Six degrees of freedom end effector places 8000 lbs robotic canisters in the211 National Ignition Facility

摘要

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), currently under design and construction at211u001eLawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will be the world's largest laser when 211u001ecomplete. The NIF will use about 8,000 large optics of 26 different types to 211u001efocus up to 192 laser beams on a dime-size target. A system of auto-guided 211u001erobotic vehicles transports opto-mechanical packages, called line replaceable 211u001eunits (LRUs), for installation and maintenance operations. Most LRUs are 211u001etransported inside a portable clean room, or canister, containing robotic 211u001emechanisms that insert each LRU into its respective location in the laser. 211u001eTogether the LRU and canister can weigh up to 8000 lb. Due to precision-alignment 211u001erequirements of the LRU and because the canister internal mechanisms operate in 211u001ethe canister reference frame, the canisters themselves must be precisely located 211u001erelative to the laser support structure. In many instances precise location is 211u001eobtained with the aid of precision canister locating points, called docking 211u001epoints, some of which are on the laser bay ceiling at 19 feet off the floor. The 211u001erobotic vehicle transporting the LRU and canister is tasked with positioning 211u001ethese 8000 lb. Canisters at 19-foot elevation with less than one inch offset 211u001eerror. The final positioning of the canister in six degrees of freedom is 211u001eaccomplished with an actively controlled three degree of freedom end effector 211u001ecoupled to a passive three degrees of freedom canister lift system.