Case Study: Italian Institute of Technology achieves highly accurate carton folding simulation with Hexagon Adams

Adams used to simulate complex package folding machinery

The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) required a way to simulate the complex behavior of robotic packaging machinery designed to fold intricate, origami-like cartons. The challenge was to model the delicate tuck-in folding operations and understand the carton's behavior during this process, which involves materials with high tensile and low compression stiffness, in order to transition from manual to automated production. They partnered with Hexagon, using their Adams simulation software.

Hexagon's Adams solution enabled IIT to build a highly accurate multibody dynamics model of both the robot and the carton. The results showed a very high correlation of up to 90% between the simulation and physical tests for both robot displacements and previously unmeasurable contact forces. This allowed researchers to efficiently evaluate new folding methods and package designs in simulation, dramatically reducing reliance on the physical prototype and accelerating research.

Italian Institute of Technology

Ferdinando Cannella

Head of IIT