Robotized Stacking of the Uppsala University Wave Energy Converter Generator Stator

Abstract

A technology for renewable energy conversion from ocean waves has been developed at Uppsala University. The concept is intended for large Wave Energy Converter farms and thus requires large series production lines. For this technology to be competitive on the global energy market, it is necessary to keep down the manufacturing costs. Assembly automation will therefore be important, especially if the production should be kept in industrialized countries. Stacking of the stator for the Wave Energy Converter generator is an essential task during the assembly process. The operation is repetitive and time-consuming, requires high precision and large reach and can thus be suitable for industrial robot automation. This paper presents a robot cell design for robotized automation of the stator stacking for an Uppsala University Wave Energy Converter generator. Prototype equipment has been developed and validated in an experimental stacking setup. From these experiments, it has been indicated that the proposed automation solution can substantially reduce the stacking cycle time while assuring sufficient assembly accuracy. The main advantages with the proposed assembly method are the high flexibility, the ability to lift and assemble multiple stator sheets at the same time, the ability to calibrate to the exact position of the stator sheet to be lifted and the high stacking accuracy result. The suggested robot cell is likely to be possible to adjust for stacking of other stator designs as well.