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Publication
Robot Gripper Technologies For Stiff Fabric Pads
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.35 MB | Adobe PDF |
Authors
Abstract(s)
The project involves identifying, developing, and characterising robot gripper technologies for a specific material and its application. The target part is made of compressed non-woven polymer fabric material. It is used for its acoustic properties in the automotive industry, in the form of small pads that are subjected to over-moulding via plastic injection. The defining properties of the material are its porosity and rough texture due to the fibrous structure; but unlike textiles sheets, it is rigid and maintains its shape. These features pose a challenge to automate its handling process which is currently done manually in the industry.
A survey was conducted for both commercially available grippers and scholarly descriptions of the respective technologies. This was done in two distinct ways, namely, first through a hunt for an exhaustive list of techniques and secondly, with a systematic literature review to assess the latest advancements. The applicable methods found were classified by their underlying principles into five groups: pneumatic-based, intrusive mechanisms, surface attraction, mechanical grabbing, and hybrid technologies. Next, a structured investigation ensued from which a handful of articles were obtained. These reports of recently developed techniques and optimization strategies, including the use of sensors and predictive simulations, are discussed in detail.
The second phase of the project was the construction and testing of simplified prototypes. Gripper models using vacuum suction cups, high airflow vacuum, Bernoulli ejectors, needle penetration, Velcro, adhesive tapes, cryogenics, mechanical friction, and electro-adhesion were designed and fabricated. Multiple parameters and configurations were examined in relation to each technique. Primarily, the grip strength in both the normal and the shear directions were quantified using a standard procedure and a custom force measurement system. This included an industrial robot on which the grippers were mounted and then used to pull the fabric pad until it disengaged. The average maximum force data were used to compare the grippers, along with any damage that was caused to the pad during the tests.
Overall, this study provides descriptions of applicable technologies and optimization methods that are available to engineers. Benchmarking grip strength data for some of the mechanisms are presented as well. Thus, it lays the foundation for future developments which may use the test results to gauge the capabilities of various grippers.
Description
Keywords
Robot Gripper Automatic Material Handling Stiff Fabrics Porous Materials