US Postal Service, Automation Purchasing, 8403 Lee Highway, Merrifield, Virginia 22082-8150

39 -- STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL ROBOT -- MAIL SORTING SYSTEMS DUE 112597 POC Thomas A. Fallon, FAX 703-280-8415 The U.S. Postal Service is seeking suppliers capable of providing a storage and retrieval 'robot' or x-y crane technology in support of its ongoing efforts to fully automate and integrate its mail processing facilities. We seek a robotic subsystem that will operate as part of a larger system that includes a bar code sorting machine, several hundred rigid plastic letter mail containers, and a large container storage array. The robot's principle task will be to support, convey, and properly orient a multiaxis carriage that has been designed to manipulate the letter mail containers. The robot must position this carriage along the length of the robot's track (X-axis) and vertically above the robot's track (Y-axis) in preparation for the insertion and removal of the containers from various points in the system by mechanisms residing on the carriage. Under certain conditions, the carriage must also be rotated by the robot up to 31 degrees about an axis perpendicular to the x-y plane. A dynamic servo control positioning capability for both x and y axes must also be included as part of the robot system to account for close tolerance positioning of the carriage with respect to a sometimes drifting target position. The robot, as defined, will include the physical support structure, as well as all drive system components, software, firmware, control systems, and communication interfaces that will enable it to receive commands from the letter sorting machine host computer over a serial link. The robot must respond to commands from the host computer by moving the carriage to a specified position in accordance with the acceleration, speed, deceleration, and positioning specifications defined below. The robot's control system will also be required to pass certain instructions on to the carriage control system for specific manipulation of the containers. The robot must be capable of transporting the carriage at an average acceleration and deceleration in the x-axis of .69, and average acceleration and deceleration in the y-axis of .39. Maximum velocity in the x-axis should be 5 meters/sec, and in the y-axis 1.5 meters/sec. Duty cycles can approach 100 percent for extended periods approaching 1 hour. The approximate weight of the carriage structure while supporting 2 full containers is 150 kilograms. Fine positioning of the carriage by the robot must be repeatable within a .4 mm diameter sphere about a defined target position. Any adjustment required to achieve this position, including any delays associated with dampening the vibrations within the structure, must not exceed an average of 100 ms. The robot must be capable of transporting the carriage within a rectangular, two dimensional work envelope that is defined by a plane 20 meters in length (X-axis), and located between .25 meters and 2 meters above the floor (Y-axis). The targeting system must include provisions for fine positioning on both sides of the work envelope to allow the carriage to interface accurately with both the sorting machine and the container storage array. Off-the-shelf or existing scaleable technology is preferred, however the Postal Service will also consider promising developmental concepts. The device will eventually be expected to meet UL 1740, NEC, and OSHA safety requirements. Interested parties capable of providing this technology should be willing to work as a subcontractor to a systems integrator, and are requested to submit any written material, drawings, photographs, or VHS video pertaining to their existing equipment, ideas, or concepts. This announcement in no way commits the Postal Service or its contractors to purchase any equipment or to fund any development on the part of the responder'. Qualified firms should send the requested information to the address listed above not later than 30 days from the date of issue of this announcement. All inquiries must be in writing. No telephone requests will be accepted.!! (0294)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0144 19971023\39-0003.SOL)