Gripper integrated vision guided assembly of PEM fuel cells
Jens Schäfer, Simeon Allmendinger, Jürgen Fleischer · Procedia CIRP · 2022
Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells consist of hundreds of individual layers, which need to be precisely stacked onto each other in a pick-and-place process in order to ensure a functioning product. Common automated pick-and-place systems usually feature an external camera for position detection of the individual layers. However, an external position detection increases cycle time and reduces the overall efficiency of the assembly system. Thus, this approach presents a camera, which is integrated into a flat surface vacuum gripper to detect and measure the position of components on-the-fly while grasping. The camera makes use of the suction openings necessary for grasping itself. Incoming light is detected and an aperture photometry is being applied to the image. Different methods for the component position detection will be presented and compared to a precise stereo camera reference measurement for the components actual position. With the reference the measurement accuracy of the novel gripper configuration is derived.