JP2014188629A - Conveyance system and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve efficiency of input of a work-piece.SOLUTION: A conveyance system comprises: a first area in which a conveyance mechanism having a slider which can reciprocate between a first area in which a work device is disposed and a second area in which a work-piece used in the first area is input; a palette which is separably mounted to the slider and can mount the work-piece thereon; and a first lifting mechanism which is so disposed to be retractably lifted with respect to a reciprocating surface of the slider and performs separation of the palette from the slider and mounting of the palette to the slider.

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer system for transferring a workpiece in a production facility or the like.

  As a system form in a production facility, a flexible production system in which a human cell and a machine cell are combined has been proposed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the flexible production system, for example, an operator inputs a workpiece, and a machine performs an operation on the input workpiece. Therefore, a transport system that transports the workpiece between the human cell and the machine cell is required. As such a transport system, a system including a slider that reciprocates between a human cell and a machine cell is known. The operator can put the work into the machine cell by placing the work on the slider.

JP 2010-152865 A JP 2011-110650 A

  However, in the conventional transfer system, it may take time to load the workpiece. For example, when a plurality of workpieces are transported simultaneously, the workpiece placement time increases in proportion to the number of workpieces. This lowers the conveyance efficiency, and thus reduces the operating rate of the production facility.

  An object of the present invention is to increase the efficiency of workpiece input.

  According to the present invention, a transport mechanism including a slider that can reciprocate between a first area where a working device is disposed and a second area where a work used in the first area is placed, A pallet that is detachably mounted on the slider, and a pallet on which the workpiece can be mounted, and is arranged in the second area so as to freely move up and down with respect to the reciprocating surface of the slider, and the pallet is separated from the slider And a first elevating mechanism for mounting the pallet on the slider.

  In addition, according to the present invention, the transport mechanism having a slider capable of reciprocating between the first area where the working device is disposed and the second area where the work is placed can be separated into the slider. A pallet that is mounted and capable of mounting the workpiece, and is arranged in the second area, and the pallet is separated from the slider by lifting and lowering the pallet with respect to the slider, and the pallet is mounted on the slider And a lifting mechanism that performs the above-described lifting mechanism, wherein the first lifting mechanism is raised above the reciprocating surface of the slider, and the pallet on which a workpiece is mounted is A step of mounting on the first lifting mechanism; and the first lifting mechanism is lowered below the reciprocating movement surface of the slider, and the pallet mounted with the workpiece is moved up and down first. A step of transferring from the structure on the slider, by the transport mechanism, and a step of moving the slider from the second area to the first area, the control method characterized in that there is provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the efficiency of workpiece input.

The layout figure of the production equipment provided with the conveyance system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A) is a side view of the production facility in FIG. 1, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. Explanatory drawing of operation | movement of a raising / lowering mechanism and a sensor. The block diagram of a control apparatus. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the production facility of FIG. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the production facility of FIG. The layout figure of the production equipment provided with the conveyance system of another example. Explanatory drawing of a transfer mechanism. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the production facility of FIG. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the production facility of FIG. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the production facility of FIG. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the production facility of FIG. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the production facility provided with the conveyance system of another example. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the production facility of FIG. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the production facility of FIG. Explanatory drawing of the production equipment provided with the conveyance system of another example. Explanatory drawing of the production equipment provided with the conveyance system of another example.

<First Embodiment>
With reference to FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 6, the production equipment B provided with the conveyance system A and the conveyance system A which concern on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. In each figure, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions orthogonal to each other, and arrow Z indicates a vertical direction.

  First, the structure of the conveyance system A and the production equipment B will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2A and 2B. 1 is a layout view of a production facility B equipped with a transfer system A, FIG. 2A is a side view of the production facility B of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line II in FIG. It is.

  The production facility B includes a virtually partitioned area R1 and an area R2. In the area R1, a working device 100 that performs work on the workpieces W1 and W2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the workpiece W) is arranged. In the present embodiment, two working devices 100 that perform the same work are arranged. On the other hand, the worker H is arranged in the area R2. That is, in the present embodiment, the area R1 mainly constitutes a machine cell on which the work apparatus 100 performs work, and the area R2 mainly constitutes a human cell on which the worker H works.

  Each work apparatus 100 includes a work head 101 and a moving mechanism 102 that can move the work head 101 in the Y direction and the Z direction. The moving mechanism 102 may be a mechanism capable of moving the work head 101 in the X direction. The work mechanism 101 is moved to the work position of the work W by the moving mechanism 102 to perform various work. The work content includes processing of a part, assembly of another part to the part, mounting of another part to the part, inspection of the part, and the like. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the work W2 is fixed to the work W1 (for example, caulking work).

  In the case of the present embodiment, the area R2 constitutes an area where the work W is loaded and the work W that has been worked is carried out, and these are basically performed by the worker H. However, a configuration in which the work W is loaded and unloaded by a robot (not shown) without using the area R2 as a human cell can be employed.

  In the area R2, work placement tables 110 and 111 and a work preparation table 112 are arranged. On the workpiece mounting table 110, workpieces W1 and W2 to be thrown in which work by the working device 100 is not performed are placed. On the workpiece mounting table 111, the workpieces W1 and W2 that have been completed by the work apparatus 100 are placed. The workpiece preparation table 112 is prepared and placed in a state in which workpieces W1 and W2 to be loaded can be loaded.

  The transport system A includes a pallet 1, a transport mechanism 2, an elevating mechanism 3, and a sensor 4. In the present embodiment, a plurality of sets (here, two sets) of the transport mechanism 2, the lifting mechanism 3, and the sensor 4 are provided.

  The pallet 1 is a plate-like member on which the workpiece W is mounted. The pallet 1 has an engaging portion 11 that engages with the workpieces W1 and W2 and positions the mounting position. In the case of this embodiment, four engaging portions 11 are formed on the upper surface of the pallet 1. The engaging portion 11 may have any configuration, for example, a protrusion or a hole.

  The pallet 1 also has an engaging portion 12 that engages with the slider 21 of the transport mechanism 2 to perform positioning. The engagement portion 12 may have any configuration, but in the case of the present embodiment, the engagement portion 12 is a non-through hole formed in the vertical direction on the lower surface of the pallet 1 and is formed at two locations. The pallet 1 also has an engaging portion 13 that engages with the lifting mechanism 3 to perform positioning. The engagement portion 13 may have any configuration, but in the case of the present embodiment, the engagement portion 13 is a hole that vertically penetrates the pallet 1 and is formed at four locations.

  The transport mechanism 2 includes a slider 21 and a guide rail 22. The guide rail 22 is a member for guiding the movement of the slider 21. The slider 21 engages with the guide rail 22 and moves on the slider 21 by a drive mechanism (not shown), and detects the position of the slider 21 by a sensor (not shown). To do. As a drive mechanism (not shown), for example, a belt transmission mechanism using a motor as a drive source, a ball screw mechanism, a rack and pinion mechanism, or the like can be used. As a sensor (not shown), a linear encoder, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation amount of the motor of the drive mechanism, or the like can be used.

  The guide rail 22 extends linearly in the Y direction across the area R1 and the area R2. As a result, the slider 21 can horizontally reciprocate in the Y direction between the areas R1 and R2. An alternate long and two short dashes line L indicates a reciprocating surface of the upper surface of the slider 21.

  The slider 21 includes an engaging portion 21 a that engages with the pallet 1 and positions the pallet 1. In the case of the present embodiment, the engaging portion 21 a is a pin member corresponding to the engaging portion 12 of the pallet 1, and protrudes two places upward from the upper surface of the slider 21. The engaging portion 12 and the engaging portion 21a may be of any configuration as long as they correspond to each other.

  In the case of this embodiment, the two sets of guide rails 22 are arranged in parallel to each other. Thereby, the area R2 can be collectively arranged on one end side of the installation space of the production facility B, and the area R1 can be arranged on the other end side. The movement range of the worker H can be separated from the work device 100, and it becomes easy to ensure the safety of the worker H. In addition, the work W can be loaded and unloaded in one area R2.

  The engaging portion 12 and the engaging portion 21a are inserted and removed by the relative movement of the slider 21 and the pallet 1 in the vertical direction. By inserting the engaging portion 21a into the engaging portion 12, the slider 21 and the pallet 1 are positioned relative to each other.

  The lifting mechanism 3 is disposed in the area R <b> 2 on one end side of the guide rail 22, and includes a lifting member 31 on which the pallet 1 is mounted and a drive unit 32 that lifts and lowers the lifting member 31. The elevating member 31 has a U-shaped cross section in order to avoid interference with the slider 21 and the guide rail 22, and the upper end portions thereof are mounting surfaces 31 a and 31 a of the pallet 1. The elevating member 31 also includes an engaging portion 31b that engages with the pallet 1 and positions it. In the case of this embodiment, the engaging part 31b is a pin member corresponding to the engaging part 13 of the pallet 1, and protrudes upwards at four places from the placement surface 31a. Note that the engaging portion 13 and the engaging portion 31b may have any configuration as long as they correspond to each other.

  The engaging portion 13 and the engaging portion 31b are inserted and removed by the relative movement in the vertical direction between the placement surface 31a and the pallet 1. By inserting the engaging portion 31b into the engaging portion 13, the elevating member 31 and the pallet 1 are positioned relative to each other.

  The drive unit 32 includes a drive source that raises and lowers the elevating member 31. In the case of the present embodiment, the drive unit 32 is configured by an electric cylinder, but the configuration may be any, for example, an air cylinder, a belt transmission mechanism using a motor as a drive source, a ball screw, or the like. A mechanism, a rack and pinion mechanism, or the like can be used.

  The sensor 4 is a sensor that detects whether or not the pallet 1 is placed on the elevating member 31. In the present embodiment, the sensor 4 is an optical sensor having a light emitting element 41 and a light receiving element 42. The light emitted from the light emitting element 41 is blocked by the pallet 1 and does not reach the light receiving element 42, or the presence (attended) of the pallet 1 is detected by reducing the amount of received light.

  Next, operations of the lifting mechanism 3 and the sensor 4 will be described with reference to FIG. State ST1 shows a state before the elevating member 31 is in the raised position and the pallet 1 is mounted. In this state, the mounting surface 31 a of the elevating member 31 is at a position higher than the reciprocating surface L of the slider 21, and the elevating member 31 appears with respect to the reciprocating surface L.

  The worker H places the workpiece W on the pallet 1 on the workpiece preparation table 112 and mounts the placement surface 31 a of the elevating member 31. At this time, the elevating member 31 and the pallet 1 are positioned relative to each other by placing the pallet 1 so that the engaging portion 31 b is inserted into the engaging portion 13. Then, as shown in the state ST2, the sensor 4 detects the presence of the pallet 1.

  With this detection as a trigger, the drive unit 32 of the elevating mechanism 3 is driven, and the elevating member 31 starts to descend to the lowered position. The pallet 1 is mounted by being mounted on the slider 21 while the elevating member 31 is being lowered. At the time of this mounting, the engaging portion 21a is inserted into the engaging portion 12, whereby the slider 21 and the pallet 1 are positioned relative to each other.

  As shown in state ST3, when the elevating member 31 is lowered to the lowered position, the pallet 1 is separated from the elevating member 31. The mounting surface 31 a of the elevating member 31 is at a position lower than the reciprocating surface L of the slider 21, and the elevating member 31 is hidden (sunk) below the reciprocating surface L. With the above procedure, the pallet 1 can be transferred from the lifting mechanism 3 to the slider 21. When transferring the pallet from the slider 21 to the lifting mechanism 3, the procedure is reversed. That is, when the elevating member 31 is raised from the state ST3, the pallet 1 is mounted on the placement surface 31a and moves upward, so that it is separated from the slider 21.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the elevating member 31 moves up and down freely with respect to the reciprocating surface L of the slider 21, thereby separating the pallet 1 from the slider 21 and attaching (delivering) the pallet 1 to the slider 21. be able to.

  Next, FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the control device 5 of the transport system A. The control device 5 includes a processing unit 51, a storage unit 52, and an interface unit 53, which are connected to each other via a bus (not shown). The processing unit 51 executes a program stored in the storage unit 52. The processing unit 51 is, for example, a CPU. The storage unit 52 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk, or the like. The interface unit 53 is provided between the processing unit 51 and an external device (host computer C, sensor 54, actuator 55), and is, for example, a communication interface or an I / O interface. The host computer C is a control device that controls the entire production facility B.

  The sensor 54 includes, for example, the sensor 4 and a sensor that detects the position of the slider 21. The actuator 55 includes the drive source of the transport mechanism 2, the drive unit 32 of the lifting mechanism 3, and the like. The control device 5 controls the transport system A according to an instruction from the host computer C. Hereinafter, control examples of the entire production facility B including control of the transfer system A will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 5, and 6. 5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the production facility B. FIG.

  The worker H loads the workpieces W1 and W2 on the pallet 1 in advance. This operation can be performed on the work preparation table 112 shown in FIG. The workpiece W1 is, for example, a main body of an electronic device, and the workpiece W2 is, for example, a lid that closes an opening of the workpiece W1. The operator places these on the pallet 1 in a state where the workpiece W2 is stacked at a predetermined position so as to close the opening of the workpiece W1. In the present embodiment, two sets of workpieces W1 and W2 can be mounted on one pallet 1.

  When the mounting of the workpieces W1 and W2 on the pallet 1 is completed, the worker H places the pallet 1 on the lifting member 31 of the lifting mechanism 3 (state ST11 in FIG. 5). The elevating member 31 is in the raised position described above, and the sensor 4 detects that the pallet 1 has been placed. With the detection of the pallet 1 by the sensor 4, the elevating member 31 is lowered as shown in the state ST12, and the pallet 1 is transferred to the slider 21.

  Next, the slider 21 is moved to the working device 100 (state ST13 in FIG. 5). Thereby, the pallet 1 is conveyed to the working device 100. As shown in the state ST14 in FIG. 6, the work apparatus 100 sequentially performs work on the two sets of works W1 and W2. For example, the work apparatus 100 performs a process of fixing the work W2 to the work W1. The slider 21 stands by at the working device 100 until the processing is completed.

  When the processing is completed, the slider 21 is moved again and returned to the lifting mechanism 3 side (state ST15 in FIG. 6). When the slider 21 reaches the elevating mechanism 3, the elevating member 31 is raised to separate the pallet 1 from the slider 21 (state ST16 in FIG. 6). Thus, one unit of operation is completed.

  The operator H picks up the pallet 1 from the elevating member 31 and places it on the work preparation table 112. Then, the pallet 1 loaded with the unprocessed workpieces W1 and W2 prepared in advance on the workpiece preparation table 112 is placed on the elevating member 31. Then, the state ST11 of FIG. 5 is entered and the same operation is performed again. The processed workpieces W1 and W2 are removed from the pallet 1 and placed on the workpiece mounting table 111. And preparation of the next pallet 1 is advanced.

  In the present embodiment, the workpiece W is loaded and unloaded in units of one pallet as described above. Even when there are a plurality of workpieces W, the loading and unloading can be performed collectively, so that the efficiency of the loading and unloading of the workpieces W can be improved. Preparation of an unworked workpiece W on the pallet 1 and movement of the worked workpiece W to the workpiece mounting table 111 can be performed while the loaded workpiece W is being worked, and the operation rate of the production facility B is not affected. . In this embodiment, when the work W is input, the transport operation is started when the sensor 4 detects the pallet 1. However, a button for instructing completion of input is provided, It may be triggered by detection of the operation of the worker H.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, the loading and unloading of the work W are performed in the common area R2. However, the loading area and the unloading area may be separated. FIG. 7 is a layout diagram of the production facility B1 provided with the transport system A1 of the present embodiment. A description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted, and different points will be described.

  In the production facility B1, human cells are divided into an area R21 where only the work W is input and an area R22 where only the work W is carried out. In these areas, configurations corresponding to the workpiece mounting tables 110 and 111 and the workpiece preparation table 112 in the first embodiment are arranged, but the illustration is omitted. One common worker H may be arranged in the areas R21 and R22, or a worker H may be arranged in each area. In addition, at least one of the area R21 and the area R22 may not be a human cell, and the robot may perform at least one of loading and unloading.

  A transport mechanism 2A is provided between the area R21 and the area R1, and a lifting mechanism 3A and a sensor 4A are provided in the area R21. A transport mechanism 2B is provided between the area R22 and the area R1, and an elevating mechanism 3B and a sensor 4B are provided in the area R22. The transport mechanisms 2A and 2B have the same configuration as the transport mechanism 2 of the first embodiment, and the lift mechanisms 3A and 3B have the same configuration as the lift mechanism 3 of the first embodiment. The sensors 4A and 4B have the same configuration as the sensor 4 of the first embodiment.

  The transport mechanism 2A constitutes a transport mechanism for loading the workpiece W, and the transport mechanism 2B constitutes a transport mechanism for unloading the workpiece W. The guide rail 22 of the transport mechanism 2A and the guide rail 22 of the transport mechanism 2B are parallel to each other.

  The working devices 100A to 100C have the same configuration as the working device 100 of the first embodiment. The work device 100A is disposed on the side of the transport mechanism 2A, and performs the work of mounting the work W12 on the pallet 1 on the work W11. The work device 100B is disposed on the transport mechanism 2B side, and inspects whether the work W12 is appropriately mounted on the work W11. The inspection can be performed, for example, by photographing the pallet 1 and based on the photographed image. At that time, for example, marks may be added to the workpieces W11 and W12 in advance, and it may be determined whether or not the workpieces W11 and W12 are appropriately mounted based on the positional relationship of the marks in the captured image. The work device 100C is disposed on the transport mechanism 2B side, and performs work for fixing the work W12 to the work W11.

  A transfer mechanism 6 is disposed in the area R1. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the transfer mechanism 6. In the case of this embodiment, the transfer mechanism 6 is a gantry-type transfer mechanism and includes a holding mechanism 61 that holds the workpiece W. In the case of this embodiment, the holding mechanism 61 opens and closes the pair of claw portions 61a to hold and hold the workpiece W, but other holding methods such as vacuum suction may be used.

  The holding mechanism 61 is moved by moving mechanisms 62 and 63. The moving mechanism 62 supports the holding mechanism 61 and moves up and down in the Z direction. The moving mechanism 63 supports the moving mechanism 62 and moves in the X direction. A moving mechanism that moves the holding mechanism 61 in the Y direction may be further provided. The moving mechanism 63 extends in the X direction and is installed on the columns 64 and 64.

  The holding mechanism 61 can be moved across the guide rails 22 of the transport mechanisms 2A and 2B by the moving mechanisms 62 and 63. The moving mechanisms 62 and 63 can be constituted by, for example, a belt transmission mechanism using a motor as a driving source, a ball screw mechanism, a rack and pinion mechanism, or the like.

  Next, an operation example of the production facility B1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The worker H mounts the workpiece W11 and the plurality of workpieces W12 on the pallet 1 in advance. And the pallet 1 is mounted on the raising / lowering member 31 of 3 A of raising / lowering mechanisms (state ST21 of FIG. 9). The elevating member 31 is in the above-described raised position, and the sensor 4A detects that the pallet 1 has been placed. In response to detection of the pallet 1 by the sensor 4A, the elevating member 31 is lowered and the pallet 1 is transferred to the slider 21. Then, the transport mechanism 2A transports the pallet 1 to the working device 100A (state ST22 in FIG. 9).

  On the other hand, the transport mechanism 2B is in a ready state in which the empty pallet 1 is positioned at the end of the transfer mechanism 6 side. When an operator places the empty pallet 1 on the lifting member 31 of the lifting mechanism 3B, the empty pallet 1 is transferred from the lifting member 31 of the lifting mechanism 3B to the slider 21 of the transport mechanism 2B, and is transported by the transport mechanism 2B.

  As shown in state ST22 of FIG. 9, work device 100A performs a work of mounting a plurality of works W12 on a predetermined part of work W11. When the operation is completed, the transport mechanism 2A positions the slider 21 at the end on the transfer mechanism 6 side. Thereafter, the holding mechanism 61 in the transfer mechanism 6 is lowered to grip the workpiece W1 on which the workpiece W12 is mounted as shown in the state ST23 of FIG. 10, and then the workpiece W1 is conveyed as shown in the state ST24 of FIG. Transfer to an empty pallet 1 on the mechanism 2B.

  The transport mechanism 2A moves the slider 21 to the lifting mechanism 3A side in order to return the empty pallet 1 to the lifting mechanism 3A. When the empty pallet 1 returns to the lifting mechanism 3A, the worker H exchanges the next pallet 1 with the unworked workpieces W11 and W12 and the empty pallet 1.

  As shown in state ST25 in FIG. 11, the transport mechanism 2B transports the pallet 1 on which the workpiece W11 is transferred to the work apparatus 100B. Work device 100B inspects whether or not a plurality of workpieces W12 are mounted on a predetermined part of workpiece W11. When the result of the inspection is abnormal, the transport mechanism 2B immediately transports the pallet 1 on which the workpiece W11 is mounted to the lifting mechanism 3B, and when it is normal, the transport mechanism 2B transports it to the work apparatus 100C. The transport mechanism 2A transports the next pallet 1 described above to the work apparatus 100A.

  When the inspection is normal, the work apparatus 100C performs an operation of fixing the plurality of workpieces W12 to the workpieces W11 as shown in a state ST26 in FIG.

  When the work of the working device 100C is finished, the transport mechanism 2B transports the pallet 1 to the lifting mechanism 3B side. As shown in state ST27 of FIG. 12, when the pallet 1 returns to the lifting mechanism 3B, the lifting mechanism 3B lifts the lifting member 31 and separates the pallet 1 from the slider 21. The operator H replaces the pallet 1 on the lifting member 31 with an empty pallet 1. The operation proceeds by repeating the above operations.

  In the present embodiment, by providing the transfer mechanism 6, the work W can be loaded and unloaded in different areas. At that time, since the work W is loaded and unloaded in units of one pallet, the efficiency can be improved.

<Third Embodiment>
In the second embodiment, the transfer mechanism 6 is configured to transfer the workpiece W between the transfer mechanism 2A and the transfer mechanism 2B. However, the working device 100 is provided between the transfer mechanism 2A and the transfer mechanism 2B. Between these, the transfer mechanism 6 may transfer the workpiece W. In the second embodiment, the transfer mechanism 6 directly holds and transfers the workpiece W. However, the pallet 1 may be transferred. FIG. 13A is a layout diagram of the production facility B2 provided with the transfer system A2 of the present embodiment. A description of the same configuration as in the second embodiment will be omitted, and different points will be described.

  In the case of this embodiment, a transfer mechanism 6A having a size that allows the holding mechanism 61A to hold the pallet 1 is employed. With the holding mechanism 61 </ b> A holding the pallet 1, the pallet 1 can be separated from the slider 21 by raising and lowering the pallet 1, and conversely, the pallet 1 can be mounted on the slider 21 by lowering the pallet 1 onto the slider 21. At the time of mounting, the mutual positioning is performed by the engagement between the engaging portion 21 a and the engaging portion 12.

  Work devices 100A to 100D are arranged in area R1. The working devices 100A to 100D have the same configuration as the working device 100 of the first embodiment. The work device 100A is disposed on the transport mechanism 2A side, and performs a work of mounting the work W22 on the pallet 1 on the work W21. The work device 100B is disposed between the transport mechanism 2A and the transport mechanism 2B, and includes a mounting table 103 on which the pallet 1 is temporarily mounted. The work device 100B inspects whether the workpiece W22 is properly mounted on the workpiece W21. The work device 100C is disposed on the transport mechanism 2B side, and performs work for fixing the work W22 to the work W21. The work device 100D is disposed on the transport mechanism 2B side, and performs a work of fitting the work W23 into the work W21 so as to cover the work W22.

  Next, an example of operation of the production facility B2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 (A), 13 (B), 14 and 15. The worker H mounts the workpiece W21, the plurality of workpieces W22, and the workpiece W23 on the pallet 1 in advance. And the pallet 1 is mounted on the raising / lowering member 31 of 3 A of raising / lowering mechanisms (FIG. 13 (A)). The elevating member 31 is in the above-described raised position, and the sensor 4A detects that the pallet 1 has been placed. In response to detection of the pallet 1 by the sensor 4A, the elevating member 31 is lowered and the pallet 1 is transferred to the slider 21. Then, the transport mechanism 2A transports the pallet 1 to the work device 100A. On the other hand, the transport mechanism 2B is in a ready state in which the slider 21 is positioned at the end on the transfer mechanism 6A side.

  As shown in a state ST31 in FIG. 13B, the work apparatus 100A performs a work of mounting a plurality of works W22 on a predetermined part of the work W21. In order to receive the pallet 1, the transfer mechanism 6A places the holding mechanism 61A on the end of the guide rail 22 of the transport mechanism 2A.

  When the work on the working device 100A is completed, the transport mechanism 2A positions the slider 21 at the end on the transfer mechanism 6A side. Thereafter, as shown in state ST32 of FIG. 14, after the holding mechanism 61A in the transfer mechanism 6A descends and grips the pallet 1, the pallet 1 is transferred onto the mounting table 103 of the work device 100B. After the holding mechanism 61A is retracted, the working device 100B inspects the workpieces W21 and W22 mounted on the pallet 1 on the mounting table 103. During this time, the transport mechanism 2A returns the slider 21 to the lifting mechanism 3A.

  As shown in a state ST33 in FIG. 14, the worker H exchanges the next pallet 1 on which unworked works W21, W22, and W23 are mounted with an empty pallet 1. When the work on the work device 100B is completed, the transfer mechanism 6A transfers the pallet 1 on the mounting table 103 onto the slider 21 of the transport mechanism 2B. In addition, another conveyance mechanism similar to the conveyance mechanism 2B is provided for the abnormal pallet, and when the inspection result is abnormal, the transfer mechanism 6A directly transfers the pallet 1 to another conveyance mechanism. Also good.

  As shown in state ST34 of FIG. 15, the transport mechanism 2B transports the pallet 1 to the work device 100C. The work device 100C performs a work of fixing the plurality of works W22 to the work W21. During this time, the transport device 2A transports the next pallet 1 to the work device 100A.

  When the work of the work device 100C is completed, the transport mechanism 2B transports the pallet 1 to the work device 100D. The work device 100D performs work for fitting the work W23 to the work W21. During this time, the work device 100A starts work on the workpieces W21 and W22 on the next pallet 1.

  When the work of the working device 100D is completed, the transport mechanism 2B transports the pallet 1 to the lifting mechanism 3B side. As shown in state ST35 of FIG. 15, when the pallet 1 returns to the lifting mechanism 3B, the lifting mechanism 3B lifts the lifting member 31 and separates the pallet 1 from the slider 21. The worker H takes out the pallet 1 on the lifting member 31. In this embodiment, since the transfer mechanism 6A transfers the workpiece W in units of one pallet, it is not necessary to insert an empty pallet 1 on the carry-out side. The operation proceeds by repeating the above operations.

<Fourth embodiment>
In the third embodiment, only one work device 100B is provided as a work device between the transport mechanism 2A and the transport mechanism 2B. However, a plurality of work devices 100B may be provided. Further, the work device 100 that performs work on the transport mechanisms 2A and 2B may be omitted. FIG. 16 is a layout diagram of the production facility B3 provided with the transport system A2 of the present embodiment.

  The structure of conveyance system A2 is the same as that of the said 3rd Embodiment, and arrangement | positioning of work apparatus 100A-100D differs. All the working devices 100A to 100D are arranged between the transport mechanism 2A and the transport mechanism 2B. Hereinafter, the conveyance path of the pallet 1 will be described. First, the pallet 1 is transported from the lifting mechanism 3A to the end of the transfer mechanism 6A by the transport mechanism 2A (arrow d1). Next, the transfer mechanism 6A transfers the pallet 1 from the transport mechanism 2A to the mounting table 103 of the work apparatus 100A (arrow d2). Thereafter, the transfer mechanism 6A sequentially transfers the pallet 1 to the mounting table 103 (arrow d3) of the working device 100B, the mounting table 103 (arrow d4) of the working device 100C, and the mounting table 103 (arrow d5) of the working device 100D. The work by each of the work devices 100A to 100D is performed.

  Then, the transfer mechanism 6A transfers the pallet 1 from the mounting table 103 of the working device 100D onto the slider 21 of the transport mechanism 2B (arrow d6). Finally, the pallet 1 is transported to the lifting mechanism 3B by the transport mechanism 2B (arrow d7). As described above, the transfer mechanism 6A transfers the workpiece W between the work device 100A and the transport mechanism 2A, between the work device 100D and the transport mechanism 2B, and between the plurality of work devices 100A to 100D. It can also be.

<Fifth Embodiment>
In the first to fourth embodiments, the lifting mechanism 3 (3A, 3B) is provided only on the area R2 (R21, R22) side, but may be provided on the area R1 side. FIG. 17 is a layout diagram of the production facility B4 provided with the transfer system A3 of the present embodiment. The production facility B4 is configured to be relatively close to the production facility B2 of the third embodiment. The differences are as follows.

  A lifting mechanism 3C is disposed at the end of the transport mechanism 2A on the transfer mechanism 6A side. The lifting mechanism 3C has the same configuration as the lifting mechanisms 3, 3A and 3B already described.

  The work device 100A performs work on the workpiece W on the pallet 1 raised by the lifting mechanism 3C. In order to avoid interference with the transfer mechanism 6A, the working device 100A is a revolving robot. Work devices 100B and 100C are disposed between the transport mechanism 2A and the transport mechanism 2B.

  Next, an operation example of the production facility B4 will be described. First, the pallet 1 is transported from the lifting mechanism 3A to the lifting mechanism 3C by the transport mechanism 2A. The elevating mechanism 3 </ b> C raises the pallet 1 and separates it from the slider 21. The work device 100A performs work on the workpiece W on the pallet 1 that is lifted by the lifting mechanism 3C. At this time, since the slider 21 is free, it can be returned to the lifting device 3A as shown in FIG. Therefore, the timing for loading the next pallet 1 can be advanced.

  The pallet 1 that has finished the work on the work device 100A is sequentially transferred to the placement table 103 (arrow d11) of the work device 100B and the placement table 103 (arrow d12) of the work device 100C, and the work performed by the work devices 100B and 100C. Is done.

  Then, the transfer mechanism 6A transfers the pallet 1 from the mounting table 103 of the working device 100C onto the slider 21 of the transport mechanism 2B (arrow d13). Finally, the pallet 1 is transported to the lifting mechanism 3B by the transport mechanism 2B.

<Other embodiments>
As mentioned above, although several embodiment of this invention was described, each embodiment can be mutually combined in the partial unit.

Claims (10)

A transport mechanism having a slider capable of reciprocating between a first area in which a work device is disposed and a second area in which a work used in the first area is placed;
A pallet that is detachably mounted on the slider and can mount the workpiece;
A first elevating mechanism disposed in the second area so as to move up and down with respect to a reciprocating surface of the slider, and separating the pallet from the slider and mounting the pallet on the slider; Prepare
A conveyance system characterized by that. A plurality of the working devices are arranged in the first area,
The transport system includes:
A transfer mechanism that is disposed in the first area and that transfers a workpiece between the work device and the transport mechanism and between the plurality of work devices;
The transport system according to claim 1. The second area is an area for loading and unloading workpieces,
The transport system according to claim 1. A plurality of the transport mechanisms are provided,
At least one of the plurality of transport mechanisms is a transport mechanism for unloading, in which the slider reciprocates between the first area and a third area where the work is unloaded,
The second area further includes a second elevating mechanism that is disposed in the third area so as to move up and down freely with respect to the reciprocating surface of the slider, and separates the pallet from the slider and attaches the pallet to the slider. ,
The transfer mechanism transfers a workpiece even between the working device and the carry-out transport mechanism.
The conveyance system according to claim 2 characterized by things. The slider and the pallet are respectively
Engaging with the mounting of the pallet by the first elevating mechanism, and having an engaging portion for positioning each other.
The transport system according to claim 1. The transfer mechanism performs transfer of the work together with the pallet.
The conveyance system according to claim 2 characterized by things. A plurality of the transport mechanisms are provided,
Each of the transport mechanisms includes a slider and a guide rail that guides the movement of the slider,
The guide rails of the plurality of transport mechanisms are arranged in parallel to each other.
The transport system according to claim 1. The transfer mechanism is
A holding mechanism for holding the workpiece or the pallet;
A moving mechanism that moves the holding mechanism across the guide rails of the plurality of transport mechanisms,
The conveyance system according to claim 7 characterized by things. The first area further includes a third elevating mechanism that is disposed so as to move up and down freely with respect to the reciprocating surface of the slider and separates the pallet from the slider and attaches the pallet to the slider. ,
The plurality of working devices are:
At least a working device that performs work on the workpiece mounted on the pallet raised by the third lifting mechanism arranged in the first area;
The transport system according to claim 1. A transport mechanism having a slider capable of reciprocating between a first area in which a work device is disposed and a second area in which a work is placed;
A pallet that is detachably mounted on the slider and can mount the workpiece;
An elevating mechanism that is disposed in the second area and lifts and lowers the pallet with respect to the slider, thereby separating the pallet from the slider and mounting the pallet on the slider;
A method for controlling a transport system, comprising:
Raising the first elevating mechanism above the reciprocating movement surface of the slider, and mounting the pallet loaded with a work on the first elevating mechanism;
Lowering the first elevating mechanism below the reciprocating movement surface of the slider, and transferring the pallet loaded with a work from the first elevating mechanism to the slider;
Moving the slider from the second area to the first area by the transport mechanism,
A control method characterized by that.

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