MECHATRONICS- 191ME74

ASSIGNMENT -5

BY
T.KARUTHAPANDI
MECH -1
VI-YEAR

What is Pick and Place Robot?

Pick and place robots enable companies to use automated
solutions for lifting objects from one location and placing
them at other locations.
Simple tasks such as lifting objects or moving them do not
require a lot of thought processes. Therefore, using human
workers on these tasks can be wasteful, as the workforce can
be used for other tasks that require higher mental abilities.
These repetitive tasks are handled by pick and place robots.
These robots are often equipped with sensors and vision
systems to lift objects from moving conveyor belt.
The pick and place robots used for monotonous tasks in the
food packaging industry nowadays are based on the Delta
robots. Delta robots were designed in the early 1980s by a
research team led by Professor Reymond Clavel at EPFL,
Switzerland.
The mass-scale production of packaging pick and place robots
started in 1987 when a Swiss company called Demaurex
purchased the license to create these robots.
In 1999, FlexPicker delta robot was launched by ABB
Flexible Automation, which became a major game-changer in
the field.
The field of pick and place robots is still developing, with
researchers optimizing these robots for picking even smaller
items for computer processors, or for higher speed repetitive
tasks and precision.
How do Pick and Place Robots Work?
There are multiple designs of pick and place robots, based on
the specific application for which they are used. The basic
principle of most of these designs is on similar lines.
These robots are typically mounted on a stable stand, and
have a long arm that can reach their entire area of operation.
The end of arm attachment is specialized to the type of objects
the robot intends to move.
These robots can transfer items from a stationary surface to a
stationary surface, stationary to a moving surface, moving to a
stationary surface, and moving to a moving surface (such as
between two conveyor belts).
What are the different parts of a pick and place robot?
A pick and place robot has several dedicated parts, such as:
Robot Arm tool: A robotic arm, also known as a
manipulator, is the extension of the robot by using cylindrical
or spherical parts. links, and joints.
End Effector: The end effector is the accessory at the end of
the robotic arm, that does the required job such as gripping
objects. The end effectors can be designed to perform
different functionalities based on requirements.
Actuators: Actuators create the motion in the robotic arm and
end effectors. The linear actuators are basically any type of
motor, such as servo motor, stepper motor, or hydraulic
cylinder.
Sensors: You can think of sensors as the eyes of the robots.
The sensors do the tasks like identifying the position of the
object.
Controllers: Controllers synchronize and control the
movement of different actuators of a robot, thereby being the
brain behind the smooth robotic operation.
What are the Different Types of Pick and Place Robots?
There are many different types of pick and place robots, such
as:
Cartesian Robots:
Cartesian robots move items in multiple planes, using X, Y,
and Z coordinates (known as cartesian coordinates).
Fast Pick Robots:
Fast pick robots pick items at a very high speed, which is why
there are used in high volume applications. These robots are
capable of moving about 300 items per hour.
Robotic Arms:
Robotic arms are the simplest and most common type of pick
and place robots. As described earlier, they are used as 5-axis
and 6-axis robotic arm. 6-axis robotic arm works similar to
cartesian robots but has lower positioning accuracy compared
to delta robots.
Delta Robots:
Delta robots can pick items and place them in predefined
assembly patterns or groups. These robots can be equipped
with sensors or vision systems to select items based on
different colors or sizes.
Collaborative Robots (Cobot):
Collaborative robots are named so because they work in
collaboration with humans. Their purpose is to guide humans
to the picking location or the desired location. These robots
can create an optimal route to minimize transporting time.
What are the Advantages of a Pick and Place Robot?
Pick and place robots offer several advantages as compared to
using human workers for the same purpose. Some of these
advantages are:
Speed:
The speed of operation is one of the major reasons in favor of
pick and place robots. These machines can lift a lot of objects
at the same time that it would take a human worker to lift one
object.
Productivity:
Due to a higher speed of operation, a pick and place robot has
higher productivity than human counterpart. This is why
modern manufacturing environments are able to roll out a
higher number of products, to increase production rates.
Uninterrupted Production:
Human workers require breaks, which can lead to
interruptions in the production line. Interruptions also occur
during the change of shift of workers. However, robots do not
require breaks and can work all day and night.
Consistency:
Human labor always brings in the factor of human error.
However, a pick and place robot will work on exact
mathematical principles, so there are no errors and the end
result is a consistent operation.
Safety:
Lifting objects involves the risk factor of the object falling
down on human workers and causing injuries. However,
robots have no such risk, leading to higher safety in the
workplace.
Return on Investment:
Pick and place robots enables companies to minimize running
costs by incurring a small initial investment. There are no
salaries and no benefits to pay. This results in a higher return
on investment in the manufacturing processes.
Throughput:
Pick and place robots result in a higher throughput as they can
move a lot of objects in a given time. As mentioned earlier,
fast pick robots are capable of moving items at the rate of 300
skus per hour.
Applications of Pick and Place Robots
Even as food packaging industrial robots, pick and place
robots serve several different applications. These applications
include
Assembly Applications:
In assembly processes, pick and place robots can gather
multiple parts from multiple locations, and assemble them at
one place. Complex work in electronic environments is done
using these types of pick and place robots.
Packaging Applications:
As a packaging utility, pick and place robot grab the food
items and place them in a packaging container. To load the
items into a packaging container, they can even be picked
from a conveyor belt.
Bin Picking Applications:
In bin picking applications, pick and place robots are capable
of picking up a particular item from a bin. These pick and
place robots have advanced vision systems that enable them to
accurately identify the required item, an application required
in bin picking.
Inspection and Quality Controls:
Inspection and quality control pick and place robots identify
each item to find out if it meets the quality control protocol of
the manufacturer. If the items fail, the robot can remove the
item from the production line.
Part Sorting:
Part sorting robots can sort different objects based on their
shape or the information provided on the object itself. These
can be used to segregate parcels or for similar applications.
Medical Applications:
Pick and place robots are also finding their applications in the
medical sector. They not only help in sorting the medical
inventory but can even assist in complex surgeries.
How to Choose the Right Pick and Place Robots?
When it comes to getting a pick and place robot for your
production line, you cannot simply go ahead and get the first
one you see. It requires careful research, based on some
important factors. These factors are:
Axes:
The number of axes determines the directions in which the
robot is capable of moving. A five-axis robot can pick and
place an object to any location within the same plane, while a
six-axis robot can transfer objects to different planes as well.
Additional axes can create twisting and turning motions for
different orientation of the object.
Reach:
The reach is the entire work envelope that the robot can reach.
The robotic work envelope will be defined by the spread of
your workplace. A larger, spread out workspace will require a
robot with a larger reach. For a smaller workspace, a smaller
reach is sufficient.
Speed:
For high volume applications, you will require a high speed
pick and place robot. If your volume requirement is not that
high, you speed of movement is something you can
compromise.
Repeatability:
Repeatability is the robot’s ability to pick and place items to
the exact particular location. High repeatability means better
positioning accuracy, and is a desired quality for a smoother
operation.