WO2025160815A1

WO2025160815A1 - Tool switching apparatus and robotic system

Info

Publication number: WO2025160815A1
Application number: PCT/CN2024/074967
Authority: WO
Inventors: Biao Yang; Bin Lin; Yang Chen; Jiageng Liu
Original assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
Current assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
Priority date: 2024-01-31
Filing date: 2024-01-31
Publication date: 2025-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 2026-07-31

Abstract

A tool switching apparatus (1) and an industrial robot (2) are provided. The tool switching apparatus (1) comprises a disk (10) comprising a plurality of switching stations (11), wherein each of the switching stations (11) is adapted to contain at most one tool (12) to allow the industrial robot (2) to place a used tool (12') to an empty switching station (11) with no tool or fetch a tool (12) from one of the plurality of switching stations (11) with one tool (12); and a motor (20) coupled to disk (10) and configured to drive the disk (10) to move to change positions of the plurality of switching stations (11), wherein the motor (20) is coupled to the industrial robot (2) such that the movement of the disk (10) is controlled in relation to an action of the industrial robot (2). By integrating the servo flexible disk and the industrial robot in the same controller system, high precision and rapid response can be achieved.

Description

TOOL SWITCHING APPARATUS AND ROBOTIC SYSTEM

FIELD

Example embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of machining industry, and more particularly, to a tool switching apparatus for use with an industrial robot and a robotic system.

BACKGROUND

In the field of automatic machining, owing to the requirements of machining process, it is usually necessary to realize seamless switching of many different types of tools on the spindle. The most original method is to change the tool manually, however, this will significantly affect the work efficiency. There are many kinds of automatic tool switching solutions on the market, however, there are not satisfactory. How to change tools for mechanical equipment more flexibly and conveniently is a severe challenge for designers.

SUMMARY

In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a tool switching apparatus for use with an industrial robot and a corresponding robotic system.

In a first aspect, there is provided a tool switching apparatus for use with an industrial robot. The tool switching apparatus comprises a disk comprising a plurality of switching stations, wherein each of the switching stations is adapted to contain at most one tool to allow the industrial robot to place a used tool to an empty switching station with no tool or fetch a tool from one of the plurality of switching stations with one tool; and a motor coupled to disk and configured to drive the disk to move to change positions of the plurality of switching stations, wherein the motor is coupled to the industrial robot such that the movement of the disk is controlled in relation to an action of the industrial robot.

According to example embodiments of the present disclosure, by integrating the servo flexible disk and the industrial robot in the same controller system, high precision and rapid response can be achieved.

In some example embodiments, the plurality of switching stations are circumferentially distributed about a center of the disk, and wherein the disk is configured to be driven by the motor to rotate about the center of the disk.

In some example embodiments, each of the plurality of switching station comprises: a clamping member configured to clamp a respective tool; and a stop fixed provided on the disk at a position radially inwardly from the clamping member, wherein a distance between the stop and the center of the disk is determined based on a length of the respective tool.

In some example embodiments, each of the plurality of switching station further comprises: a RFID identifier to allow the industrial robot to read and write information about a type of the respective tool.

In some example embodiments, the switching station containing a target tool is horizontally provided at the disk such that the target tool is horizontally provided.

In some example embodiments, the tool switching apparatus further comprises a shield, wherein the shield is configured to protect the disk from external object and comprises an opening adjacent to the switching station containing a target tool, such that the target tool is exposed to the industrial robot.

In a second aspect, there is provided a robotic system. The robotic system comprises an industrial robot comprising an arm configured to clamp a tool; and a tool switching apparatus of any of claims 1-6, the tool switching apparatus being provided adjacent to the industrial robot and configured to allow the industrial robot to switch a used tool to a target tool.

In some example embodiments, the robotic system of claim further comprises a window, wherein the window is configured to allow an operator to change the tool on the disk.

In some example embodiments, the window is equipped with a safety sensor and wherein the tool switching apparatus comprises a safety circuit coupled to the safety sensor, such that when the safety sensor senses that the existence of the operator, the safety circuit of the tool switching apparatus is changed into an OFF status to disallow the disk to move.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Through the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above and other objectives, features and advantages of the example embodiments disclosed herein will become more comprehensible. In the drawings, several example embodiments disclosed herein will be illustrated in an exemplary and in a non-limiting manner, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an industrial robot in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a tool switching apparatus in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a tool switching apparatus of Fig. 2, with the shield being omitted to clearly show the details inside the tool switching apparatus;

Fig. 4 illustrates a front view of the disk as shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective back view of the tool switching apparatus as shown in Fig. 2.

Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It is to be understood that these embodiments are described only for the purpose of illustration and to help those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, without suggesting any limitation as to the scope of the disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various manners other than the ones described below.

In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

References in the present disclosure to “one embodiment, ” “an embodiment, ” “an example embodiment, ” and the like indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but it is not necessary that every embodiment includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to apply such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a” , “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” , “comprising” , “has” , “having” , “includes” and/or “including” , when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements, and/or components etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and/or combinations thereof.

As described above, there are many kinds of tool switching solutions on the market. Among these conventional approaches, one is designed specifically for use with computerized numerical control (CNC) machining center. For this approach, when an automatic tool changer of the CNC machining center receives a tool switching command, a spindle will immediately stop rotating and accurately move to the tool switching position to release the tool; at the same time, the new tool will follow the movement of the tool magazine to the tool change position and then release the tool. The automatic gripper picks up both old and new tools at the same time. After waiting for the tool exchange table to rotate into position, the new and old tools will rotate to the empty positions of the spindle and tool magazine respectively, and the spindle is clamped and returned to the original processing position to complete the tool change process.

In general, the conventional tool switching solution has a complex mechanism, occupies a large footprint, and requires a specific tool switching point. Therefore, its flexibility is low and the accessibility requirements of the robot are high. The entire process requires an external programmable logic controller (PLC) to control the tool changer and interact with the multi-axis industrial robot controller with logical signals. Due to the cumbersome control structure and high cost, the conventional tool magazines are not suitable for the processing of live spindles of multi-axis industrial robots.

At least to address the problem existed in the conventional approaches, the present disclosure proposes a new solution for tool switching. By additionally introducing a single-axis servo flexible disk to switch the tool, the problems existed in the conventional tool switching apparatus such as large footprint, limited flexibility, complex control, and high investment can be addressed. Moreover, by integrating the servo flexible disk and the industrial robot in the same controller system, a high degree of flexibility, accuracy and fast production cycle can be achieved.

Example embodiments will be described in more detail hereinafter in accordance with Figs. 1-5. With reference to Fig. 1 at first, wherein Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an industrial robot 2 in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The industrial robot 2 may be designed to control a tool 12'on robotic arm 3 to carry out a variety of actions, for example, a machining operation such as milling operation, a grinding operation, etc. The specific types of the actions carried out by the industrial robot 2 are not limited in this regards.

Referring Fig. 2, which illustrates a perspective view of a tool switching apparatus 1 in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The tool switching apparatus 1 may be positioned on a ground within a reachable range from the industrial robot 2. The used tool 12'a s shown in Fig. 1 may be driven by the robotic arm 3 to approach the tool switching apparatus 1 to change into a new one. The detailed operation of changing the tool will be discussed in more details hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 2, the tool switching apparatus 1 may include a shield 30, which may be used to protect the inner components from being hurt by external objects.

Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a tool switching apparatus 1 of Fig. 2, with the shield 30 being omitted to clearly show the details inside the tool switching apparatus 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the tool switching apparatus 1 for use with an industrial robot 2 includes a disk 10 and a motor 20 coupled to the disk 10. The disk 10 includes a plurality of switching stations 11, and each of the switching stations 11 contains at most one tool 12. In other words, some of the switching stations 11 contain no tool 12 which can be regarded as empty switching stations to allow the industrial robot 2 to place down the used tool 12'. Some of the switching stations 11 contain one new tool 12 which can be used for the industrial robot 2 to replace. The motor 20 is configured to drive the disk 10 to move. In the illustrated embodiments, the disk 10 is circular disk and the motor 20 may be designed to drive the disk 10 to rotate about its center. The motor 20 is coupled to the industrial robot 2 such that the movement of the disk 10 is controlled in relation to the action of the industrial robot 2.

According to example embodiments of the present disclosure, the tool switching apparatus 1 is designed for the processing technique involving a multi-axis industrial robot 2. By allowing the motor 20 equipped in tool switching apparatus 1 to be directly controlled by a control cabinet of the industrial robot 2, the rotation of the disk 10 is carried out based on action of the industrial robot 2. In this way, the motions of both the industrial robot 2 and the tool switching apparatus 1 can be controlled within the same controller, which effectively reduces communication latency and enhances production cycle efficiency. Beside, through the rotation of the motor 20, the tools 12 can be accurately rotated to a precise angle, thereby triggering the industrial robot 2 to place the used tool 12'a nd pick the new one to complete the switching operation.

Fig. 4 illustrates a front view of the disk 10 of Fig. 3. In the illustrated embodiments, eight switching stations 11 are included. These switching stations 11 are circumferentially distributed about a center O of the disk 10. In the illustrated embodiments, these switching stations 11 are 45 degrees apart from each other. It is to be understood that this is only for illustration without suggesting any limitations as to the scope of the subject matter described here. The specific number of the switching stations 11 as well as the angle between adjacent switching stations 11 are not limited to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some other example embodiments, the switching stations 11 may be uneven distributed about the center O of the disk 10.

With reference back to Fig. 3, each of the plurality of switching station 11 comprises a clamping member 111 and a stop 112. The clamping member 111 is configured to clamp a respective tool 12. The stop 112 is fixed provided on the disk 10 at a position radially inwardly from the clamping member 111. The distance between the stop 112 and the center O of the disk 10 is determined based on a length of the respective tool 12. As can be seen from Fig. 4, for different switching station 11, the distance between the stop 112 and the center O of the disk 10 may be different. In this way, only the correct tool 12 may be placed into the respective switching station 11. If a tool with a longer length is desired to be placed into the switching station, the terminal of the tool may touch the stop 112 to alarm the user that the tool is too long to make the user realize that the tool being placed is incorrect. If a tool with a shorter length is desired to be placed into the switching station, the terminal of the tool may be too far away from the stop 112 to alarm the user that the tool is too short to make the user realize that the tool being placed is incorrect. By adopting this fool-proof design, the example embodiment ensures that the tools 12 can be placed in the correct switching station 11.

In some example embodiments, the dimension of the switching station 11 may be customized according to needs from the user. In this way, the disk 10 is allowed to accommodate various sizes of tools 12 to adapt to more diverse processing scenarios.

Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective back view of a tool switching apparatus 1 of Fig. 2. With reference to Fig. 2 and 5, the shield 30 includes an opening 32 adjacent to the switching station 11 containing the target tool 12, such that the target tool 12 is exposed to the industrial robot 2. In this way, it is convenient for the industrial robot 2 to carry out the tool switching operation through the opening 32.

The operation of switching the tool 12 is described as below. When it is desired to change the used tool 12'on the robot 2 into a new one, since the motor 20 equipped in tool switching apparatus 1 is directly controlled by the control cabinet of the industrial robot 2, the tool switching apparatus 1 may be controlled to cooperate. First, the tool switching apparatus 1 may know it is time to change the used tool 12'. Then the motor 20 may rotate the disk 10 to a position where an empty switching station 11 with no tools on it may be rotated to the target position adjacent to the opening 32. In this way, the empty switching station 11 may be exposed to the industrial robot 2. The industrial robot 2 may control the robotic arms 3 to allow the used tool 12'to be inserted to the empty switching station 11 by being clamped by the clamping member 111 of the empty switching station 11.

Subsequently, the motor 20 may rotate the disk 10 to another position where another switching station 11 with a new tool 12 on it may be rotated to the target position adjacent to the opening 32. In this way, the switching station 11 may be exposed to the industrial robot 2. The industrial robot 2 may control the robotic arms 3 to allow the robotic arms 3 to fetch the new tool 12 from the switching station 11 by fetching the new tool out from the clamping member 111 of the switching station 11. After that, the industrial robot 2 exits and proceeds to the machining area to continue the mechanical process.

In some example embodiments, each of the switching station 11 further comprises a RFID identifier (not shown) to allow the industrial robot 2 to read and write information about a type of the respective tool. When switching the tool, a controller of the industrial robot 2 may read the information from the RFID identifier to determine whether the tool 12 to be switch is the correct one. If not, the controller will not change the tool until the disk 10 rotates to a correct position where a correct tool 12 is placed near the opening 32. After the switching operation is completed, the information of the tool 12 may be recorded into a database for later use.

According to example embodiments of the present disclosure, by using the RFID identifier and the stop 112, a dual protection can be achieved to ensure that the correct type of tool 12 may be placed into the corresponding switching station 11.

In a second aspect, there is provided a robotic system. The robotic system includes an industrial robot 2 and the tool switching apparatus 1 described above. The industrial robot 2 includes an arm configured to clamp a tool 12. The tool switching apparatus 1 is provided adjacent to the industrial robot 2 and configured to allow the industrial robot 2 to switch the tool 12 to a target tool 12.

In some example embodiments, the robotic system further comprises a window, wherein the window is configured to allow an operator to change the tool on the disk 10. According to example embodiments of the present disclosure, the operators can manually replace the tools 12 outside the workstation without stopping the operation of the industrial robot 2.

In some example embodiments, the window is equipped with a safety sensor and wherein the tool switching apparatus 1 comprises a safety circuit coupled to the safety sensor, such that when the safety sensor senses that the existence of the operator, the safety circuit of the tool switching apparatus 1 is changed into an OFF status to disallow the disk 10 to move. In this way, the safety of the operator can be ensured.

As shown in Fig. 5, the switching station 11 containing the target tool 12 is horizontally provided at the disk 10 such that the target tool 12 is horizontally provided. In this way, when switching the used tool 12', the object attached onto the used tool 12', for example the processing debris, will not fall onto the switching station. Therefore, the error in processing size brought about by the falling debris can be avoided.

Compared with the conventional approaches, the tool switching apparatus 1 according to the present disclosure gives full play to the inherent advantages of industrial robots 2 in terms of flexibility, adaptability and economy. In addition, the use of servo flexible disk eliminates the need for additional components such as frequency converters and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) , reducing the investment costs of the users and improving production efficiency. High precision and rapid response can be exhibited without the need for additional variable frequency drives and PLC controllers.

Moreover, the overall tool switching apparatus 1 is simple and reliable, eliminating the need for complex tool switching robots, cylinders, solenoid valves, sensors, and other additional components. This effectively reduces equipment failure rates, lowers investment costs for enterprises, and simplifies and enhances equipment maintenance.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

A tool switching apparatus (1) for use with an industrial robot (2) , comprising:

a disk (10) comprising a plurality of switching stations (11) , wherein each of the switching stations (11) is adapted to contain at most one tool (12) to allow the industrial robot (2) to place a used tool (12') to an empty switching station (11) with no tool or fetch a tool (12) from one of the plurality of switching stations (11) with one tool (12) ; and

a motor (20) coupled to disk (10) and configured to drive the disk (10) to move to change positions of the plurality of switching stations (11) , wherein the motor (20) is coupled to the industrial robot (2) such that the movement of the disk (10) is controlled in relation to an action of the industrial robot (2) .
The tool switching apparatus (1) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of switching stations (11) are circumferentially distributed about a center (O) of the disk (10) , and wherein the disk (10) is configured to be driven by the motor (20) to rotate about the center (O) of the disk (10) .
The tool switching apparatus (1) of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of switching station (11) comprises:

a clamping member (111) configured to clamp a respective tool (12) ; and

a stop (112) fixed provided on the disk (10) at a position radially inwardly from the clamping member (111) , wherein a distance between the stop (112) and the center (O) of the disk (10) is determined based on a length of the respective tool (12) .
The tool switching apparatus (1) of any of claims 1-3, wherein each of the plurality of switching station (11) further comprises:

a RFID identifier to allow the industrial robot (2) to read and write information about a type of the respective tool.
The tool switching apparatus (1) of any of claims 1-4, wherein the switching station (11) containing a target tool (12) is horizontally provided at the disk (10) such that the target tool (12) is horizontally provided.
The tool switching apparatus (1) of any of claims 1-5, further comprising a shield (30) , wherein the shield (30) is configured to protect the disk (10) from external object and comprises:

an opening (32) adjacent to the switching station (11) containing a target tool (12) , such that the target tool (12) is exposed to the industrial robot (2) .
A robotic system, comprising:

an industrial robot (2) comprising an arm configured to clamp a tool (12) ; and

a tool switching apparatus (1) of any of claims 1-6, the tool switching apparatus (1) being provided adjacent to the industrial robot (2) and configured to allow the industrial robot (2) to switch a used tool (12') to a target tool (12) .
The robotic system of claim 7, further comprising a window, wherein the window is configured to allow an operator to change the tool (12) on the disk (10) .
The robotic system of claim 8, wherein the window is equipped with a safety sensor and wherein the tool switching apparatus (1) comprises a safety circuit coupled to the safety sensor, such that when the safety sensor senses that the existence of the operator, the safety circuit of the tool switching apparatus (1) is changed into an OFF status to disallow the disk (10) to move.