Modular Approaches to Automation System Design Using Industrial Robots

A fully automated robotic system was developed and deployed in-house in a modular way to meet the needs of a high throughput chemistry laboratory. The main system components consist of a Stäubli TX60 industrial robot and a Vapourtec V-10 evaporator, with control software by Aitken Scientific. A custom server application was written by Stäubli robotics to interface the robot and control software. The design was done using SolidWorks Computer Aided Design to speed up development, with out-sourced software development and hardware procurement or fabrication. Both hardware and software were modularized such that components could be reused in the future. An industrial robot and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) components were used to improve reliability and minimize support. A custom gripper was designed using a Schunk MPG50 pneumatic two-finger parallel actuator with stainless steel fingers. An injector station was designed to simplify and automate large volume evaporations, with built-in self-cleaning. Custom fabrication of racks, grippers, etc was done using local precision engineering firms. Providing full documentation and training allows support to be done by third-party service engineers. Initial data show that the system is both intuitive and reliable in use.