A system (100) for cutting work product (104) into portions (P) and unloading the portions includes a conveyance system (102) for carrying the workpieces and portions, as well as a scanner (110) for scanning the work products. A cutter system (120) composed of cutter assemblies (122) carried by carrier systems (124) may be arranged in an array or series along the conveyance system for cutting, trimming, and portioning the work products (104) into end pieces (P) of desired sizes or other physical parameters. An unloading system (130) composed of one or more unloading assemblies/units/apparatus (132) are carried by the same carrier systems (124) used to carry the cutter assemblies (122) to pick up the portioned pieces (P) and either move them to a different location or replace the portioned workpieces back onto the conveyance system after the trim of the workpiece has been removed.

A system enables management of dispensable units by supporting functions such as retrieval, scheduled distribution, analysis, and notifications. To this end, a dispensable retrieval mechanism may be programmed to carry out blind retrievals of dispensable units using a retrieval strategy with a predetermined sequence of retrieval attempts (e.g., fixed or varying two-dimensional retrieval patterns), which may be open loop or closed loop. Techniques may also include the identification of dispensable units through optical sensors and weight measurement devices that can detect, e.g., a texture, a shape, and a size of dispensable units. Such identification can be used to program retrieval attempts by a retrieval robot and in the formulation of the retrieval pattern. Additionally, networked notification systems for dispensable units can be used for updating rules or schedules related to the dispensable units, or alerting users and remote resources of any potential misuse or hazards of the dispensable units.

A system for providing vacuum to a moving element of a transport system, the system includes: a vacuum chamber on the moving element for storing vacuum; a vacuum source; a vacuum inlet provided on the vacuum chamber and for connection to the vacuum source; and a vacuum outlet in communication with the vacuum chamber and positioned on the moving element. The vacuum source may be provided on and travel with the moving element or on the transport system and periodically engage with the vacuum chamber. Where the vacuum source is provided on the moving element, a vacuum chamber may not be required. Further, the vacuum source may be driven by electrical energy and/or mechanical energy in various configurations.

According to one embodiment, a cargo handling apparatus includes a first mechanism, a second mechanism, a holding unit, a third mechanism, a fourth mechanism and a conveyor. The first mechanism is movable in a first direction. The second mechanism is connected to the first mechanism and is movable on a first horizontal plane intersecting the first direction. The holding unit is connected to the second mechanism and holds an object to be picked up. The third mechanism is arranged below the first mechanism, the second mechanism and the holding unit, and is movable in the first direction. The fourth mechanism is connected to the third mechanism and is movable on a second horizontal plane opposed to the first horizontal plane. The conveyor is connected to the fourth mechanism, and loads and conveys the object held by the holding unit.

The invention belongs to the field of automatic equipment technology, and discloses a spot gluing, feeding and cutting automata for horn assembly, wherein products are transported and delivered through an automatic feeding and cutting module for horns and horn hoods; horns and horn hoods are grabbed onto a bearing platform module by a grabbing module; circular spot gluing is done by a gluing module and a carrier module; and finally horn disks are automatically assembled by an unloading module with defective products removed. Different workstations perform their duties and work closely together, so as to realize the automatic delivery of products, automatic assembly of horns into horn hoods, automatic gluing, and automatic assembly and recovery of horn disks. The automata features high efficiency, stable quality, high degree of automation, good effect, low production cost, and convenient, simple and fast use.

A method is disclosed for using robots to move items from one container to another. The method includes positioning a source container under a suction robot having two degrees of freedom only, the suction robot having a flexible suction end having a variable suction component that can cause suction to occur within the suction end upon contact with an item in the source container. The contact can be non-orthogonal of an end of the flexible suction and a surface of the item. The robot retrieves the item from the source container with the flexible suction end by lowering the flexible suction end into the source container to retrieve the item and lifts the retrieved item from the source container. The robot then moves the retrieved item horizontally from the source container to a destination container.

The invention relates to a handling device (1), having a drive carriage (2) that is movable relative to a carrier (3), wherein a scissor lift (7) having a plurality of scissor-lift members (8) is arranged with its first end on the drive carriage (2), wherein a carrier plate (11) that is movable relative to the drive carriage (2) by means of the scissor lift (7) is arranged at the second end of the scissor lift (7), wherein: a gripping tool is arranged on the carrier plate (11), the scissor-lift members (8) are hollow throughout and are sealingly interconnected in order to actuate the gripping tool by means of a gaseous medium.

The present invention relates to a single integrated multi-function apparatus for programming and repackaging programmable devices comprising: input means operable to provide a plurality of un-programmed devices; programming means operable to program the un-programmed devices; checking means operable to inspect predefined characteristics of devices programmed by the programming means; moving means operable to convey programmed devices to the checking means in a path of movement defining a first (X) axis of the apparatus, and placement means operable to move devices to and from the programming means in a path of defining a second (Y) axis of the apparatus. The moving means further conveys programmed devices along the first (X) axis to checking means operable to inspect predefined characteristics of devices programmed by the programming means, and operation of the input means, programming means, moving means, placement means and checking means are coordinated and controlled by software control means.

A system for stacking fuel cells for a fuel cell stack includes a component part storage region to store the fuel cells, a finished product storage region to store a completed fuel cell stack transferred by an automated guided vehicle, and a plurality of stacking regions disposed between the component part storage region and the finished product storage region, where one side of each stacking region corresponding to the finished product storage region is formed as an entry and exit for the automated guided vehicle for the fuel cell stack, a stacking unit is disposed at each of remaining sides of the stacking region, and the stacking region is supplied with the fuel cells from the component part storage region by the automated guided vehicle to sequentially stack the fuel cells to manufacture the fuel cell stack.

An apparatus and method for manufacturing glass containers handles the containers individually after a hot forming process and annealing to prevent glass-to-glass contact. By handling the containers individually and preventing glass-to-glass contact damage to the containers in the form of checks and scratches is avoided. To prevent contact of the containers and damage arising from the contact, the equipment including conveyors, pushers, starwheels, shuttles, and transfer heads that move the glass containers through the apparatus maintains the glass containers in uniform spaced relationship at each stage of container processing until the containers are packaged.