A reconfigurable robotic folding system for confectionery industry

Purpose - This paper aims to investigate reconfigurable technology using robotic technology for folding carton in confectionery industry. Design/methodology/approach - Based on the analysis of common motion and manipulation, modules such as robotic fingers and robotic folders are explored and designed. A robotic system is then constructed by arranging those modules for diverse cartons. Findings - A prototyped test rig shows the adaptability of the robotic system. The reconfigurability of the robotic system is realized and verified by experiments and an industrial demonstrator. Practical implications - This research leads to the development of a demonstrator, manufactured and controlled by industries, to further commercial exploitation of this robotic system. It has been applied in a strict industry environment for a chocolate manufacturer. Originality/value - This robotic system applied successfully the theory of reconfigurability by using modularity in packaging systems into confectionery industry.

[1]  Carliss Y. Baldwin,et al.  Managing in an age of modularity. , 1997, Harvard business review.

[2]  Liang Lu,et al.  Folding cartons with fixtures: a motion planning approach , 1999, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[3]  Jian S. Dai,et al.  Dexterous Manipulation of Origami Cartons With Robotic Fingers Based on the Interactive Configuration Space , 2008 .

[4]  Christiaan J. J. Paredis,et al.  A rapidly deployable manipulator system , 1996, Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[5]  Toyohide Watanabe,et al.  A Recognition System for Folding Process of Origami Drill Books , 2003, GREC.

[6]  Guilin Yang,et al.  Kinematic Calibration of Modular Reconfigurable Robots Using Product-of- Exponentials Formula , 1997 .

[7]  Jian S. Dai,et al.  A packaging robot for complex cartons , 2006, Ind. Robot.

[8]  Glen Mullineux,et al.  Carton erection using reconfigurable folder mechanisms. , 2009 .

[9]  Christiaan J. J. Paredis,et al.  Mapping tasks into fault tolerant manipulators , 1994, Proceedings of the 1994 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[10]  Christiaan J. J. Paredis,et al.  Kinematic Design of Serial Link Manipulators From Task Specifications , 1993, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[11]  Devin J. Balkcom,et al.  Robotic origami folding , 2008, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[12]  Andrew Kusiak,et al.  Development of modular products , 1996 .

[13]  Andrew Kusiak,et al.  Decomposition and Representation Methods in Mechanical Design , 1995 .

[14]  Yoram Koren,et al.  Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems , 2003 .

[15]  A. Galip Ulsoy,et al.  Reconfigurable manufacturing systems: Key to future manufacturing , 2000, J. Intell. Manuf..

[16]  Erik D. Demaine,et al.  Folding and Unfolding Linkages, Paper, and Polyhedra , 2000, JCDCG.

[17]  Jian S. Dai,et al.  Carton manipulation analysis using configuration transformation , 2002 .

[18]  Joel W. Burdick,et al.  Enumerating the Non-IsomorphicAssembly Con gurations of Modular Robotic , 2007 .