A method for a robot to automatically find a bending position, including the following steps: step 1, establishing a gripper tool coordinate system (TX, TY, TZ); step 2, determining a user coordinate system (X.sub.A, Y.sub.A, Z.sub.A; X.sub.B, Y.sub.B, Z.sub.B) of rear blocking fingers (11, 21); step 3, a robot gripper moving horizontally, and detecting the state of sensors (12, 22); step 4, the robot gripper executing a rotational movement, detecting the state of the sensors (12, 22), and thereby obtaining a standard bending position. The robot automatically finds the bending position, the teaching difficulty is reduced, and the bending quality is increased. In the elevator industry, elevator door plate bending sizes are the same, but forming sizes are different. In the present invention, only one product process needs to be taught in order to satisfy elevator door plate processing with different specifications, thereby reducing maintenance costs and increasing production efficiency.

A system includes a frame holding a part, a robot arm adjacent to the frame, a tool rack with a plurality of tools that are interchangeable, and a controller. The controller controls the robotic arm to automatically attach a forming tool from the tool rack to the tool holder; controls the robotic arm with the forming tool to form the part in a first geometry into a second geometry; and controls the robotic arm to automatically return the forming tool to the tool rack and detach the forming tool from the tool holder.

A system for treating a part with ultrasonic vibrations. The system includes a robotic arm, an ultrasonic end effector, and a controller. The robotic arm includes an actuator system that controls motion of the robotic arm and a tool holder. The ultrasonic end effector is configured to apply ultrasonic vibrations to a region of the part. The controller executes a program for controlling motion of the robotic arm for the ultrasonic end effector to apply ultrasonic vibrations to the region of the part; and controls the ultrasonic vibrations of the ultrasonic end effector based on a programmed ultrasonic parameter value for the region.

A system forms a part in an initial geometry (e.g., a sheet) into a desired geometry. The system includes a robot arm with an end effector, a model and a controller. The model receives an input geometry and an input parameter value indicating an interaction between the part and the end effector. The model determines an output geometry of the part based on the input geometry and the input parameter value. The controller receives the initial and desired geometries; applies the model to the initial geometry and to different input parameter values; based on output geometries of the model, determines a set of parameter values for controlling the robot arm; and controls the robot arm according to the determined set of parameter values to form the part into the desired geometry using the end effector.

A transferring system includes a container where a plurality of sheet members are placed in a vertically-oriented fashion so that principal surfaces of the sheet members are inclined, a robot including an arm having a suction part, and a control device. The control device is configured to cause the suction part of the arm to suck the principal surface of the sheet member, and then operate the arm to move the sheet member in a direction at an angle of elevation other than a normal direction of the principal surface of the sheet member.

A method for a robot to automatically find a bending position, including the following steps: step 1, establishing a gripper tool coordinate system (TX, TY, TZ); step 2, determining a user coordinate system (X.sub.A, Y.sub.A, Z.sub.A; X.sub.B, Y.sub.B, Z.sub.B) of rear blocking fingers (11, 21); step 3, a robot gripper moving horizontally, and detecting the state of sensors (12, 22); step 4, the robot gripper executing a rotational movement, detecting the state of the sensors (12, 22), and thereby obtaining a standard bending position. The robot automatically finds the bending position, the teaching difficulty is reduced, and the bending quality is increased. In the elevator industry, elevator door plate bending sizes are the same, but forming sizes are different. In the present invention, only one product process needs to be taught in order to satisfy elevator door plate processing with different specifications, thereby reducing maintenance costs and increasing production efficiency.

A bending robot takes out a workpiece stored on a stacker while contacting its end face with a storage reference flat plane of the stacker, and then supplies it to a bending machine. The bending robot includes a main body movable parallel to the storage reference flat plane, an arm portion supported by the main body and capable of positioning above the stacker, and a distance sensor provided in the arm portion for measuring a distance to the workpiece stored on the stacker in a contactless manner. According to the bending robot, bending can be done with high efficiency.

A bending robot takes out a workpiece stored on a stacker while contacting its end face with a storage reference flat plane of the stacker, and then supplies it to a bending machine. The bending robot includes a main body movable parallel to the storage reference flat plane, an arm portion supported by the main body and capable of positioning above the stacker, and a distance sensor provided in the arm portion for measuring a distance to the workpiece stored on the stacker in a contactless manner. According to the bending robot, bending can be done with high efficiency.

A method for the determination of workplace transport trajectories in a multiple station press, comprises the steps of providing a set of constraints for the workplace transport trajectories, the constraints comprising at least pickup and deposit positions for a workplace in a plurality of stations of the multiple station press, providing machine properties of the plurality of stations and of at least one transfer device for transporting the workplace from a first of the plurality of stations to a second of the plurality of stations, providing information on a candidate workplace transport trajectory, simulating the plurality of stations and the at least one transfer device based on the provided information for determining whether the candidate workplace transport trajectory conforms with the provided machine parameters, and displaying the result of the determination.

An unloading method for unloading a machining product of a workpiece machining operation from a product support is provided. The method includes moving the machining product with a transfer movement along a transfer axis into an unloading region including a spatial unloading region limit located along the transfer axis and an unloading region length along the transfer axis which is larger than an actual product length of the machining product along the transfer axis; and continuing the unloading operation after the machining product has been provided for unloading. A reference length extends along the transfer axis and is at least the actual product length. After completion of the transfer movement, a distance along the transfer axis is compared with the limit distance from the reference point, and the unloading operation is continued only under a condition that the distance is less than the limit distance.