Designing a manipulator for loading and unloading LCD TVs requires optimizing the loading and unloading actions in production lines or warehouse scenarios to ensure high efficiency, stability and no damage to the screen.
The following is a detailed design plan:
Application scenario analysis
Production line loading and unloading: grab the TV from the conveyor belt/tray and place it on the assembly station or packaging line.
Warehouse automation: move the TV from the shelf or AGV to the inspection/packaging area.
Compatibility requirements: need to adapt to different sizes (such as 55~85 inches), weights (15~50kg) and packaging forms (bare machine/with box).
Core design of the robot
End effector (gripper)
Vacuum suction cup group (preferred solution):
Suction cup material: silicone (oil-resistant, non-slip) or polyurethane (high elasticity, suitable for rough packaging box surface).
Layout design: adjustable spacing suction cup array (for example, 6~8 suction cups), width adjustment through slide rails or cylinders, to adapt to different TV sizes.
Safety redundancy: Each suction cup has an independent vacuum sensor. When any suction cup fails, an alarm will be triggered and the action will be suspended.
Auxiliary mechanism (optional):
Lateral clamping arm: a clamping claw wrapped in soft rubber, which gently clamps and fixes the TV from both sides (used for bare machine handling to prevent tilting).
Flipping mechanism: a suction cup group with a rotating axis, which enables the TV to flip 90° (used for quality inspection or double-sided packaging).
Typical workflow (taking the production line as an example)
Loading:
The visual system identifies the position of the TV on the conveyor belt → the robot adjusts the suction cup spacing → vacuum suction grabs → lifts and moves to the assembly station → slowly releases.
Unloading:
Grab the TV from the inspection station → rotate 180° (if the reverse side needs to be packaged) → place it in a packaging box or pallet, and the suction cup is depressurized and detached.
Cost and efficiency optimization
Takt time: After optimizing the path planning, a single loading and unloading cycle can be controlled within 10~15 seconds (efficiency is about 240~360 units/hour).
Low-cost solution:
Replace electric vacuum generator with pneumatic suction cups (suitable for small and medium loads).
Use teach-in programming instead of vision system (suitable for fixed stations).
