for calculating the shear force experienced by the workpiece on the basis of a signal from the fingerpad force sensor;
- and
- means for changing the movement of the gripper from a predetermined movement when the shear force experienced by the workpiece is above the threshold.
An apparatus for controlling a movement of a gripper for gripping a sheet metal workpiece and feeding the sheet metal workpiece into a press brake, comprising:
- said gripper having at least one fingerpad force sensor such that the fingerpad force sensor is positioned between the gripper and the workpiece in order to experience a shear force experienced by the workpiece;
- a system which determines a threshold of the shear force such that a slippage between the gripper and the workpiece occurs when a value of the shear force experienced by the workpiece exceeds the threshold;
- a calculator which calculates the shear force experienced by the workpiece on the basis of a signal from the fingerpad force sensor;
- and
- a system which changes the movement of the gripper from a predetermined movement when the shear force experienced by the workpiece is above the threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.