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Abstract: The paper presents works performed by the authors in the field of developing new concepts and virtual prototyping new model of hybrid palletizing system. Along development of the palletizing system virtual prototype in order for achieving system layout optimization new concepts have been implemented. From this point of view most important features have successively targeted development of: the modular design of the whole system and its specific subsystems / components, the implementation of two gantry robots for object orienting along layer forming conveyor, the modular layer compacting system integrated with the layer forming conveyor, the special end-effector for overall layer manipulation by a high payload articulated arm robot, the modular pallet stacking & dispensing system, the modular overall conveying system for objects and pallets, and the modular pallet stretching system.
Key words: Virtual prototyping, hybrid palletizing system, modular design, gantry robot, articulated robot, overall layer handling, palletizing system layout optimization.
1. INTRODUCTION 1
The hybrid palletizing system represents a new concept developed and presented as first achievements in international automation fairs starting from the second part of 2013 year [1, 2]. Such kind of palletizing systems have been developed targeting to find a new kind of system joining the main advantages of both "end of line conventional robotic palletizing systems" higher flexibility and "automated palletizing system" higher palletizing rates / productivity. As result actual existing hybrid palletizing systems have been conceptually diversified to adapt on specific necessaries demands of high speed infeed conveyors / high delivery rates for output conveyors [3]. From this point of view for the hybrid palletizing systems two main approaches / specific designs need to be considered: for mid-speed palletizing rates (systems operating from 25-30 up to 50-60 palletized objects per minute) and for high-speed palletizing rates (systems operating from 75 up to 125 palletized objects per minute) [3]. As result a first approach in development of this systems was to combine the "pattern forming subsystem" from a conventional automated palletizing system with a "full layer robotic palletizing subsystem" [4]. For this purpose the forming section of a conventional palletizer (usually a "sliding shoes sorter conveyor") was used to form the layer, and a large (heavy payload) robot (top mounted articulated arm or side mounted-cylindrical coordinates-column robot) was used...