CN111086574B

CN111086574B - Component supply method

Info

Publication number: CN111086574B
Application number: CN201910982442.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 桥本大辅; 鸡内裕也; 高桥和光; 铁伏米·苏发松; 冈田崇; 竜田健次; 堤田胜由; 小林规雄
Original assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-10-23
Filing date: 2019-10-15
Publication date: 2022-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-15
Also published as: JP2020066078A; JP6723315B2; CN111086574A

Abstract

Provided is a component supply method capable of supplying a plurality of door components corresponding to models of a vehicle body flowing on a vehicle body assembly line to a door manufacturing line (3) without excess or deficiency. In a vehicle manufacturing line for continuously producing vehicles of different models in a predetermined batch unit by assembling a door panel assembled in a door manufacturing line to a vehicle body in a vehicle body assembly line, a component supply method is a method for supplying a plurality of door components required for assembling the door panel to the door manufacturing line, and includes: a shelf loading step of setting door parts of batch units for different types on a plurality of movable shelves (S-1, S-2, …, S-L) prepared in advance; a picking step of taking out and loading door members corresponding to one vehicle from a plurality of movable shelves (S-1, S-2, …, S-L) to a mating packaging carriage (C); and a delivery step of delivering the matched packing trolley (C) to a door manufacturing line.

Description

Component supply method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a component supply method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a component supply method for supplying a small sub-component required for assembling the sub-component on a sub-line to the sub-line in a vehicle manufacturing line including the sub-line and a main line.

Background

A vehicle manufacturing line that continuously produces vehicles of different models is constituted by a plurality of manufacturing lines. For example, patent document 1 discloses a vehicle manufacturing line including: a main line including a coating line, a vehicle assembly line, and the like; and a sub-line assembled to a sub-component assembled to a vehicle body in a vehicle assembly line.

For example, patent document 2 discloses an invention relating to a sub-line for assembling a door as the above-described sub-component. In the sub-line of patent document 2, a door panel as an assembled body to which a plurality of small sub-components (for example, a regulator, a window weather strip, and the like) are assembled is conveyed by a conveyance hanger, and a packing truck accommodating the plurality of small sub-components is run in parallel with the conveyance hanger. In the sub-line of patent document 2, an operator assembles a door panel conveyed by a conveyance hanger into a small sub-component housed in a packing truck, thereby assembling the door.

Prior art documents

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2000-15530

Patent document 2: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2010-214577

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the vehicle manufacturing line including the main line and the sub line as described above, in order to continuously produce a plurality of vehicles without stagnation, it is necessary to perform work on the sub line in synchronization with the flow of work on the main line. Therefore, although it is necessary to study a procedure for loading the small sub-components on the mating cart to be delivered to the sub-line, patent document 2 does not sufficiently study a specific procedure for preparing the mating cart to be delivered to the sub-line. In the supporting packaging carriage, it is necessary to mount a plurality of small sub-components corresponding to the model of the vehicle body flowing on the main line without generating excess or deficiency.

The present invention aims to provide a component supply method capable of supplying a plurality of small sub-components corresponding to models of a vehicle body flowing on a main line to the sub-line without causing excess or deficiency.

Means for solving the problems

(1) In a component supply method according to the present invention, in a vehicle manufacturing line (for example, a vehicle manufacturing line 1 described later) in which vehicles of different models are continuously produced in predetermined batch units by assembling a sub-component (for example, a door panel D described later) assembled in a sub-line (for example, a door manufacturing line 3 described later) to a main component (for example, a vehicle body B described later) in a main line (for example, a vehicle body assembly line 2 described later), a plurality of small sub-components (for example, door components described later) required for assembling the sub-component are supplied to the sub-line, the component supply method includes: a shelf loading step of setting the small sub-parts of the lot units in different types on a plurality of shelves (e.g., movable shelves S, S-1, S-2, …, S-L described later); a picking step of taking out and loading small sub-components corresponding to one vehicle from the plurality of shelves and onto a carriage (for example, a mating packing carriage C described later); and a delivery step of delivering the carriage to the sub-line.

(2) In this case, it is preferable that the rack mounting process is started after the vehicle body is put into the main line.

(3) In this case, it is preferable that a cycle time when the carriage is periodically sent out to the sub line in the sending-out step is longer than a loading time taken to load the carriage with the small sub parts corresponding to one carriage in the picking step.

Effects of the invention

(1) In a component supply method of the present invention, in a vehicle manufacturing line in which vehicles of different models are continuously produced in predetermined batch units by a main line and a sub line, a plurality of small sub-components necessary for assembling the sub-components are supplied to the sub line through a shelf loading step, a sorting step, and a delivery step. In the shelf loading step, the small sub-components in the batch unit are set for each of different types in each of a plurality of previously prepared shelves, in the picking step, the small sub-components corresponding to one vehicle are taken out from the plurality of shelves having passed the shelf loading step and loaded on the carriage, and in the delivery step, the carriage having passed the picking step is delivered to the sub-line. As described above, according to the present invention, since the trucks corresponding to one truck are prepared through the rack loading step and the sorting step, it is possible to load the small sub-components corresponding to the model flowing on the main line on one truck without causing excess or deficiency.

(2) Since the order of models of the vehicle bodies put into the main line basically follows a preset production plan, the work of loading the small sub-components on the bogie is basically the work according to the production plan. However, in practice, the order of the models of the vehicle body to be put into the main line may be changed at the time of immediate putting for various reasons. Therefore, in order to flexibly cope with a change in the production plan in the main line, it is necessary to perform an operation of loading the small sub-components on the carriage. As one method for coping with such a change in the production plan, it is conceivable to provide a rack with small sub-components of a model other than the model that is to be loaded on the cart in the near future based on the production plan in the rack loading step so as to cope with the change in the production plan. In this case, however, the shelf needs to be prepared in large quantities. In contrast, in the present invention, the rack installation process is started after the vehicle body is actually thrown into the main line. Thus, even when there is a change in the production plan on the main line, a truck on which small sub-components corresponding to the model of the vehicle body actually flowing on the main line are mounted can be prepared. Further, according to the present invention, since it is not necessary to prepare a large number of shelves in order to cope with a change in the production plan, the area in which the shelves are provided can be minimized.

(3) In the present invention, the cycle time when the carriage is periodically sent out to the sub-line in the sending-out step is longer than the loading time taken to load the small sub-components corresponding to one carriage onto the carriage in the picking step. Thus, it is possible to secure a time for emptying the rack at a timing of switching the model of the carriage to be sent out to the sub line and exchanging the emptied rack with a rack provided with small sub parts of the next model.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle manufacturing line to which a component supply method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a structure of a work area where a door manufacturing line and a door member supply unit are installed.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a structure of a work area provided with a door member supply portion.

Fig. 4 is a diagram comparing the operation time in the vehicle body assembly line, the door manufacturing line, and the door member supply section.

Description of reference numerals:

1 … vehicle manufacturing line

2 … vehicle body assembly line (Main line)

23 … first assembly area

24 … second Assembly area

B … vehicle body (Main part)

3 … door manufacturing line (auxiliary line)

D … door plank (sub-assembly)

4 … door member supply part

6 … storage area

7 … complete packaging area 7

S, S-1, S-2, …, S-L … movable shelf

C … packing trolley (Trolley)

8 … out of the area.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, the structure of the vehicle manufacturing line 1 to which the component supply method according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a structure of a vehicle manufacturing line 1. The vehicle manufacturing line 1 includes: a vehicle body assembly line 2 as a main line for continuously producing vehicles by assembling various components to a vehicle body B as a main component while conveying the vehicle body B along a vehicle body line 21; a door manufacturing line 3 as a sub-line to which a door panel D as a sub-component to be assembled to the vehicle body B in the vehicle body assembly line 2 is assembled; and a door member supply section 4 that supplies a plurality of door members as a plurality of small sub-members necessary for assembling the door panel D in the door manufacturing line 3.

The vehicle body assembly line 2 includes: a vehicle body input part 22 for inputting the vehicle body B to the vehicle body line 21; a first assembly area 23 in which, for a vehicle body B conveyed along a vehicle body line 21, electric wiring, built-in components, trivial components, and the like corresponding to the model of the vehicle body B are assembled in a predetermined order; and a second assembling section 24 where the door panel D is assembled by the door manufacturing line 3 is assembled to the vehicle body B that has passed through the first assembling section 23.

The vehicle body loading unit 22 continuously loads the vehicle bodies B of vehicles of different models into the body line 21 in a predetermined batch unit (for example, 30 vehicles) according to a preset production schedule. Here, the production plan refers to a production plan in which the order of models of the vehicles produced in the vehicle manufacturing line 1 is set. In the vehicle manufacturing line 1, different vehicles of N models (N is an integer of 2 or more) can be continuously produced in a batch unit.

In this way, the vehicle body loading unit 22 basically loads the vehicle bodies B into the vehicle body line 21 in the order of the production plan, but the production plan may be changed for some reason. Then, when the vehicle body B is actually inserted into the vehicle body line 21, the vehicle body inserting unit 22 transmits information (hereinafter, referred to as "AF opening specifying information") concerning the model, the manufacturing number, and the like of the inserted vehicle body B to the door manufacturing line 3 and the door member supplying unit 4 by communication. In the second assembly area 24, in order to assemble the door panel D suitable for the vehicle B to the vehicle B continuously fed out from the first assembly area 23 along the vehicle body line 21, the door manufacturing line 3 and the door member supply section 4 perform the operation based on the AF opening specifying information transmitted from the vehicle body input section 22.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a work area 30 in which the door manufacturing line 3 is installed. The door manufacturing line 3 includes: a guide rail 31 that is erected on the ceiling of the work area 30; a plurality of conveying units 32 that convey door panels D by an amount corresponding to one vehicle (for example, 4) along the guide rail 31; and a packing pallet C that is fed out from the door member supply unit 4 in synchronization with the conveyance unit 32.

The packing truck C is movable on the floor surface F of the working area 30, and is provided with a plurality of door members to be assembled to the door panel D conveyed by the conveying unit 32. The gate member supply section 4 constructs the complete packing carriage C according to the procedure described later with reference to fig. 3, 4, and the like, and sends out the complete packing carriage C from a sending-out gate 81 described later with a sending-out cycle time synchronized with the conveying unit 32.

The conveyance unit 32 includes a door hanger 33 that supports a plurality of door panels D, and a conveyance device 34 that is supported by the guide rail 31 so as to be able to travel.

The conveyor 34 includes a main body on which the door hanger 33 is suspended, a plurality of drive wheels that slidably contact the guide rail 31, and a drive device that rotationally drives the drive wheels. The conveyor 34 conveys the door hanger 33 suspended from the main body in the traveling direction, which is the extending direction of the guide rail 31, by driving a plurality of drive wheels to rotate by a drive device.

As shown in fig. 2, the guide rail 31 is divided into: an upper traveling section 31a extending in the horizontal direction above the door member supply unit 4; an inclined travel section 31b extending obliquely downward; and a lower traveling zone 31c extending in the horizontal direction in front of the door member supply unit 4. Therefore, the conveying unit 32 conveyed along the guide rail 31 by the conveying device 34 is coupled to the mating wrapping carriage C fed out from the door member supply unit 4 by a coupling mechanism, not shown, in the process from the inclined traveling section 31b to the lower traveling section 31C. Thus, in the lower traveling section 31C, the conveyance unit 32 travels in parallel with the mating wrapping carriage C.

In the work area 30 where the door manufacturing line 3 as described above is provided, an operator, not shown, performs a door component assembling work of assembling a plurality of door components mounted on the pallet truck C running in parallel with the conveying unit 32 as described above with respect to the door panel D conveyed by the conveying unit 32 along the guide rail 31. The door panel D with the plurality of door members assembled in the door manufacturing line 3 is sent to the second assembly area 24 of the vehicle body assembly line 2 as shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the work area 40 in which the door member supply unit 4 is provided. As shown in fig. 3, the work area 40 is divided into a storage area 6 in which a rack loading process described later is performed, a parcel delivery area 7 in which a picking operation described later is performed, and a delivery area 8 in which a delivery process described later is performed.

The storage area 6 is an area for temporarily storing a plurality of door members supplied to the door manufacturing line 3 via the pallet C. In the storage area 6, a plurality of magazines (buckets) 5, which are component containers fed from the outside based on a production plan, are discharged. Each hopper 5 accommodates a plurality of door members assembled to the door panel D in different types. More specifically, examples of the door member include a speaker, an interior panel, a window regulator, a window weather strip, and a door mirror. On the surface of each hopper 5, a tag 5a for allowing an operator to recognize the type and number of door members stored in the hopper 5, information relating to the model of the machine on which the door members are mounted, and the like is attached.

The plurality of hoppers 5 as described above are provided in the storage area 6 for each model. Each of the hopper groups 5-1, 5-2, …, and 5-M (M is an integer not more than N) is composed of a plurality of hoppers 5 for accommodating door members mounted to door panels D of vehicles of different models.

In addition, the storage area 6 is provided with a display panel 60 for instructing an operator to start the shelf loading process and to instruct the content of the shelf loading process. Here, the shelf mounting step is an operation of installing a plurality of door components, which are assembled to door panels D corresponding to one vehicle in the door manufacturing line 3, on L number of movable shelves S (L is an integer of 2 or more) prepared in advance, in different types, in a batch unit. The operator performs the shelf loading process by referring to the instruction contents displayed on the display panel 60. More specifically, the operator selects the kind and number of hoppers 5 corresponding to the contents of the rack loading process displayed on the display panel 60 from among the plurality of hoppers 5 provided in the storage area 6, sets the hoppers 5 on the movable rack S, and conveys the movable rack S to the mating packing area 7. Thereby, the L movable shelves S each provided with the door member of the lot unit are conveyed to a predetermined position of the mating packing area 7.

As described above, the vehicle bodies B are basically put into the body line 21 in the order of the production plan, but the production plan may be changed for some reason. Therefore, when the shelf loading step is performed according to the production plan and such a change in the production plan occurs, the door member supply unit 4 may not be able to feed the appropriate mating packing carriage C to the door manufacturing line 3, and the door panel D corresponding to the model of the vehicle body B that actually flows in the body line 21 may no longer be able to be assembled in the second assembly area 24.

Then, in the storage area 6, after receiving the AF-on specifying information transmitted from the vehicle body input section 22, that is, after actually inputting the vehicle body B to the body line 21, the display panel 60 instructs to start the rack mounting process of the door member corresponding to the model of the vehicle body B specified by the AF-on specifying information.

The mating packaging area 7 is an area where a sorting process described later is performed. As described above, in the mating packing area 7, L movable shelves S-1, S-2, S-3, S-4, …, S-L constructed through the shelf loading process are arranged. In the parcel storage area 7, a display panel 70 for instructing the operator to start the picking process and the contents of the picking process is provided.

Here, the sorting step is a work of taking out the door members provided to the L movable racks S-1, …, S-L, loading the door members corresponding to one vehicle onto the mating packaging carriage C, and conveying the door members to the delivery area 8. The operator performs the picking process by referring to the instruction contents displayed on the display panel 70. More specifically, the operator takes out the door members provided in the movable shelves S-1, …, and S-L and loads them on the mating cart C while pushing the mating cart C in front of the movable shelves S-1, …, and S-L. Thus, the door member is mounted on the mating packing carriage C by an amount corresponding to one vehicle from the movable rack S-1 on the one end side to the movable rack S-L on the other end side.

Further, as described above, the movable shelves S-1, …, S-L are provided with door members for each lot. Therefore, by repeating this sorting process, the packing cart C for each lot can be continuously constructed.

The delivery area 8 is an area where a delivery process described later is performed. By performing the sorting process in the parcel packing area 7 as described above, the parcel trucks C in units of a lot are continuously constructed and conveyed to the delivery area 8. The delivery area 8 is provided with a display panel 80 for instructing the operator to start the delivery process and to instruct the content of the delivery process.

Here, the delivery step is an operation of delivering the associated packing carriage C of the lot unit constructed in the sorting step from the delivery gate 81 to the door manufacturing line 3 one by one. The worker performs the sending-out process by referring to the instruction contents displayed on the display panel 80. More specifically, the worker pushes the associated cart C constructed through the sorting process out to the delivery gate 81 in accordance with the instruction displayed on the display panel 80. The pallet C of the complete package pushed out to the delivery gate 81 is connected to the conveyance unit 32 running along the guide rail 31, and runs parallel to the conveyance unit 32.

It is preferable that the delivery cycle time when the mating packing carriage C is periodically delivered to the door manufacturing line 3 in the delivery step be longer than the loading time taken to load the mating packing carriage C with the door members by an amount corresponding to one vehicle in the picking step. By setting the delivery cycle time and the loading time in this manner, even when the picking process and the delivery process are performed in parallel, for example, the associated packing carriages C can be stored in the delivery area 8 in an amount corresponding to the difference between the delivery cycle time and the loading time. Since the movable racks S-1, …, and S-L can be emptied at the timing of switching the model of the mating packaging carriage C to be delivered to the door manufacturing line 3, it is possible to ensure the time for returning the emptied movable racks S-1, …, and S-L to the storage area 6 and moving the plurality of movable racks on which the components of the next model are installed to the mating packaging area 7.

Fig. 4 is a diagram comparing the operation times in the vehicle body assembly line 2, the door manufacturing line 3, and the door member supply section 4 as described above. Fig. 4 shows a case where a vehicle B of a new model different from the model that has been in the vehicle body line 21 before is input from the vehicle body input unit 22 of the vehicle body assembly line 2 to the vehicle body line 21 at time t0, and then the vehicle B reaches the second assembly area 24 at time t 3.

As described above, in the door-member supplying unit 4, after the AF opening specifying information is received from the vehicle-body inputting unit 22 at time t0, the rack mounting step of the door member of the model related to the AF opening specifying information at time t0 is started at time t 1. As described above, the door member supply unit 4 starts to send out the pallet truck C, on which the door members of the same model are mounted, to the door manufacturing line 3 at time t2 through the shelf loading step, the sorting step, and the sending step, the quantity corresponding to one vehicle of the model related to the AF opening specifying information at time t 0.

After time t2, in the door manufacturing line 3, the operator performs an assembling operation of assembling a plurality of door components mounted on the mating cart C sequentially sent out from the door component supply unit 4 to the door panel D running in parallel with the mating cart C. Thereafter, at a time t3, in the door manufacturing line 3, the door panel D in which the plurality of door members mounted on the mating cart C that was first delivered at the time t2 are assembled is delivered to the second assembly area 24 of the vehicle body assembly line 2. In the second assembly area 24, the operator assembles the door panel D sent out from the door manufacturing line 3 into the vehicle body B related to the AF opening specifying information at time t 0.

As described above, in the second assembly area 24, by assembling the door panel D fed out from the door manufacturing line 3 to the vehicle body B flowing in the vehicle body line 21, therefore, when vehicles of different models are produced continuously in batch units without being suspended, the sum of the time (time t1 to time t2) taken from the start of the rack loading step until the mating packing carriage C on which the door component of the rack loading step is mounted is first sent out to the door manufacturing line 3 and the time (time t2 to time t3) taken from the sending out of the mating packing carriage C to the door panel D until the door component mounted on the mating packing carriage C is assembled to the door panel D and the door panel D is sent out to the second assembly area 24 is set to be shorter than the time (time t0 to time t3) taken from the loading of the vehicle body B into the body line 21 by the vehicle body loading portion 22 until the vehicle body B reaches the second assembly area 24.

According to the component supply method of the present embodiment, the following effects are exhibited.

(1) In the component supply method of the present embodiment, in the vehicle manufacturing line 1 in which vehicles of different models are continuously produced in predetermined batch units by the vehicle body assembly line 2 and the door manufacturing line 3, a plurality of door components necessary for assembling the door panel D are supplied to the door manufacturing line 3 through the shelf loading step, the sorting step, and the delivery step. In the rack loading step, the door members in the unit of a lot are set for each of the different types to the plurality of movable racks S-1, S-2, …, S-L prepared in advance for each of the different types of door members, in the sorting step, door members of an amount corresponding to one vehicle are taken out from the plurality of movable racks S-1, S-2, …, S-L having passed the rack loading step and loaded on the supporting packing carriage C, and in the delivery step, the supporting packing carriage C constructed through the sorting step is delivered to the door manufacturing line 3. As described above, according to the component supply method of the present embodiment, by preparing the mating packing carriage C by the amount corresponding to one vehicle through the rack loading step and the sorting step, it is possible to load the door components corresponding to the models flowing in the vehicle body assembly line 2 on one mating packing carriage C without excess or shortage with respect to the mating packing carriage C.

(2) Since the order of models of the vehicle bodies B put into the vehicle body assembly line 2 is basically the order according to the preset production plan, the operation of loading the door members into the mating packing carriage C is also basically the operation according to the production plan. However, in practice, the order of models of the vehicle body B to be put into the vehicle body assembly line 2 may be changed at the time of putting for various reasons. Therefore, in order to flexibly cope with a change in the production schedule in the vehicle body assembly line 2, it is necessary to perform an operation of loading the door member on the mating packing carriage C. As one method for coping with such a change in the production plan, in the shelf loading step, it is considered that, in addition to the door members of the model to be loaded on the mating packing truck C in the near future based on the production plan, door members of another model are also provided in advance on the movable shelf S so as to cope with the change in the production plan. In this case, however, the movable shelves S need to be prepared in large quantities. In contrast, in the component supply method of the present embodiment, the rack mounting step is started after the vehicle body B is actually put into the vehicle body assembly line 2. Thus, even when a change in the production schedule occurs in the vehicle body assembly line 2, the pallet C on which the door members corresponding to the model of the vehicle body B actually flowing in the vehicle body assembly line 2 are mounted can be prepared. In addition, according to the component supply method of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to prepare a large number of movable racks S in order to cope with a change in the production plan, and therefore, the area in which the movable racks S are installed can be minimized.

(3) In the component supplying method of the present embodiment, the delivery cycle time when the mating stacker C is periodically delivered to the door manufacturing line 3 in the delivery step is longer than the loading time taken to load the mating stacker C with door components by an amount corresponding to one vehicle in the picking step. Accordingly, it is possible to secure a time for emptying the movable shelves S-1, S-2, …, S-L at the timing of switching the model of the associated packing carriage C delivered to the door manufacturing line 3 and exchanging the emptied movable shelves S-1, S-2, …, S-L with the shelf provided with the door member of the next model.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. The detailed configuration may be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A component supply method for supplying a plurality of small sub-components required for assembling the sub-components to a sub-line in a vehicle manufacturing line for continuously producing vehicles of different models in a predetermined batch unit by assembling the sub-components assembled on the sub-line to a main component,

the component supply method is characterized by comprising:

a shelf loading step of setting the small sub-components of the batch unit on each of the plurality of shelves;

a picking step of picking up and loading small sub-components corresponding to one vehicle from the plurality of shelves on the vehicle; and

a feeding step of feeding the carriage to the sub-line,

the cycle time when the carriage is periodically sent out to the sub line in the sending-out step is longer than the loading time taken to load the carriage with the small sub parts corresponding to one carriage in the picking step.

2. The component supplying method according to claim 1,

the rack loading process is started after the vehicle body is put into the main line.