12 minute read
Design Notes
Robot recreates artwork in automotive application
Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor
ABB Robotics has collaborated with two world-renowned artists, eight-yearold Indian child prodigy Advait Kolarkar and Dubai-based digital design collective Illusorr, to create the world’s fi rst robot-painted art car. ABB’s PixelPaint technology has, without human intervention, perfectly recreated Advait’s swirling, monochromatic design, and Illusorr’s tri-color geometrical patterns. Equipped with 1,000 nozzles in the printer head, ABB’s IRB 5500 paint robots completed the highly complex artworks in less than 30 minutes. The PixelPaint
technology demonstrates precision and speed, capturing intricate, elaborate detail that would be impossible to achieve by hand. Sami Atiya, President of ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation business area, commented, “Our RobotStudio so ware can not only pave the way for more sustainable manufacturing but can also perfectly replicate delicate pieces of art that celebrate the originality and beauty of the human spirit.” PixelPaint technology reimagines the paint application process and refl ects the growing demand for sustainable personalization in the automotive industry, particularly in exterior paint. Multi-colored car painting has traditionally been a laborious and costly process involving multiple stages of masking and unmasking, but this technology allows for a detailed, colorful, and exact replication of any design. Carefully controlled, the paint can be quickly applied in a single application. This development in the automation of the painting process opens the door to specialized and personalized designs for the automotive market. Automotive designer Ian Callum, responsible for designing the Aston Martin Vanquish and, more recently, the Jaguar I-Pace said, “There’s something very special about a car. People get emotionally attached to them, and the importance of personalization is becoming stronger and stronger. In fact, I’m working with customers who actually want the whole car designed in a bespoke way. So, this paint off ering — with all sorts of new levels of individual design for a motor car — is incredible.” PixelPaint technology also enhances manufacturing sustainability, removing the need for masking materials and extra ventilation, which lowers emissions while saving water and energy. Coordinated by the fi rm’s RobotStudio so ware, the paint head tracks very closely to the vehicle body to ensure 100% of the paint is applied to the car with no airborne misting. Diff erent paint colors are applied quickly, with the product only running through the paint shop once. For car manufacturers, this can halve the production time and reduce costs by up to 60%.
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Design Notes
To create the art car, ABB refurbished a Volkswagen SUV damaged by the fl oods in Germany in the summer of 2021. Its recycling confi rms ABB’s commitment to sustainability wherever possible. ABB is at the fore ont of developing smart manufacturing principles and technology to support the global automotive industry as it undergoes one of the most signifi cant periods of transformation in recent history. The transition will lead to the use of more robots in combination with other technologies, including Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). This will enable ABB’s automotive customers to optimize the delivery of components across their facilities and connect integrated, scalable, modular production cells, such as PixelPaint, ensuring the necessary fl exibility to meet varying levels of demand. Sami Atiya added, “We are in the midst of a signifi cant decade in the history of the automotive industry and the start of a new era. Automakers need to consider new ways of working towards the transition to electric vehicles. We are working to support the industry in this transition, and I’m confi dent that with fl exible automation, sustainable transportation will fast become a reality.” DW
ABB Robotics www.abb.com/robotics
Design Notes
Collier Aerospace Corporation’s new HyperX analysis and sizing optimization software was used successfully to design a unique composite racing sailboat, called the Sea Rocket, for the SP80 team.
How to design a composite racing sailboat
Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor
The innovative kite-powered trimaran, called the Sea Rocket,
was constructed by a Swiss team of young engineers and sailing enthusiasts, aided by students at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). In 2023, this crew, known as the SP80 team, will attempt to break the world sailing speed record by reaching 80 knots off the coast of France. To make this a reality, the SP80 team contacted Collier Aerospace Corp. The company used its new HyperX analysis and sizing optimization so ware to help the team design the unique composite racing sailboat they’ll need to make history next year. “The SP80 team was impressed with the new HyperX so ware and the engineering expertise that we received om Collier Aerospace,” said Xavier Lepercq, SP80 co-founder and technical manager. “The HyperX so ware was able to size an extremely complex structure and evaluate several diff erent load cases very quickly. We relied on Collier Aerospace’s engineering judgment and experience to help us make smart decisions. We look forward to collaborating with the Collier Aerospace team on future structural projects.”
Sizing optimization for a sea rocket Using HyperX so ware, Collier Aerospace provided composite optimization for most of the primary rigid structures on the cra , including the main hull, the power module, and the back fl oats. Sizing involved determining the thinnest, lightest laminates and sandwich core material that met the mechanical requirements in each section of the boat while maintaining positive safety margins.
Additionally, HyperX so ware was used for various other purposes on the SP80 team’s boat. These included trade studies for numerous laminate and sandwich panel combinations and structural optimization for manufacturability by defi ning fabrication and laydown sequences using the thinply carbon fi ber-reinforced laminates. The assessment of diff erent structural design concepts was followed by rapid sizing of the newly generated structures, including static stress and buckling analyses — o en as parts were being fabricated. The model generated in HyperX so ware contains 300,000 elements and over 500 unique design properties. “A complex project like this composite sailboat is where HyperX so ware really shines,” said Mischa Pollack, Director of Innovation for Collier Aerospace. “It can size a structure much faster than other tools. This speed allowed us to evaluate many diff erent design concepts for the various chassis components, particularly the power module. This type of project is one of my favorite things about Collier Aerospace — working with great teams like the SP80 group while helping HyperX become a better tool for the future.”
Unique structure Competitors attempting to break the World Sailing Speed Record had substantial latitude when designing their cra , which led and inspired the SP80 team to use a trimaran architecture comprised of four key elements. Three carbon fi ber-reinforced composite hulls (the main hull/passenger compartment, which protects the pilot and copilot, and two side fl oats, which provide stability at both low and high speeds) are designed to always stay in contact with the water. Super-ventilated hydrofoils reduce cavitation and drag, thus helping the pilot use all available power to propel the boat forward. A kite (sail) is then tethered to the main hydrofoil and transforms wind power into a propulsive force to move the boat. Several diff erent kites with surface areas ranging om 25 to 40 square meters can be used to adjust to wind conditions. The patented and allimportant composite power module is a mechanical system that constantly aligns the kite’s ascending force with the hydrofoils’ descending force, e ciently transmitting wind forces om the kite to the hydrofoils and the boat itself while maintaining high-speed stability. Together, these four elements were designed to increase speed and minimize drag in both air and water to aid the team in succeeding with its recordbreaking attempt. DW
Collier Aerospace collieraerospace.com
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Design Notes
How motor brakes can help alleviate worker shortage issues
Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor
Force Control Industries’ MagnaShear maintenance- ee, noadjustment motor brakes eliminate motor brake downtime. And because the best kind of maintenance is no maintenance, they can also help to alleviate problems associated with worker shortages. With no adjustment or maintenance required, save for an annual oil change, these dependable motor brakes allow maintenance personnel to be tasked with other projects, thus accomplishing more work with fewer employees. The MagnaShear motor brake employs oil shear technology, providing longer service life in applications like the equent start/stop cycles seen on cranes, hoists, winches, conveyors, palletizers, and other equipment. Proven oil shear technology transmits torque between lubricated surfaces — eliminating wear on iction surfaces. A patented fl uid recirculation system dissipates heat — eliminating heat build-up, which is the most common problem in dry braking systems. Elimination of the wear signifi cantly increases service life and eliminates adjustment, which also elongates maintenance intervals. They are suitable for applications where the motor is reversed each cycle, such as rail car spotters and dumpers, ship and rail car loading conveyors, trippers, and pallet return conveyors. The oil shear technology also provides a smooth “cushioned” stop which reduces shock to the drive system, further extending service life of downstream components. The totally enclosed MagnaShear brakes are impervious to moisture, dirt, and the dust common in concrete block plants, asphalt shingle manufacturing, coal, bulk the dust common in concrete block plants, asphalt shingle manufacturing, coal, bulk materials handling, forest products manufacturing, and more. Unlike dry brakes, oil shear technology includes a layer of automatic transmission Unlike dry brakes, oil shear technology includes a layer of automatic transmission fl uid between the brake disc and the drive plate. As the fl uid is compressed, the fl uid fl uid between the brake disc and the drive plate. As the fl uid is compressed, the fl uid molecules shear — imparting torque to the other side. This torque transmission causes molecules shear — imparting torque to the other side. This torque transmission causes the rotating discs to decelerate against the stationary plates, bringing them down to stop. As most of the work is done by the fl uid particles in shear, wear is virtually eliminated. Elimination of wear also eliminates the need for adjustments common for dry braking systems.
In addition to transmitting torque, a patented fl uid recirculation system helps to dissipate heat which is the major problem with traditional dry brakes. Along with heat removal and torque transmission, the fl uid serves to continually lubricate all components of the oil shear brake, elongating their service life.
Suitable for a range of motor sizes These proven motor brakes are available to accommodate myriad applications. Spring set torque ratings om 3 to 1250 foot-pounds are available. MagnaShear motor brakes are available in multiple torques for the same motor ame. MagnaShear motor brakes feature “quick mount” features for quick and easy mounting to drive motors in NEMA ame sizes 56 to 449. They are shipped ready to install, with no assembly or adjustments required. They are also available premounted on a motor for severe duty applications. MagnaShear motor brakes can be furnished to fi t a NEMA or IEC ame motor, as a complete motor and brake assembly, or to mount on a machine ame or other special mounting confi guration. These proven motor brakes are fully enclosed om outside contaminants, with seal integrity for harsh and washdown environments. A modular design /assembly allows for ease of servicing and maintenance. DW
Force Control Industries | www. forcecontrol.com
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