CN114800460B - Robotic manipulator and method of manufacturing a product using a robotic manipulator - Google Patents

Abstract

A robotic manipulator and a method of manufacturing a product (1) using the robotic manipulator are provided, the robotic manipulator being adapted to be positioned on a work surface (101) and including an end effector (140) mounted with a pre-positioned Tool (151) and manipulation tool (152), the method includes: picking up a component (2) by a robot manipulator; moving the robot manipulator to a predetermined position on the working surface (101), on which A product (1) has been arranged; said product (1) is repositioned by a prepositioning tool (151) of a robotic manipulator; and said component (2) is assembled to said product.

Description

Robotic manipulators and methods of manufacturing products using robotic manipulators

Technical field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to product manufacturing, and more specifically, to robotic manipulators for manufacturing products and methods of manufacturing products using robotic manipulators.

Background technique

Industrial robots are the development trend of industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing in the future. They are widely used in parts handling, assembly, welding, spraying, laser cutting, grinding, product inspection and other operations. When working, an end effector is installed at the end of the robot to operate the work object.

With the diversification and complexity of industrial robot operating methods, the accuracy requirements for robots in the industrial field are becoming higher and higher. The accuracy of robots mainly includes repetitive positioning accuracy and absolute positioning accuracy. Repeated positioning accuracy refers to the positioning accuracy of the robot's end effector. Absolute positioning accuracy refers to the proximity between the actual arrival position of the robot end effector and the target position (theoretical position) when repeatedly reaching the same target position (ideal position).

At present, industrial robots usually have high repetitive positioning accuracy, but their absolute positioning accuracy is low. This is mainly caused by errors in the kinematic parameters of the robot and the difficulty of precise positioning in the robot's base coordinate system, which affects the reliability of some robot applications. performance and accuracy. The low absolute positioning accuracy makes industrial robots unable to meet the requirements of precision processing and production, which greatly limits the scope of use of robots.

Contents of the invention

In order to overcome at least one of the above and other problems and deficiencies of the prior art, the present disclosure is proposed.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a product using a robotic manipulator adapted to be positioned on a work surface and including an end effector mounted with a prepositioning tool and a manipulation tool is provided , the method includes: picking up a component by a robot manipulator; moving the robot manipulator to a predetermined position on the working surface, where the product has been arranged; and repositioning the predetermined position by a prepositioning tool of the robot manipulator. the product; and assembling the components to the product by a manipulation tool of a robotic manipulator.

In some embodiments, picking up a part by a robotic manipulator includes picking the part by the manipulation tool.

In some embodiments, repositioning the product by a prepositioning tool of a robotic manipulator includes: moving the prepositioning tool to a position of the product on the work surface with a first positioning accuracy; and causing the A prepositioning tool contacts the product to adjust the position of the product.

In some embodiments, contacting the prepositioning tool with the product to adjust the position of the product includes contacting the prepositioning tool with an outer surface of the product to reposition the product.

In some embodiments, the product includes a hole, and bringing the prepositioning tool into contact with the product to adjust the position of the product includes at least partially inserting the prepositioning tool into the hole to reposition the product. Position said product.

In some embodiments, assembling the component to the product by a manipulation tool of a robotic manipulator includes, after repositioning the product by the pre-positioning tool, with a second positioning accuracy that is different from the first positioning accuracy. The handling tool with the parts picked up is moved to the adjusted position of the product, and the parts are assembled to the product.

In some embodiments, the first positioning accuracy and the second positioning accuracy are respectively characterized by movement distance errors, and the second positioning accuracy is 1/10 or less of the first positioning accuracy.

In some embodiments, the second positioning accuracy is less than or equal to 0.02mm.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a robotic manipulator, including: a base adapted to be positioned on a work surface on which a product is adapted to be arranged; a support arm rotatably connected to the base; and An end effector rotatably connected to the support arm, the end effector is mounted with a pre-positioning tool configured to reposition the product that has been arranged on the work surface, and a manipulation tool configured to The pre-positioning tool repositions the product and assembles a component to the product.

In some embodiments, the manipulation tool is adapted to pick up the component.

In some embodiments, the prepositioning tool is adapted to reposition the product in a state in which the part is picked up by the manipulation tool.

In some embodiments, the prepositioning tool and the manipulation tool are spaced apart from each other and mounted to the end effector such that the prepositioning tool and the manipulation tool are fixed in position relative to each other.

In some embodiments, a prepositioning tool is adapted to contact the product to adjust the position of the product.

In some embodiments, the pre-positioning tool includes a positioning pin with a tapered end adapted to be partially inserted into a hole in the product or in contact with an outer surface of the product to adjust the position of the product.

In some embodiments, at least one of the prepositioning tool and the manipulation tool is replaceable.

Description of the drawings

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective schematic diagram illustrating the operation of an exemplary robotic manipulator;

2 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a robot manipulator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

3 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method of manufacturing a product using a robotic manipulator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed ways

The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the same or similar components are designated by the same or similar reference numerals. The following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to illustrate the general concept of the present disclosure and should not be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure.

Additionally, in the following detailed description, for convenience, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are illustrated in order to simplify the drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show an exemplary robot manipulator that can be used for a variety of operations on work objects, such as product or component handling, assembly, welding, spraying, laser cutting, grinding, inspection, etc. The robotic manipulator includes a base 110, support arms (120, 130) and an end effector 140. The base 110 is adapted to be positioned on the work surface 101, such as fixedly or movably mounted on the workbench. The work object or product 1 is arranged on the work surface, so that the robot manipulator can perform corresponding work operations on it. The support arm is rotatably or pivotably connected to the base 110, for example through a pivot member 111, and may include a first support arm 120 and a second support arm 130. The first support arm 120 is pivotally connected to the base 110 at one end. The other end is pivotally connected to the second support arm 130, for example, through the pivot member 121. The end of the second support arm 130 is connected to an end effector 140. The end effector 140 can rotate or move relative to the base or the support arm to perform corresponding operations. job operations.

The accuracy of robot manipulators when performing different operations is different, mainly including repeat positioning accuracy and absolute positioning accuracy. Referring now to the drawings, the precision of the robot manipulator will be described taking picking up a part as an example. As shown in FIG. 1 , assume that the end effector 140 of the robot manipulator performs part picking and installation work, moving from point A to point B (e.g., picking up the part at point B), and then moving back to point A (e.g., at point B). Install the component at point A), then due to the original intention of the positioning error, the actual positions of the end effector 140 when reaching point A are A1 and A2 respectively. In the case where the movement distance error is used to characterize its accuracy, the absolute positioning accuracy of each movement of the robot manipulator can be represented by the distances AA1 and AA2 respectively, while the repeated positioning accuracy can be represented by the distance A1A2. Usually, this repeat positioning accuracy is relatively small, while the absolute positioning accuracy is relatively large, for example, dozens of times or greater than the repeat positioning accuracy, resulting in large positioning errors in parts picking, positioning, installation and other operations.

As shown in Figure 2, the end effector of the robot manipulator according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is equipped with a pre-positioning tool 151 and a manipulation tool 152. The pre-positioning tool 151 is used to reposition the product 1 that has been arranged on the work surface 101, and The handling tool 152 is used to perform corresponding work operations on the product 1 after such repositioning. As an example, after the pre-positioning tool 151 repositions the product 1 , the manipulation tool 152 assembles a component 2 to the product 1 . It will be understood that "assembly" described herein may involve a variety of suitable operations, such as assembling, welding, fixing, etc. of products or components. By way of example, the handling tool 152 is adapted to pick up the component 2 and may for example comprise a clamp. In some examples, prepositioning tool 151 and manipulation tool 152 may be mounted to end effector 140 spaced apart such that their positions are fixed relative to each other.

Figure 3 illustrates a method of manufacturing a product using a robotic manipulator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. It will be understood that "manufacturing" described herein may also involve a variety of suitable operations, such as assembling, welding, fixing, spraying, cutting or machining, testing, etc. of products or components. The following description takes assembling component 2 to product 1 as an example.

In step S101 , a component 2 is picked up, for example, by the manipulation tool 152 from a first position, from a conveyor belt or from a component storage location; subsequently, in step S102 , the end effector of the robot manipulator moves to a predetermined position on the work surface 101 position, product 1 is already arranged on the work surface 101 in a second position. As an example, the predetermined positioning position is closer to the second position where the product 1 is located than the first position. In step S103, the pre-positioning tool 151 of the robot manipulator repositions the product 1, and then in step S104, the manipulation tool 152 of the robot manipulator moves the component 2 to the position of the product 1 and assembles it to the product 1.

Thus, by repositioning the product, the positioning error when the robot manipulator moves the part directly from the first position to the second position where the product is located can be corrected or eliminated, converting the absolute positioning accuracy when the part is moved directly to the product into Repeated positioning accuracy when the robot manipulator repeatedly reaches the product position (including the operation of repositioning the product and the operation of moving parts to the position of the product), thereby reducing positioning errors and improving operating accuracy.

For example, during repositioning, the robot manipulator moves the prepositioning tool to the position of the product on the work surface with a first positioning accuracy; after the product is repositioned by the prepositioning tool, the robot manipulator moves the prepositioning tool with a different positioning accuracy than the first positioning accuracy. The second positioning accuracy moves the manipulation tool that picks up the part to the adjusted position of the product, the first positioning accuracy corresponds to the absolute positioning accuracy of the robot manipulator, and the second positioning accuracy corresponds to the repeatable positioning accuracy of the robot manipulator . As an example, when the first positioning accuracy and the second positioning accuracy are characterized by the movement distance error, the second positioning accuracy is 1/10, 1/100 or less of the first positioning accuracy. For example, in some applications, the first positioning accuracy is several millimeters, and the second positioning accuracy is less than or equal to 0.02mm.

The prepositioning tool 151 can reposition the product 1 in a state where the component 2 is picked up by the manipulation tool 152 . As an example, the pre-positioning tool 152 is adapted to contact the product 1 to adjust the position of the product 1 on the work surface.

In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the pre-positioning tool 151 includes a positioning pin with a tapered end. When repositioning the product, the positioning pin is partially inserted into the hole 11 of the product 1, or with the outer surface of the product 1. Contact to adjust the position of Product 1. After repositioning product 1, the robot manipulator picks up the manipulation tool 152 with part 2, moves it to the adjusted position of product 1, and assembles part 2 to product 1, for example, inserts part 2 into hole 11 or moves part 2 Place on product 1 for subsequent operations.

In some embodiments, the prepositioning tool or manipulation tool is replaceable to accommodate different product operating requirements.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure. The protection of the present disclosure The scope is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, it should be noted that unless otherwise specified, the words "comprising", "comprising" and "having" used herein do not exclude other elements or steps. Additionally, any element reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

Claims (14)

1. A method of manufacturing a product (1) using a robotic manipulator adapted to be positioned on a work surface (101) and comprising an end effector (140) mounted with a prepositioning tool (101). 151) and manipulation tool (152), the method includes: Picking up a part by a robotic manipulator (2); Move the robot manipulator to a predetermined position on the working surface (101) on which the product (1) has been arranged; The product (1) is repositioned by a pre-positioning tool (151) of a robotic manipulator adapted to come into contact with the product to adjust the position of the product on the work surface; and The components (2) are assembled to the product by a manipulation tool (152) of a robotic manipulator. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein picking a part by a robotic manipulator includes picking the part by the manipulating tool. 3. Method according to claim 1, wherein repositioning the product (1) by a prepositioning tool (151) of a robotic manipulator comprises: moving the pre-positioning tool to the position of the product on the working surface with a first positioning accuracy; and The prepositioning tool is brought into contact with the product to adjust the position of the product. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein contacting the prepositioning tool with the product to adjust the position of the product includes: The prepositioning tool is brought into contact with the outer surface of the product to reposition the product. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the product includes a hole (11) and bringing the prepositioning tool into contact with the product to adjust the position of the product includes: The prepositioning tool is at least partially inserted into the hole to reposition the product. 6. Method according to any one of claims 3-5, wherein assembling the component (2) to the product by a manipulation tool (152) of a robotic manipulator comprises: After the product is repositioned by the prepositioning tool, the manipulation tool with the component picked up is moved to the adjusted position of the product with a second positioning accuracy different from the first positioning accuracy, and the The components are assembled into the product. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first positioning accuracy and the second positioning accuracy are respectively characterized by a moving distance error, and the second positioning accuracy is 1/10 or more of the first positioning accuracy. Small. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second positioning accuracy is less than or equal to 0.02mm. 9. A robot manipulator, comprising: a base (110) adapted to be positioned on a working surface (101) on which the product (1) is adapted to be arranged; a support arm pivotally connected to the base; and An end effector (140) rotatably connected to the support arm, the end effector is mounted with a pre-positioning tool (151) and a manipulation tool (152), the pre-positioning tool being configured to contact the product to adjust the position of the product The position on the work surface is to reposition the product (1) that has been arranged on the work surface, and the manipulation tool is configured to assemble a component (2) to the product after the pre-positioning tool repositions the product. mentioned products. 10. A robotic manipulator according to claim 9, wherein the manipulating tool is adapted to pick up the component. 11. A robotic handler according to claim 10, wherein the pre-positioning tool is adapted to reposition the product in a state in which the part is picked up by the handling tool. 12. The robotic manipulator of claim 9, wherein the prepositioning tool and the manipulation tool are spaced apart from each other and mounted to the end effector such that the prepositioning tool and the manipulation tool are fixed in position relative to each other. 13. The robotic manipulator of claim 9, wherein the pre-positioning tool includes a positioning pin with a tapered end adapted to be partially inserted into a hole of the product or in contact with an outer surface of the product to adjust the position of said product. 14. The robotic manipulator of claim 9, wherein at least one of the prepositioning tool and the manipulation tool is replaceable.