Effect of low-cost automation on labor productivity and labor fatigue for corrugated boxes flaps twisting

BACKGROUND: Flaps of the corrugated box folded inversely while manual packing of goods initiative this will cause tearing of the box at creased positions. OBJECTIVE: To avoid tearing, it is required to twist each box along creased positions as soon as it is manufactured and in wet condition due to liquid gum application. METHODS: To apply and evaluate the effect of Low-Cost Automation on labor productivity and labor fatigue for corrugated boxes flaps twisting. Low-Cost Automation solution is applied to overcome low labors’ productivity and excessive labors’ fatigue problems in the manual box twisting work. Productivity need analysis is performed to identify the key productivity measures. Three automated mechanisms are developed for box stopping, clamping, and twisting activities. RESULTS: Reduction in labors muscular efforts requirement is confirmed through surface electromyography technique. It is observed that the average actual time required for twisting one box reduced from 34 seconds to 17 seconds, and labor productivity almost doubled. The muscular efforts required for twisting of flaps of the boxes are reduced significantly. CONCLUSION: The developed low-cost automation solution is unique and found worthy for small scale corrugated box manufacturers.

Knot-tying with four-piece fixtures

We present a class of fixtures that can be disassembled into four pieces to extract the loosely tied knot. We prove that a fixture can be designed for any particular knot such that the knot can be extracted using only simple pure translations of the four fixture sections. We explore some of the issues raised by our experimental work with these fixtures, which show that simple knots can be tied extremely quickly (less than half a second) and reliably (99% repeatability) using four-piece fixtures.

Planning to fold multiple objects from a single self-folding sheet

This paper considers planning and control algorithms that enable a programmable sheet to realize different shapes by autonomous folding. Prior work on self-reconfiguring machines has considered modular systems in which independent units coordinate with their neighbors to realize a desired shape. A key limitation in these prior systems is the typically many operations to make and break connections with neighbors, which lead to brittle performance. We seek to mitigate these difficulties through the unique concept of self-folding origami with a universal fixed set of hinges. This approach exploits a single sheet composed of interconnected triangular sections. The sheet is able to fold into a set of predetermined shapes using embedded actuation.

We describe the planning algorithms underlying these self-folding sheets, forming a new family of reconfigurable robots that fold themselves into origami by actuating edges to fold by desired angles at desired times. Given a flat sheet, the set of hinges, and a desired folded state for the sheet, the algorithms (1) plan a continuous folding motion into the desired state, (2) discretize this motion into a practicable sequence of phases, (3) overlay these patterns and factor the steps into a minimum set of groups, and (4) automatically plan the location of actuators and threads on the sheet for implementing the shape-formation control.

Robotic origami folding

Origami, the art of paper sculpture, is a fresh challenge for the field of robotic manipulation, and provides a concrete example of the many difficulties and general manipulation problems faced in robotics. This paper describes our initial exploration, and highlights key problems in the manipulation, modeling, and design of foldable structures. Results include the design of the first origami-folding robot, a complete fold-sequence planner for a simple class of origami, and analysis of the kinematics of more complicated folds, including the common paper shopping bag.