In this month’s project highlight, we’re diving into a recent project in which we used the auxiliary axis on a robot to control the sweeper bar on a row forming conveyor. This allowed us to add an additional axis of integrated motion to the robot, giving us 7-axes of motion.

The robot used in this battery palletizing application is an ABB IRB 7600 equipped with a custom End of Arm Tool (EoAT) that is capable of handling slip sheets, honeycomb dunnage, and rows of batteries.

During row formation, photo eyes at the end stop of the row former are used to position the sweep bar. When the correct number of batteries are present and the EoAT is in place, the robot will utilize an auxiliary axis to actuate the sweep bar to bring the batteries into the EoAT. This ensures synchronized motion between the sweeper bar and the End of Arm Tool.

The stabilizer plate on the EoAT is timed to close with the movement of the flight bar. The stripper bar then comes forward and acts in conjunction with the stabilizer plate to grasp the batteries between two vertical surfaces.

As the row former continues forward, the robot moves the EoAT backwards and the support plate moves in to support the bottom of the batteries. During these movements proximity switches and photo eyes are checked to verify the movements are completed. With the installation of these systems, our customers reduce many of the operational hazards facing their workforce by eliminating direct operator interaction with the hazardous and corrosive chemicals found in batteries.

The equipment in these battery palletizing cells is specially designed with materials that are capable of withstanding long-term exposure to this harsh environment. These systems also have the capacity to handle many different SKUs and provide a high level of system reliability and superior up time. To learn more, please visit our robotic battery palletizing solutions webpage or contact us any time. One of our engineers would be happy to speak with you.

Author: Kayla Wohldmann