An apparatus of supplying a fuel cell stack material is provided. The apparatus includes a moving part in which a plurality of gas diffusion layers (GDLs) diffusing a gas fuel and supporting a catalyst layer are stacked and a cartridge having the moving part movably disposed therein. An adsorption pad is disposed above the cartridge to adsorb the plurality of gas diffusion layers and a nozzle part is configured to spray air above the plurality of gas diffusion layers to generate a lift on the plurality of gas diffusion layers.

A pickup method and a pickup device which enable to properly lift an individual target bag body among a plurality of conveyed bag bodies are provided. A pickup device includes: a transfer device that holds a target bag body among a plurality of bag bodies by a conveying device while the plurality of bag bodies are conveyed, and lifts a whole of the target bag body after lifting a part of the target bag body; and a pickup control unit that obtains position suggestion data indicating a position of the target bag body, and controls the transfer device on a basis of the position suggestion data, wherein the pickup control unit moves the transfer device according to the position suggestion data, and makes the transfer device liftably hold the target bag body.

A material separation device comprises a placement component, a blower, a suction component, a suction pad driver, and a controller. The blower blows air at a plurality of aluminum sheets that have been stacked on the placement component to float an uppermost aluminum sheet. The suction component uses suction pads to chuck and hold the uppermost aluminum sheet from above while the air is being blown. The suction pad driver drives the suction component up and down, using servomotors as a drive source. The controller performs control so that the suction pads chucking the aluminum sheet are raised to a temporary stopping position by the suction pad driver, and the suction pads are stopped for a predetermined length of time at the temporary stopping position while the air is stopped, and the suction pads are then raised by the suction pad drivers to a conveyance position.

A suction gripping device for picking up a plurality of substrates which are flat and flexible includes: a base body, which defines a plane; at least one gas suction vacuum module which is arranged on the base body and has at least one gas suction opening configured for withdrawing gas by suction and for generating a first vacuum so as to suction a respective one of the plurality of substrates against the suction gripping device; and at least one gas ejection vacuum module which is arranged on the base body and has a gas ejection opening configured for ejecting gas and for generating a second vacuum so as to suction the respective one of the plurality of substrates against the suction gripping device.

A system for robotic sorting includes a bin system comprising a plurality of bins for holding items to be sorted, where each bin is configured to hold more than one of the items. The system further includes an item handling system configured to travel to each of the plurality of bins. The item handling system utilizes a vacuum force to remove an item held in one of the plurality of bins. The item handling system further utilizes one or more curvature generation devices to enable card manipulation. Additionally, the system includes a drive system coupled to the item handling system. The drive system is configured to move and position the item handling system over each of the plurality of bins. The system also includes a control system coupled to the drive system and the item handling system. The control system controls movement of the item handling system and the drive system.

A system for robotic sorting includes a bin system comprising a plurality of bins for holding items to be sorted, where each bin is configured to hold more than one of the items. The system further includes an item handling system configured to travel to each of the plurality of bins. The item handling system utilizes a vacuum force to remove an item held in one of the plurality of bins. The item handling system further utilizes one or more curvature generation devices to enable card manipulation. Additionally, the system includes a drive system coupled to the item handling system. The drive system is configured to move and position the item handling system over each of the plurality of bins. The system also includes a control system coupled to the drive system and the item handling system. The control system controls movement of the item handling system and the drive system.

A method and a machine tool for processing workpieces is described, comprising a workpiece movement device and a workpiece support that supports both a workpiece during a processing operation and a workpiece remainder produced from the workpiece during the processing operation, wherein the workpiece support comprises a first support portion and an additional support portion, wherein the first support portion comprises a loading-side support portion arranged in a loading region of the machine tool, wherein the additional support portion is arranged to move relative to the loading-side support portion between the loading region and an unloading region of the machine tool, wherein the unloading region is offset in a horizontal direction from the loading region, wherein the loading-side support portion is arranged to move in a vertical direction between a loading level and a bypass level located above or below the loading level.

A sheet transfer apparatus and a method for transferring a sheet using a sheet transfer apparatus are provided. A sheet transfer apparatus includes: a table on which two or more sheets, which are continuously laminated, are configured to be seated; a sheet adsorbing part on the table to adsorb a first sheet, which is at an uppermost portion, of the two or more laminated sheets at a pressure; and an air discharge part on the table and adjacent to the sheet adsorbing part, and the air discharge part is configured to discharge air to a surface of the first sheet adsorbed to the sheet adsorbing part.

A printing plate picking mechanism includes a plate cassette stacking mechanism having an array of plate cassettes, each plate cassette adapted to hold a plurality of printing plates separated by intervening sheets of paper. A plate cassette movement mechanism is adapted to move a selected plate cassette to a printing plate loading position. A plate picker is adapted to contact and hold the leading edge of the topmost printing plate and transport it to plate transport pinch rollers. A paper picking unit includes a paper picker adapted to contact and hold a leading edge of a topmost sheet of paper in the selected plate cassette, and a plate guide positioned above the paper picker to guide the printing plate held by said plate picker. A vertical alignment system is adapted to vertically align the plate picker and the paper picking unit with the selected plate cassette.

An apparatus for picking a product, including a control circuit, at least one vacuum cup arranged to adhere at least one sheet of material to the at least one vacuum cup, and at least one sensor configured to monitor an area proximate the at least one vacuum cup, and transmit at least one signal regarding a presence of at least one sheet of material in the area, wherein the apparatus is arranged to displace to a second location while continuously monitoring the area proximate the at least one vacuum cup, the at least one sensor is configured to transmit the at least one signal, and the control circuit is arranged to determine, responsive to the at least one signal, the sheet of material is not present in the area, and generate an error signal indicating that the at least one sheet of material is not present in the area.