Material processing system

• Main Authors: MORTIMER; JONATHAN, SCHIRO; SAMUEL G, WILLIAMS; ANTHONY M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.04.1996
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; CONTROLLING; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HAND TOOLS; MANIPULATORS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS ORELEMENTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; REGULATING; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRANSPORTING

A material processing cell comprises two controlled units (106, 110). The first is a main manipulator having an exchangeable end effector, for carrying out a wide range of operations. The second controlled unit is a power operations manipulator, having an exchangeable end effector for carrying out a range of operations requiring the application of high forces. Each of the controlled units includes a dedicated unit control device including a processor. Each unit control device is in communication with a system controller (122, 123), thus allowing the controlled units to carry out their operations simultaneously.