TechFront New Developments in Manufacturing and Technology
Reliable 3D Bin-Picking Solution H
umans have it easy. We intuitively use our eyes and sense of touch to grab and move objects. The mobility of our arms and hands are unrivaled by any machine. The ultimate industrial automation challenge is to apply these natural processes to robot handling. To be able to remove randomly placed items from a container as a human requires the complex interaction of image recognition system software, robots, and a sophisticated handling strategy. This intelligent removal of items, such as the automated picking of unsorted components, is referred to as random bin-picking. After picking up the part from a container the item must then be perfectly positioned onto production lines as well as on assembly lines. Custom bin-picking solutions for components weighing between 1–50 kg deliver the potential for productivity and efficiency increases in many industries including automotive, commercial vehicles, general engineer- ing and aerospace.
The industrial scale automation of this process offers three key advantages without having to invest in additional machin- ery to be integrated into existing facilities: • Increases output through higher productivity/higher output
• Allows shop personal time for other requirements • Greater reproducibility/consistent quality. “There are plenty of ideas and models on the market that address this, yet most only function under laboratory and test conditions. Such concepts have failed in the past because of process reliability in actual work environments. We have since been able to create process-reliable solutions for customers that achieve the cycle times and high availability rates they require,” said Thomas Mattern, head of R&D for Automation Systems at Liebherr Verzahntechnik GmbH (Kempten, Germany). The core of this challenge is the seamless interaction of various complex processes and technologies. In this case computers, software and strategy perform activities that are controlled by the human brain. Additionally, each individual process must be inherently reliable. Specifically, advances in image recognition technology and computing power in stan- dard PCs promote process reliability and its usability.
Liebherr has created complete bin-picking systems for the automotive industry and for other industries. These systems include efficient channeling of nonrotationally sym- metrical components that arrive randomly in a bin and can be placed into production lines and hardening ovens. The beginning of a production line is the key point where picking from the bin is necessary.
A new 3D bin-picking system from Liebherr developed with the Fraunhofer Institute precisely recognizes components.
Liebherr developed and tested this technical solution under practical conditions in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute (Munich). These systems comply with the constraints
July 2013 |
ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com 33
Photo courtesy Liebherr Verzahntechnik GmbH
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