A transport system comprising linear motor modules utilized both straight and curved track modules, with movers displaced on the track modules by control of power applied to coils of the modules. Curved track modules have modified spline geometries to provide desired acceleration and jerk characteristics. The modified spline geometries may be defined by more than one generators, such as an equation generator and a spline fit between the equation-generated segment and one or more constrained points or locations. The curved track modules may be divided into 180 degree modules, or may be reduced to 90 degree, 45 degree or other fractional arcs to provide for modular assembly, mirror-image geometries and motion profiles, and the like. The system may be adapted to provide improved motion characteristics based on modification of a conventional spline geometry.

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 work process management system includes at least one work device and a tag type individual controller that is directly or indirectly attached to a work object to control the work device. Each of the work device includes a work-device-side communicator, a work part, and a work-device-side control part. The tag type individual controller includes an individual-controller-side storage in which a work content of a work process performed with the work device is stored, an individual-controller-side communicator, and an individual-controller-side calculation controller that transmits the work content of the work process performed with the work device in which a performance result is reflected to the work-device-side communicator, and additionally stores the received performance result in the individual-controller-side storage.

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for providing a desired gap between articles within a continuously flowing train of articles. Various embodiment methods may include operating a material handling system including a plurality of conveying units, by generating motion profiles for a plurality of articles to provide a pre-determined gap between the articles, and controlling the plurality of conveying units to move each article in accordance with its motion profile as the plurality of articles move through the material handling system.

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.

Some devices, systems, and methods receive a production-system description that describes respective operations that can be performed on workpieces by each of a plurality of machines and that describes capabilities of one or more robots to transfer the workpieces to and from each of the plurality of machines; receive a process description that describes at least one sequence of process operations to be performed on a workpiece; construct a plurality of transfer chains by recursively generating transfer chains based on a production-system state, the process description, and on the production-system description; and select a particular transfer chain of the plurality of transfer chains based on one or more selection criteria.

Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously queueing a plurality of folded laundry articles in a packing queue are described. A packing system includes a packing queue platform configured to receive a folded laundry article into one of a plurality of packing queue locations disposed along a length of the platform, a double ended conveyor, one or more sensors configured to detect a packing queue location, and a controller. The double ended conveyor includes a retrieving end and a depositing end. The conveyor is configured to be mounted to a one or more fixed rails for traveling along the length of the queue platform and cantilevering the depositing end over the packing queue platform for depositing the folded laundry article onto either a surface of the packing queue platform or another previously deposited folded laundry article of the plurality of folded laundry articles.

Substrate processing systems and methods include functions of the substrate processing chambers virtually controlled by process module software for the individual substrate processing chambers operating on a remote platform computer (e.g., located with the equipment front end module or load-lock module). The platform computer includes memory storing process module software for each of the associated substrate processing chambers and transmits signals for operating those substrate processing chambers based on data generated by the respective process module software for that substrate processing chamber. The platform computer also receives data transmitted from the substrate processing chambers (e.g., sensor data) that may be used by their respective process module software for generating further operating signals for controlling the respective substrate processing chamber. Avoiding the use and/or inclusion of separate computers in and associated with each individual substrate processing chamber can simplify maintenance and repair, reduce costs, reduce downtime, and improve efficiency.

Provided is an automatic doffing communication method, a control system, a communication system and a network device. The method includes: receiving a doffing monitoring image from a terminal device; sending the doffing monitoring image to a text recognition system; receiving an automatic doffing scheduling task from an automatic doffing system; wherein the automatic doffing scheduling task comprises a task generated by the automatic doffing system according to a recognition result of the doffing monitoring image by the text recognition system; and sending the automatic doffing scheduling task to an automatic doffing device.

Method for operating a motor-roller controller wherein a first value indicative of an amperage at an input power port of a first motor-roller controller is measured by a meter of the first motor-roller controller. The first value is sent to at least one second motor-roller controller via a signal bus port of the first motor-roller controller. At least one second value indicative of an amperage at an input power port of the at least one second motor-roller controller is received at the signal bus port. A nominal value for the amperage at the input power port of the first motor-roller controller is determined depending on the first value and the at least one second value, and the motor-roller control port of the first motor-roller controller is operated with an output current to the motor-roller such that the amperage at the input power port reaches the nominal value.