JP2784102B2 - Work alignment system in painting process - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for arranging a plurality of works in a painting process in which a plurality of works are arranged in the order of painting based on a model and a designated paint color and carried in.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a painting department of a vehicle body paints a workpiece by using the same painting gun. For example, if a light paint such as white is applied to a car body after painting with a dark color such as red or black, the dark paint mist adheres to the light car body, causing a problem of poor painting. Occurs. For this reason, conventionally, a color alignment storage consisting of a plurality of branch lines is provided before the overcoating process, and the transfer order of the vehicle body is manually changed or a space for one pitch is created, thereby causing the above-described problem. However, such a manual method could not completely eliminate the problem that a dark paint mist adhered to a light-colored vehicle body due to an operator's misjudgment.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem. The purpose of the present invention is to carry in and carry out a work to and from a color alignment storage without human intervention. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new work alignment system that can automatically perform the work.

[0004]

That is, the present invention provides a work aligning system in a coating process for achieving the above object, in which the same paint gun is used to apply a paint of a designated color to each work. In the process, on a part of the work transfer path leading to the overcoating process, a plurality of branched work alignment means, a means for reading at least information on the type and designated color of the work, a work loading / unloading means to the work alignment means, Is provided, and based on the read signal from the reading means, the work to be carried in and the work aligning means are arranged at the end.
Compares the rear work and sorts and arranges the same model with the same designated color, same designated color, same model non-avoidance designated color, and non-avoidance designated color in the order of the work arranging means. Model same designated color, same designated color,
The work is carried out from the work alignment means to the overcoating step in the order of the same model non-avoidance designated color and the non-avoidance designated color.

[0005]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. FIG. 1 shows the entire body coating system to which the work alignment system according to the present invention is applied.

In this coating system, a transfer device 1 for transferring the vehicle body W having undergone the welding process to a hanger 2 (FIG. 2) is provided in a charging section of the vehicle body W, and is provided on one side thereof. Is the hanger 2 based on the perforations formed in the hanger plate 3.
An optical hanger reader 5 for reading the number of the vehicle is provided, and the number of the hanger 2 sent to the painting section and information on whether or not the vehicle body W is placed on the hanger 2 are sequentially transmitted via the tracking sequencer 6. Computer 7
To the hanger number stored in the memory
It is configured to be stored in the model information correspondence table.

A card reader 8 for reading the punch card 4 attached to the vehicle body W is provided here. When the vehicle body W is placed on the hanger 2, the card reader 8 removes the punch card 4. Based on the model information such as vehicle type, grade, designated paint color, destination, etc., the computer 7
The model information is stored in the hanger number / model information correspondence table stored in the memory in association with the hanger number as shown in FIG.

Incidentally, the hanger reader 5 as described above is also provided with a transfer device 1 at the entrance to a manual work section or an automated work section, and the plate of each transferred hanger 2 is provided. The hanger number is read from 3 and transferred to the computer 7, and this number is stored in the hanger number / model information correspondence table in correspondence with the model information.

On the other hand, when the hanger number is sent from each hanger reader 5, the computer 7 extracts the model information corresponding to the hanger number from the hanger number / model information correspondence table, and conveys it to the conveyor control of each working section. The information is output to the circuit 9, and based on this model information, each work department performs each work of tracking and painting the vehicle body W.

FIG. 2 shows in detail the construction of the overcoating work section of the above-mentioned automation work section. Also in this overcoating work section, the hanger number of the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W is mounted is read by the hanger reader 5 arranged at the entrance, and this hanger number is sent to the computer 7 via the conveyor control circuit 9 and the tracking sequencer 6. At the same time, the model information corresponding to the hanger number from the hanger number / model information correspondence table stored in the computer memory is transferred to the vehicle type conversion circuit 10 via the tracking sequencer 6 and the conveyor control panel circuit 9 as the vehicle type code. It is configured as follows. Then, the model conversion circuit 10 converts the robot work number and color number into a line master 12 with reference to an internal table, and sends them to a line master 12.
5 and the painting robot 14 performs the painting according to the designated color while performing the operation according to the model.

FIG. 3 shows a color alignment storage arranged between the intermediate coating work section and the top coating work section. The color alignment storage 17 is configured as a plurality of lanes branched from a vehicle body transport path 18 connecting the intermediate coating work section and the top coating operation section, and distributes and aligns the vehicle body W that has undergone the intermediate coating process by a color alignment computer 20 described later. At the same time, it is configured to send out from here to the overcoating work department in a predetermined order.

That is, a hanger reader 5 for reading the number of the transferred hanger 2 and outputting the number to the computer 7 is provided at the entrance of the color alignment storage 17, and the computer 7 operates based on the hanger number. From the hanger number / model information correspondence table
Is transferred to the color alignment computer 20, and the body W is aligned and unloaded according to the color alignment storage loading matrix, the color alignment storage unloading matrix, the continuous unloading avoidance color, and the non-avoidance color matrix set in the memory. Are configured to be performed.

As shown in FIG. 7, the above-mentioned color-arranged storage carry-in matrix indicates whether or not the hanger 2 is provided in the branch lane, whether or not the vehicle body W is mounted on the hanger 2, and whether or not the branch lane is full. Whether the body W of the same model and the same color as the carry-in vehicle W is at the end of the branch lane, whether the body W of the same color as the carry-in vehicle W is at the end of the branch lane, and whether there is an empty lane in the branch lane. Whether there are two or more lanes, whether the body W of the same model as the carry-in vehicle W and the non-evasive color is at the end of the branch lane, the body W of the non-evasive color relative to the carry-in vehicle W is at the end of the branch lane It is determined whether or not there is, and the carry-in control of the hanger 2 to the branch lane is performed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the above-mentioned color-aligned storage unloading matrix indicates whether the head of all branch lanes is an empty position, whether the same type and the same color of the vehicle W as the vehicle W was previously instructed to be unloaded. Is in the branch lane, whether or not the vehicle W of the same color as the vehicle W that was previously instructed to be unloaded is in the branch lane, whether or not there is an empty lane in the branch lane, W is the same model and the same color as W, whether the vehicle body W immediately before the color alignment storage 17 is the same color as the previously unloaded vehicle body W, four or more consecutive vehicles of the same model and the same color with non-evading colors Whether or not there is a branch lane to be used, whether there is a branch lane where four or more vehicle bodies W of the same color in the non-avoidance color are continuous, It is determined in order whether there is a branch lane in which four or more bodies W are continuous, and whether there is a branch lane in which four or more body Ws of the same color in the avoidance color are continuous, and control of unloading the hanger 2 from the branch lane. Is to be performed,

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the continuous carry-out avoidance color and non-avoidance color matrix are each unique color shown in the vertical and horizontal columns, for example, a is white, b is red, and c is gray. , D form a matrix of avoidable and non-avoidable colors from black and the like, and based on this, for example, if the paint color of the vehicle body W in the column is white a, the paint color of the next vehicle body W is If the paint color of the vehicle body W is red b, the paint color of the next vehicle body W is a, c, g, h, i,
If n and p are avoidance colors and the other colors are non-avoidance colors, and the paint color of the next vehicle body W is the non-avoidance color with respect to the paint color of the vehicle body W, the vehicle body W continues to the overcoating process. Can be brought in,
If the paint color of the next vehicle body W is the avoidance color with respect to the paint color of the vehicle body W, a space of one pitch is provided between the paint color of the vehicle body W and the vehicle body W before the vehicle body W is carried into the overcoating process. Thus, a program for controlling the carry-in of the next vehicle body W after the paint mist of the previous color has flowed downward is formed.

Next, the operation of the coating system configured as described above will be described. First, when the hanger 2 for transporting the vehicle body reaches the entrance of the painting section, the hanger reader 5 disposed here reads the hanger number from the hanger plate 3 attached to the hanger 2 and transfers it to the computer 7. The hanger number / model information correspondence table stored in the memory is stored.

Next, when the vehicle body W that has undergone the welding process is placed on the hanger 2 by the transfer device 1, the card reader 8 provided here is driven by the punch card 4 attached to the vehicle body W. It reads model information such as vehicle type, grade, paint color, destination, etc., and transfers this to the computer 7,
The model information of the vehicle body W and the number of the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W is mounted are stored in association with the hanger number / model information correspondence table. In the subsequent manual process and each automation process, the model information of the corresponding vehicle body W is transferred from the number of the hanger 2 read at each entrance to the conveyor control circuit 9 and the line master 13 and the like, and is transmitted to the painting robot 14 and the like. The required color painting is performed by performing the operation according to the vehicle type.

After the intermediate coating process and the subsequent inspection process have been completed in this way, the hanger 2 is conveyed to the color alignment storage 17 arranged between the top coating process and the hanger 2. The provided hanger reader 5 reads the number of the hanger 2 and transfers it to the computer 7, and transfers the model information read from the hanger number / model information correspondence table stored in the memory to the color alignment computer 20. .

On the other hand, when the model information is input from the computer 7, the color alignment computer 20 receives the color alignment storage carry-in matrix (FIG. 7) set in the memory and the continuous discharge avoidance color / non-avoidance color matrix. The loading lane is determined according to the following procedure. That is, i. The presence / absence of the loading hanger 2 is determined, and if not, the control operation is not performed. If there is, ii. It is determined whether or not the carry-in hanger 2 has the body W mounted thereon, and if not, the hanger 2 is forwarded without being carried into the color alignment storage 17. And if so, iii. It is determined whether or not the branch lane in the color alignment storage 17 is full, and if it is full, an alarm is issued to the effect that it is impossible to carry in and a manual action is taken. If not, iv. It is determined whether or not the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W of the same model and the same color as the vehicle body W mounted on the carry-in hanger 2 is located at the end of the branch lane in the color alignment storage 17. Issues a carry-in instruction to a branch lane (when there are a plurality of applicable branch lanes, carry in preferentially to a lane with a lower number), and increments the number of registered lanes by one. And if not, v. It is determined whether or not the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W of the same color as the vehicle body W mounted on the carry-in hanger 2 is located at the end of the branch lane in the color alignment storage 17. An instruction to carry in to the branch lane is issued (if there are a plurality of applicable branch lanes, priority is given to the lane with the smaller number), and the number of registered lanes in the branch lane is incremented by one. And if not, vi. It is determined whether or not two or more empty lanes are present in the branch lanes in the aligned storage 17, and if so, an instruction to carry in to an empty lane is issued. And the number of students in the branch lane is incremented by one. And if not, vii. It is determined whether or not the hanger 2 having the same model as the vehicle body W mounted on the carry-in hanger 17 and having the non-avoidable color vehicle body W mounted thereon is at the end of the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17. Issues a carry-in instruction to the branch lane (when there are a plurality of applicable branch lanes, the carry-in is performed preferentially to the lane with the smaller number), and the number of registered members of the branch lane is incremented by one. And if not, viii. It is determined whether or not the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W of the non-avoidable color is mounted is located at the end of the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17 with respect to the paint color of the vehicle body W mounted on the carry-in hanger 2. In this case, a carry-in instruction is issued to the branch lane (when there are a plurality of branch lanes, the carry-in is performed preferentially to the lane with the smaller number), and the number of registered members of the branch lane is incremented by one. And if not, ix. An alarm is issued to handle this manually. When the loading lane is determined in the above procedure, this information is transferred to the conveyor control circuit 9 via the computer 7 and the tracking sequencer 6 as shown in FIG. 4, and the conveyor control of the branching device and the like is performed.

Along with this, the color alignment computer 2
0 determines the loading order of the hanger 2 to the overcoating work station based on the color alignment storage unloading matrix (FIG. 7) set in the memory and the continuous discharge avoiding color and non-avoidable color matrix. This includes, first, i. It is determined whether or not the head of all the branch lanes of the color alignment storage 17 is an empty position or not registered. If the head is an empty position or not registered, the control operation is not performed. Is ii. It is determined whether or not the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W of the same model and the same color as the vehicle body W instructed last time is located in the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17. (If there are a plurality of corresponding lanes, the lane with the lower number is preferentially carried out), and the enrollment of the branch lane is decremented by one. And if not, iii. A body W of the same color as the body W instructed to carry out last time is placed, and it is determined whether or not the hanger 2 is in the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17, and if so, a carry-out instruction from that lane is issued. (If there are a plurality of applicable lanes, the lane with the lower number is preferentially carried out), and the enrollment of the branch lane is decremented by one. And if not, iv. It is determined whether or not there is an empty lane in the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17, and if so, the number of the branch lane is held; if not, v. It is determined whether or not the vehicle body W immediately before the color alignment storage 17 is of the same model and the same color as the previously unloaded vehicle body W, and if so, an instruction is given to unload the vehicle body W before the color alignment storage 17; Vi. It is determined whether or not the vehicle body W immediately before the color alignment storage 17 has the same color as the previously unloaded vehicle body W.
A command to carry out the vehicle body W in front of the color alignment storage 17 is given. In the same manner as in the case where it was not determined whether or not there is an empty lane in the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17 in the above iv, four or more vehicle bodies W of the same model and the same color at the top of the non-avoidance color continue A search is made for a lane that can be carried out by using a branch lane, and if so, a carry-out instruction is issued from that lane (if there are a plurality of applicable lanes, the lane with the lower number is preferentially carried out). -1 to enrollment. And if not, viii. A search is made in the branch lane for a lane in which four or more vehicles W of the same color that are non-avoidable colors can be continuously carried out, and if so, a carry-out instruction is issued from that lane. Priority is carried out from the lane of the number)), and the enrollment of the branch lane is decreased by one. And if not, ix. The body color W of the same model and the same color is 4
A branch lane is searched for a lane that can be continuously carried out by more than one vehicle. In some cases, an empty space is created for one pitch, and then a carry-out instruction is issued from that lane. Take priority from lane),
The enrollment of the branch lane is reduced by one. And if not, x. A search is made in the branch lane for a lane in which four or more vehicles W of the same color can be carried out consecutively at the head of the avoidance color. If there are a plurality of applicable lanes, the lanes with lower numbers are preferentially carried out), and the enrollment of the branch lane is decremented by one. And if not, xi. A warning is issued to the effect that it is impossible to carry out, and this is handled manually. When the unloading vehicle body is determined in the above procedure, this information is transferred from the computer 7 to the conveyor control circuit 9 via the tracking sequencer 6 as shown in FIG. Will be

In this way, in the top-coating work section, the paint robot 14 performs the same operation as much as possible, and paints of the same color as the preceding vehicle body W and colors that are in a non-avoidable color relationship with the color of the preceding vehicle body W. Using paint, the car body W that has been carried in is automatically and sequentially painted with the specified color,
On the other hand, only when a vehicle body W for which the same color or a color having a relationship with the non-avoidance color is not specified follows, a space for one pitch is automatically created between the vehicle body W and the preceding vehicle body W. ,
A predetermined color coating is effectively performed without causing a dark paint mist to adhere to a light-colored work.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to an automatic painting system for painting the body of an automobile, the present invention is also applicable to an automatic painting apparatus for painting other large workpieces. Can be applied. Also,
In the type of equipment that directly holds and transports the work,
The model information is read from the card etc. attached to the work, and based on this, the work is aligned and carried in, or the paint is supplied,
It is also possible to control the operation of the painting robot.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of branched work aligning means are provided in the work carry-in path leading to the overcoating process, and the work type and the designated paint color are determined based on the work type. And the workpiece at the end of the alignment means
And the same model, the same designated color, the same designated color, and the non-avoidance designated color are sorted and arranged in this order, and they are transported in this order to the overcoating process. In addition, it is possible to apply the specified color to various works efficiently without causing the paint robot to perform the same operation as much as possible without causing the paint mist of the dark color to adhere to the light work.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an automatic coating system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement configuration of a top-coating work department.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a color alignment storage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one circuit of color alignment control.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing contents of a hanger number / model information correspondence table stored in a memory of a computer.

FIG. 6 is a program configuration diagram that defines the operation of a computer in order to realize non-avoidance color and avoidance color distribution.

FIG. 7 is a program configuration diagram that specifies the operation of a computer that controls color alignment storage import.

FIG. 8 is a program configuration diagram that specifies the operation of a computer that performs color alignment storage unloading control.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transfer device 2 Hanger 3 Hanger plate 4 Punch card 5 Hanger reader 8 Card reader 14 Painting robot 17 Color alignment storage

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In a coating step of applying a specified color to each work using the same coating gun, at least a part of a plurality of branched work alignment means is provided on a part of a work transfer path leading to an overcoating step. Means for reading information on the model and designated color of the work, and means for loading and unloading the work to and from the work alignment means are provided, and based on a read signal from the reading means, the work to be loaded and the work alignment
Compare the work with the last work of the row means, sort and arrange the work to the work alignment means in the order of the same designated color of the same model, the same designated color, the same model non-avoidance designated color, and the non-avoidance designated color. In the painting process, the work is carried out from the work alignment means to the overcoating process in the order of the same model, the same designated color, the same designated color, the same model non-avoidance designated color, and the non-avoidance designated color. Alignment system.