Robot Vacuum Gripper
with Optimized Design
· Client : Korean Institute of Footwear and Leather Technology (KIFLT)
· Role :
Supported the production of Lightweight, Part Consolidation Gripper, which is one of the EOAT (End of Arm Tooling) of cooperative robots
for shoe manufacturing process automation,
using composite materials and applying DfAM.
We decided to challenge the production of lightweight products by applying DfAM to the EOAT of cooperative robots used
in the smart factory automated manufacturing process with KIFLT.
[Previous Vacuum Gripper Shape]
Material : Aluminum, weight : 764g
Previously,
10 Parts that were processed
using subtractive manufacturing and bending bolted together.
Produced high-intensity, high-performance vacuum grippers
by utilizing the freedom of shape, which is the advantage of 3D printing and composite materials.
Material | Aluminum → Carbon Fiber & Composite material |
Method | Subtractive Manufacturing & Bending → 3D Printing |
Used Onyx as the base material and
optionally reinforced carbon fiber where additional stiffness is required.
Onyx is a material consisting of plastic nylon and carbon monofiber,
If you reinforce carbon long-fiber,
It will have a stiffness equivalent to Al6061
When using 3D printing,
along with changing materials and processing methods,
the most important element of the design optimization process has increased the efficiency of the parts.
· To create optimal design, Harvestance utilized Generative Design, which has recently become a hot topic in the design industry.
It is useful for creating structurally optimized, consolidated designs based on processing methods, materials, boundary conditions. |
Initial Model
Final Model
The optimal printing direction is determined by considering the location of the geometry that requires stiffness,
and the area where the support will be generated is also considered.
For 3D printing of composite materials,
The printing process is also an important part.
The direction of printing changes the area where the carbon fiber can be reinforced.
Markforged's 3D printer used in this application can easily remove support structures by hand,
and has fewer scratches on the surface, making post-processing very convenient.
3D Printing Application
Summary
Original Model
Changing material + 3D Printing + Optimized design
Aluminum
Composite material (Nylon 80% + Chopped Carbon 20%)
764g
88g
10 parts
1 part