Cooperative depositing of large carbon fibre blanks with 'pick & place' process The end effectors can be passively adjusted to spherical geometries by the robot using an external tool. Draping takes place during the rolling pick-up movement.
Image: 1/1, Credit:
DLR
The Drapebot project - as part of the European funding programme Horizon2020 - deals with manufacturing technologies for complex lightweight production processes in the fields of aviation, automotive and boat building. The international consortium, led by the Austrian company Profactor GmbH, brings together the key expertise needed to develop agile and efficient processes for human-robot collaboration and to make them widely used in industry. Partners from industry and science from Italy, Austria, Denmark and Germany are involved in the project.
The ZLP in Augsburg is involved in the development of a human-robot assistance cell that supports a highly qualified worker throughout the entire process of laminating a large aircraft frame made from lightweight materials. This includes tasks that are carried out autonomously by the robot or in collaboration with the worker on demand or based on the process status. This includes material delivery, assistance with draping the blanks and vacuum set-up, carrying out quality assurance measures and documenting the process. The co-operation should be industry-oriented and take into account the necessary safety-related issues. The relationship of trust between the worker and the robot will also be analysed in detail.
This development is intended to drive forward human-machine cooperation in the industrial environment and combine the advantages of both approaches: complex manual versus fast and precise robot-assisted production.
