An Innovative Approach to Automated Pipe Labeling Using a Robotic System

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel robotic system designed to streamline and automate the traditional manual process of pipe labelling in industrial settings. The robot, equipped with a tailored design, an adjustable gripper, and bi-directional movement capabilities, can accommodate pipes of different sizes and shapes. Two printing technologies, stencil spray coating and flexographic printing, are integrated into the robot's print head, optimizing print quality. The system's functionality and efficiency were tested both in simulation and through a physical prototype. The robot demonstrated the ability to effectively clamp different pipe diameters and stencil at calculated distances by adjusting the servos' angle. The stencilling accuracy, evaluated against a hand stencil trained using the YOLOv3 algorithm, revealed an inverse relationship between stencilling accuracy and the distance between the stencil plate and pipe surface. Specifically, a 0.3 cm distance achieved an impressive 99% average accuracy. The system's innovation offers a significant improvement to industrial pipe labelling, providing a more efficient, accurate, and cost-effective alternative to conventional methods.