Abstract: There is provided a sheet manufacturing apparatus including: an accumulation section that accumulates a material containing fibers by an air flow to form a web; a humidification section that applies moisture from one surface side of the web; and a pressurization section that pressurizes the humidified web at a pressurization location to form a sheet, in which the pressurization section includes a first roller that comes into contact with one surface of the web at the pressurization location and a second roller that comes into contact with the other surface of the web at the pressurization location, the web is transported such that the one surface of the web comes into contact with a surface of the first roller over a predetermined length starting from the pressurization location, and the first roller has a heating mechanism, and the first roller heats the web while the one surface of the web is in contact with the surface of the first roller.

Abstract: There is provided a sheet manufacturing apparatus including: an accumulation section that accumulates a material containing fibers by an air flow to form a web; a humidification section that applies moisture from one surface side of the web; and a pressurization section that pressurizes the humidified web to form a sheet, in which the pressurization section includes a first roller that comes into contact with one surface of the web and a second roller that comes into contact with the other surface of the web, and a surface of the first roller is harder than a surface of the second roller.

Abstract: A damper device for a precision assembling robot is capable of dampening the residual vibrations of the robot arm resulting from a lack of rigidity of the arm. The damper device is fixed to the tip of the robot arm to absorb the vibration energy of the swinging robot arm. The damper device includes a cylindrical weight member and a columnar rubber member. The damper device further includes a metallic rod inserted in the columnar rubber member. The length and position of the inserted metallic rod controls the dampening factor of the damper device. Therefore, the precision assembling robot with the damper device is capable of preventing a failure of assembly due to positioning errors resulting from residual vibrations, or nonconformities due to the impact of the robot arm against an object.

Abstract: An industrial robot having an expansion axis, a turning axis and a vertical axis, wherein the one end of flexible supporting plate supporting an internal wiring and piping system of the robot is fixed to the expansion axis which is capable of making free linear motion for a base plate arranged to the vertical axis. The flexible supporting plate is bent in the form of letter U in parallel to the turning plane of the expansion axis. Therefore, the expansion axis can be located at the sufficient lower position for the base plate, and the strength and accuracy of the drive mechanism can be improved.

Abstract: A driving apparatus for effecting linear movement of an industrial robot comprises a slide member axially slidably disposed within a frame, a ball nut secured to the slide member and a ball screw threaded through the ball nut and rotationally driven relative to the ball nut to effect linear movement of the ball nut along the ball screw accompanied by linear movement of the slide shaft. A bracket is adjustably mounted on the frame for rotatably supporting the shaft of the ball screw. The bracket can be displaced relative to the frame in the transverse direction of the slide member to align the axis of the ball screw with the axis of the slide member during assembly of the apparatus. A thrust bearing is disposed between the shaft of the ball screw and the bracket to absorb radial displacement and strain of the ball screw shaft.

Abstract: A support mechanism for a cylindrical coordinate type industrial robot comprising a stationary upstanding tubular outer member and a displaceable inner member supported within the outer member to undergo axial displacement in upward and downward directions and angular displacement in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The supporting mechanism includes a bearing interposed between the inner and outer members, the bearing including a retaining member rollably retaining thereon a plurality of rollable elements. An elastic balancing and restoring device for applying elastic biasing forces in opposite axial directions to the upper and lower ends of the retainer member is operative in the event the retainer member fails to maintain proportionate displacement with the inner member to temporarily increase the magnitude of the force difference between the oppositely directed elastic biasing forces in a direction effective to restore the proportionate displacement.

Abstract: An industrial robot has a head movable in first and second orthogonal directions within a working area to manipulate a workpiece. The industrial robot comprises a stationary base extending along the first direction, an intermediary base slidably disposed on the stationary base to move along the first direction, and a slider slidably disposed on the intermediary base and to move along the second direction. The slider has a supporting portion which extends towards the working area and which supports the head thereon so that the supporting portion positions the head within the working area remotely from the stationary base and the intermediary base.

Abstract: Parts in a desired attitude are selected, by memorizing the standard shape signal of a certain part and comparing the shape signals of supplied parts on the parts feeder with the memorized shape signal. A plurality of light emitting elements provided on the track of the parts feeder detect the shape signal of the parts serially.

Abstract: An industrial robot having a controllably movable arm is taught position data for controlling the movable of the arm. A support member is provided on the arm and has a through-hole therein. First, an optical magnifying devices inserted into the through-hole for aligning the arm in a proper position so as to teach the position data to the industrial robot. Thereafter, the optical magnifying device is removed from the through-hole, and a manipulating device is inserted into the same through-hole. The manipulating device is movable together with the arm according to the taught data for sequentially manipulating workpieces.