Gantry robots

Figure 48 Automated Arrayer Based on a Gantry Robot. (Source IMNT)...

Figure 48 shows an arrayer for low-volume spots. With a capillary-based tip printing method, volumes in the lower pl-range can be produced. These very small drop volumes give the opportunity to use more sensitive methods of detection and produce high-density arrays. The automated arrayer is based on a gantry robot. Its three axes are driven by electronic step drives that have a positional accuracy of 1 /rm and a speed up to 300 mm/sec. The work area is 300 X 300 mm and the total dimension is 500 X 500 mm. In order to have a controlled environment, the system is operated in a clean room. 

FIG. 21-53 Example of gantry-type robot having 4 axes which would he used for palletizing cartons or bags. Courtesy of C [Pg.1975]

A robotic system enables mobility of the reactors. The components of a robotic system include (i) a manipulator or end effector (ii) a controller and (iii) robot arms. Robots may also be mounted as a stationary platform, a gantry mechanism where the robot is suspended from a bridge-like frame, or on a linear track drive. A variety of robots exist for both laboratory and industrial use [75,76], Laboratory robots are generally dedicated to either liquid handling or pick-and-place operations. 

Three main winding configurations - flat bed winding, gantry winding and robotized winding systems - can be differentiated and are explained in the following. 

As a result, closed mold processes and closed chamber designs, such as RTM, RocTool, microwave and ovens tend to be less adaptable. For these structures, infrared, RFC, liquid heated tools or Quickstep would be a better approach. Examples are the windmill blades used in the wind energy industry which uses liquid as well as induction heated tools. E-Beam is a special case as it has high health implication restrictions but it could be very adaptable if used with robot and/or gantry systems. 

The robots may apply dots, lines, at high speeds and very accurately. There are also rotary dispensing systems, with rotary tables which are convenient for dispensing circular patterns. They are adjustable in rotation speed, circles, diameters and dispensing time. They dispense from barrels, cartridges or valves mounted on the Z axis gantry. Figures 88 to 90 show several applications in electronics, Hifi and other industries. 

Robot types variety of configurations, loading carrying capacity, working envelope, wrist degrees of freedom and accuracy/repeatability, e.g. revolute, polar, gantry and pendulum. 

Cartesian Gantry System with Integrated Six-Axis Multiple-Articulation Robot... 

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