Schmalz breaks all records with the new "Pick Accelerator
Until the picking cell presented at automatica 2022, J. Schmalz GmbH was known exclusively as a supplier of vacuum grippers and handling tools. Both for robots ("grippers") and for manual guidance. The specialty here is gripping tasks that require a vacuum, although the company also offers magnetic grippers, for example. In the aforementioned picking cell, Schmalz takes care of seeing, gripping and sorting the items. This cell represented Schmalz's entry into the field of vision. A software team had previously been set up for this purpose in Stuttgart, i.e. outside the headquarters near Freudenstadt.
The picking cell was just the start
Schmalz will be presenting two special innovations at LogiMat (25-27 April 2023 in Stuttgart): A new software platform, the Vision Operating System ivOS, and the "Pick Accelerator". While "ivOS" can certainly be described as revolutionary, the "Pick-Accelerator" is a real eye-catcher - unimaginably fast so far.
In addition to the typical Schmalz vacuum grippers, the photo shows the MATCH end-of-arm ecosystem (mounted on the rail in the center), i.e. the standard interface for tools, and a camera.
Pick Accelerator breaks all bin picking records
How does a rather conservative company like Schmalz come to regard its new product as a record holder? Well, in my opinion, the up to 2,700 picks per hour exceed what has been usual up to now by a factor of 2. Two Scararobots are used in the cell. To ensure that they can work without collisions, a digital twin is always created in advance. This means that the gripping point and the path are calculated.
It should be emphasized that not only small items can be lifted, but that a payload of up to 10 kg is possible. This means that large parts of the goods shipment can be covered. The articles to be handled can be completely different. This is made possible by the already proven tool changer (several different grippers are possible) and, above all, very powerful software.
The operating system selects the best
This is where the new product called "Solution Kit ivOS Pick-and-Pack" comes into play. The bundle contains coordinated gripper technology, 3D sensors and the latest algorithms for determining the gripping point and is optimized for the specific application. The operating system called ivOS ensures the optimal interaction of all components.
The new Solution Kit allows completely different components to be combined with each other. In the area of software, during a picking process, it is quickly "considered" which software would make the most sense. This is because different handling makes sense depending on the geometry of the object. The library currently contains the products of seven different suppliers. In addition to Schmalz's own software, it includes software from roboception, seract, Siemens, Bosch Rexroth, FIZYR and Fraunhofer IPA. Robots and sensors from different manufacturers can be used. A connection to various goods management systems is possible via different interfaces.
Business model
No ready-made cell is sold - Schmalz supplies the critical components for reaching into the box with its Solution Kits. A "classic" integrator then takes over the adaptation to the on-site environment. Schmalz is open to requests from integrators. The division of labor is planned as follows: Schmalz does the software, grippers, and path planning for the robots, and the integrator does the rest, including cell construction.
From the customer's point of view, applications with a large number of items to be gripped similarly are worthwhile. The cell can quickly change the tool, but the time spent changing is nevertheless missing for productive work. Thanks to the interface to ERP systems, the appropriate orders can be selected. In practice, the Pick Accelerator will therefore stand next to manual workstations. Small orders will continue to be processed manually.
More use cases in the works
Two use cases are currently available for the ivOS Pick-and-Pack Solution Kit. In addition to the Pick Accelerator presented here, it is the picking cell mentioned at the beginning. Since I tend to speculate at times, I wouldn't be surprised to see more applications in the near future. In general, anything related to 3D or point clouds can be implemented with ivOS, according to the people responsible at Schmalz.
For space reasons, the "Pick Accelerator" cannot be set up at LogiMat. However, videos will be shown and visits to the headquarters in the Black Forest for a live demonstration of the powerful sample cell can be arranged. Schmalz will be exhibiting in Hall 7 / Stand C05 .
Are we networking? LinkedIn
-> Go to the Cobot group on LinkedIn (link). The author is also a consultant (robotics, tech). Hardly anyone is likely to have a comparable market and solution overview
