Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Teradyne, Inc.

Neil R Bentley

Robert H Schmidt

Tracy M Clark

Yuhong Huang

Oliver C Haya

Eric J Wildi

David Alan Vasko

Xikai Sun

Jadav Das

Kyle A Crum

Michael A Chiu

Jesse R Mendenhall

Michael D Cook

Brian M Perreault

Jason A Young

Cassiopia H Sullivan

Jesus Chung

Wayne Petitto

Michael Chemello

Sergio L Canales

A reversible adhesive apparatus includes a base and an adhesive layer. The base is configured with a series of concave and convex shapes at a top surface of the base according to some embodiments. The base is configured with a raised portion and a surrounding portion at a top surface of the base according to some other embodiments. The adhesive layer is disposed on top of the base. The adhesive layer configured to provide reversible adhesion on a top surface of the adhesive layer.

Reversible adhesive apparatus

Synchronization of multiple vehicles in an independent cart system to reduce spacing and increase throughput designates one of the movers as a leader and at least one additional mover as a follower, defining a chain of vehicles. A motion command for the chain is provided to a controller for the leader, and the controller generates a motion profile. The controller passes this motion profile to a controller for each of the follower movers. If the follower is unable to maintain the motion profile for the leader, the controller for the follower generates a message to the controller for the leader indicating a modification to the motion profile is required. The controller for the leader modifies the motion profile and forwards the modified motion profile to controllers for each follower. If all movers are following the modified profile, the controller for the leader may return to the original motion profile.

System and method for synchronizing motion of multiple vehicles in an independent cart system

An industrial transportation system includes one or more movers and a robot system. The robot system is configured to load one or more items on the surface of respective movers and unload the one or more items from the surface of respective movers. Each of the one or more movers includes a first surface configured to provide reversible adhesion between the mover and an item loaded on the mover. The reversible adhesion of the surface is activated at loading and deactivated at unloading.

Systems and methods of applying reversible adhesion in a transportation system

A system for wirelessly transmitting power between a track and independent movers in a motion control system includes a pick-up coil provided proximate to the magnets on the movers. The fundamental component of the voltage applied to the drive coils interacts primarily with the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnets on the movers and not with the pick-up coil. Consequently, the pick-up coil does not interfere with desired operation of the movers but rather, interacts primarily with the harmonic components and has current and voltages induced within the pick-up coil as a result of the harmonic components. The energy captured by the pick-up coil reduces the amplitude of eddy currents on the mover. After harvesting the harmonic content, the pick-up coil may be connected to another circuit on the mover and serve as a supply voltage for the other circuit.

System and method for wireless power transfer in a linear cart system

A method may include receiving topology information associated with a linear motor system that includes multiple track modules. Each track module may include one or more motors. The topology information may include one or more media access control (MAC) addresses associated with the motors. The method may also include associating one or more IP addresses with the MAC addresses associated with the motors, generating a configuration file associated with the linear motor system based on the topology information and the IP addresses, and transmitting one or more commands to the motors to control or adjust one or more operations of the motors based on the configuration file.

Automated discovery and configuration techniques

A controller for an independent cart system simplifies programming and automatically adapts operation each mover travelling along a track. The controller includes a configuration table defining segments of the track, which includes a maximum velocity and/or a maximum acceleration for each mover within the segment. A motion command for a mover commands motion across multiple segments between the starting point and the ending point. As the mover travels, the controller receives a position feedback signal corresponding to the present location of the mover. The controller obtains the maximum velocity and/or maximum acceleration for the mover corresponding to the segment in which it is located. The controller automatically adjusts the speed and/or acceleration of the mover along the segment in which it is presently located. As the mover transitions between segments, the controller automatically adjusts the speed and/or acceleration according to the new segment in which the mover is located.

System and method for limiting motion in an independent cart system

An improved system and method for monitoring operation of movers in an independent cart system reduces the required communication bandwidth for monitoring operation of movers in a system where control is distributed among multiple controllers spaced along the track. As the mover is travelling along the track segment, each distributed controller monitors at least one operating characteristic of the mover. As a mover travels along the track, each distributed controller transmits the operating characteristic to a successive distributed controller, such the monitored operating characteristic is transmitted along the track as the mover travels along the track. At a reduced rate or upon request from a central controller, each distributed controller may transmit the status of a mover present on the corresponding track segment controlled by that distributed controller to the central controller.

System and method for monitoring mover status in an independent cart system

A subassembly to aid in changing the interface unit for an automatic test system. The disclosed embodiment shows an automatic test system with a handler and a tester. The interface unit is a device interface board (DIB). The subassembly allows the DIB to be easily accessed, yet can be properly aligned to the test system. No special tools are required to change the DIB.

Semiconductor test system with easily changed interface unit

A semiconductor test system that includes a tester, a material handling unit and a manipulator that positions the tester relative to the material handling unit. The manipulator is in the form of a cart that can be wheeled to the material handling unit. The cart is attached to the mateiral handling unit to provide course positioning of the tester relative to the handling unit. Major motion of the test head is constrained to an axis perpendicular to the mating interface of the material handling unit. However, compliant motion, with up to six degrees of freedom, is possible in a complaint zone near the handler. In this way, alignment units on the tester and material handling unit can accurately control the final positioning of the tester relative to the material handling unit.

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Westborough, MA, United States of America

Neil R Bentley