Dear robots,
do you think it’s possible with a AL5 to fill platic tubes into a Deepwell plate which is shown in the attached picture?
I have a feeling it’s going to be a bit too tight. There may be some tricks to get them in there, but I dunno…
The tips of the tubes are a bit tapered, so I think there is a tolerance of ± 0,5mm.
Do you think it is possible with this tolerance?
Thank you, Markus
No way. Sorry…
I’d consider a small X-Y stepper motor drive to position a carriage over your array of slots. But I suppose it would matter where to/from you needed to transport the vials. Something like those CSI fancy chemical analyzers?
Alan KM6VV
My target aim would be this: A x-y motion system with stepper motors UNDER the plate would push up (through holes) one tube about 1cm, then the robotarm should pick up the tube onto a balance, and after the robotarm should put it back into the rack, then the next… --> an automized balance procedure. Should it be possible?
Yes, these are chemical sample tubes, not so far from CSI 
Thanks for you help,
Markus
XY drive under the table to actuate a “lift pin” is certainly do-able.
As for using an AL5 arm to “pick” a tube out of the rack, probably OK, but not recommended. The gripper would have to be quite compliant in order to make up for it’s positioning inaccuracy. Not the best design.
But as has been noted, the AL5 isn’t accurate enough to meet the .5mm (.020") positioning accuracy (actually more would be required) required to accurately position the tube over the rack before inserting…
You’d need a much more accurate XY drive (true servo or stepper driven) to able to position a tube for inserting. A specialized gripper attached to the drive above the rack would then lower it sufficiently to engage the tube into the rack, and then release it. Reverse the process to pick up a tube. Not an easy task!
A stepper or DC-Servo drive is really what’s required. Not unlike a CNC machine!
A rho-theta (arm) with enough precision (think steppers or DC-Servo again) could also swing over and remove/insert the required tube. More math! Think pick-and-place robot…
A balance? Like a scale to weigh the sample?
Certainly possible, but you have to have the positioning accuracy.
Alan KM6VV
The tray of tubes might have a beveled alignment device just above it to guide the tube into the hole in the tray, and the tray is moved around under the alignment device. Use a soft surface material on the gripper face.
OK, it looks like to have two options to develop the project:
- To implement a stepper based XYZ motion system, should be possible for me, as I already realized two selfmade CNC machines
- To try it with AL5 plus a kind of ‘funnel-system’ as zoomkat as suggested.
However thank you all very much for your input!!
I will let you know how it is going on!
Kind Regards,
Markus
I wouldn’t trust a hobby robot to do a process that involves chemicals unless its for personal home use. What you can do is try it with water filled in the tubes and see how much it spills when moving etc. and see how it works for you.
Spilling liquid won’t be a problem, because the substance inside the tubes is solid.
We would buy a ready solution if it was one on the market, but we didn’t find one yet.
Markus
I’ve seen lab bots that pick up viles and such, and they tend to be more pick and place arm setups where everything moves at right angles. More like a milling setup.
So I just almost finished the robot for scaling tubes. You can see a video here:
youtube.com/watch?v=SEaoaRSVebg
Thanks again for all help and suggestions!
Regards
Markus
Wow, you did a really good job with that. Looks like most of the components you used are serious precision components. To scratch build something like that is impressive.
Well done! 