Traditional vs pneumagiQ way

Traditionally, installing a robot end-of-arm tooling with a pneumatic gripper could be overwhelming, requiring high dependency on skilled engineering resources with knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and pneumatics. Selection and procurement of multiple components from multiple vendors not only increases the burden on buyers but also increases the project lead time significantly. The resultant installation is a congregation of multiple tubes, valves, and other components, making the installation messy and restricting the motion of the robot.

pneumagiQ PQ90 is a Universal Pneumatic EOAT Interface. Built on the bedrock of a technology (patent pending) that controls the flow, direction, and pressure of pneumatic air into a single system, the minimalist design of pneumagiQ simplifies the multi-tooling of pneumatic grippers. pneumagiQ PQ90 enables an integrator to quickly install pneumatic grippers to a robot with just one pneumatic tube, pneumagiQ simplifies the deployment of a pneumatic gripper eliminating multiple tubes and wires running across the body of the robot.

Platform Approach to Pneumatic Gripping

When a product is designed as a 'platform', it provides a foundation upon which others to build. For example, in robotics automation applications such as material handling and machine tending, end-users can use multiple brands of pneumatic grippers. Most users have their preference for a brand of pneumatic gripper for their applications. pneumagiQ is designed as a platform for such pneumatic grippers. This makes it modular & flexible, allowing integrators to install any brand or model of pneumatic grippers. Thus, delivering robotic solutions much faster. pneumagiQ gives users the option of interchangeability of brands of grippers even after years of installation based on the changing need of the application.

Features of pneumagiQ PQ90

1. Needs only one compressed air inlet

2. Hose-free direct connection to the pneumatic gripper

3. Modbus RTU communication

4. Built-in silencer

5. Integrated air blow-off port

6. Interchangeable gripper mounting

7. Switchable gripper orientation

8. Status indicators

9. IP66

10. Quick response time

11. Multiple Sensor Connectors

Built for tightly spaced material handling applications:

pneumagiQ PQ90 is a compact Universal Pneumatic EOAT Interface with a mechanical form factor designed to seamlessly mount any two pneumatically actuated tools at a 90° offset from each other. The compact design of PQ90 makes it ideal for the placement of pneumatic tools in tight-spaced applications. The lightweight design maximizes the payload of the robot for handling heavier parts.

Plug & Play Approach

The 'design to install' phase of a traditional pneumatic tools setup could take up to 3 weeks. The pneumagiQ Plug & Play approach now brings down the time to just 10 minutes.

Optimized Mechanical Form Factor

The 90° mechanical offset, compact size, and light weight make pneumagiQ a preferred option for all pneumatic gripper installations such as machine tending.

Rugged Design

The sturdy design with an IP66 rating makes pneumagiQ well suited for robotic installations in harsh environments including machine tending, pick & place, etc.

Smart Robot Installation

The single tube air inlet and the smartly designed couplers for robots & grippers enable a smarter robot installation.

DESIGN STATEMENT

Traditional installation of dual pneumatically actuated tools to a robot requires multiple air-inlet tubes and wires running across the body of the robot, making the installation complex. pneumagiQ PQ90 is a Universal Pneumatic EOAT Interface that simplifies interfacing any two pneumatically actuated tools to a robot, with just a single air-inlet tube and a single communication cable.

As an out-of-the-box product, pneumagiQ PQ90 eliminates the need to source multiple components from multiple vendors. Moreover, it eliminates the need for a robot integrator to depend on skilled engineering resources for mechanical design, embedded control systems, and pneumatic circuits thereby significantly bringing down the overall operational cost and time taken. Eliminating the dependencies on multiple vendors and skilled engineering resources pneumagiQ PQ90 reduces the critical failure points of the robotic application robotics and thus enhances the user's experience!

IDEA

Pneumatic grippers are the preferred choice of grippers for robotic applications in the machine tools industry due to irrefutable benefits such as high grip force, IP ratings, and compact size. However, the present process of integration continues to remain customized and complex, requiring multiple domain expertise such as mechanical design, embedded control systems and pneumatic circuits.

Instead, pneumagiQ PQ90 is an innovative, brand-agnostic, plug & play platform for pneumatic grippers. Hence robot integrators can design their robotics material handling application using robots and pneumatic grippers of any brand or model. Thus, increases the robot integrators' flexibility and efficiency by allowing them to quickly deploy the application and thereby focus on scaling their core business.

FORM

The internal components are manufactured using the latest advancement in additive manufacturing while the outer housing is made of specially designed aluminum extrusion and the side caps are molded to perfection, thus enabling pneumagiQ PQ90 to have a compact design, weighing just 580 grams. This wouldn't be viable through conventional manufacturing methodologies.

Multiple features are aesthetically integrated into the compact body such as a single air inlet, a 90-degree mechanical offset between the pneumatically actuated tools, sensor connectors, an air blow-off port, an exhaust port with a built-in silencer, and an embedded controller, all controlled via a single communication cable. The overall finish and color scheme ensures that pneumagiQ PQ90 homogeneously blends with all brands of robots and grippers it is interfaced to.

FUNCTION

pneumagiQ PQ90's 'plug & play' modular design gives users the ability to interface pneumagiQ to their preferred brand of robot and pneumatically actuated tools, thus offering the flexibility of redeploying to a different robotic application. The single air-inlet tube and single communication cable give the robot unrestricted motion at each of its axes. The valves adjacent to the grippers enable an extremely quick response time in pneumatic tool actuation. The custom-designed software blocks enable quick integration into the robot without the need for a specialized robot programmer. Being an out-of-the-box product, it minimizes the overall product maintenance required by the end user.

DIFFERENTIATION

For decades, the status quo for installing pneumatically actuated tools to robots hasn't changed. Robot integrators rely on multiple engineering resources with expertise in pneumatics, controls, and mechanical design with need to source components from multiple vendors. Taking weeks from the concept ideation to application deployment, the end application is customized with a plethora of components, leading to multiple critical failure points.

pneumagiQ PQ90 is an innovation that bundles all the above-mentioned components into a single compact standardized product, bringing multiple benefits to the robot integrator and end-user. The first of its kind in the world, pneumagiQ PQ90 aspires to establish a new product category.

BENEFITS – ROBOT INTEGRATORS & END-USERS

1.Robot Integrators

a.pneumagiQ PQ90 enables installing pneumatic grippers Plug & Play.

b.No dependency on skilled design & engineering resources.

c.Save time and effort coordinating the sourcing of components from multiple vendors

d.Reduce installation time to just a few minutes

e.Increase turnaround of projects - more projects at the same time

f.Aesthetic implementation of the robotic cell

g.Enhance the reach and degree of freedom of the robot

2.End-Users

a.Aesthetic robotic cell

b.Zero maintenance

c.Minimize the requirement for spares.

d.Quicker deployment of projects

e.Lower downtime of production line for deployment

f.Quick redeployment for other applications

IMPACT

Industrial robots have become an essential component of modern manufacturing, requiring companies of all sizes to embrace the technology. However, deploying robotic applications can be intimidating for smaller companies.

pneumagiQ PQ90 offers the required simplicity thereby enabling quicker adoption of technology. The ease of deployment ensures enhanced efficiencies for robot integrators, increasing the speed of deployment, and allowing them to scale faster. Compared to the existing approach, pneumagiQ PQ90 is designed with 20% lesser pneumatic tubes, significantly minimizing air loss, and ensuring a highly efficient system reducing energy costs and cuts carbon emissions.