Intelligent system for generating and executing a sheet metal bending plan
First Claim
1. In a computer having at least one processor and a memory, a device that selects a gripper that holds a workpiece to be utilized by a bending apparatus that bends unfinished workpieces formed of sheets of malleable material, the device comprising:
- a reader;
a former;
a chooser;
a predictor;
a determiner; and
an adjuster;
wherein said reader reads information describing geometry of a library of grippers to be chosen from, said former forms a set of available grippers excluding grippers that have certain undesired geometric features, said chooser chooses a gripper from the set of available grippers as a function of width of the gripper, length of the gripper, and knuckle height of the gripper, said predictor is adapted to predict, for each gripper within the set of available grippers, a repo number equal to an estimated number of times the bending apparatus will need to change the position at which the gripper holds the workpiece in order to perform a complete sequence of bending operations on the workpiece, said determiner is adapted to determine the smallest predicted repo number, and said adjuster is adapted to adjust the set of available grippers to include the available grippers having a repo number equal to the smallest predicted repo number, before choosing a gripper as a function of the width, length and knuckle height of the gripper.
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Abstract
An intelligent sheet metal bending system is disclosed, having a cooperative generative planning system. A planning module interacts with several expert modules to develop a bending plan. The planning module utilizes a state-space search algorithm. Computerized methods are provided for selecting a robot gripper and a repo gripper, and for determining the optimal placement of such grippers as they are holding a workpiece being formed by the bending apparatus. Computerized methods are provided for selecting tooling to be used by the bending apparatus, and for determining a tooling stage layout. An operations planning method is provided which allows the bending apparatus to be set up concurrently while time-consuming calculations, such as motion planning, are performed. An additional method or system is provided for positioning tooling stages by using a backstage guide member which guides placement of a tooling stage along the die rail of the bending apparatus. A method is provided for learning motion control offset values, and for eliminating the need for superfluous sensor-based control operations once the motion control offset values are known. The planning system may be used for facilitating functions such as design and assembly system, which may perform designing, costing, scheduling, and/or manufacture and assembly.
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Citations
1 Claim
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1. In a computer having at least one processor and a memory, a device that selects a gripper that holds a workpiece to be utilized by a bending apparatus that bends unfinished workpieces formed of sheets of malleable material, the device comprising:
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a reader;
a former;
a chooser;
a predictor;
a determiner; and
an adjuster;
wherein said reader reads information describing geometry of a library of grippers to be chosen from, said former forms a set of available grippers excluding grippers that have certain undesired geometric features, said chooser chooses a gripper from the set of available grippers as a function of width of the gripper, length of the gripper, and knuckle height of the gripper, said predictor is adapted to predict, for each gripper within the set of available grippers, a repo number equal to an estimated number of times the bending apparatus will need to change the position at which the gripper holds the workpiece in order to perform a complete sequence of bending operations on the workpiece, said determiner is adapted to determine the smallest predicted repo number, and said adjuster is adapted to adjust the set of available grippers to include the available grippers having a repo number equal to the smallest predicted repo number, before choosing a gripper as a function of the width, length and knuckle height of the gripper.
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Specification