Universal Robots bin picking: matte black molded parts with holes
Using the Eureka AI Vision System, we automated bin picking of matte black injection molded parts for a large lawn and garden products manufacturer that molds its own product packaging. AI recognizes parts that are difficult for 3D vision due to their dark, non-reflective surfaces and through-holes. A suction gripper on a Universal Robots UR5e picks each part at a designated point and stacks it in the orientation required for packing.
Challenge
- Matte black surfaces: Dark, non-reflective plastic returns very little light to the camera, making point cloud generation difficult for conventional 3D vision
- Through-holes and flat faces: Holes appear as missing data and give a pose estimator little to lock onto, risking a pick where a suction cup cannot seal
- Random bulk arrival: Parts drop from the molding press and land overlapping in the tote in varying positions and orientations
- Defined stacking orientation: Parts are stacked for packing rather than dropped loose, so every pick requires the full 6DoF pose
Process
The Eureka 3D Camera is mounted above the source tote and generates a 3D point cloud of the randomly piled parts.
Using this data, the Eureka Controller detects every part, selects the one that can be lifted most freely, and calculates the robot pose (6DoF). The Universal Robots UR5e picks the part with a suction gripper at a pick point defined on the CAD model during training.
The robot rotates the part into the required orientation and builds a stack at the outfeed. A conveyor returns the parts to the source tote, allowing the cell to run continuously without an operator refilling the bin.
Solution
- Robust 3D perception: AI-based stereo generates high-quality point clouds on dark, low-contrast surfaces without pattern projection or long multi-exposure captures
- CAD-trained AI model: The model is trained from the customer's CAD data, so a new part is added in a day with no physical samples to photograph and annotate
- Designated pick points: Pick points defined on the CAD model, away from the holes, ensure the suction gripper always has a solid surface to seal against
- Precise motion execution: Full 6DoF pose and collision-free path planning let the robot present every part identically for stacking
Outcomes
- Demonstrated reliable bin picking of matte black parts with through-holes, the properties that most often stop these projects at feasibility
- Cycle time under 6 seconds per part, including the stacking move, on a collaborative robot
- New parts added in a day from CAD by the customer's own engineers
- Continuous unattended operation, with the return conveyor keeping the source tote full
