JP2002239855A - Data transmission system in assembly line - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data transmission system in an assembly line capable of easily changing an arrangement interval of assembly stations, operating securely, and reducing total cost. SOLUTION: In the data transmission system in the assembly line constituted such that data provided in a body to be assembled and conveyed in the assembly line 1 composed of a plurality of assembly stations 3, 3a, 3e, 3m is read and instructions for assembly contents are given to part indication panels 4 provided by corresponding to respective assembly stations, a read station 12 provided with a data read sensor 13 is provided on the upstream side of the assembly stations, read data is sequentially inputted into a sequencer 16 to transmit the data to the part indication panels, and data read sensors 14, 15 for check are provided in any of assembly stations to check the read data with the data read by the data read sensor 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a data transmission system in an assembly line for attaching, for example, parts of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in an assembly line for an engine of an automobile, a plurality of assembly stations for assembling various parts to the engine are continuously provided. One conveyor is provided, and several types of engines are continuously and randomly flown on this conveyor. In this case, even if the engine to be assembled is of a single model, various components (for example, a spark plug and a piston ring) attached to the engine differ depending on whether the automobile is for domestic or foreign use. . For example, even if it is for domestic use, the type of parts to be assembled differs depending on whether it is for cold regions or something else, and if it is for foreign countries, if the export area or country is different, the type of parts to be assembled will be different . For this reason, conventionally, an ID tag is attached to the body to be assembled, the data described in the ID tag is read, and based on this, a component indicating panel provided corresponding to each of the assembling stations is provided. Was to indicate the contents of assembly.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a configuration of a data transmission system in the above-mentioned conventional assembly line. In this figure, reference numeral 31 denotes an assembly line, and a transfer device such as a conveyor is provided from one end to the other end. 32, and a plurality of assembly stations 33 are provided so as to be adjacent to each other. And 34 is each assembly station 3
3 is a component indicating panel (TCR panel) provided on each of the components 3, and each of the component indicating panels 34 is an ID tag attached to an assembly (or a pallet on which it is mounted) conveyed by the conveying device 32. A data reading sensor (also referred to as an antenna) 35 for reading data written in (not shown) is provided. In FIG. 3, 3
6, a hub; 37, 38, 39 signal cables; 40, a transceiver; 41, a terminating resistor;

[0004] In the data transmission system for the assembly line having the above-mentioned structure, a data reading sensor 35 attached to a component indicating panel 34 provided at each of the assembly stations 33 has a data reading sensor 35 attached to an assembly or a pallet. The data written in the ID tag is read, and the assembling contents are instructed on the component indicating panel 34 based on the read contents.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional data transmission system on an assembly line, since a plurality of assembly stations 33 are provided with the data reading sensors 35, a reading error easily occurs. If the data reading error occurs in any one of the assembling stations 33, the operation of the entire assembling line is stopped.

[0006] Further, the assembling tact (assembly time) is changed in accordance with the change of the to-be-assembled object, the assembling parts are changed in accordance with a minor change, and the assembling order of the assembling parts is changed. In such a case, the arrangement interval (pitch) of the assembling stations 33 needs to be changed. However, since the data reading sensors 35 are provided in the respective assembling stations 33, the arrangement intervals are changed. There was a disadvantage that it took a lot of labor and time to do so.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned matters, and has as its object to minimize the occurrence of abnormal data reading, to change the assembling tact, change the assembling parts, For example, it is possible to easily change the arrangement interval of the assembly stations to respond to the change of the assembly order, etc.
An object of the present invention is to provide a data transmission system in an assembly line that can operate reliably and reduce the total cost.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, an object to be assembled which is conveyed so as to sequentially pass through an assembly line consisting of a plurality of assembly stations through the assembly station is provided. Read the attached data,
Based on the read contents, data on an assembling line configured to instruct an assembling content for the to-be-attached body to a component indicating panel provided corresponding to each of the plurality of assembling stations. In the transmission system,
On the upstream side of the plurality of assembly stations, a reading station provided with a data reading sensor for reading the data is provided, and the data read by the data reading sensor is sequentially input to a sequencer. Data is transferred to the component indicating panel by shifting one pitch at a time, and a data reading sensor for verification is provided at any of the plurality of assembling stations, and data read by the data reading sensor for verification is provided. The data is compared with data read by a data reading sensor provided in the reading station.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of the present invention. First, FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration of a data transmission system (hereinafter, simply referred to as a data transmission system) in an assembly line according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an assembly line; One independent assembly line 1 is shown. The assembling line 1 is provided with a conveying device 2 such as a conveyor from one end to the other end, and a plurality of assembling stations 3 are provided so as to be adjacent thereto. Reference numeral 4 denotes a component indicating panel (TCR) provided at each of the assembling stations 3.
Board). Each component indicating panel 4 is connected to a hub 6 via a signal line 5. Further, the hub 6 is connected to a line 8 via a signal line 7, and this line 8 is connected to a personal computer 9 for assisting parts instruction via a hub 6A. Reference numeral 10 denotes a transceiver provided on the line 8, and reference numeral 11 denotes a terminating resistor. The configuration up to this point is not much different from the configuration of the conventional data transmission system shown in FIG.

The data transmission system of the present invention is significantly different from the conventional data transmission system as follows. That is, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 12 denotes a reading station formed at a position upstream of the first assembling station 3a in the assembling line 1; A data reading sensor (antenna) 13 is provided for reading data D (see FIG. 2) on the mounted body written on the ID tag attached to the pallet to be mounted. Reference numerals 14 and 15 denote data reading sensors (antennas) for verification provided at, for example, the final assembling station 3e and the intermediate assembling station 3m of the plurality of assembling stations 3, respectively. Has functions. The data reading sensor 15 of the intermediate assembling station 3m checks whether the data of the ID tag read by the data reading sensor 13 of the reading station 12 is correct. The data reading sensor 14 checks whether or not the body to be mounted coming out of the mounting line 1 is erroneous with the data read by the reading station 12.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 16 denotes a sequencer provided for one assembling line 1, for example, a storage shift board. The storage shift board 16 has a data reading sensor 13 provided in the reading station 12.
And the outputs of the data reading sensors 14 and 15 provided for verification in the assembling stations 3e and 3m. As shown in FIG. 2, the storage shift board 16 shifts the data D read by the data reading sensor 13 in the storage buffer 16B for each pitch, and is provided in each of the assembling stations 3. Is transferred to the part indicating panel 4.

For example, as shown in FIG.
Is composed of a plurality of assembling stations 3, 3a, 3e, and 3m below the reading station 12, and the data D of the body to be assembled (in the illustrated example, indicated by a uniform number) by the data reading sensor 13 of the reading station 12. ) Are sequentially read. At this time, the uniform number as the data D read by the data reading sensor 13 is stored in the storage buffer 16B of the storage shift board 16 in the storage buffer 16B.
For example, the stations are sequentially shifted one pitch at a time in accordance with the speed at which the assembly object is conveyed.
e and 3m are transferred to the component indicating panel 4 provided respectively. Thereby, the parts indicating panel 4 of each assembling station 3
, It is possible to know which assembly is to be sent, and based on this, it is possible to instruct the contents of assembly to the assembly.

In the data transmission system, the first position of the assembly line 1 (reading station 1)
In addition to providing the data reading sensor 13 in 2), data reading sensors 14 and 15 for verification are provided in the middle and at the final position of the assembling station 3, respectively.
5 is compared with the data from the data reading sensor 13, it is possible to quickly determine that an error such as a failure of the mounted body during the transportation of the assembly line 1 due to any cause or a change in the transportation order has occurred. Can be detected.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, one storage shift board 16 may be assigned to a plurality of assembly lines 1, and the data reading sensors 14 for comparison may be used. 15 may be provided at another appropriate assembling station 3, and when the assembling line 1 is composed of many assembling stations 3, the installation location may be three or more.

[0015]

As described above, in the data transmission system of the present invention, a reading station provided with a data reading sensor for reading the data is provided on the upstream side of the plurality of assembling stations. The read data is sequentially input to the sequencer, the input data is shifted by one pitch at a time in the sequencer, data is transferred to the component indicating panel, and the read data is compared with one of the plurality of assembling stations. A data reading sensor for checking the data read by the checking data reading sensor with data read by a data reading sensor provided in the reading station. Since only a data reading sensor is provided for verification, the assembly line and its Configuration around are simplified. Therefore, it is possible to easily change the configuration of the system, for example, change the arrangement interval of the assembly stations to cope with the change of the assembly tact, the change of the assembly parts, the change of the assembly order, and the like.

Further, it is not necessary to provide a data reading sensor at each of the plurality of assembling stations constituting the assembling line, and the number of data reading sensors can be greatly reduced as compared with the conventional one. In addition to the reduction, the equipment cost and the running cost are reduced, the total cost can be significantly reduced, and an inexpensive and highly accurate data transmission system can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an example of a data transmission system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram of the data transmission system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a conventional data transmission system.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Assembly line, 3, 3a, 3e, 3m ... Assembly station, 4 ... Parts instruction panel, 12 ... Reading station, 13
... Data reading sensors, 14, 15 ... Data reading sensors for verification, 16 ... Sequencer, D: Data.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for reading data attached to an assembly to be conveyed so as to sequentially pass through the assembly station in an assembly line including a plurality of assembly stations, and based on the read content, In a data transmission system in an assembly line configured to instruct an assembly content to the assembly target with respect to a component indicating panel provided corresponding to each of the assembly stations, A reading station provided with a data reading sensor for reading the data is provided upstream of the attaching station, and the data read by the data reading sensor is sequentially input to a sequencer, and the input data is shifted by one pitch in the sequencer. Then, while transferring data to the component indicating panel, any one of the plurality of assembling stations A data reading sensor for verification is provided, and data read by the data reading sensor for verification is compared with data read by a data reading sensor provided in the reading station. Data transmission system.