Folding robot

• Main Author: SERRUYS, WIM
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 18.08.1993
• Subjects: CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES; HAND TOOLS; MANIPULATORS; MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVINGMATERIAL; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; PUNCHING METAL; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS ORPROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL

Method for controlling a programmable folding robot (3) for folding sheet-type items, in which the control is, inter alia, according to the principle of path control and by active compliance through force feedback. Programmable folding robot (3), of which the gripper (5) can be positioned according to various axes of movement by a horizontally mobile device (7), on which a swing arm (6) is rotatably fixed, while a mobile carriage (9) is provided on said swing arm (6), on which carriage a mechanism (10) which can make its outgoing part rotate about two perpendicular axes is provided, while the gripper (5) is provided on said outgoing part, and said gripper (5) is connected by means of a force sensor (11) to the outgoing part of mechanism (10), said force sensor (11) through its flexibility permitting a translation of the gripper (5) in two directions and a rotation about one axis relative to the outlet of the last movement shaft. Programmable device consisting of the combination of a folding machine (1) with reference post (2) and supply and discharge device, and a folding robot (3).