In a robot-based research facility at the University of Stuttgart, flexible and robust SWS‑L robotic quick-change systems are helping to support digitalizing manufacturing processes in the construction industry, thereby increasing efficiency and productivity. The mobile concept of the plant will sustainably transform trades and construction businesses.
The architecture and construction industries are responsible for constructing all living spaces. In Germany alone, 400,000 new residential units and associated commercial and public buildings are expected to be built each year, but only half of this demand can currently be met. Meanwhile, the construction sector itself is facing serious challenges: productivity has been stagnating for years, the consumption of resources and energy in construction is considerable, the volume of waste is substantial, and the cost of materials and raw materials is rising rapidly. Automation can provide solutions here. SCHUNK is actively shaping this process – among other things, with robot quick-change systems.
Digital fabrication media become design parameters in civil engineering
In 2019, the University of Stuttgart established the new Cluster of Excellence “Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture” (IntCDC), which aims to harness the potential of digital technologies for design, manufacturing and construction in the building industry. “Our approach is to share digital fabrication media, such as CNC machines and robotics, as creative design tools. We incorporate them as parameters for architectural design right from the start,” says Dr. Felix Amtsberg, coordinator of the wood platform at IntCDC at the University of Stuttgart. As a trained carpenter and studied architect, he combines aspects of practical craftsmanship with the constraints of design, technology and research.
“SCHUNK‘s expertise in automation, robotics and handling is very important for us.”
Matthias Buck, Managing Director BEC
Flexible manufacturing solutions in construction with SCHUNK components
Together with the system integrator BEC, a mobile, robot-based production platform was recently developed that handles, processes and assembles wooden components as required. “We get to turn ideas from science into actual systems,” explains BEC Managing Director Matthias Buck. “To do this, we use suitable technical components and modules that meet all requirements in all directions – they must be reliable, flexible and future-proof.” The core of the research package was a robotic system that is sent in full as a mobile factory to a timber construction company, a workshop or a construction site. “Once there, the system can support the work as needed – for example, chipping, assembling, glue-binding, gluing or nailing larger wooden parts on site,” says Matthias Buck. “The heart of the system is the SCHUNK quick-change system SWS‑L that enables the robot to automatically pick up and put down any end effectors, for example grippers, saws or milling heads. We relied on these SCHUNK components because we wanted to take advantage of the bus technology used in the interchangeable system to keep wiring to a minimum,” Buck said.
In focus: performance, flexibility and future viability
The plant is designed to keep all options open for maximum future viability. “We initially want to use the system to solidly and reliably implement the current project and also realize new projects in the future.” The robot, a Kuka KR420/R3330 with a payload of 420 kilograms, travels on a BEC linear axis, the seventh robot axis, which is permanently integrated into the container platform. The change system SWS‑L from SCHUNK, which can hold up to 1,300 kilograms, is the robust interface to the tool. The SWS‑L performance is particularly important for milling work where large forces are involved. “Specifically, the change system has a milling spindle and several large-area grippers with a vacuum system that can handle and feed larger wooden components,” says Dr. Felix Amtsberg. “However, other work processes can also be integrated, because the tools can be exchanged as required via the adapter.” And it doesn‘t have to be wood – the system can also be used in other trades.
The expertise of automation expert SCHUNK is in demand
The cluster‘s methodological and interdisciplinary findings should lead to wider use of digital technologies and help overcome challenges in the skilled trades and construction industry. For example, it is possible to visualize the readiness of components during the planning phase. Material-specific robotic construction processes can significantly influence new forms of human-machine collaboration. “SCHUNK‘s expertise in automation, robotics and handling is very important for us,” Matthias Buck confirms. And he continues: “Thanks to their flexibility, we use quick-change systems and other components from SCHUNK in various projects. The technological connection between the University of Stuttgart, BEC and SCHUNK had existed for quite a while. We are very satisfied with it.
Quick-change systems SWS and SWS‑L
The SCHUNK quick-change system SWS‑L is the heart of the system that enables the robot to automatically pick up and put down any end effectors, for example grippers, saws or milling heads. The quick-change system (SWS) consists of a quick-change master (SWK) and a quick-change adapter (SWA). The SWK mounted on the robot couples the SWA mounted on the tool. A pneumatically driven locking piston with its patented design, ensures a secure connection.
Product information:
schunk.com/sws