DE102022119670A1 - System for the automated production of ammunition - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, comprising several production stations, in particular an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and / or a projectile insertion station, for Introducing at least one of the multiple ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, a plurality of quality testing stations, at least one ammunition part processing station, for example a sleeve forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and / or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the manufacturing process of the system, and one Conveying device for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations, the conveying device defining a closed circulating conveyor track which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an outer space delimited therefrom , wherein at least one, in particular several, of the plurality of production stations is arranged in the interior and / or the exterior and acts on the conveyor device from the inside and / or from the outside.

Description

The invention relates to a system and a method for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge.

Systems with a closed circulating conveyor track for the automated production of ammunition are no longer available US 2019 094 000 A1 known. In the US 2019 094 000 A1 The system described includes a conveyor device for ammunition parts with several stations at which ammunition parts are processed, assembled, manipulated and / or picked up and which are ultimately assembled into the finished ammunition. The conveying device for the individual ammunition parts is implemented by means of a coherent conveyor chain, which basically moves the individual ammunition parts between the stations at a constant and equal conveying speed and comes to a standstill once per cycle. The positioning with regard to the individual production stations occurs due to the arrangement of the holding device for the ammunition parts in the conveyor chain. The connected conveyor chain only requires one positioning per cycle. However, this means that only a single cyclic movement profile can be processed, which means that all production stations have to be approached at the same time.

The proposed system must be aligned and calibrated very precisely, which makes operation susceptible to failure. Furthermore, the fixed and clearly defined arrangement of the processing stations increases the space required and the flexibility of the machine. This ultimately has a negative impact on machine-dependent manufacturing overhead costs.

There is also a need to process more ammunition parts in a shorter time (increase production capacity). For this purpose, the speed of the conveyor chain can be increased in the known system. However, due to the faster starting and stopping of the conveyor chain, the loads in the individual bearings increase disproportionately, which leads to increased wear on the machine, especially its moving parts. In addition, the faster movement of the conveyor chain increases the susceptibility of the entire system to errors in terms of feeding, which leads to increased rejects. This reduces overall plant effectiveness despite higher production capacity.

Another challenge in ammunition production is the adaptability of the machine to the production of different calibers. If the conveyor chain is displaceable and fixed purely mechanically, the different, caliber-specific diameter of the sleeve can only be inadequately taken into account. Furthermore, it is important for production quality that the individual production stations are approached in their own and suitable movement profile and that the overall size of the ammunition to be produced is taken into account.

Linear-clocked systems for the automated production of ammunition are no longer available KR 101 482 449 B1 known. This includes a longitudinally arranged conveyor device for ammunition parts with several stations at which ammunition parts are processed, assembled, manipulated and / or picked up and which are ultimately assembled into the finished ammunition. The conveyor device is constructed using sled-like carrying units and is designed to carry several, in particular identical, ammunition parts. Production takes place both serially at several different production stations and in parallel, with several ammunition components being arranged on a tool slide at the same time and, in particular, being further processed simultaneously. Production is independent of distance in only one direction. The positioning of the individual production stations is based on the arrangement of the carriage. The transport of the individual carriages between the positions is done individually and requires several positionings per cycle. This has the advantage that you can work with multiple movement profiles between the production stations. Which ultimately means that the positions of the individual production stations can be freely selected and the production stations can therefore be given enough space.

The proposed system consists of several production stations, with several ammunition parts in slides being processed in parallel, in particular simultaneously, into ammunition. The production stations are structurally arranged independently of the conveyor device of the carriage. The disadvantage of this is that each production station must be designed to pick up the carriages loaded with ammunition components, process them and return them to the conveyor device, which means a significant increase in complexity in the overall system.

Furthermore, there is a need to process more ammunition parts in a shorter time (increase production capacity). For this purpose, the speed of delivery can be increased in the known system. Furthermore, the number of ammunition-receiving cavities in the slide can also be increased in order to increase production capacity hen. Since the carriages serve entirely as a passive transport device and holding device for the production steps that take place at the production stations, the cycle time is the limiting factor for manipulation with the passive carriage.

Another challenge in the strictly linear ammunition production direction is the return of the slides. A separate conveyor is required here, which is used exclusively to return the carriage and extends over the entire length of the production line. This creates an oversized buffer space, whereby the passive carriages are simply placed on the conveyor belt-like return belt. This creates an increased susceptibility to failure and the need for several additional slides that do not process ammunition and are passively unproductive. Furthermore, the space requirement increases due to an external carriage return unit. This ultimately has a negative impact on machine-dependent manufacturing overhead costs.

It is the object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to provide a system for the automated production of ammunition which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular has an increased production capacity and/or enables more reliable production of the ammunition, especially without increasing the space requirement.

The task is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

Accordingly, a system is provided for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge. The system for automated manufacturing can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit from a case, an igniter, a projectile and the propellant powder. A system can therefore also be called a laboratory system. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is ready for sale after passing through the system. The system is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line. The system can also be referred to as a linear transport system, which is used, for example in assembly and automation technology for ammunition, to transport ammunition parts in precise positions to processing and/or assembly stations that are positioned along the transport path.

The system according to the invention comprises several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts introduction station, preferably a case introduction station and/or a projectile introduction station, for introducing at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the plant. The rejection station can also serve to reject rejects from the manufacturing process. The several manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system according to the invention further comprises a conveyor device, which can also be referred to as a workpiece carrier or can have it, for holding the multiple ammunition parts and for transporting the multiple ammunition parts to or from, to and/or between the multiple production stations. The manufacturing stations can be set up to handle at least one piece of ammunition, in particular to manipulate it, handle it, interact with it or act on it in some other way. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts responsible for the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations. The conveyor device defines a closed circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which are inserted by the conveyor track closed interior and an external space delimited from it. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, at least one, in particular several, of the plurality of production stations is arranged in the interior and/or the exterior and acts from the inside and/or from the outside on the conveyor device, in particular the ammunition parts conveyed or transported along the conveyor device . The lateral or horizontal plane of action created in this way by the production stations on the conveyor device or on the ammunition parts conveyed with it enables a space-saving, tidy structure of the system. With such lateral access to the conveyor device, the high demands on production capacity can be better satisfied, because the lateral arrangement with the lateral access of the production stations to the conveyor device allows the individual production stations to be designed completely independently of the conveyor device and to be free or flexible in relation to them can be positioned, repositioned and swapped on the conveyor device.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the at least one of the several production stations has a robotic system, the support base of which is attached to a foundation of the interior and/or the exterior located next to the conveyor track. The robotics can have sensors, actuators and information processing, in particular in order to regulate and control a robot that is designed to process, manipulate or the like the ammunition parts. In particular, the robotics are designed to act on at least one of the ammunition parts.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the support base has a support column and a cantilever arm extending over the conveyor track, which is in particular dimensioned such that access to the conveyor device, in particular to the ammunition parts carried by the conveyor device, from the underside or the Top is permitted. The boom arm can thus extend from a position laterally with respect to the conveyor track to a position at which the boom arm is arranged above the conveyor track in order to be able to access or act on the ammunition parts.

The boom arm can also assume a passive or buffer position in which it is completely retracted from and adjacent to the conveyor track.

According to an exemplary development of the system according to the invention, at least one of the several production stations has an ammunition parts loading device, which in particular individually equips the conveyor device with the several ammunition parts. The system can also have several ammunition parts loading devices, with each ammunition parts loading device being designed to supply several ammunition parts of the same type or genus. The ammunition part assembly is designed in particular to feed the respective ammunition part or parts laterally, in particular horizontally, to the conveyor device from the outside and/or interior. For example, the ammunition parts loading devices are designed in such a way that the ammunition parts can only be fed laterally from the interior or from the outside in the conveying direction.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, several of the several production stations are arranged in the interior and/or the exterior and act from the inside and/or from the outside, depending on their positioning, on the conveyor device carrying at least one of the ammunition parts. The several production stations distributed outside and their arrangement near the conveyor track results in a star-like structure with the conveyor track in the center and the production stations forming the star points.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the conveyor track of the conveyor device has two linear sections which extend parallel to one another and which are connected by two diametrically opposite curve sections, in particular over essentially 180°, in order in particular to form a racetrack-shaped conveyor course. The two linear sections and the two opposite curve sections can be designed identically, so that a symmetrical conveyor path results.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, a form of the closed circulating conveyor track is running tig, especially oval or circular. In the case of the circular design, the linear sections are reduced to a minimum.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the production station arranged in the interior and/or the exterior is arranged on the incoming long side or the outgoing long side of the closed conveyor track. This means that the several production stations are arranged in particular at a uniform distance from one another along the linear sections of the conveyor track. In the case of a circular design of the conveyor track, the several production stations are arranged along the circular track shape.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the conveyor track serves at least in sections as a buffer zone for the conveying devices, the buffer zone being formed in particular in the area of the curve sections. A buffer zone can be understood to mean that no manufacturing, manipulation or processing steps take place on the ammunition parts. In the buffer areas, the ammunition parts transported by the conveyor track can come to a standstill and/or functions in the laboratory process can be carried out. For example, it is provided that the buffer zones can be used and equipped with a sensor system, for example an optical sensor system, and/or further processing stations. For example, it is possible to integrate a UV light source into the buffer zone in order to cure the applied sealing varnish. Sensors can also be located in the buffer areas in order to detect the light emission generated in the applied paint by UV light sources by means of excitation or physical changes. This allows the presence of the paint and the quality of the complete seal to be checked.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the manufacturing process is interrupted in the event of incorrect manipulation at a production station. All ammunition parts that are being processed at the production station are removed. This ensures that no defective ammunition is produced. It can be provided that in the event of an error, further operations at the following stations can be suspended. The conveyor device with the picked-up ammunition parts runs through the other stations without being processed. All ammunition parts picked up by the conveyor device are only removed at the end of the production line, so that the circulation dynamics of the entire system are not interrupted.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. The system for automated manufacturing can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit from a case, an igniter, a projectile and the propellant powder. A system can therefore also be called a laboratory system. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is ready for sale after passing through the system. The system is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line.

The system according to the invention comprises several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts introduction station, preferably a case introduction station and/or a projectile introduction station, for introducing at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the plant. The rejection station can also be used to remove rejects from the manufacturing process. The several manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system according to the invention further comprises several conveying devices each for holding several of the several ammunition parts and for attaching or removal of several of the several ammunition parts from, to and/or between the several production stations. The funding facilities therefore fulfill at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts responsible for the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations.

According to the further aspect of the invention, the multiple conveying devices can move from, to and/or between the multiple manufacturing stations independently of one another. In particular, the system comprises several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along a conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

In an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the plurality of conveying devices each have an individual movement profile, according to which the conveying devices can each move from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations.

According to a further exemplary embodiment, the conveying devices define a closed, circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited therefrom. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. The system for automated manufacturing can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit from a case, an igniter, a projectile and the propellant powder. A system can therefore also be called a laboratory system. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is ready for sale after passing through the system. The system is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line.

The system according to the invention comprises several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts introduction station, preferably a case introduction station and/or a projectile introduction station, for introducing at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the plant. The rejection station can also be used to remove rejects from the manufacturing process. The several manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system according to the invention further comprises a conveyor device for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts along the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations responsible. The conveyor device can define a closed, circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited therefrom. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

According to the further aspect of the invention, the system has at least two propellant charge filling stations arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. The propellant charge filling stations are basically designed to fill ammunition parts, in particular the case, with propellant charge powder. The propellant charge filling station according to the invention can be designed based on gravimetry or work on the basis of volumetric dosage. With gravimetric dosing, advantages can be achieved in terms of the accuracy of the dosing quantity. With the volumetric dosage, significant advantages can be achieved in terms of processing speed, which has a positive effect on the cycle rate, particularly when integrating the propellant charge filling station according to the invention into a system according to the invention, in particular, for the automated production of ammunition. The device according to the invention is used in particular for simultaneously filling the at least two ammunition casings with propellant powder. This means that the filling of the at least two ammunition cases is carried out in one filling process. Simultaneous does not necessarily mean that the at least two ammunition casings are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a certain time lag between the filling, in particular the complete filling, of the ammunition casings arranged along the path. The device according to the invention can be designed to fill the at least two ammunition casings with a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount, taking into account the inaccuracies inherent in the process. The propellant charge powder can be, for example, a propellant charge powder for a small-caliber ammunition, in particular with a caliber in the range from 4.5 mm to 13 mm, which typically has one- or two-base spherical, tube, rod or leaflet shapes and/ or is powder-like. Alternatively, extruded propellant powders can also be used. If it is a spherical propellant powder, it can, for example, be rolled and have a spherical diameter of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. In the case of rod-shaped propellant powder, for example for 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, the rods can have a length of up to 1.1 mm and/or a diameter of up to 0.7 mm. The density of the propellant powder used can be in the range from 0.5 to 1 g/cm ³ for nitrocellulose (NC), for example. With such a propellant powder, the bulk density is in the range of 0.6 to 1 g/cm ³ , for insert cartridges, for subsonic or blank cartridges it is up to 0.4 g/cm ³ .

The at least two propellant charge filling stations arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction can also be part of a common unit, which has two separate propellant charge filling substations or units arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction, at which the propellant powder is each dispensed. In an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the at least two propellant charge filling stations are arranged at a distance from one another in the conveying direction in such a way that at least one conveyor device can remain in a buffer position between the at least two propellant charge filling stations. Processing steps, such as quality control and checking using sensors, for example based on optical imaging, can also take place in the buffer position.

It has been shown that the at least two propellant charge filling stations can increase the cycle time in the loading process. In principle, the system according to the invention also works with only a single propellant charge filling station, which would, however, limit the throughput time and the amount of ammunition parts to be filled, such as cases. The inventors of the present invention have recognized this causality between the filling time, number of sleeves to be filled and the number of propellant charge filling stations with regard to the cycle time and cycle number relevant for systems of the generic type.

According to a further exemplary development of the system according to the invention, the at least two propellant charge filling stations and the conveyor device are coordinated with one another in such a way that the ammunition parts held by the at least two propellant charge filling stations are filled essentially simultaneously. At the same time, this does not necessarily mean that the ammunition parts are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a certain delay There is an offset between the filling, in particular the complete filling, but in the sense that the filling of the several ammunition parts takes place in one filling or processing process.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the previous aspects and exemplary embodiments, a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, such as a case, an igniter, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. The system for automated manufacturing can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit from a case, an igniter, a projectile and the propellant powder. A system can therefore also be called a laboratory system. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is ready for sale after passing through the system. The system is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line.

The system according to the invention comprises several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts introduction station, preferably a case introduction station and/or a projectile introduction station, for introducing at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the plant. The rejection station can also be used to remove rejects from the manufacturing process. The several manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system according to the invention further comprises a conveyor device for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts responsible for the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations. The conveyor device can define a closed, circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited therefrom. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

According to the further aspect of the invention, one of the several production stations is an ignition element insertion station, which brings an ignition element into the production process of the system and inserts it into a sleeve. The ignition element insertion station can be designed to insert several, in particular at least two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or twelve, ignition elements simultaneously, in particular in one insertion process, into a corresponding number of sleeves.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the ignition element insertion station moves the ignition elements laterally towards the conveyor device for introduction into the manufacturing process. The conveyor track can define a horizontal conveying level with a limited extent in this level. Lateral introduction can be understood to mean that the ignition elements come from outside the conveying plane delimited by the conveyor track laterally, i.e. into especially parallel to the orientation of the conveying plane into which sleeves are inserted.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the ignition elements are aligned in a cassette or are fed to the ignition element insertion station as bulk material. The cassette can be adapted to the arrangement of the ammunition parts held by the conveyor device, so that in particular the simultaneous insertion of several ignition elements is simplified.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the ignition element is inserted into the sleeve from below or from above. In other words, the ignition element can first be brought laterally to the conveyor device and finally inserted into the sleeve in an insertion direction that is oriented transversely to the feed direction, in particular perpendicular thereto.

According to an exemplary development of the system according to the invention, it has two ignition element feed stations for equipping the ignition element insertion station with ignition elements and are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. For example, the ignition element insertion station is arranged in the conveying direction between the ignition element supply stations. This has the advantage that the production capacity can be significantly increased, in particular the throughput time and the quantity of ammunition parts to be equipped, such as cases, can be optimized, since processes can be carried out in parallel.

According to a further exemplary development, the system has a translationally mounted, in particular according to a back and forth movement, slide for receiving a plurality of ignition elements at the ignition element feed stations and for transferring and fixing the ignition elements at the ignition element insertion station. For example, the carrier is designed and/or dimensioned such that a section of the slide is located in the area of at least the ignition element supply stations and a further, in particular identically designed, section is located in the area of the ignition element insertion station. Essentially at the same time, on the one hand, a batch of ignition elements can be transferred to the slide in the area of the ignition element supply station and, on the other hand, ignition elements that have already been transferred to the slide can be inserted into the sleeves using the ignition element insertion station. For example, the slide has a plate-like elongated structure with a plurality of receptacles, in particular recesses, which are arranged in particular at a uniform distance from one another and which are each designed and dimensioned to accommodate an ignition element.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, namely a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. The system for automated manufacturing can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit from a case, an igniter, a projectile and the propellant powder. A system can therefore also be called a laboratory system. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is ready for sale after passing through the system. The system is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line.

The system according to the invention comprises several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts introduction station, preferably a case introduction station and/or a projectile introduction station, for introducing at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the plant. The rejection station can also be used to remove rejects from the manufacturing process. The several manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system according to the invention further comprises a conveyor device for holding the several pieces of ammunition and for transporting them in or out several ammunition parts from, to and/or between the several production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts responsible for the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations. The conveyor device can define a closed, circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited therefrom. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

According to the further aspect of the invention, one of the several production stations is a fluid application station, in which a sealing compound is applied in an annular joint between the sleeve and the ignition element accommodated therein and/or between the sleeve and the projectile inserted therein and the annular joint is sealed and/or marked . It has been shown that integrating the application of the sealing compound into the automated manufacturing process brings significant advantages in terms of production capacity and manufacturing accuracy. Because the system ensures that the individual components are aligned with one another, the fluid application station can benefit from this predetermined alignment of the individual components with one another and can apply the sealing compound very precisely.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the conveying direction defines a closed, circulating conveyor track, which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an exterior space delimited therefrom, the fluid application station arranged in the interior and/or in the exterior space via robotics from the outside and/or from acts internally. The robotics can have sensors, actuators and information processing, in particular in order to regulate and control a robot that is designed to process, manipulate or the like the ammunition parts. In particular, the robotics are designed to act on at least one of the ammunition parts.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the fluid application station has at least one fluid applicator, in particular a plurality of fluid applicators, wherein in particular the number of fluid applicators is matched to a sleeve capacity and/or the fluid applicators are micro-metering valves. These measures allow the fluid mass to be applied particularly efficiently and specifically and in the correct dosage amount. The number of fluid applicators required, in particular valves, depends on the characteristics or specification of the fluid applicators. For example, valves can be used that spray drops using short pulses while the sleeves move through at a certain speed.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the fluid applicators release a synthetic fluid, in particular a synthetic sealant. This means that the fluid applicators are designed accordingly and can be connected to a supply of sealant.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the fluid applicators release several drops of fluid into an annular gap between the ignition element and the sleeve and/or between the sleeve and the inserted projectile during a circular movement.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drops are produced in a cycle in the range from 3 Hz to 4,000 Hz, in particular in the range from 50 Hz to 3,500 Hz, in the range from 100 Hz to 3,000 Hz, in the range from 250 Hz to 2,000 Hz or in the range from 300 Hz to 1,000 Hz.

According to a further exemplary embodiment, the fluid is evenly distributed, with an annular layer having a deviation of not more than 20 nl / mm ring circumference width, in particular not more than 1 nl / mm ring circumference width, preferably not more than 0.1 nl / mm ring circumference width . For example, a dosage amount per dispensing process can be in the range from 50 nl to 500 nl. 1-10 individual sealing applications, especially spraying processes, can be possible per sealing process.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the fluid is evenly distributed with several drops, in particular the annular layer consisting of more than 0.2 drops / mm of ring circumference, in particular more than 1 drop / mm of ring circumference or of more than 2 drops / mm of ring circumference or more than 2 drops per ring circumference.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is a nozzle fluidly connected to the micro-metering valve with an output diameter in the range of _{0.05 mm} to 0.5 mm, in particular in the range of 0.1 mm to 3 mm or in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.1 mm, remove the ring joint varnish.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. The system for automated manufacturing can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit from a case, an igniter, a projectile and the propellant powder. A system can therefore also be called a laboratory system. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is ready for sale after passing through the system. The system is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line.

The system according to the invention comprises several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts introduction station, preferably a case introduction station and/or a projectile introduction station, for introducing at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the plant. The rejection station can also be used to remove rejects from the manufacturing process. The several manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system according to the invention further comprises a conveyor device for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts responsible for the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations. The conveyor device can define a closed, circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited therefrom. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

According to the further aspect of the invention, one of the several production stations is a quality monitoring station, in which the sleeve and the projectile are monitored, in particular individually, before assembly. Monitoring can be understood as quality control with regard to predetermined parameters.

According to an exemplary development of the system according to the invention, the quality is over Monitoring station equipped with at least one optical detection device, such as a camera.

In a further exemplary embodiment, an optical camera is directed at the sleeve and/or at least one further camera or the same camera is directed at the projectile.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the optical camera creates several images of each ammunition part of the conveyor device carrying ammunition parts in order to evaluate the quality of the ammunition parts based on the several images.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. The system for automated manufacturing can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit from a case, an igniter, a projectile and the propellant powder. A system can therefore also be called a laboratory system. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is ready for sale after passing through the system. The system is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line.

The system according to the invention comprises several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts introduction station, preferably a case introduction station and/or a projectile introduction station, for introducing at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the plant. The rejection station can also be used to remove rejects from the manufacturing process. The several manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system according to the invention further comprises a conveyor device for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts responsible for the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations. The conveyor device defines a closed, circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited therefrom. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

According to the further aspect of the invention, the conveyor device and the production stations are coordinated with one another in cycle cycles, with at least two, at least five, at least ten or at least twelve ammunition parts being processed into ammunition per cycle cycle at the production stations. The production capacity according to the invention is achieved, among other things, by the parallel processing of a large number of ammunition parts per cycle.

In an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the conveyor device is operated at a rate in the range of 10 pieces/min to 60 Pieces/min, especially in the range of 20 pieces/min to 50 pieces/min or in the range of 25 pieces/min to 35 pieces/min.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. The system for automated manufacturing can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit from a case, an igniter, a projectile and the propellant powder. A system can therefore also be called a laboratory system. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is ready for sale after passing through the system. The system is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line.

The system according to the invention comprises several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out.

For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts introduction station, preferably a case introduction station and/or a projectile introduction station, for introducing at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the plant. The rejection station can also be used to remove rejects from the manufacturing process. The several manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system according to the invention further comprises a conveyor device for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts responsible for the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations. The conveyor device defines a closed, circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited therefrom. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

According to the further aspect of the invention, the conveyor track comprises a rail oriented towards the interior and/or exterior, which runs along the conveyor track and fixes a coupling interface of the conveyor device in a ready position. The coupling interface of the conveyor device is designed to connect to a motor of the production line, which is intended to drive the conveyor device and to move between the processing stations and / or to supply energy to the conveyor device so that it can carry out manipulation processes, in particular a motor-side coupling interface to supply energy to be transferred to the particularly motorless conveyor device. The conveyor device itself can therefore be designed to be driveless and/or motorless. The necessary activation or kinetic energy, which is necessary to move the conveyor device, can in particular be supplied completely from outside, for example by a motor or drive of the production line. Furthermore, the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface can be designed in this way, in particular with respect to a The motor-side coupling interface must be shaped and/or aligned so that the workpiece carrier can move into the motor-side coupling interface for connecting to the motor. In this way, a particularly easy-to-implement coupling of the workpiece carrier and energy source is made possible without the workpiece carrier requiring its own energy supply in order to move the at least one receptacle. Furthermore, the coupling interface on the conveyor device side is designed in such a way, in particular in such a way that its shape is matched and/or aligned with respect to a motor-side coupling interface, so that the conveyor device can move into the motor-side coupling interface for connecting to the motor. In this way, a particularly easy-to-implement coupling of the conveyor device and the energy source is made possible without the conveyor device requiring its own energy supply in order to move the at least one receptacle. According to an exemplary embodiment of the conveyor device, the coupling interfaces are designed to interlock positively. For example, the coupling interfaces can be based on the tongue and groove principle. In a further exemplary embodiment of the conveyor device, the coupling interface on the conveyor device side has a rectilinear recess and a rectilinear projection, the longitudinal extent of which is/are aligned parallel to a travel direction for coupling the conveyor device and motor together. The direction of travel of the conveyor device for coupling to one another can correspond to the direction of travel that is determined by the production line, for example the rotary transfer or circulation system.

By fixing the coupling interface of the conveyor device in its ready position, which can also be viewed as a coupling position, it is ensured that when the conveyor device is moved along the conveyor track, the coupling interface does not move and in particular remains in that position, so that a reliable coupling is ensured.

In an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the rail is made of a material with a coefficient of sliding friction compared to steel of less than 0.20, in particular less than 0.10 or less than 0.08.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the upper rail is made of a wear-resistant plastic, in particular of a thermoplastic polymer, the plastic in particular being selected from the group consisting of PEEK, POM, IGIDUR, PTFI, UHMWPE, PAI and mixtures thereof .

In an exemplary embodiment that is applicable to all of the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, the conveyor device can also be referred to as a workpiece carrier, which can fundamentally fulfill two functions. On the one hand, it can hold ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual processing stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual processing stations and, on the other hand, the workpiece carrier can form the interface to the automated production line, so that the at least two ammunition parts can be processed using of the workpiece carrier can pass through the automated production line.

The workpiece carrier has a carrier base, such as a carriage, which is adapted to be conveyed along the production line. The carrier base can therefore be set up to be coupled, in particular releasably, to the automated production line in order to be automatically transported from one processing station to the next. The support base can, for example, be designed to form a tongue and groove system with a connecting component of the automated production line.

The workpiece carrier further comprises at least one receptacle arranged on the carrier base, in particular preferably releasably attached thereto, for holding at least two ammunition parts of the same type, such as two ammunition casings, two ammunition bullets, two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primer caps. An essential aspect of the workpiece carrier according to the invention is that it is designed to hold several ammunition parts, which are held in such a way that they can be processed simultaneously or in parallel. For example, the holder is designed so that it can hold at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 15 pieces of ammunition of the same type. For example, the large number of ammunition parts are held by the receptacle in a predetermined, in particular unchangeable, arrangement. For example, in rows and/or parallel arrangement, such as in an array field.

According to an exemplary development, the at least one partial ammunition receptacle is mounted so that it can move relative to the carrier base. It was found that when loading ammunition, the individual ammunition parts must be held in a different orientation depending on the processing station. While this was solved in the prior art by complex and individually constructed processing stations that could access the rigid holding devices for the ammunition parts, the present invention solves this problem Extension of this concept in such a way that these requirements can be met at the expense of a more complex workpiece carrier. According to the invention, a high level of flexibility is achieved in a simple manner by means of the movable storage of the ammunition part holder relative to the carrier base. Due to the movability of the material holder, it is possible to bring it into the optimal orientation during the different processing steps or in the different processing stations. This means that the individual processing stations can be significantly simplified in terms of construction, handling and control and their installation space can be significantly reduced. The processing stations no longer require complex, complex systems in order to be able to access or process the rigidly arranged ammunition parts.

According to a further exemplary development, at least one of the ammunition part receptacles can be moved from a receiving position in which the at least two ammunition parts can be fed, in particular at the same time, into a processing position in which the at least two ammunition parts can in particular be processed at the same time. Since not all different types of ammunition parts necessarily have to be able to be fed to the same number of different processing stations and/or each have to be able to be processed in different orientations or positions, a cost-effective and yet significantly more flexible workpiece carrier can be provided compared to the prior art. By combining the accommodation of the ammunition parts of different types necessary for the production of ammunition in one and the same workpiece carrier, significant advantages can be generated, particularly with regard to the cycle rate. Thus, the ammunition parts to be joined together can, for example, be provided in close proximity to one another, but in any case be held by one and the same workpiece carrier, so that they are held in a locally concentrated manner on the workpiece carrier for easy handling and accessibility. The movability of the at least one partial ammunition receptacle relative to the carrier receptacle can be designed so flexibly that a large number of different positions can be approached. For example, the at least one partial ammunition receptacle can be locked when assuming the receiving position and/or when assuming the processing position, so that the movement of the partial ammunition receptacle is temporarily prevented. It is clear that the position of the at least two ammunition parts in the receiving position or their orientation can also be such that processing of the at least two ammunition parts can also take place in the receiving position. The different adoptable positions of the ammunition part holder relative to the carrier base can differ by a different orientation and/or position in relation to the distance from the carrier base.

According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece carrier further has a coupling interface for connecting to a motor of the production line, in particular a motor-side coupling interface, in order to move the recording from the receiving position into the processing position, and in particular vice versa. The workpiece carrier itself can therefore be designed without a drive and/or a motor. The necessary activation or kinetic energy, which is necessary for moving the at least one partial ammunition holder, can in particular be supplied completely from outside, for example by a motor or drive of the production line.

According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface is designed in such a way, in particular in such a way that it is shaped and/or aligned with respect to a motor-side coupling interface, so that the workpiece carrier can move into the motor-side coupling interface for connecting to the motor. In this way, a particularly easy-to-implement coupling of the workpiece carrier and energy source is made possible without the workpiece carrier requiring its own energy supply in order to move the at least one receptacle.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a method for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. According to the method according to the invention, the ammunition can be produced according to a system designed in accordance with one of the previously described aspects or exemplary embodiments and/or the method can be designed such that the system according to the invention can carry out the method steps.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

• 1 und 2 schematische Prinzipskizzen zu beispielhaften Ausführungen einer erfindungsgemäßen Anlage;
• 3 eine schematische Prinzipskizze in höherer Detailtiefe einer weiteren beispielhaften Ausführung einer erfindungsgemäßen Anlage;
• 4 eine schematische Prinzipskizze eines Ausschnitts der Anlage gemäß 3; und
• 5 bis 11 weitere schematische Prinzipskizzen von weiteren Ausschnitten der Anlage aus 3.

Further advantages, features and properties of the invention are explained by the following description of preferred embodiments of the accompanying drawings, in which:

• 1 and 2 schematic principle sketches of exemplary embodiments of a system according to the invention;
• 3 a schematic principle sketch in greater detail of a further exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention;
• 4 a schematic principle sketch of a section of the system 3 ; and
• 5 to 11 further schematic principle sketches of further sections of the system 3 .

In the present description of exemplary embodiments of the present inventions, a system 1 according to the invention, also called a loading system 1, is generally provided with the reference number 1, the conveyor device 100 or the workpiece carrier 100 for holding the several ammunition parts and for transporting the several ammunition parts to or from it from and/or between the multiple manufacturing stations is generally identified by the reference numeral 100. The finished ammunition 101 is marked with the reference number 101.

According to the exemplary embodiments of the laboratory system 1 according to the invention in the 1-3 In any case, the loading system 1 comprises the following production stations: a sleeve insertion station 11, which is set up to introduce sleeves 3 into the conveyor device 100; a projectile introduction station 13, which is set up to introduce projectiles 13 into the conveyor device 100; a propellant charge filling station 15, which is set up to fill sleeves 3 with propellant powder 9; an ignition element supply station 49 for supplying ignition elements 7 and an ignition element insertion station 47 in which the ignition elements 7 are inserted into the conveyors 100; several quality monitoring stations 59 and quality testing stations 69 for optical and/or tactile assurance of the quality of the ammunition 101 and a discharge station 25 for the final discharge of the finished ammunition 101.

The conveyor device 100 for holding the multiple ammunition parts and for transporting the multiple ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the multiple manufacturing stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 defines a closed circulating conveyor track 29, which has one of the conveyor track 29 enclosed interior 33 and an external space 31 delimited therefrom. According to the exemplary embodiment, the conveyor track 29 is in 1-3 constructed from two parallel linear sections 27, which are connected by curve sections 43 to form a racetrack-shaped conveyor track. The production stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 are to the side of the conveyor track 29 in the interior 33 ( 1 ) or in the outside area 31 ( 2 ) of the conveyor track 29 arranged.

Referring to 1 and 2 schematic principle sketches for exemplary embodiments of a system 1 according to the invention can be seen. The 1 shows a system arrangement, with the ammunition components being introduced into system 1 from outside. The 2 shows the rotated approach, with the ammunition components being brought out of the interior 33 into the conveying devices 100. The basic production process is the same for both system arrangements 1 and 2 even. Both system principles have the following production process: A conveyor 100 located in a buffer zone 45 is fed to the sleeve insertion station 11 via a curve section 43. This is followed by a projectile introduction station 13, in which the projectiles 5 or projectiles 5 are fed to the conveyor device 100. The entire conveyor device 100 with the projectiles 5 and sleeves 3 located thereon is then subjected to an optical inspection in a quality monitoring station 59. At the following stations, an ignition element 7 is first introduced into the system 1 via an ignition element feed station 49, in order to then be transferred with a slide 51 to an ignition element insertion station 47, in order to finally be introduced into the rear of the sleeve 3. After insertion, the fired sleeves 3 are calibrated at a sleeve forming station 17 and then sealed with ring joint varnish at a fluid application station 53. The conveying devices 100 are then guided over a second curve section 43, after which a linear section 27 follows again with several production stations. Before the sleeves 3 are filled with propellant powder 9 at the propellant charge filling station 15, a quality monitoring station 59 checks whether the ignition elements 7 have been properly received in the sleeves 3. After filling, the filling level is checked, in particular tactilely, at a quality testing station 69. The actual assembly of projectile 5 and sleeve 3 takes place in two stages, first the projectile 5 is only lightly brought onto the sleeve 3 at the projectile insertion station 19 in order to finally be pressed into the sleeve 3 in the subsequent step at the projectile assembly station 21. The thus finalized ammunition 101 is then checked at a quality monitoring station 59 and/or a quality testing station 69 and then discharged via a discharge station 25.

Out of 3 a detailed representation of Appendix 1 can be seen, whereby a special feature of Appendix 1 can be seen. It is to increase production capacity or production safety possible that the system 1 has at least two propellant charge filling stations 15 arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. This special arrangement allows two conveyors 100 to be filled with propellant powder 9 in one cycle. This has the effect that the propellant powder 9 has more time per cycle to trickle into the sleeve 3, which leads to increased metering accuracy. Labor-intensive stations can generally be implemented twice in the system 1 according to the invention, so that the workload of a station is halved accordingly. An example of a labor-intensive step is the feeding and introduction of ignition elements 7 into the rear of the sleeve 3. This is shown in 3 an exemplary development of the system 1 according to the invention can be seen, which has two ignition element feed stations 49 for equipping the ignition element insertion station 47 with ignition elements 7 and are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. In 3 the ignition element insertion station 47 is arranged in the conveying direction F between the ignition element feed stations 49. This has the advantage that production capacity can be significantly increased because processes can be carried out in parallel.

Referring to 4 , which shows a detailed section 3 represents, several production stations can be seen after filling with propellant powder 9. As already described, the charge is measured using sensors after filling. This happens at a quality testing station 69, which can be designed with tactile and/or non-contact sensors. After this quality testing station 69, the projectile 5 is applied to the sleeve 3 in two stages. The conveyor device 100 can have an ammunition part receptacle 75 attached to it, in which the projectiles 5 are arranged, and possibly a further ammunition part receptacle 75 for the cases 3, the ammunition part receptacles 75 being able to be pivotally mounted to one another, so that one of the ammunition part receptacles 75 is relative to one another by a pivoting movement to others, the projectiles 5 can be placed on the sleeves 3 at the projectile insertion station 19. As a result, the projectile 5 is centered coaxially over the sleeve 3 and is introduced by a multiple punch set in the projectile assembly station 21 with a linear movement, in particular simultaneously. A special feature of the in 4 The apparent manufacturing process is that the pivoting movement at the projectile introduction station 19 is carried out by the ammunition part holder 75 of the motorless conveyor device 100. The necessary activation or kinetic energy, which is necessary for manipulating the conveyor device 100, can be supplied from outside, for example by a motor 77. Furthermore, the conveyor device 100 is designed with a coupling interface 65, in particular in such a way that it is shape-matched and/or aligned with respect to a motor-side coupling interface 65, so that the workpiece carrier 100 can move into the motor-side coupling interface 65 for connecting to the motor 77. According to the in 4 In the embodiment of the conveyor device 100 shown, the coupling interfaces 65 are designed for positive interlocking as a tongue and groove system 73. Furthermore, in 4 a sleeve forming station 17 can be seen, which fixes the projectile 5 not only in a non-positive manner, but also in a form-fitting manner with the sleeve 3. This sleeve forming process at the sleeve forming station 17 is also called crimping. Before the ammunition 101 can be discharged in the discharge station 25, it must be checked for its geometric condition in a quality testing station 69. This process is also called loadability control and is particularly tactile, with each finished ammunition 101 being pressed into a cavity that represents the maximum permissible external geometry; this is also called loadability control using a loadability gauge.

Referring to 5 , which shows a detailed section 4 and with that also out 3 represents, several production stations up to the final discharge and removal in a removal direction A can be seen. The representation in 5 is inclined by approximately 45°, with a support base 37 and a support column 39 visible. On the support column 39 according to 4 Robotics 35 are attached to eject the ammunition 101. On the one hand, the removal station 25 can serve to remove rejects from the manufacturing process; on the other hand, the removal station 25 can serve to place the finished ammunition 101 in parallel on a conveyor belt and ultimately transport it away in the removal direction A. Another production station of the system 1 according to the invention is according to 5 a projectile marking station 23, which according to 5 only consists of a fluid applicator 57. This fluid applicator 57 of the projectile marking station 23, which is subsequently attached to the loadability control, can apply various fluidic compounds and thus fulfill various purposes. It is conceivable that in addition to marking the ammunition 101 (for example tracer ammunition), a sealing medium (for example Hernon or Permabond) is also applied. Furthermore, it is conceivable that a medium is applied to the gap between projectile 5 and sleeve 3, which makes the ammunition 101 more weapon-friendly and/or more precise.

Referring to 6 , which provides a further detail 3 In particular, the ignition element insertion stations 47 and ignition element feed stations 49, which are arranged next to one another in the conveying direction F and are designed in pairs, can be seen. According to the in 6 In the embodiment of the system 1 shown, the ignition elements 7 are aligned in a cassette 79 and fed to the ignition element insertion station 47. The cassette 79 is adapted to the arrangement of the ammunition parts held by the conveyor device 100, so that in particular the simultaneous insertion of several ignition elements 7 is simplified.

In 7 a schematic perspective view of a section of a loading system 1 according to the invention with a parallel-acting propellant charge filling station 15 is shown. Appendix 1 shows according to 7 two propellant charge filling stations 15 arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. The propellant charge filling station 15 works according to 7 volumetric, which has a positive effect on the productivity of the laboratory system 1. The propellant charge filling station 15 is used to simultaneously fill sleeves 3 with propellant powder 9. This means that the sleeves 3 are filled in one process without changing direction. The propellant charge filling station 15 is designed for small-caliber ammunition, which typically fills the ammunition 101 with a one- or two-base ball, tube, rod or leaf-shaped powder. The two propellant charge filling stations 15 arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F are according to 7 Part of a unit which has two separate propellant charge filling stations 15 or units arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F, at which the propellant charge powder 9 is each dispensed.

Referring to 8th , which shows a detailed section 3 shows, several production stations, in particular the case insertion station 11 and the bullet insertion station 13 for introducing the ammunition parts, can be seen. Here, the ammunition components are introduced laterally into the conveyor device 100 via robotics 35, which is designed in the shape of a slide. The sleeves 3 are in the sleeve insertion station 11 according to 8th introduced into the conveyor device 100 with the sleeve mouth first. The sleeve receiving cavities of the conveyor device 100 are rotated so that the sleeve 3 and the sleeve receiving cavities are in alignment, so that the robotics 35 can insert the sleeves 3 into the cavity from the side. The projectile introduction station 19 follows a similar principle. Here, however, the projectiles 5 are inserted into the upper cavities of the conveying devices 100 by robotics 35. According to 8th There is an intermediate station between the case insertion station 11 and the bullet insertion station 13, with a rail 63 oriented towards the interior 33 being located on the conveyor track 29, which runs along the conveyor track 29 and has a coupling interface 65 which is designed analogously to a tongue and groove system 73 and can bring the conveyor device 100 into the ready position via a motor 77.

Referring to 9 , which is a highly enlarged and perspective detail section of the 3 shows, an optical quality monitoring station 59 is shown. According to 9 the quality monitoring station 59 is equipped with 3 cameras 61. The cameras 61 are aimed at both the sleeve 3 and the projectile 5. It is therefore possible to take several images of each sleeve 3 and each projectile 5 in order to then evaluate them mechanically, manually or using artificial intelligence (AI), “deep learning” or “machine learning”.

A further feature of the system 1 according to the invention is the special type of sealing and/or marking of the annular joint 55 by means of the fluid applicators 57 arranged next to one another in the conveying direction F. According to in 10 In the embodiment of the system 1 according to the invention shown, the fluid application station 53 has a plurality of fluid applicators 57, in particular the number of fluid applicators 57 being coordinated with the sleeve capacity and/or the number of sleeves 3 received by the conveying device 100. The robotics 35 of the in 10 shown in Appendix 1, can perform a circular movement. These measures allow the fluid mass to be applied particularly efficiently and specifically and in the correct dosage amount. The fluid application station 53 of 10 can be equipped with sealing medium and/or color medium. The color medium is used for recognition purposes, particularly in subsonic ammunition. The fluid applicators 57 release several drops of the fluid mass onto the annular joint 55 during a circular movement. According to an exemplary further embodiment, at least one fluid applicator 57 is designed as a valve that brings drops onto the sleeve 3 in a pulsed manner. The conveyor device 100 moves through the processing station with a defined speed profile within the station-specific total throughput time.

One possibility of making at least parts of Annex 1 modular is in 11 shown. A cantilever arm 81, which consists of a support base 37 and a support column 39, can be equipped with a wide variety of end effectors. Possible modular end effectors, which are mounted on a support column 39 according to 11 can be attached are in accordance with 11 precise positioning devices, to which fluid applicators 57, quality monitoring stations 59 or other actuators such as motors 77 can be attached.

The features disclosed in the above description, the figures and the claims can be important both individually and in any combination for the implementation of the invention in various embodiments.

Reference symbol list

1

Laboratories

3

sleeve

5

bullet

7

Ignition element

9

Propellant powder

11

Sleeve insertion station

13

Bullet insertion station

15

Propellant filling station

17

Sleeve forming station

19

Projectile introduction station

21

Projectile assembly station

23

Projectile marking station

25

discharge station

27

Linear section

29

conveyor track

31

Outdoor space

33

inner space

35

robotics

37

Support base

39

Support column

43

Curve section

45

Buffer zone

47

Ignition element insertion station

49

Ignition element feed station

51

Slider

53

Fluid application station

55

Ring joint

57

Fluid applicator

59

Quality monitoring station

61

camera

63

rail

65

Coupling interface

67

Staging position

69

Quality inspection station

71

Carrier base

73

Tongue and groove system

75

Ammunition part holder

77

engine

79

cassette

81

Boom arm

100

funding facility

101

ammunition

F

Direction of conveyance

A

Removal direction

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 2019094000 A1 [0002]
• KR 101482449 B1 [0006]

Claims (42)

System (1) for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile (3) and a propellant charge, comprising: - several production stations, in particular one Ammunition parts introduction station, preferably a case introduction station (11) and/or a projectile introduction station (19), for introducing at least one of the several ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system (1), a plurality of quality testing stations 69, at least one ammunition part processing station, for example a case forming station (17), one Propellant charge filling station (15), a projectile assembly station (21), a projectile marking station (23) and/or a discharge station (25) for removing the manufactured ammunition (101) from the manufacturing process of the system (1); and - a conveyor device (100) for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations, wherein the conveyor device (100) defines a closed circulating conveyor track (29), which an interior space (33) enclosed by the conveyor track (29) and an exterior space (31) delimited therefrom; characterized in that at least one, in particular several, of the plurality of production stations is arranged in the interior (33) and/or the exterior (31) and acts on the conveyor device (100) from the inside and/or from the outside. Appendix (1). Claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one of the plurality of production stations has a robotic system (35), the support base (37) of which is attached to a foundation of the interior (33) and / or the exterior (31) next to the conveyor track (29), whereby in particular the robotics (35) is designed to act on at least one of the ammunition parts. Appendix (1). Claim 2 , characterized in that the support base (37) has a support column (39) and a cantilever arm (81) extending over the conveyor track (29), which is in particular dimensioned such that access to the conveyor device (100), in particular to that of The ammunition parts carried by the conveyor device (100) are permitted from the bottom or the top. Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the plurality of production stations comprises an ammunition parts loading device which, in particular, individually equips the conveyor device (100) with the plurality of ammunition parts, in particular the ammunition parts loading device being designed to be transported from the outside space (31 ) and / or the interior (33) to feed the respective ammunition part or parts laterally, in particular horizontally, to the conveyor device (100). Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that several of the several production stations are arranged in the interior (33) and/or the exterior (31) and from the outside and/or from the inside onto the conveyor device carrying at least one of the ammunition parts (100) take effect. Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveyor track (29) of the conveyor device (100) has two linear sections (27) which extend parallel to one another and which are separated by two diametrically opposed, in particular curved sections (running over essentially 180°) ( 43) are connected, in particular to form a racetrack-shaped conveyor track. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a shape of the closed circulating conveyor track (29) is raceway-like, in particular oval-shaped or circular. Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the production station arranged in the interior (33) and/or the exterior (31) is arranged on the incoming long side and/or the outgoing long side of the closed conveyor track (29). Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveyor track (29) serves at least in sections as a buffer zone (45) for the conveyor devices (100), the buffer zone (45) being formed in particular in the area of the curve sections (43). . Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the event of incorrect manipulation at a production station, the production process is interrupted and all ammunition components that are being processed are removed separately. System (1) for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile and a propellant charge, comprising: - Several production stations, in particular an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station (11) and/or a projectile insertion station (19), for introducing at least one of the several ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system (1), several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition part processing station, for example a case forming station (17), a propellant charge filling station (15), a projectile assembly station (21), a projectile marking station (23) and/or a discharge station (25) for removing the manufactured ammunition (101) from the manufacturing process of the system (1); and - a plurality of conveying devices (100) for holding a plurality of the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting a plurality of the plurality of ammunition parts to and from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations; characterized in that the plurality of conveying devices (100) can move from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations independently of one another. Appendix (1). Claim 11 , characterized in that the plurality of conveying devices (100) each have an individual movement profile, according to which the conveying devices (100) can each move from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations. Appendix (1). Claim 11 or 12 , characterized in that the conveying devices (100) define a closed, circulating conveyor track (29), which delimit an interior space (33) enclosed by the conveyor track (29) and an external space (31) delimited therefrom. System (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a sleeve (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile and a propellant charge, comprising: - a plurality of production stations, - a conveyor device (100) for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations, the conveyor device (100) defining a conveyor path (29); characterized by at least two propellant charge filling stations (15) arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. Appendix (1). Claim 14 , characterized in that the at least two propellant charge filling stations (15) are arranged at a distance in the conveying direction F such that at least one conveyor device (100) can remain in a buffer position between the at least two propellant charge filling stations (15). Appendix (1). Claim 14 or 15 , characterized in that the at least two propellant charge filling stations (15) and the conveyor device (100) are coordinated with one another in such a way that the ammunition parts held by the at least two propellant charge filling stations (15) are filled essentially simultaneously. System (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, such as a sleeve (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile and a propellant charge, comprising: - a plurality of production stations, - a conveyor device (100) for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations, the conveyor device (100) defining a conveyor path (29); characterized in that one of the several manufacturing stations is an ignition element insertion station (47), which brings an ignition element (7) into the manufacturing process of the system (1) and inserts it into a sleeve (3). Appendix (1). Claim 17 , characterized in that for introduction into the manufacturing process, the ignition element insertion station (47) moves the ignition elements (7) laterally towards the conveyor device (100). Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 17 or 18 , characterized in that the ignition elements (7) are aligned in a cassette (79) or supplied as bulk material to the ignition element insertion station (47). Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 17 until 19 characterized in that the ignition element (7) is inserted into the sleeve (3) from below or from above. Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 17 until 20 , characterized in that two ignition element feed stations (49) for equipping the ignition element insertion station (47) with ignition elements (7) are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F, in particular the ignition element insertion station (47) being arranged in the conveying direction F between the ignition element feed stations (49). Appendix (1). Claim 21 , characterized in that the at least two ignition element feed stations (49) are arranged at a distance in the conveying direction F such that at least one conveyor device (100) in one Buffer position can linger between the at least two ignition element feed stations (49). Appendix (1). Claim 21 or 22 , characterized by a translationally mounted slide (51) for receiving a plurality of ignition elements (7) at the ignition element supply stations (49) and for transferring and fixing the ignition elements (7) at the ignition element insertion station (47). System (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, namely a sleeve (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile and a propellant charge, comprising: - a plurality of production stations, - a conveyor device (100) for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations, the conveyor device (100) defining a conveyor path (29); characterized in that one of the plurality of production stations is a fluid application station (53), in which a sealing compound is inserted into an annular joint (55) between the sleeve (3) and the ignition element (7) accommodated therein and / or between the sleeve (3) and the The projectile inserted therein is applied and the ring joint (55) is sealed and/or marked. Appendix (1). Claim 24 , characterized in that the conveyor device (100) defines a closed circulating conveyor track (29) which delimits an interior space (33) enclosed by the conveyor track (29) and an outer space (31) delimited therefrom, the space in the interior space (33) and/or the fluid application station (53) arranged in the outer space (31) acts from the outside and/or from the inside via robotics (35). Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 24 or 25 , characterized in that the fluid application station (53) has at least one fluid applicator (57), in particular a plurality of fluid applicators (57), wherein in particular the number of fluid applicators (57) is matched to a sleeve capacity and / or the fluid applicators (57) are micro-metering valves . Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 24 until 26 , characterized in that the fluid applicators (57) release a synthetic fluid, in particular a synthetic sealant. Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 24 until 27 , characterized in that the fluid applicators (57) release several drops of fluid into an annular joint between the ignition element (7) and the sleeve (3) during a circular movement. Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 21 until 25 , characterized in that the drops are in a cycle in the range from 3 Hz to 4000 Hz, in particular in the range from 50 Hz to 3500 Hz, in the range from 100 Hz to 3000 Hz, in the range from 250 Hz to 2000 Hz or in the range 300 Hz to 1000 Hz. Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 24 until 29 , characterized in that the fluid is uniformly distributed, with an annular layer having a deviation of not more than 20 nl/mm ring circumference, in particular not more than 1 nl/mm ring circumference, preferably not more than 0.1 nl/mm ring circumference . Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 24 until 30 , characterized in that the fluid is evenly distributed with several drops, in particular the annular layer having more than 0.2 drops/mm ring circumference width, in particular more than 1 drop/mm ring circumference width, preferably more than 2 drops/mm ring circumference width. Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 24 until 31 , characterized in that a nozzle fluidly connected to the micro-metering valve with an output diameter in the range from 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm, in particular in the range from 0.1 mm to 3 mm or in the range from 0.2 mm to 0, 1 mm, which releases the ring joint varnish. System (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, in particular for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a sleeve (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile and a propellant charge, comprising: - a plurality of production stations, - a conveyor device (100) for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations, the conveyor device (100) defining a conveyor track (29); characterized in that one of the plurality of manufacturing stations is a quality monitoring station (59) at which the sleeve (3) and the projectile are individually monitored before assembly. Appendix (1). Claim 33 , characterized in that the quality monitoring station (59) is equipped with at least one optical detection device, such as a camera (61). Appendix (1). Claim 33 until 34 , characterized in that an optical camera (61) is aimed at the sleeve (3). Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 33 until 35 , characterized in that the optical camera (61) takes several images of each ammunition part of the conveyor device (100) carrying ammunition parts in order to evaluate the quality of the ammunition parts based on the several images. System (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a sleeve (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile and a propellant charge, comprising: - Several Manufacturing stations, in particular an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station (11) and/or a projectile insertion station (19), for introducing at least one of the several ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system (1), several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition part processing station, for example a case forming station (17 ), a propellant charge filling station (15), a projectile assembly station (21), a projectile marking station (23) and / or a discharge station (25) for removing the manufactured ammunition (101) from the manufacturing process of the system (1); and - A conveyor device (100) for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations, wherein the conveyor device (100) defines a closed circulating conveyor track (29), which an interior space (33) enclosed by the conveyor track (29) and an exterior space (31) delimited therefrom; characterized in that the conveyor device (100) and the production stations are coordinated with one another in cycle cycles and at least 2, 5, 10 or 12 ammunition parts are processed into ammunition (101) per cycle cycle at the production stations. Appendix (1). Claim 37 , characterized in that the conveyor device (100) runs at a rate in the range of 10 pieces/min. up to 60 pieces/min., especially in the range of 20 pieces/min. up to 50 pieces/min., preferably in the range of 25 pieces/min. up to 35 pieces/min. is passed on to the next production station. System (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a sleeve (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile and a propellant charge, comprising: - several Manufacturing stations, in particular an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station (11) and/or a projectile insertion station (19), for introducing at least one of the several ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system (1), several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition part processing station, for example a case forming station (17 ), a propellant charge filling station (15), a projectile assembly station (21), a projectile marking station (23) and / or a discharge station (25) for removing the manufactured ammunition (101) from the manufacturing process of the system (1); and - a conveyor device (100) for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations, wherein the conveyor device (100) defines a closed circulating conveyor track (29), which an interior space (33) enclosed by the conveyor track (29) and an exterior space (31) delimited therefrom; characterized in that the conveyor track (29) comprises a rail (63) oriented towards the interior (33) and/or exterior (31), which runs along the conveyor track (29) and has a coupling interface (65) of the conveyor device (100). fixed in a ready position (67). Appendix (1). Claim 39 , wherein the rail (63) is made of a material with a coefficient of sliding friction compared to steel of less than 0.20, in particular less than 0.1 or less than 0.08. Appendix (1) according to one of the Claims 39 until 40 , wherein the upper rail (63) is made of a wear-resistant plastic, in particular of a thermoplastic polymer, the plastic in particular being selected from the group consisting of PEEK, POM, Iglidur, PTFE, UHMWPE, PAI and mixtures thereof. Method for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile and a propellant charge, in particular by means of one according to one of the above Claims 1 until 41 trained system (1), the method being designed so that the system (1) according to one of Claims 1 until 41 can carry out the procedural steps.

Images