Novel gripper module and method for automated assembly of miniature parts

doi:10.1007/s40436-022-00425-x

Advances in Manufacturing ›› 2023, Vol. 11 ›› Issue (2): 295-310.doi: 10.1007/s40436-022-00425-x

• ARTICLES • 上一篇

Novel gripper module and method for automated assembly of miniature parts

Zhi-Yong Zhang¹, Xiao-Dong Wang^1,2, Tong-Qun Ren^1,2, Tian-Lun Jin¹

1. Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, People's Republic of China;
2. Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-traditional Machining of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, People's Republic of China

收稿日期:2021-12-28 修回日期:2022-05-29 发布日期:2023-05-20
通讯作者: Xiao-Dong Wang,E-mail:xdwang@dlut.edu.cn E-mail:xdwang@dlut.edu.cn
作者简介:Zhi?Yong Zhang is pursuing a Ph.D. degree at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, China. His research interests focus on fexible micro-assembly system design and automated assembly technology.
Xiao?Dong Wang is a professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, China. He received his Ph.D. degree from Harbin Institute of Technology. His research interests include micro-assembly technology and system, precision instrument design and manufacturing, precision measurement technology and instruments.
Tong?Qun Ren is an associate professor in School of Mechanical Engineering at the Dalian University of Technology, China. He received his BE degree in Measuring & Control Technology and Instrumentations from Tianjin University, China, in 2002. He received his ME and Ph.D. degree in Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments at Tianjin University, China, in 2005 and 2008, respectively. His current research interests are in the fields of micro assembly, Precision measurement, signal processing.
Tian?Lun Jin received his Master degree at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, China. His research interests focus on micro-assembly control and software.
基金资助:
This research was supported by LiaoNing Revitalization Talent Program (Grant No. 2002020) and the Major Project of Basic Scientific Research of Chinese Ministry (Grant No. JCYK2016 205A003).

Novel gripper module and method for automated assembly of miniature parts

Zhi-Yong Zhang¹, Xiao-Dong Wang^1,2, Tong-Qun Ren^1,2, Tian-Lun Jin¹

1. Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, People's Republic of China;
2. Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-traditional Machining of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, People's Republic of China

Received:2021-12-28 Revised:2022-05-29 Published:2023-05-20
Contact: Xiao-Dong Wang,E-mail:xdwang@dlut.edu.cn E-mail:xdwang@dlut.edu.cn
Supported by:
This research was supported by LiaoNing Revitalization Talent Program (Grant No. 2002020) and the Major Project of Basic Scientific Research of Chinese Ministry (Grant No. JCYK2016 205A003).

摘要/Abstract

摘要： During assembly process, the miniature part needs to be fixed in its assembly position. In some occasions where adhesive is used, the joining force is not established due to the adhesive curing process, in that case the locking of parts is required. Manual locking is difficult to meet the increasing demand for mass production. To solve this problem and realize fully automatic assembly, a novel gripper module was designed and corresponding locking method was proposed. Thanks to the functional integration, the gripper module is capable of manipulating and locking the part. This module is integrated into the assembly system and plays a crucial role in automatic assembly. The locking method for automatic assembly is based on the integration of the part picking up and the locking unit releasing. After being placed accurately at its desired position, the miniature part can be automatically locked by releasing the locking unit. The innovative structure and mechanism of the gripper module convert the spring force into the locking force of the miniature part, ensuring non-rigid locking and suitable small locking force. Locking principle, flexibility and limitations of the proposed method were clarified in detail. Moreover, an effective compensation strategy was used to achieve accurate and stable pickup of the part, which increased the reliability of the assembly process. During automatic locking, the disturbances to the part due to the eccentric load were analyzed. The effectiveness of the gripper module and proposed method was verified by experiment. Experimental results indicated that the modular system integrated with the gripper module could meet the requirements of fully automatic assembly. Manual locking is replaced by automatic locking, and workers are liberated from tedious manual operations. The improvement of automation level enables assembly equipment to be applied to mass production scenarios.

The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-022-00425-x

关键词: Fully automatic assembly, Miniature parts, Automatic locking, Gripper module

Abstract: During assembly process, the miniature part needs to be fixed in its assembly position. In some occasions where adhesive is used, the joining force is not established due to the adhesive curing process, in that case the locking of parts is required. Manual locking is difficult to meet the increasing demand for mass production. To solve this problem and realize fully automatic assembly, a novel gripper module was designed and corresponding locking method was proposed. Thanks to the functional integration, the gripper module is capable of manipulating and locking the part. This module is integrated into the assembly system and plays a crucial role in automatic assembly. The locking method for automatic assembly is based on the integration of the part picking up and the locking unit releasing. After being placed accurately at its desired position, the miniature part can be automatically locked by releasing the locking unit. The innovative structure and mechanism of the gripper module convert the spring force into the locking force of the miniature part, ensuring non-rigid locking and suitable small locking force. Locking principle, flexibility and limitations of the proposed method were clarified in detail. Moreover, an effective compensation strategy was used to achieve accurate and stable pickup of the part, which increased the reliability of the assembly process. During automatic locking, the disturbances to the part due to the eccentric load were analyzed. The effectiveness of the gripper module and proposed method was verified by experiment. Experimental results indicated that the modular system integrated with the gripper module could meet the requirements of fully automatic assembly. Manual locking is replaced by automatic locking, and workers are liberated from tedious manual operations. The improvement of automation level enables assembly equipment to be applied to mass production scenarios.

The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-022-00425-x

Key words: Fully automatic assembly, Miniature parts, Automatic locking, Gripper module

Zhi-Yong Zhang, Xiao-Dong Wang, Tong-Qun Ren, Tian-Lun Jin. Novel gripper module and method for automated assembly of miniature parts[J]. Advances in Manufacturing, 2023, 11(2): 295-310.

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Novel gripper module and method for automated assembly of miniature parts

Novel gripper module and method for automated assembly of miniature parts

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