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Flexible gripping technology for the automated handling of limp technical textiles in composites industry

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Abstract

A high level of cost-intensive manual tasks in the manufacturing process of composite parts impedes a further propagation of those innovative structures in important German industrial branches like the automotive sector or aviation. Especially the handling of semi-finished goods in several key process-chains could not be automated efficiently so far due to a great variety of materials and part contours as well as difficult handling properties of the limp, textile parts. Hence within the presented work a highly-flexible gripper system based on low-vacuum-suction is introduced, which is the result of a methodical investigation in the ideal gripping principle. Special actuators and an intelligent control strategy are combined into a selective gripping technology, which allows an automatic adaption of the pressure based holding force to different contours and materials, by closing certain apertures of a perforated plate. The experimental validation of a realized robotic end-effector shows that the challenging requirements of modern composite production could be fulfilled as the structural integrity of the technical textiles is preserved during the handling processes.

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Acknowledgments

This paper presents the results of the conjoined research project CFK-Tex, which is funded by the European Union and the Free State of Bavaria within the program for micro-systems technology. Besides the research institu-tions iwb (TU Muenchen) and ISSE (Univ. Augsburg) the following companies support the research activities: Premium Aerotec, eurocopter Germany, KUKA Roboter, IMA A. Abele + Partner and TopCut-Bullmer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management (iwb), Boltzmannstr. 15, Garching, Germany

    G. Reinhart

  2. iwb Application Center Augsburg, Beim Glaspalast 5, Augsburg, Germany

    G. Straßer

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  1. G. Reinhart
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  2. G. Straßer
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Correspondence to G. Straßer.

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Reinhart, G., Straßer, G. Flexible gripping technology for the automated handling of limp technical textiles in composites industry. Prod. Eng. Res. Devel. 5, 301–306 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11740-011-0306-1

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