The degree of vibration of sheet metal components during the transfer process with robotic arms directly impacts the accuracy of positioning, thereby reducing production efficiency and product quality. In response to this issue, this study systematically analyzes the influencing parameters of sheet metal vibration during the robotic arm transfer process, deriving reasonable parameters to control the vibration issue effectively.
**Introduction of the Problem**
With the vigorous development of manufacturing in our country, the trend towards mechanization and automation production is becoming more pronounced. Robotic arms are increasingly used in production processes due to their high stability, safety factor, production efficiency, stable product quality, and cost savings. The role of robotic arms in the transfer of sheet metal parts during the sheet metal processing process is mostly that of a parts conveyor. The degree of vibration during the transfer directly affects the accuracy of product positioning, thus impacting production efficiency and product quality (Figure 1). Therefore, studying the vibration problem of sheet metal components during the robotic arm transfer process is of significant importance.
**Engineering Overview**
In the process of transferring sheet metal parts with robotic arms, there is a problem of part vibration. Different degrees of part vibration result in varying displacement distances for sheet metal parts. When the displacement exceeds the equipment's positioning range, it can lead to part rejection. In severe cases, it may cause significant safety incidents such as equipment and robotic arm damage or even injury to personnel. The following analysis is based on the robotic arm transfer line for air conditioner panels.
In the robotic arm line transfer process, the degree of panel vibration is mainly influenced by the characteristics of the robotic arm, the parts themselves, and the parts' processing technology. The characteristics of the parts themselves include the material thickness of the parts and the structure of the part surface.
**Factor Analysis**
Commonly used robotic arms in actual production include link-type robotic arms, independent robotic arms, three-dimensional robotic arms, etc. The part in direct contact with the parts is called the robotic arm gripper. The gripper can be divided into suction-type and clamping-type grippers based on the picking method. The selected panel robotic arm line is configured as an independent robotic arm using a suction-type gripper.
When the suction-type gripper is in operation, it connects to the robotic arm via a suction cup holder and reaches the designated position with the robotic arm's movement. Then, the vacuum cup picks up or releases the part by increasing or decreasing the internal air pressure .
The main components of the suction-type gripper include the suction cup mounting bracket, suction cup holder, suction cup hardware, and vacuum cup.
By understanding the structure and working principle of the suction-type gripper, it can be seen that the stability of the grip on the product depends on the number and position of the vacuum cups when the air pressure is constant. By adding suction cup hardware and vacuum cups in the middle of the robotic arm gripper, the degree of vibration can be significantly reduced by controlling the range of shaking. In the production process of panels, when using four sets of suction cup hardware and vacuum cups, the problem of panel part vibration often occurs (Figure 4). However, when using six sets of suction cup hardware and vacuum cups, the problem of panel part vibration is solved.
**Conclusion**
Through in-depth research on the vibration problem of powder coating production line equipment, it can be concluded that by reasonably increasing the number of support points and adjusting the hanging position when designing the spray head and hanging system, the degree of equipment vibration can be reduced, improving the accuracy of coating positioning. This is of positive significance for improving production efficiency and reducing coating quality defects. Therefore, in actual production, attention should be paid to the rational design and adjustment of equipment to ensure the smooth operation of the powder coating production line and high-quality coating results.
