Bin picking of heavy metal balls

Partner:

ROSSUM integration s.r.o.

Problem:

The customer needed to automate the process of picking heavy metal spherical objects from a container. These metal balls are semi-finished products for ball bearings. The task is currently performed manually – the operator takes each ball from the bin and inserts it into a measuring machine. The new automated solution is to deliver a simple and effective system for the robotic gripping of balls and thus reduce the physical activity involved in manual operation.

Solution:

Bin Picking Studio and  PhoXi 3D Scanner XL

The solution consists of a Fanuc robot equipped with a vacuum gripper with a suction cup and the Bin Picking Studio with a PhoXi 3D Scanner XL from Photoneo.

In the first step, the system scans and localizes the balls, and then picks them one by one. The challenge of this task resides in the fact that a ball has an infinite number of rotation invariances. Therefore, the gripper needs to approach each ball perpendicular to the ball surface to avoid the risk of its falling off the gripper.

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By using various types of gripping points, it is possible to set the required number of gripping positions.

The new Bin Picking Studio features fast trajectory planning and therefore provides a fast, high-quality solution that meets the customer’s requirements.

Discussion:

The automated solution boosts productivity and saves costs. In addition, considering the heavy weight of the balls, it eliminates the risk of injuries and health problems.