Methods and systems for sorting hides are provided. In particular, one or more embodiments comprise a tanning control system that enhances the traceability of hides by capturing and utilizing data related to the unloading, tanning, sorting, and packaging of hides. Furthermore, one or more embodiments enable the tanning control system to improve efficiency by sorting hides based, at least in part, on data generated during prior tanning processes. Additionally, one or more embodiments facilitate the tanning control system in customizing the sorting and packaging of hides based, at least in part, on one or more hide characteristics and/or customer specifications.

A substrate transfer apparatus to transfer a circular substrate provided with a cutout at an edge portion thereof, includes: a sensor part including three light source parts applying light to positions different from one another at the edge portion, and three light receiving parts paired with the light source parts; and a drive part for moving the substrate holding part, wherein the three light source parts apply light to the light receiving parts so that whether or not a detection range of the sensor part overlaps with the cutout of the substrate is determined on the basis of an amount of received light by each light receiving part, and when it is determined that there is an overlap at any position, positions of the edge portion of the substrate are further detected with the position of the substrate displaced with respect to the sensor part.

The invention relates to a robot system, to a corresponding method, and to a processing system, wherein, along a process line, which is formed by guide rails, or on a conveyor belt, objects or workpieces are optionally moved or transported on carrier devices having gripping elements. The robot arm removes the objects from the process line by pulling or pushing the objects from a plane or surface of the process line into a working chamber compliantly, i.e., in a non-rigid manner by means of force control, wherein the objects are positioned and oriented in the working chamber by means of guiding elements. After the processing of the objects in the working chamber, the objects are pushed or pulled back onto the process line by means of the robot arm. The process line can comprise passive, non-driven rollers or the like instead of an actively driven conveyor belt, wherein the robot arm nudges or pushes the objects in order to transport the objects.

An embodiment includes a plurality of transport modules forming a transport path on which a carriage that transports a workpiece travels, and a control unit that controls a position of the carriage on the plurality of transport modules based on a drive instruction, and the control unit corrects the drive instruction during carriage motion that is based on the drive instruction and stops the carriage.

The invention discloses a panel sorting device. The panel sorting device comprises a placement rack, an alignment device, and a classification robotic arm. The placement rack has multiple layers. Each layer of the placement rack places at least one panel according to the sequence with specification at corresponding position. The alignment device is used to obtain the positional deviation of the panel moved on a production line. Wherein, the classification robotic arm corrects the panel position based on the information of the positional deviation acquired by the alignment device, and places the panel in accordance with its sequence and specification to the corresponding position in the layer of the placement rack. To implement the panel sorting device of this present invention can quickly grab the panel and automatically sort according to the product's specifications. As a result, improve the efficiency of automated handling and production yield, and reduce costs and save installation space.

A second control device of a second substrate processing apparatus creates a virtual carrier, thereby storing a piece of positional information of a substrate to be carried into the second substrate processing apparatus through a direct carry-in entrance before the substrate is carried into the second substrate processing apparatus. The second control device creates a second schedule to convey a substrate carried into the second substrate processing apparatus through the direct carry-in entrance from the outside of the second substrate processing apparatus to the inside of the second substrate processing apparatus, based on the prestored positional information of the substrate outside the second substrate processing apparatus, before the substrate is carried into the second substrate processing apparatus.

A method for optimizing an automated process to select and grip an object by a robot in an arrangement that includes a plurality of robots with regard to a specifiable optimization criterion, wherein the objects to be potentially gripped irregularly occur with respect to their spatial position and a time of their arrival, where detection of objects to be potentially gripped by robots is performed, detection of a priority characteristic as well as an assignment to one of the robots for the objects to be potentially gripped via an automated learning algorithm, taking the optimization criterion into account, and where selection and gripping depending on the assignment and the priority characteristic is implemented.

A conveyor controller for being implemented into a conveyor system includes control circuitry and one or more network interfaces for coupling with other conveyor controllers. In one embodiment, the control circuitry configured for detecting whether a another conveyor controller is connected and to determine which network interface is used in order to set the direction of the conveyor system. In another embodiment, the control circuitry is configured, to receive configuration data from a conveyor controller connected to a network interface, and to detect if another conveyor controller is and to transmit configuration message to another conveyor controller that includes additional configuration data associated with the conveyor controller. In still another embodiment, the control circuitry transmits configuration data to a replacement conveyor controller upon getting a request from the replacement conveyor controller that has been connected to a network interface.

An apparatus for assembling a multi-level battery pack. First and second processing lines are oriented parallel to one another and each containing successive work stations facing a respective work station of the other first or second processing line. The first processing line is configured to assemble a base level of the battery pack and the second processing line is configured to assemble successive level modules of the battery pack. First and second transport vehicles transport components along the respective processing line to provide components to the respective processing line and respective work station. A joining station is included in the respective processing line to join the battery pack successive level modules to the base level. The transport vehicles return to a starting point to begin a new battery pack assembly.

Various systems and methods for optimizing operation at a manufacturing assembly line are disclosed. A method for optimizing operation at a manufacturing assembly line having a track on which a plurality of shuttles travel, the track including one or more stations at which a production task occurs and one or more track areas defined relative to the one or more stations, includes monitoring shuttle operation data associated with the plurality of shuttles on the track, and track sensor data associated with an operation state of the track; detecting an operation variation at the manufacturing assembly line based on the shuttle operation data; in response to detecting the operation variation, analyzing the shuttle operation data and the track sensor data to determine one or more degradation causes resulting in the operation variation; and generating an operation recommendation for resolving at least one degradation cause of the one or more degradation causes.