DE4422380A1 - Production system with robots for bodywork assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

The individual working stations (1-5) are in separate parallel miniature tracks (8,1,13, 9,2,14, 10,3,15, 11,4,16, 12,5,17), each comprising a loading (8-12), working (1-5) and transfer (13-17) station connected by a conveyor. The loading and transfer stations are in parallel lines at right angles to the tracks. The loading stations are preceded by a parallel row of prepn. positions (26) for pressings, basic components or accessories. These are supplied by a parallel track (27) on the opposite side of them to the loading stations. Within each track, the components are transferred between stations by a support (22) travelling on the floor, and which holds them firmly in position for machining. A machining robot (6,7), pref. suspended, is provided for each working station or two adjacent ones. A barrier shuts off the line between the robot-equipped stations from that between the loading stations which is accessible to the operators.

Description

The invention is based on a body-in-white manufacturing facility according to the preamble of claim 1, such as from emerges as known in industrial practice.

Known body-in-white manufacturing facilities for body assemblies have multiple workstations and at least one insert station and at least one transfer station, which one another who are connected for transport. It can edit and Handling robots may be provided; are also usually ready positions for raw or add-on parts to be inserted hen; at the end is a filing station for the finished ones Body assemblies arranged. The well-known bodyshell manufacturing Devices for body assemblies have the disadvantage that they are not flexible in terms of workpiece type and capacity.

The object of the invention is that of the generic type Body-in-white manufacturing facility to improve that is flexible in terms of workpiece type and capacity.

This task is based on the generic raw construction manufacturing device according to the invention characterize solved the features of claim 1. As a result, the successor advantages listed below can be achieved:

• - Flexibility in terms of manufacturing capacity through one build more industrial robots and / or by adding more Small work lines,
• - Flexibility in terms of manufacturing different Workpieces, also mixed production is possible  
• - Flexibility with a simple and quick order Possibility of manual work on robot processing and vice versa
• - Can also be used as a spare parts production center thanks to schnel les changing of fixtures, welding guns and pressing parts put,
• - Mechanized workpiece handling between the individual fer manufacturing stations,
• - mechanized insertion of the raw parts is possible,
• - mechanized storage in pressed parts container is possible,
• - better material flow,
• - cheaper delivery of pressed parts,
• - shorter distances in the loading area,
• - Around 25% less floor space required for manufacturing compared to well-known bodyshell manufacturing cells,
• - Less floor space required for internal access transport and disposal,
• - The system mainly consists of standard modules,
• - thus high reuse value after a model has expired les or when converting.

Appropriate embodiments of the invention can the Unteran sayings are taken; otherwise the invention is based of an embodiment shown in the drawing explained below; show:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a flexible bodyshell manufacturing cell for body assemblies with five workstations and

FIG. 2 shows an end view of the bodyshell manufacturing cell according to FIG. 1.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, five processing stations 1 to 5 are shown, in which processing takes place with several processing robots - the example shows two welding robots 6 and 7 . The components are placed - by hand or mechanized - on a component carrier 22 designed as a ground-based carriage. The individual work stations are each arranged in a separate small work line 8 , 1 , 13 or 9 , 2 , 14 or 10 , 3 , 15 or 11 , 4 , 16 or 12 , 5 , 17 , each in one Insertion station 8 to 12 , which are a work station 1 to 5 and a transfer station 13 to 17 connected to each other for transport. The transport Ver Ver chaining of the individual stations within a Kleinarbeitsli never takes place by a ground-mounted, mobile construction part or workpiece carrier 22 , in which the workpiece to be machined or the workpieces to be joined is positionally stable and machinable can be clamped. The small work lines assigned to the individual work stations are locally parallel to each other in such a way that the work stations 1 to 5 of all small work lines, the insertion stations 8 to 12 of all small work lines and the transfer stations 13 to 17 of all small work lines are each in a separate escape line , the escape lines of the workstations 1 to 5 , the escape line of the insertion stations 8 to 12 and the escape line of the transfer stations 13 to 17 to each other parallel and transverse to the individual Kleinarbeitsli lines. In the material flow direction in front of the insertion stations is a further parallel to the line of the insertion stations extending series of staging spaces 26 for pressed parts, raw parts or attachments is arranged, parallel to the escape line of the staging areas beyond the insertion stations a supply path 27 is arranged for bringing the annex parts. In the illustrated embodiment, two adjacent work stations are each assigned a hanging processing robot 6 or 7 , the escape line of the robot-equipped work stations 1 to 5 being blocked off by the worker-accessible escape line of the insertion stations 8 to 12 by a protective device, which, however, is not shown in the drawing is shown. Within the escape line of the transfer stations 13 to 17 , an intermediate storage space 25 is provided between each two adjacent transfer stations for positionally stable and handling-appropriate storage of a workpiece from the respective previous small work line. The individual clipboards are designed according to the construction step of the workpiece or the body assembly under different, which need not be discussed here. The transfer stations 13 to 17 and intermediate support locations 25 are transport connected by at least one along the run of the transfer stations line movable, arranged hanging handling robot 23, the rule manufacturing stages with a occurring all in the small working lines Zvi and component layers of the workpieces verwendba ren gripper is equipped. In the escape line of the transfer stations is at the end beyond the transfer station 17 of the last small work line 12 , 5 , 17 a storage station 24 for finished or finished body assemblies is arranged, which is also accessible by the or one of the handling robots 23 .

The component transport in the two different directions takes place in two ways and on two levels: Within the small work lines, the workpieces are transported by the various floor-supported carriages 22 from the respective insertion station to the respective processing station and to the respective transfer station. To this end, the individual small work lines are coupled for transport by the hanging movable handling robot 23 along the line of the transfer stations 13 to 17 , which moves the differently advanced workpieces from one to the next transfer station with corresponding component grippers or - if this should be occupied - too transported a storage location 25 in front. The finished assemblies are stored in the storage station 24 .

In the illustrated embodiment, the small work lines - apart from the last one - at the end beyond the transfer stations 13 to 16 each have a further, also accessible from the construction vehicle 22 , designed as a manual work station - stations 18 to 21 . The accessible escape line of the manual work stations 18 to 21 is blocked by the robot-equipped escape line of the transfer stations 13 to 17 by a protective device, not shown. In the direction of material flow beyond the Handarbeitssta tions another parallel to the row of handwork stations 18 to 21 extending series of provisioning places 28 for pressed parts, raw parts or accessories is arranged. Stations 18 to 21 can be used for further manual operations after the mechanical processing in stations 1 to 5 . Likewise, components of a new, subsequent vehicle series can be assembled into body assemblies at these manual workstations, especially if the expiring - and the newly starting vehicle series are manufactured side by side over a longer period of time.

On the advantages of flexible The bodyshell manufacturing cell will be briefly described below made the connection with the individual demanding Show features:

The system offers a simple option for installing and using additional industrial robots and is therefore designed to be flexible in terms of number and capacity. In comparison to known manufacturing facilities, the processing robots 6 and 7 are used as hanging devices above the workstations 1 to 5 so that they can work at several stations. A subsequent, planning-prepared increase in production is possible with this manufacturing system without having to enlarge the system in terms of its footprint, because the industrial robots are located above the stations and the system thus permits an increase in the number of induction robots required for this until An industrial robot is arranged above each work station. A plant expansion with additional plant space is not necessary. On the other hand, the system can be easily expanded if necessary by installing additional small work lines, which may come into consideration especially in the case of possible retrofitting to more complicated work pieces requiring more work.

The system is flexible with regard to the production of different workpieces; Mixed production is also possible. In known production facilities, the production of a subsequent product or the simultaneous production of a second product is not possible or involves considerable costs and conversions. In the past concept, however, this is easily possible by using clamping devices for the second product on the component carrier carriage 22 and additional manual assembly or manual workplaces 18 to 21 in each small work line beyond the transfer stations 13 to 17 , which are also seen before accessible from the component carrier trolleys and thus integrated into the small work line for transport. The component carrier trolleys are sent in the manual workplaces 18 to 21 with components for the second product, if necessary, are moved into the processing stations 1 to 5 for processing and are transferred to the transfer stations 13 to 17 after processing.

The facility is also flexible in terms of simple and Quick changeover from manual work to mechanized Fer and vice versa. With previous productions already had The degree of mechanization must be determined in advance, so that larger ones Change costs were avoided. With the flexible Robauferti this is not necessary. Here with a part can be started and given the economic subsequent higher mechanization through the use further industrial robots take place, as in connection with the Capacity flexibility described.

The robo production cell can also be used as a spare parts production center, because the part-bound clamping devices, welding tongs and pressed part frames can be changed quickly and the system can therefore be quickly converted to the production of a different body assembly. In known productions, a new production facility was usually required after the end of series production for the replacement part production, because in the series production facility for the smaller numbers of spare parts no economical production is possible. In production in the flexible robotic manufacturing cell, the less effort required to change the device in the individual stations and the welding guns on the industrial robots 6 and 7 means that spare parts can be produced more economically without any fundamental changes to the system.

The flexible robo production cell allows mechanized workpiece handling between the individual production stations in a simple manner. In contrast to manual production, in which the sub-group z. B. would be transported from station 8 to the next insertion station 9 , the subgroup is further transported after processing in the first processing station 1 to the associated transfer station 13 in this flexible bodyshell manufacturing cell. From there, the sub-assembly is placed with the hand robot 23 in the next device on the construction part carrier 22 in the transfer station 14 . If this is not yet present, e.g. B. because it is still rich in 9 or is in the work area 2 , the sub-assembly can be stored on the intermediate storage space 25 .

The raw parts can be mechanically inserted into the component carrier cars without endangering the personnel. In the case of known productions for medium and small series, mechanized insertion into the workstations - usually for safety reasons - was generally not possible because the employee who had to provide the workpiece to the industrial robot in a defined position would be endangered by the robot; Such insertion technology would have become uneconomical due to the necessary safety measures. In the Robauferti supply cell proposed here, in the transport and handling level - escape the transfer stations 13 to 17 - the handling robot can remove raw or add-on parts from a container or from a pallet and onto the component carrier wagons in the transfer station 13 to 17 wait to be inserted.

Mechanized storage in the pressed part container is also possible. By using a movable, hanging handling robot for the component transport along the line of the transfer stations 13 to 17 , this can also be used to store the finished components in a pallet 24 or in a container. This arrangement saves a device. A similar arrangement can also be selected for loading the components or for loading, especially if the system is only slightly loaded and / or is equipped with two handling robots in the area of the escape line of the transfer stations. Namely, in the escape line of the transfer stations at the end beyond the transfer station 13 or 17 of the first or last small work line 8 , 1 , 13 or 12 , 5 , 17, an insertion station or a supply magazine 29 for the various pressed parts, Raw parts or add-on parts can be arranged, which can also be reached by the or one of the handling robots 23 . The components in the component carrier car would then be inserted by the handling robot at least for some of the additional parts, for example in the case of mixed production, in the transfer stations 13 to 17 .

The flexible robo manufacturing cell allows a better material flow. The material flow in known productions for medium and small series mostly takes place in that the manufactured sub-groups are transported by hand to the next processing point by the worker. In the flexible robotic manufacturing cell, the transport of the welded assemblies takes place transversely to the direction of travel of the component carriers 22 with a handling robot 23 . This is so universally equipped with grippers that with it the differently welded construction groups can optionally be gripped from one of the stations from the first transfer station 13 to the storage station 24 and transported further.

With the flexible robot manufacturing cell, the delivery of the pressed parts is also very cheap. In known handicrafts, the pressed parts can sometimes not be arranged so that the delivery of these pressed parts can be parked in a row next to the road. In this robo production cell, the several component carrier cars can all automatically move to a common supply line - route 27 - which can also be operated by an automated guided vehicle system (AGV).

The flexible robot manufacturing cell enables shorter distances in the loading area. In the case of known production facilities, the insertion, manufacture and transport usually take place in a production line. The flexible robotic manufacturing cell differs in that the division of manual labor in the loading stations 8 to 12 on the one hand and the mechanized production in the processing stations 1 to 5 on the other hand and the parts transport along the line of the transfer stations 13 to 17 on several different levels is. This reduces the distance and therefore the distance between the insertion stations by one to two thirds for the worker.

The flexible robo-manufacturing cell enables you to move around 25% lower footprint for the manufacturing plant in Ver bodyshell manufacturing facilities to be immediately known. The investment area The surface area of the flexible robotic manufacturing cell is smaller than that of known productions, because here the workpiece transport on two Levels is divided. For one, the workpieces are made by the ground-based component carrier wagons transported in a lower level is installed; on the other hand, the parts are through the hanging handling robot that moves in an upper level works and drives. This arrangement increases the room height exploited and plant space saved. So z. B. the Transport in the direction of the small work lines from the insert sta stations to the transfer stations on the floor by trolleys and the connection transport across it in an overlying one Level.

The flexible robo manufacturing cell also has a smaller loading may be on traffic areas for internal access and  Transport traffic within the production hall. Through the two-dimensional arrangement of several small batches lines on the one hand with their transport-related cross-connection the system length is shortened at right angles to it and it the necessary routes are thus becoming shorter. In order to is achieved that the traffic area in relation to the facilities area is reduced.

The system mainly consists of standard modules. Compared to known, type-specific and flexible manufacturing facilities, which consist of a large number of different, already in their basic design, type-linked manufacturing components, system components are used in the manufacturing cell according to the invention, which can be used universally because their basic structure is designed to be type-independent, namely the component carrier carriage 22 , handling robot 23 and welding robot 6 and 7 respectively. These parts of the system are only equipped with type-specific clamping devices, which are less expensive. As a result, an extension or retrofitting to another vehicle type or to other assemblies is possible in a simple manner by installing or attaching suitable clamping devices in the robotic manufacturing cell according to the invention.

The plant has a high reuse value. In the event of a change The product range or new parts can be used through a high level of the standardized system components just mentioned Portion of the system can be used again. Are to be manufactured again only the clamping devices on the component carrier car as well partly the welding guns and component grippers.

Claims (6)

1. Several work stations and at least one Einlegestati on and at least one transfer station comprehensive Rohbauferti supply device for body assemblies, in which stations are connected to each other for transport purposes, further processing and handling robots are provided, also with preparation places for raw or add-on parts to be inserted and with A storage station for the finished body assemblies, characterized by the following features in common:

• - The individual workstations ( 1 to 5 ) are each arranged in a separate small work line ( 8 , 1 , 13 ; 9 , 2 , 14 ; 10 , 3 , 15 ; 11 , 4 , 16 ; 12 , 5 , 17 ), whereby several transport-related and interconnected stations, namely a loading station ( 8 to 12 ), a work station ( 1 to 5 ) and a transfer station ( 13 to 17 ) are connected to each other for transport,
• - The individual work stations ( 1 to 5 ) assigned small work lines ( 8 , 1 , 13 ; 9 , 2 , 14 ; 10 , 3 , 15 ; 11 , 4 , 16 ; 12 , 5 , 17 ) are locally parallel to each other in the way arranged immediately next to each other that the workstations ( 1 to 5 ) of all small work lines, the insertion stations ( 8 to 12 ) of all small work lines and the transfer stations ( 13 to 17 ) of all small work lines ( 8 , 1 , 13 ; 9 , 2 , 14 ; 10 , 3 , 15 ; 11 , 4 , 16 ; 12 , 5 , 17 ) are each in a separate escape line, the flight line of the work stations ( 1 to 5 ), the flight line of the loading stations ( 8 to 12 ) and the flight line of the transfer stations ( 13 to 17 ) parallel to one another and transverse to the individual small working lines ( 8 , 1 , 13 ; 9 , 2 , 14 ; 10 , 3 , 15 ; 11 , 4 , 16 ; 12 , 5 , 17 ),
• - In the material flow direction in front of the insertion stations ( 8 to 12 ) is another, parallel to the line of flight of the insertion stations ( 8 to 12 ) extending row of staging places ( 26 ) for pressed parts, raw parts or accessories, arranged parallel to the line of staging of the staging areas ( 26 ) beyond the insertion stations ( 8 to 12 ) there is a supply path ( 27 ) for bringing the attachments in,
• - The transport-related linking of the individual stations within a small work line ( 8 , 1 , 13 ; 9 , 2 , 14 ; 10 , 3 , 15 ; 11 , 4 , 16 ; 12 , 5 , 17 ) is carried out by a ground-mounted, mobile component - or workpiece carrier ( 22 ) in which the workpiece to be machined or the workpieces to be joined can be or are clamped in a stable position and suitable for machining,
• - Each workstation ( 1 to 5 ) or two adjacent workstations ( 1 and 2 or 3 and 4 ) is assigned to a processing robot ( 6 , 7 ) preferably arranged in front of hanging, the line of alignment of the robot-equipped work stations ( 1 to 5 ) is blocked off by the protective line accessible by the worker of the insertion stations ( 8 to 12 ),
• - Within the line of alignment of the transfer stations ( 13 to 17 ), an intermediate storage space ( 25 ) is provided between each two adjacent transfer stations for positionally stable and right-hand storage of a workpiece from the preceding, the small work line,
• - The transfer stations ( 13 to 17 ) and intermediate storage spaces ( 25 ) by at least one along the flight line of the transfer stations ( 13 to 17 ) movable, preferably hanging arranged handling robot ( 23 ) connected to transport, with one for all in the respective small work Lines ( 8 , 1 , 13 ; 9 , 2 , 14 ; 10 , 3 , 15 ; 11 , 4 , 16 ; 12 , 5 , 17 ) occur in the intermediate production stages and component positions of the grippers that can be used,
• - In the escape line of the transfer stations ( 13 to 17 ) at the end beyond the transfer station ( 13 to 17 ) of the last th small work line ( 12 , 5 , 17 ) a storage station ( 24 ) for finished or finished body assemblies is also arranged by the or one of the handling robots ( 23 ) can be reached.

2. bodyshell manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the or the processing robot ( 6 , 7 ) as a hanging angeord Nete (r) portal robot is or are. 3. bodyshell manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the or the handling robot ( 23 ) is also designed as a hanging (r) portal robot. 4. bodyshell manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the line of alignment of the transfer stations ( 13 to 17 ) at the ren end beyond the transfer station ( 13 or 17 ) of the first or last small work line ( 8 , 1 , 12 or 12 , 5 , 17 ) an insertion station ( 29 ) for pressed parts, unfinished parts or additional parts is angeord net, which is also accessible by the or one of the handling robots ( 23 ). 5. bodyshell manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in

• - That at least in some of the small work lines ( 8 , 1 , 13 ; 9 , 2 , 14 ; 10 , 3 , 15 ; 11 , 4 , 16 ) at the end beyond the transfer station ( 13 to 16 ) each have another, from the transport-related concatenation of the stations (component carrier carriage 22 ), which can also be reached and is designed as a manual work station ( 18 to 21 ), is arranged,
• - That the escape line accessible by workers of the manual work stations ( 18 to 21 ) of the robot-operated escape line of the transfer stations ( 13 to 17 ) is blocked off by a protective device and
• - That in the material flow direction beyond the manual work stations ( 18 to 21 ) another parallel to the row of Handar beitsstations ( 18 to 21 ) extending series of staging positions ( 28 ) for pressed parts, raw parts or accessories is arranged.

6. bodyshell manufacturing device according to claim 5, characterized in that a supply route for bringing the pressed parts, raw parts or attachments is arranged parallel to the line of alignment of the preparation places ( 28 ) of the manual work stations ( 18 to 21 ) beyond the provision places ( 18 to 21 ).