JP2016034675A - Joint device and joint method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a joint device and a joint method capable of producing a joint product configured so that another member is joined to one member supported in two or more portions different in the order of supporting the member in response to specifications of the joint product, with high productivity.SOLUTION: A joint device joining one or more workpieces to a steering member body 82 and forming a steering member, comprises: positioners 40a and 40b configured to be able to approach each other and separate from each other and supporting end portions E1 and E2 of the steering member body 82, respectively; a control unit 60 changing an order in which the positioners 40a and 40b support the respective end portions E1 and E2 in response to specifications of the steering member; a hand robot 10 arranging the workpieces on the steering member body 82 supported by the positioners 40a and 40b; and a weld robot 20 joining the workpieces arranged by the hand robot 10 to the steering member body 82.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a bonding apparatus and a bonding method.

  Automobiles are manufactured by joining and assembling tens of thousands of workpieces by bolting, bonding, or welding. For example, when manufacturing a steering member, several kinds of workpieces such as a steering column and a side bracket are held by a pipe-like long member constituting the steering member by a hand robot or the like and welded by a welding machine (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .

  When joining a workpiece such as a steering column to the long member of the steering member, both ends of the long member are supported by support devices provided on the equipment. In a conventional facility, the support device is configured such that a device that supports one end of a long member is fixed on the facility, and a device that supports the other end is movable in the longitudinal direction of the long member.

JP 2007-69333 A

  However, of the two end portions of the long member, the end portion to be supported first by the support device is determined according to the specification of the steering member. And it is necessary to support the edge part supported initially by the support apparatus fixed on the installation. Therefore, a dedicated facility must be prepared and used according to the specifications of the steering member, and there is a problem that the management of the manufacturing facility and the manufacturing process becomes complicated and productivity is lowered. Such a problem is not limited to the case where the support device supports both ends of the long member.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and is formed by joining another member to one member supported at two or more places having different orders of support according to the specifications of the joined product. An object of the present invention is to provide a bonding apparatus and a bonding method capable of manufacturing a product with high productivity.

  The present invention that achieves the above object is a joining apparatus that joins one or more second workpieces to a first workpiece to form a joined product. The joining device is configured to be able to approach and separate from each other, and has two or more support portions that support two or more portions of the first workpiece. The joining apparatus further includes a switching unit that switches the order in which the two or more parts of the first workpiece are supported by the support unit according to the specifications of the joined product. The joining apparatus further includes an arrangement unit that arranges the second workpiece on the first workpiece supported by the support unit, and a junction unit that joins the second workpiece arranged by the arrangement unit to the first workpiece.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a joining method in which one or more second workpieces are joined to a first workpiece to form a joined product. The joining method switches the order in which two or more parts of the first workpiece are supported by two or more support portions configured to be close to and away from each other in accordance with the specifications of the joined product, and the first workpiece according to the switched order. Is supported by the support. In the joining method, the second work is further disposed on the first work supported by the support portion, and the second work placed on the first work is joined to the first work.

  According to the joining apparatus and joining method concerning the present invention, two or more support parts which respectively support two or more parts of the 1st work are constituted so that it can approach and separate from each other. And it has the switching part which switches the order supported by a support part according to the specification of a joined article. As a result, even two or more types of joined products having different specifications can be handled with one joining apparatus and joining method. Therefore, it becomes easy to manage the manufacturing equipment and the manufacturing process according to the specifications of the joined product. Therefore, according to the joining apparatus and the joining method according to the present invention, a joined product in which another member is joined to one member supported at two or more places having different orders of support according to the specifications of the joined product is produced. Highly productive.

It is a perspective view which shows the manufacturing apparatus of the steering member which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the manufacturing apparatus of the steering member. 3A is a perspective view showing a positioner (supporting portion) constituting the manufacturing apparatus, FIG. 3B is a rear view showing the positioner, and FIG. 3C is a side view showing the positioner. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D are a perspective view, a front view, a plan view, and an enlarged view showing a hand at the tip of the hand robot constituting the manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C are a perspective view, a front view, and a plan view showing a welding robot constituting the manufacturing apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the steering member which is an example of a joining article. It is a front view which shows the steering member. It is a right view which shows the steering member. It is a flowchart which shows the joining method of the steering member which concerns on the same embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a side bracket is arrange | positioned in the joining method. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a steering member main body is welded to a side bracket. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a side bracket is welded to a steering member main body. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a bracket airbag is welded to a steering member main body. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that an audio bracket is welded to a steering member main body. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that an audio bracket is welded to a steering member main body. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a bracket impact is welded to a steering member main body. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that an instrument stay is welded to a steering member main body.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following description does not limit the technical scope and terms used in the claims. In addition, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation, and may differ from actual ratios.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a steering member manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the steering member manufacturing apparatus. 3A is a perspective view showing a positioner (supporting portion) constituting the manufacturing apparatus, FIG. 3B is a rear view showing the positioner, and FIG. 3C is a side view showing the positioner. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D are a perspective view, a front view, a plan view, and an enlarged view showing a hand at the tip of the hand robot constituting the manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C are a perspective view, a front view, and a plan view showing a welding robot constituting the manufacturing apparatus.

  6 is a perspective view showing a steering member as an example of a joined product, FIG. 7 is a front view of the steering member, and FIG. 8 is a right side view showing the steering member. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a method of joining steering members according to the embodiment.

  The joined product formed in the present embodiment can be exemplified by a steering member of an automobile. 1 and 2, the joining device 100 is generally described with reference to a hand robot 10 (corresponding to a placement portion), a welding robot 20 (corresponding to a joining portion), and positioners 40a and 40b (corresponding to support portions). And a control unit 60 (corresponding to a switching unit).

  The steering member joining method according to the present embodiment, if outlined with reference to FIG. 9, switches the order in which the positioners are supported (step ST2), fixes one of the positioners (step ST3), and positions the workpiece (step ST2). Step ST5, corresponding to the placement of the second workpiece), movement of the other positioner (Step ST14), and welding (Step ST12, corresponding to the joining of the second workpiece). In the present embodiment, the first workpiece is supported by welding the side brackets 81 and 83 held by the positioners 40a and 40b to the steering member main body 82. Details will be described later.

(Steering member)
Next, the steering member manufactured in this embodiment will be described. 6 to 8, the steering member 80 includes a side bracket 81, a steering member main body 82, a side bracket 83, a bracket airbag 84, audio brackets 85 and 86, a bracket impact 87, an instrument And a stay 88. The steering member main body 82 corresponds to a first workpiece. The bracket airbag 84, the audio brackets 85 and 86, the bracket impact 87, and the instrument stay 88 correspond to the second workpiece.

  In the present embodiment, the instrument stay 88 is disposed or disposed on the device 100 from the side bracket 81 in the order of the above symbols, and then joined to the steering member main body 82. The side bracket 81 is held by the positioner 40a, and the side bracket 83 is held by the positioner 40b. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the side brackets 81 and 83 have holes 81a (83a) and 81b (83b) for attaching the positioning pins 48 and 49 of the positioners 40a and 40b. The side brackets 81 and 83 are works arranged at both ends of the steering member 80, and if the joint portion with the steering member main body 82 and the holes 81a (83a) and 81b (83b) of the positioning pins are formed, Otherwise, the shapes may be the same, the shapes may be symmetric, or the shapes may not match. The steering member main body 82 is a long pipe-like member and is formed in a hollow shape, but may be solid.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the steering member 80 is set with a positioning reference Op for attaching a workpiece. The positioning reference Op is set for each steering member 80 according to the specification of the steering member 80. In the present embodiment, the positioning reference Op is formed close to the side on which one or more workpieces are joined more in the steering member main body 82 supported by the positioners 40a and 40b.

  Specifically, the positioning reference Op is set at the end E1 in the present embodiment. By setting the positioning reference Op on the side on which more workpieces are attached, the distance between the attachment position and the positioning reference Op becomes closer for more workpieces. Thereby, the positioning accuracy is improved for more workpieces.

  There are various reasons why the positioning accuracy is improved. One is that the measurement error when measuring the distance between two points is generally smaller as the distance between the two points is shorter.

  Further, there is an influence of heat when the workpiece is joined to the steering member main body 82. As will be described later, the workpiece is joined to the steering member main body 82 by a method using thermal energy such as welding. Therefore, the steering member main body 82 may be slightly bent in the direction of gravity due to the influence of heat. The influence of deflection on the measurement error when measuring the distance between two points increases as the distance between the two points increases. Therefore, since the distance between the attachment position and the positioning reference Op for a larger number of workpieces becomes closer, the positioning accuracy for a larger number of workpieces is improved.

(Joining equipment)
Next, a bonded product manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. The joining apparatus 100 includes a hand robot 10, a welding robot 20, positioners 40 a and 40 b, a control unit 60, a camera 65, and a component collecting unit 70.

  The hand robot 10 places a work (from the bracket airbag 84 to the instrument stay 88) on the steering member main body 82 supported by the positioners 40a and 40b. Specifically, the hand robot 10 places the workpiece on the steering member main body 82 based on the positioning reference Op set for each steering member 80.

  In the present embodiment, the hand robot 10 includes a body portion 11, arms 12, 13, and 14, and a hand 15. The trunk | drum 11 is a location mounted in the ground of an apparatus, and has the rotation part 11a. The body part 11 is configured to be rotatable about the vertical direction with respect to the ground by the rotating part 11a. The arm 12 has a rotating part 12a and is rotatably attached to the body part 11 by the rotating part 12a. The arm 13 has a rotating part 13a, and is attached to the arm 12 so as to be rotatable by the rotating part 13a. The arm 14 has a rotating portion 14a, and is rotatably attached to the arm 13 by the rotating portion 14a.

  The hand 15 includes a fixed portion 15a, a movable portion 15b, a rail 15c, a rotating portion 15d, and a camera 16. The fixing portion 15a is attached in a state of being fixed to the rail 15c. The movable portion 15b is attached to the rail 15c so as to be movable in the direction in which the rail 15c extends (lateral direction in FIG. 4D). The rotating portion 15d is rotatable with the fixed portion 15a, the movable portion 15b, and the rail 15c as the rotation axis in the direction in which the fixed portion 15a and the movable portion 15b extend. As described above, the hand robot 10 is an articulated robot provided with a large number of rotation axes. By configuring as described above, the work robot 10 can be gripped in various states or joined from various trajectories. Can approach other works.

  The camera 16 is built in the rail 15c, and is used for capturing the workpiece and grasping the orientation and size of the gripped workpiece when the hand 15 grips the workpiece.

  Unlike the camera 16, the camera 65 is installed so that the working range of the manufacturing apparatus can be photographed at a wide angle. Whether the camera 65 confirms in what direction the work gripped by the hand 15 is gripped, or is positioned by the hand robot 10 and photographed the joined work and positioned at a predetermined position. It is used to confirm Therefore, the camera 65 can capture a wide range of images including the hand robot 10, the welding robot 20, and the positioners 40a and 40b. The distance from the positioning reference Op of the workpiece to be arranged can be measured by processing an image photographed using the camera 65 by the control unit 60 described later.

  The hand robot 10 operates so as to hold the work toward the camera 65 after taking out the work from the component collecting unit 70. As a result, the camera 65 takes a picture of the work gripped by the hand 15 and confirms in what direction and position the work is gripped by the hand 15 by image processing by means other than the camera 16. In addition, the hand robot 10 can correct the orientation of the workpiece to be gripped from information obtained by the camera 16 or the camera 65. Note that the operation for correcting the orientation of the gripped work is the same as the operation of a general hand robot, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  The welding robot 20 joins the workpiece placed by the hand robot 10 to the steering member main body 82.

  In the present embodiment, the welding robot 20 includes a body part 21, arms 22, 23, 24, a welding torch 25, a camera 26, a wire 27, and a wire feeding part 28. The body part 21 is a place to be placed on the ground of the apparatus, and has a rotating part 21a. The body part 21 is configured to be rotatable about the vertical direction with respect to the ground by the rotating part 21a. The arm 22 has a rotating portion 22a and is rotatably attached to the body portion 21 by the rotating portion 22a. The arm 23 has a rotating part 23a and is rotatably attached to the arm 22 by the rotating part 23a. The arm 24 has a rotating part 24a and is rotatably attached to the arm 23 by the rotating part 24a.

  The welding torch 25 is attached to the tip of the arm 24. The tip of the welding torch 25 is positioned at a position where the workpiece can be welded with reference to the position of the workpiece positioned on the steering member main body 82. Therefore, the position of the tip of the welding torch 25 is taught on the basis of the workpiece position taught to the hand robot 10. When the work position by the hand robot 10 is corrected, the position of the tip of the welding torch 25 is also corrected accordingly.

  The welding torch 25 has a rotating part 25a. The rotating portion 25a is configured to be able to rotate with the extending direction of the arm 24 as a rotation axis. As described above, the welding robot 20 is also configured to be articulated similarly to the hand robot 10, and the welding torch 25 can be approached to the steering member 80 from various directions and directions to perform welding. The wire 27 extends from the wire feeding unit 28 to the inside of the welding torch 25. The wire feeding unit 28 supplies the wire 27 toward the welding torch 25.

  The rotating unit 25a has a camera 26 built therein. The camera 26 photographs the workpiece that is positioned and held by the hand 15. Then, the position (and / or inclination) of the workpiece is measured from the photographed image. Therefore, the camera 26 has a function of measuring the size of an object in a captured image and the distance between objects (referred to as an intra-image distance measurement function). As an image distance measurement function, for example, an object (reference scale) used as a reference for determining a distance in an image is photographed in advance, and the correspondence between the actual size of the reference scale and the size in the image is obtained. Keep it. Then, the correspondence between the real object and the image on the stored reference scale is used to obtain the size of the object photographed for measurement, the distance between the objects, and the inclination. Such an intra-image distance measuring function may be a well-known one and is not particularly limited.

  The camera 26 may have a distance measuring function for measuring the distance from the current position of the camera 26 to the photographed object. As the distance measurement function, a passive distance measurement used for focusing of the camera 26, an active distance measurement function using laser light or ultrasonic waves, or the like can be used. The distance measuring function may be a well-known one and is not particularly limited. By using such a distance measuring function and an in-image distance measuring function, the work position measured by the camera 26 can be calculated as the position in the operation coordinate system of the welding robot 20.

  Note that the above-described in-image distance measurement function and distance measurement function may also have the camera 65. Further, the control unit 60 performs image processing for distance measurement within the image, distance measurement performed as necessary, and calculation processing thereof.

  The positioners 40a and 40b are configured to be able to approach and separate from each other, and support the ends E1 and E2 of the steering member main body 82. The order of supporting the end portions E1 and E2 is switched by the control unit 60 described later.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the positioners 40a and 40b include a support base 41 that serves as a support column for the positioners 40a and 40b, a grip portion 44 that grips the steering member main body 82, a slide portion 42, and a rotation shaft. 53 (corresponding to a rotating part). The grip 44 includes clampers 45 and 46, a power unit 47 having a power mechanism for operating the clampers 45 and 46, and positioning pins 48 and 49 (positioning members) for positioning members attached to both ends of the steering member main body 82. Equivalent).

  The support base 41 is a support column that supports the steering member main body 82 and is connected to the grip portion 44 on the side surface that grips the steering member main body 82. Further, the lower portion of the support base 41 is connected to the slide portion 42. In this embodiment, the support base 41 is composed of a single member and has a predetermined height. However, the support base 41 may be composed of, for example, two or more members and include a height adjustment mechanism. Good.

  The slide portion 42 cooperates with the slide base 43 to allow the positioner 40 b to move in the longitudinal direction of the steering member main body 82. Although the slide part 42 and the slide base 43 are configured to be movable by providing a gear pair, the present invention is not limited to this.

  The clampers 45 and 46 are configured to grip the steering member main body 82 at both ends. In the present embodiment, the rotary shafts 51 and 52 are provided in a part of the power unit 47, and the clamper 45 is attached to the rotary shafts 51 and 52. , 46 are rotatably mounted.

  The power unit 47 incorporates a motor for operating the clampers 45 and 46 and a rotation mechanism for the clampers 45 and 46 such as a gear pair. By grasping the steering member 80 and releasing the grip, the clampers 45 and 46 are rotated around the rotation shafts 51 and 52 and the opening angle formed by the clampers 45 and 46 is adjusted.

  The positioning pins 48 and 49 are provided on the outer surface of the power unit 47. As described above, in the steering member 80, the side brackets 81 and 83 arranged at both ends in the longitudinal direction are provided with the positioning holes 81a (83a) and 81b (83b) through which the positioning pins 48 and 49 are inserted. . By inserting the positioning holes 81a (83a) and 81b (83b) of the side brackets 81 and 83 into the positioning pins 48 and 49, the side brackets 81 and 83 are attached to the positioners 40a and 40b and positioned. After the side brackets 81 and 83 are joined to the steering member main body 82 in a state of being inserted into the positioning pins 48 and 49 of the positioners 40a and 40b, the side brackets 81 and 83 are gripped by the clampers 45 and 46, thereby the steering member main body. 82 is also supported together with the side brackets 81 and 83.

  The rotation shaft 53 is a mechanism that connects the support base 41 and the grip portion 44 and rotates the grip portion 44 around the axis of the steering member main body 82, and constitutes a rotation mechanism. A power source for rotating the rotary shaft 53 is configured by providing a configuration such as a motor and a gear pair inside the support base 41. The grip 44 can be rotated around the axis of the steering member main body 82 while the steering member main body 82 is gripped by the rotation shaft 53.

  The control unit 60 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a LAN, and the like, and controls operations of the configuration of the hand robot 10, the welding robot 20, the positioners 40a and 40b, and the like.

  The control unit 60 has a function of switching the order in which the end portions E1 and E2 of the steering member main body 82 are supported by the positioners 40a and 40b according to the specifications of the steering member 80.

  More specifically, the control unit 60 switches to the order in which the part that becomes the positioning reference Op set according to the specification of the steering member 80 is first supported. That is, in this embodiment, the control part 60 switches to the order which supports the edge part E1 of the steering member main body 82 used as the positioning reference | standard Op first. When positioning the workpiece on the equipment, if a location different from the workpiece positioning reference is supported, it is necessary to match the positioning reference to an arbitrary location on the workpiece. In this case, the dimensional errors up to that point accumulate, and the step accuracy is reduced.

  On the other hand, the control unit 60 switches the order of support of the positioners 40a and 40b so as to first support the position serving as the positioning reference in accordance with the specifications of the joined product, so that the dimensional error between the supported position and the positioning reference is determined. Can be prevented, and the accuracy can be improved. Further, by switching the order in which the positioners 40a and 40b that support the steering member main body 82 are supported according to the specifications of the joined product, even a joined product of a plurality of specifications can be handled by the single joining device 100.

  The parts collection unit 70 is a space for collecting the side brackets 81 to the instrument stays 88 so that the hand robot 10 can easily transport the parts before the side brackets 81 to the instrument stays 88 are joined. Although the component collection unit 70 is configured by two plates, it is only an example, and other than this, the component collection unit 70 may be configured by a plurality of shelves or pallets.

(Joining method)
Next, a method for joining the steering members will be described. FIG. 10 to FIG. 17 are perspective views showing how a joined product is manufactured by exemplifying a steering member. As described above, the steering member joining method corresponds to switching of the order in which the positioner is supported (step ST2), fixing of one positioner (step ST3), and positioning of the workpiece (step ST5, arrangement of the second workpiece). ), Movement of the other positioner (step ST14), and welding (step ST12, corresponding to joining of the second workpiece).

  First, information related to the specifications of the steering member 80 to be formed is read into a memory or the like configured in the control unit 60 (step ST1). The information includes information indicating a part serving as a positioning reference Op when the work is placed on the steering member main body 82, information indicating the work conveyance order, position information of the brackets 84 to 88, and the like. In the present embodiment, the portion that becomes the positioning reference Op is the end E1 of the steering member main body 82. Further, the work constituting the steering member 80 is conveyed in the order of the side bracket 81, the steering member main body 82, the side bracket 83, the bracket airbag 84, the audio bracket 85, the audio bracket 86, the bracket impact 87, and the instrument stay 88.

  Next, the control unit 60 switches the order in which the end portions E1 and E2 of the steering member main body 82 are supported by the positioners 40a and 40b according to the specifications of the steering member 80 stored in the memory or the like configured in the control unit 60. (Step ST2). Specifically, the control unit 60 switches to the order in which the part that becomes the positioning reference Op set according to the specification of the steering member 80 is first supported. That is, in this embodiment, the control part 60 switches to the order which supports the edge part E1 of the steering member main body 82 used as the positioning reference | standard Op first.

  Next, a positioner that supports a portion that is initially supported by the control unit 60 among the portions that support the steering member main body 82 is fixed (step ST3). That is, in this embodiment, the positioner 40a that supports the end E1 of the steering member main body 82 that serves as the positioning reference Op is fixed on the slide base 43.

  Next, the hand robot 10 refers to information indicating the transfer order stored in a memory or the like configured in the control unit 60. Then, the hand robot 10 recognizes that the workpiece to be conveyed is the side bracket 81 and grips the side bracket 81 from the component collecting unit 70. Then, the hand robot 10 conveys the side bracket 81 toward the positioner 40a (see step ST4, FIG. 10).

  Next, the hand robot 10 positions the side bracket 81 with respect to the positioner 40a (step ST5). In this embodiment, positioning is performed by inserting the positioning pins 48 and 49 of the positioner 40 a into the holes 81 a and 81 b of the side bracket 81. Next, the positioner 40 a grips the side bracket 81 with the clampers 45 and 46.

  Next, it is confirmed whether the conveyed work is the side bracket 83 (step ST6). Since the conveyed work is the side bracket 81, the determination is NO. Therefore, it progresses to step ST7.

  Next, it is confirmed whether or not the conveyed work is a work that requires welding (step ST7). Since the conveyed side bracket 81 is a workpiece that does not require welding, the determination is NO. Therefore, the process returns to step ST4.

  Next, the hand robot 10 refers to the information indicating the transport order, grips the steering member main body 82, and transports it toward the positioner 40a (step ST4). And it positions to the taught position (step ST5).

  Next, it is confirmed whether or not the conveyed work is the side bracket 83 (step ST6). Since the conveyed work is the steering member main body 82, the determination is NO. Therefore, it progresses to step ST7.

  Next, it is confirmed whether or not the conveyed work is a work that requires welding (step ST7). Since the conveyed steering member main body 82 is a work that needs to be welded, the determination is YES. Therefore, it progresses to step ST8.

  Next, it is confirmed whether the conveyed work is the brackets 84 to 88 (step ST8). Since the conveyed work is the steering member main body 82, the determination is NO. Therefore, it progresses to step ST12.

  Next, the welding robot 20 welds the steering member body 82 while being positioned on the side bracket 81 (see step ST12 and FIG. 11). Then, the process proceeds to step ST13.

  Next, it is confirmed whether or not all the workpieces have been joined (step ST13). Since all the workpieces have not been joined at this time, the determination is NO. Therefore, the process returns to step ST4.

  Next, the hand robot 10 refers to the information indicating the conveyance order and grips the side bracket 83. And it conveys toward the positioner 40b (step ST4), and positions the side bracket 83 with respect to the positioner 40b similarly to the side bracket 81 (step ST5).

  Next, it is confirmed whether or not the conveyed work is the side bracket 83. Since the conveyed work is the side bracket 83, the determination is YES. Therefore, it progresses to step ST14.

  Next, the positioner 40b moves toward the end E2 of the steering member main body 82 (step ST14). Next, it is confirmed whether or not the conveyed work is a work that requires welding (step ST7). Since the conveyed side bracket 83 is a work that requires welding, the determination is YES. Therefore, it progresses to step ST8.

  Next, it is confirmed whether the conveyed work is the brackets 84-88. Since the conveyed work is the side bracket 83, the determination is NO. Therefore, it progresses to step ST12.

  Next, the side bracket 83 is welded while being positioned with respect to the side bracket main body 82 (see step ST12, FIG. 12). Then, the process proceeds to step ST13.

  Next, it is confirmed whether or not all the workpieces have been joined (step ST13). At this time, since the joining of all the workpieces has not been completed, the determination is NO. Therefore, the process returns to step ST4.

  Next, the hand robot 10 refers to the information indicating the transport order and grips the bracket airbag 84. And it conveys to the position on the taught steering member main body 82 (step ST4), and positions (step ST5). The bracket airbag 84 is positioned with respect to the steering member main body 82 based on a positioning reference Op set according to the specifications of the steering member 80.

  In the present embodiment, the bracket airbag 84 is positioned with respect to the steering member main body 82 based on the distance from the end E1 of the steering member main body 82 that becomes the positioning reference Op. Of the end portions E1 and E2 of the steering member main body 82, the end portion E1 serving as the positioning reference Op is first supported by the positioner 40a as described above and fixed on the equipment. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the variation between the location supported by the steering member main body 82 and the positioning reference, thereby improving the accuracy, and also improving the positioning accuracy of the workpiece positioned on the steering member main body 82.

  Next, the process proceeds to step ST6 to step ST8. Since the conveyed work is the bracket airbag 84, it is not the side bracket 83 (step ST6: NO), welding is required (step ST7: YES), and step ST8 is YES. Therefore, it progresses to step ST9.

  Next, the hand robot 10 corrects the positioned bracket airbag 84 from the image information of the camera 65 taken when the bracket airbag 84 is gripped (step ST9). Then, it is confirmed whether there is no problem at the corrected position (step ST10). If there is a problem at the corrected position (step ST10: NO), the correction is repeated until the allowable range is reached (step ST9).

  When the bracket airbag 84 can be positioned at a predetermined position (step ST10: YES), the welding robot 20 performs provisional welding, so-called tack welding (step ST11). When the tack welding is completed, the main welding is performed (see step ST12 and FIG. 13).

  Next, the hand robot 10 refers to the information indicating the transport order and grips the audio bracket 85. The positioners 40a and 40b rotate the steering member main body 82 by a predetermined angle so that the work gripped by the hand robot 10 can be easily placed. Since subsequent conveyance to main welding is the same as that of the bracket airbag 84, the description thereof is omitted.

  Thereafter, the audio bracket 86, the bracket impact 87, and the instrument stay 88 are welded to the steering member main body 82 in accordance with the information indicating the conveying order (see FIGS. 14 to 17). When all the workpieces are joined (step ST13: YES), the steering member 80 is gripped by the hand robot 10 and transferred to the next process (step ST15).

  Next, the function and effect according to this embodiment will be described.

  According to the joining apparatus 100 and the joining method according to the present embodiment, the positioners 40a and 40b that support the ends E1 and E2 of the steering member main body 82 are configured to be able to approach and separate from each other. And it has the control part 60 which switches the order supported by the positioners 40a and 40b according to the specification of the steering member 80. FIG.

  Thereby, the several steering member from which a specification differs can be manufactured with the one joining apparatus 100 and the joining method. Therefore, management of manufacturing equipment and manufacturing processes according to the specifications of the steering member 80 is facilitated. Therefore, according to the joining apparatus 100 and the joining method according to the present embodiment, the productivity of the joined product such as the steering member 80 can be improved.

  In addition, the control unit 60 switches to the order in which the end E1 that becomes the positioning reference Op set according to the specification of the steering member 80 is first supported. And the hand robot 10 arrange | positions a workpiece | work in the steering member main body 82 based on positioning reference | standard Op. As a result, the variation between the position supported by the steering member main body 82 and the positioning reference can be eliminated, and the positioning accuracy is improved. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the workpiece on the steering member main body 82 is improved. Therefore, the steering member 80 can be manufactured with high accuracy.

  Further, the positioning reference Op is formed close to the side where more workpieces are joined in the steering member main body 82 supported by the positioners 40a and 40b. Thereby, the distance from the positioning reference Op becomes shorter for more workpieces. When joining, there is a possibility that the shape of the steering member main body 82 may be deformed due to thermal distortion due to welding or the weight of the workpiece itself. Therefore, by setting the positioning reference Op closer to the position where more workpieces are positioned, In addition, it is difficult to be affected by thermal distortion and the like, and a decrease in positioning accuracy can be suppressed.

  The positioners 40 a and 40 b include clampers 45 and 46 that grip the steering member main body 82, and a rotation shaft 53 that can rotate the gripping portion 44 around the axis of the steering member main body 82. Thereby, not only the support of the steering member main body 82 but also the positioning of the workpiece by the hand robot 10 can be facilitated. Therefore, the steering member 80 can be manufactured more efficiently.

  The positioners 40a and 40b include positioning pins 48 and 49 for positioning with the steering member main body 82 via the side brackets 81 and 83. Thereby, positioning with respect to the positioners 40a and 40b of the steering member main body 82 can be performed easily and accurately. Therefore, the steering member 80 can be manufactured more efficiently and with high accuracy.

  Further, in the joining apparatus 100 and joining method according to the present embodiment, a long long member constituting the steering member is a first work, a bracket joined to the long member is a second work, and the long member It can be suitably used for manufacturing a steering member in which one or more brackets are joined to each other.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. In the above description, the positioners 40a and 40b support the end portion of the steering member main body 82 via the side brackets 81 and 83. However, the supporting portion may not be the end portion.

  Further, as described above, the steering member main body 82 may bend in the direction of gravity due to the influence of heat when the workpieces are joined. When the deflection occurs, the distance between the end E1 and the end E2 of the steering member main body 82 becomes shorter than before the deflection occurs. In that case, you may move the positioner 40b according to the change of the said distance. Accordingly, even when the deflection occurs, it is easy to maintain the supporting force that supports the steering member main body 82 by the positioners 40a and 40b.

10 Hand robot (placement section),
11, 21 body part,
12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 24 arms,
15 hands,
15a fixing part,
15b movable part,
15c rail,
15d rotating part,
16, 26, 65 cameras,
11a, 12a, 13a, 14a, 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a rotating part,
20 welding robot (joint),
25 Welding torch,
27 (welded) wire,
28 Wire feeding section,
40a, 40b Positioner (support part),
41 support base,
42 Slide part,
43 Slide base part,
44 gripping part,
45, 46 clamper,
47 Power section,
48, 49 Locating pin,
51, 52 rotation axis,
53 Rotating shaft (rotating part),
60 control unit (switching unit),
70 Parts collection department,
80 steering member,
81, 83 side bracket,
82 steering member body,
84 Bracket airbag,
85, 86 Audio bracket,
87 Bracket impact,
88 instrument stays,
100 steering member joining device,
E1, E2 end,
Op Positioning standard.

Claims (12)

A joining apparatus for joining one or more second works to a first work to form a joined product,
Two or more support portions configured to be able to approach and separate from each other, respectively supporting two or more portions of the first workpiece;
A switching unit that switches the order of supporting the part by the support unit according to the specifications of the joined product,
An arrangement part for arranging the second work on the first work supported by the support part;
And a joining unit that joins the second workpiece arranged by the arranging unit to the first workpiece. The switching unit is switched in the order of first supporting the position serving as a positioning reference set according to the specifications of the joined product,
The joining device according to claim 1, wherein the placement unit places the second work on the first work based on the positioning reference.   The joining apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the positioning reference is formed closer to a side where the one or more second workpieces are joined more in the first workpiece. The support portion includes a grip portion that grips the first workpiece;
4. The joining device according to claim 1, further comprising: a rotating part capable of rotating the first workpiece with a shaft connecting any two of the parts as a rotation axis. 5.   The joining device according to claim 1, wherein the support portion includes a positioning member that positions the first workpiece. The first work is a long elongate member constituting a steering member,
The second work is a bracket joined to the long member,
The joining device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the joined product is a steering member in which one or more brackets are joined to the long member. A joining method of joining one or more second workpieces to a first workpiece to form a joined product,
The order of supporting two or more parts of the first workpiece by two or more support parts configured to be able to approach and separate from each other is switched according to the specifications of the joint product,
The first work is supported by the support portion according to the order,
Placing the second workpiece on the first workpiece supported by the support;
A joining method for joining the second work arranged on the first work to the first work. When switching the order, switching to the order to first support the part that becomes the positioning reference set according to the specifications of the joint product,
The joining method according to claim 7, wherein when the second workpiece is arranged, the second workpiece is arranged on the first workpiece based on the positioning reference.   The joining method according to claim 8, wherein the positioning reference is formed closer to a side where the one or more second workpieces are joined more in the first workpiece. When supporting the first workpiece, the first workpiece is supported by causing the support portion to grip the part,
When arranging the second workpiece, the first workpiece is rotated about an axis connecting any two of the portions while being supported by the support portion. 2. The joining method according to item 1.   The joining according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein when the first work is supported, the first work is supported after the first work is positioned with respect to the support portion. Method. The first work is a long elongate member constituting a steering member,
The second work is a bracket joined to the long member,
The joining method according to claim 7, wherein the joined product is a steering member in which one or more brackets are joined to the elongated member.