A robot system for transferring SPINE standard pins between EMBL/ESRF pucks and ACTOR baskets

Based on a commercial robot, an automated system has been developed to transfer SPINE standard pins between EMBL/ESRF pucks and ACTOR baskets. This system is developed to use both types of sample container with the EMBL Hamburg Outstation sample changer. In this paper the four principle components of the system are described, namely the robot, the gripper, the workbench and the control system. Then spatial recalibration is discussed in order to solve problems associated with positional reorientations that are a common problem in any automation system.