FR2728186A1 - Installation for assembly of different model motor vehicle bodies - Google Patents

Abstract

The assembly installation has two work stations (5,6) and handling equipment to load and transfer the vehicle bodies. The handling equipment (7) is displaced along guide tracks (8) formed of fixed and mobile sections. The mobile sections (81) deliver the bodies to fixed sections (822) which act as holding stations, and also deliver the bodies along fixed access paths (821) to the work stations. The mobile sections are attached to a turret (10) that is mounted in rotation about a vertical axis. Controls are provided to select the path traversed by the bodies, with the bodies either being held waiting or transferred to the mobile part, which rotates to carry the body to a workstation or to another holding area. The two work stations are an assembly station (5) and a welding station (6).

Description

INSTALLATION FOR ASSEMBLY OF N TYPES OF
BODIES IN PARTICULAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES
The invention relates to an installation for assembling N types of bodies, in particular of motor vehicles.

The invention relates more particularly to an installation for assembling bodies which comprises at least two work stations and means for loading and transferring bodies.

The existing facilities today allow the assembly of several body models of the same type of vehicle. They include in particular a pre-assembly station comprising a fixed support for loading the bodies, at the outlet of which the latter are moved along a displacement path towards a welding station also comprising a fixed support for loading the bodies.

These installations do not allow the assembly of bodies of several types of vehicle, the geometry of the supports being, in fact, specific to each type of vehicle. However, this situation becomes particularly troublesome when a chain is used only at a small percentage compared to its capacities.

One could however imagine for this purpose, to change the settings of the robots and the supports of an installation for each type of vehicle to be assembled, but this change supposes a long stop of operation.

 It is therefore not conceivable to use such an installation alternately for different types of vehicle.

Furthermore, during the development of a new vehicle, the problem arises of producing prototypes which generally require a first assembly installation while for mass production a second installation is used; which implies considerable loss of time in developing this new installation. There incurs, the non-versatility "of the installations for various types of vehicle create serious disadvantages.

The invention therefore relates to an installation for assembling bodies of different types of vehicle.

The installation also relates to an installation allowing without interruption of operation and without waiting for parts, to change the type of assembled bodies.

The purpose of the installation is also the installation of a single installation for the prototypes and the models in series which avoids the risks of loss in quality and in time.

The invention also relates to an installation allowing for different types of bodies a standardization of assembly cascades and manufacturing processes and organizations.

According to the invention, the loading and transfer means can be moved on guide tracks formed on the one hand by movable sections and on the other hand by fixed sections for placing said means on standby and fixed access sections at work stations.

Advantageously, the movable sections of the guide tracks are secured to a support mounted for rotation about a vertical axis.

The loading and displacement means are mounted in translation along the guide tracks.

In particular, the two work stations consist of an assembly station and a "welding" station.

In order to have at least two models of each type of body available, the number of mobile sections and fixed sections of standby respectively is greater than or equal to 2N.

In the same way, the number of loading means is greater than or equal to 2N.

The invention also relates to an installation in accordance with the preceding characteristics, characterized in that it has a command for selecting the guidance of the means for loading the bodies to the fixed or mobile sections.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on reading an exemplary embodiment of an installation for assembling motor vehicle bodies with reference to the drawing in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective representation of the installation, - Figures 2A, 2B,, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F are schematic representations of the operating principle of the installation.

According to FIG. 1, the installation comprises an assembly station 5 constituted by a support 51 and at least one assembly and gripping robot 52, a welding station 6 constituted by a support 61 and welding robots 62, and means for loading and transferring the bodies 7.

The bodies are brought to the assembly station 5 for example by one of the robots of this station, and at the output of this "secondary" installation, a transfer robot, not shown, transfers the welded bodies to the main assembly line.

The loading means 7 consist of carriages commonly called "pallets" which are movable on guide tracks 8, and specific to each type of bodywork.

The guide tracks 8 such as roller tables, are constituted by movable sections 81 and by fixed sections 82: - the sections 81 are movable by their attachment to a support 10 mounted for rotation about a vertical axis 11, the fixed sections 82 comprise two fixed sections 821 which allow access to pallets 7 respectively at the assembly station and at the welding station, the other fixed sections 822 being intended for placing pallets 7 on standby.

The pallets 7 thus have a translational movement along the different sections 81 and 82 of the roller tables 8.

In order to assemble N types of bodywork, the installation must have at least 2N pallets and 2N fixed sections of hold. Indeed, this condition permanently ensures the alternative of welding a body identical to the previous one or different without dead time.

To this end, a selection command, not shown, for guiding the pallets 7 allows their orientation towards a movable section 81, a fixed section 822 for waiting or a fixed section 821 for access to one of the work stations.

An example of the operation of the installation will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F, in which an installation is represented comprising: - an assembly station 5 and a welding station 6 , - roller tables 8 comprising four fixed sections 822 for placing the pallets on standby, two fixed sections 821 for access to the two aforementioned stations and four mobile sections 81, - four pallets of two types: 7a and 7b capable of receiving respectively bodies A, A 'and B, B', the loaded pallets being referenced A + and B +.

Of course, the number of bodies present simultaneously on the installation is not limited to those shown. In fact, the latter has been limited only for the purpose of simplifying the understanding of the figures, and the same is true of the number of fixed sections of standby, of mobile sections and of pallets.

The operation will be described by going from one figure to the next.

In FIG. 2A: - the position of the support 10 is such that two mobile sections 81 are vis-à-vis with the two access sections 821, - a bodywork A is pre-assembled on the support 51 of the station assembly 5, a corresponding first empty pallet 7a being waiting on the access section 822 located near the station, - a bodywork A 'has just been welded to the welding station, and moves on the support 61 while the second corresponding empty pallet 7a is about to move on a movable section 81, - two of the fixed queuing sections 821 are occupied respectively by a loaded pallet B + and an empty pallet 7b.

In the description of the operation with reference to the following figures, only the elements whose position has been modified will be attached.

 Flgure 2B: - the bodywork A is loaded on the first pallet 7a of the access section 822, - the second empty pallet 7a of the access section 822 at the welding station 6 moves in translation towards the movable section 81 vis-à-vis opposite, - the pallet B + translates towards the end of the standby section 821, oriented towards the support 10. The ends of the standby sections 821 oriented towards the support 10 will be referred to below: the ends transfer.

 Figure 2C: - the support 10 carrying the sections 81, has turned a quarter of a turn in the direction of the arrow shown in the previous figure, - the pallet A + translates towards the transfer end of the access section 822 , - the pallet B + passes from the section where it was stationed to the movable section 81 then opposite, - the second pallet 7a is found vis-à-vis with a waiting section 821 on which it is ready to spend.

Figure 2D: - the support 10 has again turned a quarter of a turn still in the same direction, mobile sections 81 are then opposite with the access sections 822, - the pallet A + is passed over a movable section 81, - the pallet B + is opposite the access section 822 at the welding station 6 and is ready to move there, - the second pallet 7a has passed over a section of standby 821, - the pallet 7b has moved towards the transfer end of its standby section 821.

 Figure 2E: - the support 10 has turned a quarter of a turn, - the pallet A + is ready to move towards a standby section 821, - the pallet B + has moved on the access section 822 to the welding station 6 and can therefore be welded, - the second pallet 7a and the pallet 7b are respectively ready to reach a movable section 81.

 FIG. 2F: - the support 10 has turned a quarter of a turn, the mobile sections 81 again finding themselves opposite with the access sections 822 at the two stations 5 and 6, - the pallet A + has passed on a standby section 821, - the bodywork B was unloaded after welding the pallet B + now empty, to the support 61, - the second pallet 7a is located on a movable section 81, - the pallet 7b moves towards the access section 822 of the assembly station 5, - a bodywork B 'is pre-assembled on the support 51 of the assembly station 5.

Of course depending on requirements, the passage of a bodywork from the assembly station 5 to the welding station 6 by means of a corresponding pallet, can be carried out directly without parking said pallet on a section 821 of standby.

Claims (7)

1) Installation for the assembly of N types of bodywork in particular  motor vehicle, which has at least two  work (5, 6) and means of loading and transfer (7) of  bodies, characterized in that the loading means and  transfer (7) are movable on guide tracks (8)  constituted on the one hand by mobile sections (81) and on the other hand by  fixed sections (822) for placing said means and  fixed sections (821) for access to work stations. 2) Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the  movable sections (81) of the guide tracks (8) are integral with a  support (10) rotatably mounted about a vertical axis (11). 3) Installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the  loading and displacement means (7) are mounted in translation  along the guide tracks (8). 4) Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 3,  characterized by the fact that the two work stations are made up  by an assembly station (5) and a "welding" station (6). 5) Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 4,  characterized by the fact that the number of sections respectively  mobile (81) and fixed sections (822) of standby is  greater than or equal to 2N. 6) Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 5,  characterized in that the number of loading means (7)  is greater than or equal to 2N. 7) Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 6,  characterized by the fact that it has a command for selecting the  guiding the loading means (7) of the bodies to the  fixed (82) or mobile (81) sections.