Bin Loading/Unloading

In the real world, using a robot to unload a bin can be more complicated than you might expect.

For example: Piston cylinders are delivered in a bin containing a number of layers. Cylinders are packed a bit loosely in an irregular pattern on each layer. The outside surface of each cylinder is very rough; they don’t slide against each other very well. Picking up one cylinder is likely to disturb the cylinders around it.

A Vision system is used to locate and count every cylinder as work progresses. The system must identify each layer’s vertical height as well as detecting when the layer is empty. The system can identify fallen cylinders and verify the orientation of each cylinder’s chamfered end.

The End-Of-Arm-Tool is custom designed to pick up the inside diameter of each cylinder. The tool is designed to fit into every corner of the bin. The tool can also handle dunnage between layers and pick up fallen cylinders. Where required, the tool can flip cylinders to orient chamfered end correctly.

The robot tool path is programmed to reach into every corner of the bin and down to the bottom layer and still maintain consistent cycle time.

Tech-Con Automation brings the experience to anticipate challenges others might miss.