Programmable Automation of Soccer Ball Stiching through Open Loop Control of a Path Tracing Gripper

With the increase in popularity and demand of soccer, more advance techniques are required to be used in the production of soccer balls. In this paper we have presented a stitching mechanism that can be programmed to stitch the panels of soccer ball according to the sequence given by the user. The system consists of a hinged gripper that can move the panels in a straight line and at any angle within the xy-plane, under the stitching needle. A system mounted control panel and computer can be used as interface for programming. Robot control functions with self explanatory syntax are developed. The option of programming both off-line and on-line increases the flexibility and operability of the system. The system was checked in industrial mass production environment and the results indicate that even the untrained workers were able to operate the system ambidextrously, showing good learning rates. The primary target of this effort is to assist the cottage industry of Sialkot.