A method for palletizing by a robot includes positioning an object at an initial position adjacent to a target object location, tilting the object at an angle relative to a ground plane, shifting the object in a first direction from the initial position toward a first alignment position, shifting the object in a second direction from the first alignment position toward a second alignment position, and releasing the object from the robot to pivot the object toward the target object location.

Facilities for processing steel. One facility includes a line for producing packages; a plurality of stackable cassettes for receiving packages; a splitter subfacility; automated transfer apparatus; and an automated overhead crane. The line may be a slitting line with the packages being coils of steel, or a cut-to-length line with the packages being stacks of steel sheets. A premises of the facility comprises a loading area in which packages from the line are loaded into cassettes, a storage area in which cassettes are stored, and a transition zone including at least one transfer position. The automated transfer apparatus moves packages and/or cassettes between the transfer position and the splitter subfacility. The automated overhead crane moves cassettes between the storage area, the loading area, and the transition zone.

Facilities for processing steel. One facility includes a line for producing packages; a plurality of stackable cassettes for receiving packages; a splitter subfacility; automated transfer apparatus; and an automated overhead crane. The line may be a slitting line with the packages being coils of steel, or a cut-to-length line with the packages being stacks of steel sheets. A premises of the facility comprises a loading area in which packages from the line are loaded into cassettes, a storage area in which cassettes are stored, and a transition zone including at least one transfer position. The automated transfer apparatus moves packages and/or cassettes between the transfer position and the splitter subfacility. The automated overhead crane moves cassettes between the storage area, the loading area, and the transition zone.

A stowage device is equipped with a transport device that transports a plurality of types of objects in a random sequence, and a control device that sets a position of an object inside a containment area. The control device includes a complete pattern selection unit that selects a complete pattern in which an object transported by the transport device can be stowed on the basis of the type of the object and information on an object currently placed in the containment area. The control device includes a position determination unit that determines a position of an object inside the containment area on the basis of the complete pattern.

Shuttle robots (107) are used that are suitable for moving trolleys (106, 106′) under the control of a monitoring and control unit (190) for handling objects so as to move them from a collection point (110) to a palletizing station (151) remote from the collection point, the shuttle robots being autonomously movable and being suitable for hitching to and unhitching from the trolleys, the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they move the objects on trolleys from the collection point to a buffer storage zone (141) where the articles on the trolleys are grouped together into batches of articles for palletizing, and the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they take the objects on trolleys grouped together in batches from the buffer storage zone and move them in sequence to the palletizing station.

Shuttle robots (107) are used that are suitable for moving trolleys (106, 106′) under the control of a monitoring and control unit (190) for handling objects so as to move them from a collection point (110) to a palletizing station (151) remote from the collection point, the shuttle robots being autonomously movable and being suitable for hitching to and unhitching from the trolleys, the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they move the objects on trolleys from the collection point to a buffer storage zone (141) where the articles on the trolleys are grouped together into batches of articles for palletizing, and the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they take the objects on trolleys grouped together in batches from the buffer storage zone and move them in sequence to the palletizing station.

Object manipulation space optimization is a challenging task and used in applications such as heat treatment operation and transport packaging. Traditionally manual intervention is involved to grasp and place the objects for ensuring multi object stacking with zero gap between adjacent objects. This leads to higher cost infrastructure and low productivity. Further, conventional gripper devices fail to optimize object manipulation space and are unable to handle objects of different cross sections with larger lengths. The present disclosure provides a gripper apparatus addressing a single gripper design comprising an adaptor holding unit with a provision for different modular object holding units which are varied in accordance with size, shape and length of the object to be grasped and placed by the gripper apparatus. The modular object holding unit comprises a plurality of fingers which are actuated for grasping and stacking one or more objects such that object manipulation space is optimized.

A method for palletizing by a robot includes positioning an object at an initial position adjacent to a target object location, tilting the object at an angle relative to a ground plane, shifting the object in a first direction from the initial position toward a first alignment position, shifting the object in a second direction from the first alignment position toward a second alignment position, and releasing the object from the robot to pivot the object toward the target object location.

Shuttle robots (107) are used that are suitable for moving trolleys (106, 106′) under the control of a monitoring and control unit (190) for handling objects so as to move them from a collection point (110) to a palletizing station (151) remote from the collection point, the shuttle robots being autonomously movable and being suitable for hitching to and unhitching from the trolleys, the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they move the objects on trolleys from the collection point to a buffer storage zone (141) where the articles on the trolleys are grouped together into batches of articles for palletizing, and the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they take the objects on trolleys grouped together in batches from the buffer storage zone and move them in sequence to the palletizing station.

An orientation switching apparatus capable of placing a pallet which is in a vertical orientation and holding a group of tires in a stacked state into a horizontal orientation, and placing a pallet which is in a horizontal orientation and holding a group of tires in a horizontally arranged state into the vertical orientation, includes: a base that holds the pallet; a switching drive device which switches the orientation of the pallet held, by rotating the base; a standing device which pushes a leaning tire located at one end of the group of tires toward the other end to cause the leaning tire to stand; and a restricting device which restricts movement of the tires.