This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.

To provide a method of manufacturing a press molding by molding a molding material comprising reinforced fibers and a thermoplastic resin by a cold press method. The method of manufacturing a press molding comprising reinforced fibers and a thermoplastic resin, includes the steps of: holding the molding material heated at a temperature not lower than the softening temperature with a plurality of grippers installed on a carrier; carrying the molding material between the upper mold and the lower mold of a mold for molding; pushing the molding material with pushers to preform it at a predetermined preforming rate; and press molding the preformed molding by closing the upper mold and the lower mold and applying pressure.

System and methods for manipulating and sorting of objects being moved along a conveyor are disclosed, whereby control of the object is achieved through the application of one or more of vacuum, impaling, or mechanical grasping. One embodiment is directed to a robotic arm and vision detection system operable for detecting a target object to be grasped from a stream of objects being moved on a conveyor, and moving a suction head into position over the target object that has been detected on the conveyor, the suction head having a flexible cup section disposed at a distal end thereof, the vacuum item pick-up system/method using high subsonic air flow (e.g., on the order of 60 scfm or more) through a suction cup having a flow opening area large enough that an airflow of 60 scfm does not result in an airspeed exceeding Mach 0.2 under standard conditions of temperature and pressure, and further having a flow opening area whose ratio to cup opening area falls between 0.36 and 1.44 for applying a desired vacuum suction force for grasping the target object. Either as a primary grasping mechanism, or as an optional supplemental grasping mechanism, a piercing mechanism may be inserted into the object and used to manipulate the object in space. Alternate systems/methods for manipulating and sorting objects via hitting, flicking, or pushing are also disclosed.

System and methods for manipulating and sorting of objects being moved along a conveyor are disclosed, whereby control of the object is achieved through the application of one or more of vacuum, impaling, or mechanical grasping. One embodiment is directed to a robotic arm and vision detection system operable for detecting a target object to be grasped from a stream of objects being moved on a conveyor, and moving a suction head into position over the target object that has been detected on the conveyor, the suction head having a flexible cup section disposed at a distal end thereof, the vacuum item pick-up system/method using high subsonic air flow (e.g., on the order of 60 scfm or more) through a suction cup having a flow opening area large enough that an airflow of 60 scfm does not result in an airspeed exceeding Mach 0.2 under standard conditions of temperature and pressure, and further having a flow opening area whose ratio to cup opening area falls between 0.36 and 1.44 for applying a desired vacuum suction force for grasping the target object. Either as a primary grasping mechanism, or as an optional supplemental grasping mechanism, a piercing mechanism may be inserted into the object and used to manipulate the object in space. Alternate systems/methods for manipulating and sorting objects via hitting, flicking, or pushing are also disclosed.

In some embodiments, devices and methods are provided herein useful to grip, hold, and/or manipulate the objects. In some embodiments, a gripping device may include a coupler configured to physically couple to a device moving member, a movable member having an object-facing surface, a actuator for actuating the movable member between a retracted position and an extended position, and a plurality of pins fixed on the object-facing surface of first movable member, each of the plurality of pins comprising an end configured to penetrate a surface of a gripped object when the movable member is in the extended position.

A needle gripper for handling workpieces with needle grippers. The needle grippers have a base and at least two gripping needles movable with respect to the base between a release position and a gripping position, a movable first gripping needle arranged in a first orientation and a second movable gripping needle arranged in a second orientation which is different from the first orientation. A needle guide device is attached to the base and has guide channels for guiding the gripping needles. The needle gripper includes a rinsing device having a feed channel for a rinsing fluid and leading to a guide channel. The needle guide device is associated with a heating device by which the guide channels are heated, thereby heating the gripping needles.

A needle grab for handling workpieces has a bar-shaped longitudinally elongated housing having a longitudinally extending face and first and second longitudinally spaced guides defining respective first and second transverse directions that cross each other. First and second holders are transversely slidable in the first and second guides in the respective directions and carry respective first and second sets of at least three first and second grab needles movable with the respective holders relative to the face between a release position recessed behind the face and a gripping position projecting from the face in the first and second directions. A single servomotor is mounted on the housing and is connected via a gear train to both of the holders for synchronously moving same to displace the first and second sets of needles synchronously in the respective first and second directions.

A system for opening a box having a body part and a lid, and for removing one or more food items from the box, includes a first tool for attaching to the body part, and a second tool for attaching to a surface of the lid at one or more points of contact and applying at each of the one or more points of contact a force to the lid having a component in a direction normal to the surface at the point of contact. Each of the first tool and the second tool is powered. The first tool and the second tool are arranged for orienting and/or displacing the lid concerning the body part to open the box with the lid, and moving and/or orienting the body part to remove the one or more food items from the box.

An intelligent garbage sorting robot includes a robot body and a walking base. The robot body is installed on the walking base, and a tool end of the robot body is installed with an executing mechanism. The executing mechanism includes a housing. An electromagnet is slidably disposed in the housing, the electromagnet is connected to a first driving assembly, the first driving assembly is configured to drive the electromagnet to slide, and an end of the housing is fixedly connected to multiple steel needles. Two mechanical claws symmetrically disposed on the walking base, and the two mechanical claws are spaced apart on the walking base. The two mechanical claws are respectively connected to second driving assemblies, and the second driving assemblies are configured to drive the two mechanical claws to move relatively.

A method for producing a part includes the steps of: positioning an insert in a mold via a gripping element, able to be actuated between an inactive configuration and an active configuration, of a gripping device comprising a shaping wall; shaping the insert in a reinforcing element against a surface; during positioning, maintaining a separation between the surface and the insert, and moving the shaping wall to apply the insert against the surface; and during the shaping, applying the shaping wall and the gripping element against the insert and the surface, the element being actuated in its inactive configuration before the application of the shaping wall.