Modules

The IoT-Factory is formed by multiple individual modules which tasks vary in a wide range. Part of the modules are the four robot cells which perform the assembly and disassembly of the product. Multiple different sensor modules provide opportunities to measure different values for the overall research and the quality control.

Robot cells

The main part of a robot cell is a Stäubli TX60 industrial robot, which is completely surrounded by transparent security doors. This opens up the opportunity of safe work with the robot cells. Various topics like camera based assembly, camera tracking and assembly with different grippers can be worked on. The robot cell is seamlessly integrated into the production line by the attached conveyor belts.Four robot cells are integrated into the IoT-Factory where complex and parallel productions tasks can be performed. Each cell can perform its own tasks or provide additional capacity for a specific task in case of a bottleneck.

Automatic order picking

The heart of the Pick&Sort station is a KUKA iiwa industrial robot. Four high resolution cameras allow the investigation of different research topics, for example camera based order picking. The cameras can be configured to match their viewports for providing images of the same lane from different angles. The station is surrounded by transparent security doors which guarantee safe work even in a student environment. 

Driverless transport systems

The robotino is a mobile robot for transporting goods between box storage, Pick&Sort station and as well as the production line. They not only have a camera but also a laser scanner, an omnidirectional drive and multiple ultrasonic and infralight sensors. Through this collection of different sensors, the robotino provides a great foundation for student theses. Especially topics like multi agent systems can be found with a view to fully automation of production processes. 

Storages

Inside of the production line you can find a pallet storage as an intermediate storage. It can hold up to 32 different components or products. Besides the intermediate storage there is an external box storage which can hold up to 20 boxes, where each box can contain eight different product components.

Both storages provide a practical environment to reproduce logistic situations of the real world. Issues like storage management can be studied, as well as topics to optimize the logistic flow or to order pick orders before a bottleneck can occur. The energy recovery module of the box storage provides additional subjects to look into. The box storage has two conveyor belts, one for storing and one for outsourcing, which provide parallel order processing to speed up the overall process.

 

Conveyor belts

The transport modules consist of two conveyor belts running in opposite directions. The Bypass variant provides the opportunity to infiltrate a product into or eject it from the line. Through this module the parallel processing of different products doesn’t cause any jams at the conveyor belts. The Switch variant of the transport modules enables more complex production lines.

On top of each transport module you can place two extensions to the production line. The IoT-Factory contains extension modules with distance sensors to control the right assembly of the circuit board. Another module is the camera based quality control which can read QR-codes and provides an image for further analyzation. A module to test the assembled touch display is also integrated into the production line. 

By using a pick-by-light module the interaction with human personal is made possible. The label printer is also one of the extension modules and provides unique identification for each product after it has left the production line.