Robotic picking of sheet-metal parts from bins and placement in weld fixtures
Sheet-metal parts lying randomly in a bin are scanned from above by a 3D camera. The part model is fitted to the point cloud and the topmost part that can be picked without collision is selected; the robot grips it and places it in the weld fixture. A part that does not fit the model is set aside.
The pose of the selected part is sent to the robot as a grip offset; once the part is seated in the fixture the welding robot is started. A part with a high fit error is dropped in the reject bin, and the cell PLC is informed when the bin is empty.
- 01 3D scan
- 02 Model fit
- 03 Pick
- 04 Place
- 05 Weld
The bin is scanned with structured light and a point cloud is built.
- Candidates
- —
- Fit error
- —
- Part tilt
- —
Scenes are illustrative simulations; they are not customer references or performance guarantees.
Need
Pressed sheet metal is thin, flexible and reflective: glare leaves gaps in the point cloud and nested parts look like a single part. Every part lies at a different angle in the bin, and the gripper can hit the bin wall.
Solution approach
A 3D camera above the bin captures the point cloud with structured light. The part model is searched in the cloud and fitted to each candidate; the remaining fit error separates deformed or nested parts. Candidates are ranked by height and reachability, and the gripper path is checked against the bin walls.
Process steps
- 01
3D scan
The bin is scanned with structured light and a point cloud is built.
- 02
Model fit
The part model is fitted to the candidates and the topmost one is selected.
- 03
Pick
The robot descends along a collision-free path and grips the part.
- 04
Place
The part is placed in the fixture or in the reject bin.
- 05
Weld
The part in the fixture is joined by the welding robot.
Related applications
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