Zur Reproduzierbarkeit von Laborversuchen an Sandproben bei Anwendung von Roboterarmen

On the reproducibility of sand sample preparation using robotic arms. In the present study, the reproducibility of the preparation of sand samples in geotechnical laboratory experiments was analyzed. The focus was on the use of two robotic arms – the industrial KUKA KR 16 R1610-2 and the smaller RoArm 2 MS – for the automated preparation of samples with homogeneous packing density using the pluviation method. Three different sands (HCU Sand, Elbsand, and Hamburg Sand) were examined with regard to their loosest state in accordance with DIN 18126:2022. The samples were prepared by raising a funnel at a constant speed to ensure uniform and reproducible packing density. In addition, funnel tests were conducted to determine the angle of repose φ_S. The geometry of the sand heaps was captured using LIDAR, and both 2D and 3D evaluations were performed. The results show very low variations in bulk density and repose angle, indicating a high degree of reproducibility in sample preparation.