Patent ID: 11932497
Assignee: ATS CORPORATION
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B

Claim 15:
16. An automated mass production system, comprising:
a) a track including a plurality of carriers, each carrier holding at least one workpiece and advanceable through a stop position along the track;
b) a workpiece inversion station adjacent the stop position, the workpiece inversion station including a pick-and-place robot having at least one end effector, the end effector operable to engage the workpiece on a carrier at the stop position and translatable toward and away from the carrier for unloading the workpiece from the carrier and loading the workpiece back on the carrier, and the end effector rotatable relative to the carrier for inverting the workpiece when unloaded by the end effector; and
c) a control system for synchronizing operation of the carriers and inversion station, the control system configured to:
i) advance the end effector to an unloading position in electronic synchronization with advancement of the carrier to the stop position to synchronize arrival of the carrier at the stop position with arrival of the end effector at the unloading position, in which the end effector is in alignment with the workpiece held by the carrier at the stop position and engages the workpiece;
ii) while the end effector is in engagement with the workpiece, retract the end effector away from the unloading position to unload the workpiece from the carrier and advance the end effector to a loading position to load the workpiece back into the carrier; and
iii) during (ii), rotate the end effector relative to the carrier by 180 degrees to invert the workpiece in electronic synchronization with movement of the end effector from the unloading position to the loading position for loading the workpiece back into the carrier when inverted.