New robot concept for ultra high performance press tending robot system

Abstract

This article presents a new concept robot dedicated for compact and ultra high performance press line automation. In this concept robot, several joints (joint-2, -3, and -5) are driven by a double drive-train, consisting of typically two gearboxes and two motors. The concept robot is equipped with a linear axis mounted on the tool flange, mainly for improved cycle time performance. The concept robot is inversely installed on a bridge structure established between two adjacent press machines. The inverse installation of the robot does not require any floor space, which makes the press line more compact. A virtual prototype of the concept robot has been developed using 3D CAD design and quantified using multi-body simulations. Gearboxes of critical joints are dimensioned based on the multi-body simulation and based on lifetime design criteria. The developed virtual prototype concludes that it is feasible, based on today's engineering practice, to develop such robot for the ultra high performance press line automation.