Simulation and development of a robotic bin picking system

In modern industrial automation, robotic handling systems are essential to guarantee precision, repeatability, and efficiency within advanced inspection machines. The increasing quality re- quirements in mass production, particularly in the rigid packaging sector, demand flexible and highly reliable solutions. In this context, this thesis was carried out in collaboration with SACMI Imola with the aim of developing and validating a robotic solution for the handling of PET pre- forms inside an automated inspection system. The work focuses on the first phase of the in- spection process, namely the manipulation and positioning of preforms within the PVS Robot machine. This stage is critical, as handling accuracy directly influences defect detection reli- ability and overall system performance. The objective was to identify and evaluate the most suitable robotic configuration capable of operating autonomously across multiple formats while ensuring seamless integration into the industrial environment. The activity was structured into two main phases. The first phase involved modelling and simulation of the robotic system using CoppeliaSim in order to analyze kinematic behavior, workspace constraints, and cycle times in a virtual environment. The second phase concerned the programming and experimental valida- tion of the selected solution through the development of a proof of concept. The results confirm the effectiveness of a simulation-driven approach in reducing development risks and supporting the integration of reliable and flexible robotic handling within the inspection process.