Quality and productivity driven trajectory optimisation for robotic handling of compliant sheet metal parts in multi-press stamping lines

• This paper investigates trajectory generation for multi-robot systems that handle compliant parts in order to minimise deformations during handling, which is important to reduce the risk of affecting the part’s dimensional quality. An optimisation methodology is proposed to generate deformation-minimal multi-robot coordinated trajectories for predefined robot paths and cycle-time. The novelty of the proposed optimisation methodology is that it efficiently estimates part deformations using a precomputed Response Surface Model (RSM), which is based on data samples generated by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the handled part and end-effector. The end-effector holding forces, plastic part deformations, collision-avoidance and multi-robot coordination are also considered as constraints in the optimisation model. The optimised trajectories are experimentally validated and the results show that the proposed optimisation methodology is able to significantly reduce the deformations of the part during handling, i.e. up to 12% with the same cycle-time in the case study that involves handling compliant sheet metal parts. This investigation provides insights into generating specialised trajectories for material handling of compliant parts that can systematically minimise part deformations to ensure final dimensional quality. © 2018

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Bearbetnings-, yt- och fogningsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Manufacturing, Surface and Joining Technology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Aerodynamics

Deformation

Industrial robots

Materials handling

Multipurpose robots

Plastic parts

Robotics

Sheet metal

Trajectories

Compliant parts

Dimensional quality

Material handling

Multi-robot coordination

Multi-robot systems

Response surface modeling

Trajectory generation

Trajectory optimisation

End effectors

Manufacturing and materials engineering

Produktions- och materialteknik

Production Technology

Produktionsteknik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)