Abstract
Sheet-like materials such as composite prepreg fabrics are widely applicable in a variety of industries, especially the automotive and aerospace industries. During manufacturing, several of these applications require such sheets to be transported from one location to another. The use of robotic arms and suction grippers provides a reliable and flexible method for transportation operations. Since they are compliant, each sheet of varying size and shape requires a unique robot or end effector to ensure proper transportation and layup. This can quickly lead to increased hardware costs, increased cycle time, and the introduction of unnecessary components. To alleviate this, one robot can control one end effector that can be rapidly reconfigured to accommodate multiple sheet shapes. This paper presents a novel solution for sheet transport that leverages the motion of a 6 DOF (degree-of-freedom) robotic arm to reposition suction cups along linear tracks in a timely manner. We employ motion planning techniques to assist in process automation and aid in the accuracy and consistency of suction cup placement. Our design and method offer rapid reconfigurability while being cost-effective and lightweight. Experiments conducted in the lab validated the reconfigurability and accuracy of our design.
