New Bin Picking Kit from Robotic Designed for Automated Object Identification
Robotiq released a new Bin Picking Kit designed to decrease the likelihood of repetitive motion injuries for manufacturing workers.
The Bin Picking Kit is paired with a cobot, such as the Universal Robot, and automatically selects, places, and sorts items from a bin.
The New Bin Picking Kit
Rather than sorting parts by hand, the Bin Picking Kit handles various sorting and placement tasks. Manufacturing workers are freed up to do more interesting, less hazardous work.
According to Nicholas Lauzier, product manager at Robotiq, “Given the current economic context, companies cannot continue asking for repetitive and unrewarding tasks, such as machine tending and line feeding, so versatile robotic picking will increasingly become the preferred solution.” He continues, “Providing more satisfying work for both the employees and the employers is a massive motivation to launch this kit and is at the heart of Robotiq’s mission.”
The Universal Robot picking flat parts from a bin, using the Bin Picking Kit for object identification. Image courtesy of Robotiq.
The Bin Picking Kit can work for flat or cylindrical objects, down to 10 mm x 10 mm x 5 mm (0.3937 in x 0.3937 in x 0.1969 in) in size, or flat parts at least 1.5 mm (0.0590 in) thick.
Parts can be stored at random orientations in a bin measuring up to 800 mm x 600 mm x 450 mm (31.5 in x 23.6 in x 17.7 in), making it a perfect size for collecting parts from one machine, and then picked by the cobot and Bin Picking Kit for packaging, aligning or sorting for the next step in the manufacturing process.
Pickit M-HD Camera and Software
This system includes the Pickit M-HD camera and software, CoPilot software, an electrical gripper, and a vacuum generator with an EPick extension kit. These components allow for quick object identification using the camera and machine vision software and control commands to the robot.
The EPick extension kit. Image courtesy of Robotiq.
The electrical EPick is suited for smaller, more delicate parts, such as glass or clear plastic, and may be useful for moving pieces that may crack easily with a gripper or other mechanical device. The kit also includes access to Robotiq’s technical support and videos, making the installation and setup straight-forward.
Who Can Use this Kit?
Automotive and appliance component manufacturers may benefit by having small parts, such as control panels, trim pieces, gauges, and other parts lined up and ready to be installed by another robot.
General materials handling and machining operations will also benefit from the Bin Picking Kit. For example, an injection molder can dump parts from the dies into a bin at a random orientation, and the Bin Picking Kit can pick up the parts and align them for trimming the flash from around the edges.
Overall, the Bin Picking Kit is designed to work in manufacturing facilities that require small parts to be sorted, aligned, or package. Most of the components are already included in this kit.
