The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for a cutting system, the cutting system at least comprising a digital cutter and a gripper for picking up cut parts.

Therein, the digital cutter is built for cutting a part of a sheet according to a cut design, the cut part having a specific pathway of its boundary line.

The gripper is built for picking up the cut part from the sheet, wherein the gripper comprises a gripper head and a movement apparatus. Thus, the gripper head is provided with a plurality of degrees of freedom of motorized movement including a variable heading angle (Ψ) and/or variable lateral position (x- and y-position) in a plane parallel to the sheet. The gripper head comprises a plurality of suction spots having known geometric arrangement, said arrangement of suction spots defining a mean grid spacing.

According to the invention, the method comprises carrying out an optimization algorithm for determining a gripping pose in which the cut part is to be gripped by the gripper head. Therein, the optimization algorithm being programmed for maximizing a number of cut-part-facing suction spots coming to lie on the cut part in the gripping pose, wherein the optimization algorithm optimizes over heading angle candidates (Ψ) for the gripping pose within a range extending consistently over at least 90° and/or lateral position candidates for the gripping pose within sub-mean-grid-spacing range

under exploitation of first input data consistently representing the complete specific pathway of the boundary line of the cut part and second input data relating to the known geometric arrangement.

The determined gripping pose will be provided as output data.

A control device (10) of an article transfer facility (100) determines the size of a first dead space surrounded by a set article (Wd) and a target article (Wc) located at a first candidate position (P1). If the size of the first dead space is smaller than a first threshold (TH1), the control device (10) sets the first candidate position (P1) as the arrangement position of the target article (Wc). If the size of the first dead space is greater than or equal to the first threshold (TH1), the control device (10) determines the size of a second dead space surrounded by the set article (Wd) and the target article (Wc) located at a second candidate position (P2). If the size of the second dead space is smaller than a second threshold (TH2), the control device (10) sets the second candidate position (P2) as the arrangement position of the target article (Wc).

The present invention relates to a vacuum multi-sensing unit (10) used for adhesion and transfer of an object (P) together with a vacuum pump (23) in a vacuum transfer system. The multi-sensing unit (10) of the present invention includes a plurality of sensors (13) to perform multi-sensing, wherein individual and collective control of the built-in sensors (13) is possible. Therefore, in particular, when a plurality of vacuum pumps (23) are required for transfer of objects (P), the plurality of vacuum pumps (23) are allowed to correspond to a single unit (10), and thus, compared to a conventional sensing unit individually attached to each vacuum pump, there is superior effect in terms of the efficiency of manufacture, installation, management, operation, and control of the unit (10).

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for outputting holding detection results by a highly accurate simulation in consideration of parameters related to a holding member. A user enters workpiece information through an input UI unit. A selection control unit executes an automatic selection process of a suction pad based on the workpiece information input through the input UI unit, an automatic selection process of a workpiece physical model, an automatic selection process of a robot, and a confirmation process of a vibration tolerance, and then displays the selection results. The selection control unit determines whether there is a problem with the selection results based on an input instruction from the user.

A gripper, which removes blanks from a web of material lying flat, includes gripping elements which can each be actuated separately. The gripping elements are mounted independently of one another in a frame so as to be displaceable perpendicularly to a reference plane parallel to the web of material. The gripping elements are set against the web of material and actuated in a takeover position of the gripper aligned with respect to the blank by means of a control device. In addition to the gripping elements located inside the contour line, there are also other gripping elements adjacent to the blank and located outside the contour line that are set against the material web as downholders. Gripping elements within the contour line of the blank are actuated and retracted from the material web, taking along the blank, before the gripper is lifted off the material web from the takeover position.

A vacuum system (10) and method (100) used for creating a dynamically controlled vacuum system (10) for lifting processes (Wc) are disclosed. The compressed air used for an ejector (3) is varied by calculating the required vacuum levels (V.sup.−) during the lifting process (Wc). This reduces the air consumption.

A valve for use within a vacuum cup of a vacuum gripping system is described. In one example, a vacuum cup includes a bellows and a valve assembly seated within an inner chamber of the bellows. The valve assembly includes a body disk seated within the inner chamber, a control disk seated toward a suction cup end of the bellows, a spring positioned between the body disk and the control disk, and a control stem extending through the central valve aperture of the body disk, through the spring, and secured to the control disk. When the control stem is seated within the central valve aperture, the valve assembly restricts fluid suction to within the inner chamber. When the valve control stem is unseated from the central valve aperture, the valve assembly conveys fluid suction to the suction cup end of the bellows.

An object pick-up, transfer and placement apparatus which does not employ a source of negative pressure. A flexible bellows is connected to an egg interface. The flexible bellows defines a collapsible interior chamber and a through-bore at its top in communication with a source of gas at atmospheric or greater pressure via a valve assembly including a valve. The flexible bellows is collapsed when the apparatus is made to contact a target object, and the valve is closed, preventing gas from entering the collapsible interior chamber. When the apparatus is used to remove the object from a bottom support the flexible bellows expands, causing static reduced pressure in the collapsible interior chamber relative to the local atmospheric pressure, securing the object to the object interface. When the object is over a desired destination, the valve opens, allowing entry of air to the collapsible interior chamber, and release of the egg from the egg interface. This invention prevents contamination on egg shell surfaces to become air-born and cross-contaminate the entire egg pack, equipment surfaces, floors and other facility surfaces which in turn creates a hazardous working environment.

An automated packing system is disclosed for placing a plurality of objects into a shipping container. The system includes a supply bin receiving conveyor for receiving a supply bin at a supply station, a destination container location assessment system for positioning a destination container, a detection system for detecting a plurality of objects within the supply bin responsive to the position of the supply bin on the receiving conveyor as aligned by the alignment system, an object selection system for selecting a selected object from the plurality of objects to be placed into the shipping container, and a programmable motion device for grasping and acquiring the selected object from the plurality of objects at the supply station, and for placing the selected object into the shipping container in a selected orientation.

A mobile manipulator robot for retrieving inventory items from a storage system. The robot includes a body, a wheel assembly, a sensor to locate a position of the robot within the storage system, an interface configured to send processor readable data to a remote processor and to an operator interface, and receive processor executable instructions from the remote processor and from the operator interface, an imaging device to capture images of the inventory items, a picking manipulator, first and second pneumatic gripping elements for grasping the inventory items, and a coupler configured to mate with a valve to access a pneumatic supply for operating at least one of the first or second pneumatic gripping elements. The robot is configured to transition the valve from a closed condition to an open condition and selectively place one of the first or the second pneumatic gripping elements in communication with the pneumatic supply.