JP4674892B2 - Parts assembly equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a component assembly apparatus that assembles individual components into assembly components.

  A frame of a forklift that is a typical assembly part is manufactured by a method in which a plurality of types of individual parts are combined on a temporary assembly jig, temporarily welded, and then finally welded and integrated.

  Each individual part is placed on a dedicated pallet and stored in an automatic warehouse (hereinafter referred to as a shared automatic warehouse) together with individual parts used for assembling frames of a plurality of types of forklifts. When the model to be assembled is specified from the host device, the transport means such as an automatic transport vehicle recognizes the location where the individual parts used for the assembly of the frame of each model are stored with reference to the database, Carry one pallet with designated individual parts used for assembling the frame of the designated model from the shared automatic warehouse to the import stage of the automatic warehouse (hereinafter referred to as the dedicated automatic warehouse) provided in the parts assembly equipment. To do.

  In order to confirm whether or not the individual parts that have been brought in are designated individual parts of the designated model, each pallet is labeled with a bar code or the like for identifying the individual parts placed on the pallet. Is affixed.

The loading stage is provided with detection means for reading the sign, and each time one individual part is loaded into the loading stage, is the individual part carried in based on the sign read by the detection means being the designated individual part? A determination is made whether or not. When all the designated individual parts are carried into the carry-in stage, the parts assembling apparatus assembles the assembled parts using the carried designated individual parts.
JP 2000-95311 A

  According to this prior art, each time one individual part is carried into the carry-in stage, it is determined whether or not the individual part carried in is a designated individual part based on the sign read by the detection means. . When it is determined that it is not the designated individual part, the carrying-in operation of the transfer means is stopped until the worker or the like takes out the individual part that is judged not to be the designated individual part from the carry-in stage using a forklift or the like.

  Therefore, when it is determined that the component is not the designated individual component a plurality of times, an operation of taking out the individual component determined not to be the designated individual component from the carry-in stage occurs a plurality of times.

  Therefore, if it is determined that the designated individual part is not a plurality of times, it takes time to carry in all the designated individual parts, the assembly of the assembled parts is significantly delayed, and the operation rate of the part assembling apparatus is lowered.

  In consideration of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a component assembling apparatus in which a decrease in operating rate due to erroneous loading of individual components is small.

In order to achieve this object, the parts assembling apparatus according to the present invention includes an assembly robot that assembles an assembly part using the individual parts that are carried in when the number of individual parts necessary for assembling the assembly parts is brought in. In the component assembling apparatus, individual component storage means for storing the number and type of individual parts used for assembling the assembly parts, detection means for detecting the type of the individual parts carried in, and detection number of the detection means Whether the type detected by the detection unit and the type stored in the individual component storage unit match when the count unit for counting and the number stored in the individual component storage unit match the number detected and a determining propriety determining means for, when the determination by the propriety determining means determines a match, the assembly according to the assembly robot is performed, if it is not a match, the group Adopt the technical means that is not performed assembling by a robot.

  Therefore, even if an individual part that is not a designated individual part is carried in, the individual part is continued to be carried in until the same number of times as the number of individual parts necessary for assembly is received. When the number of times of carrying in is equal to the number of individual parts required for assembling, it is not until that point in time that all the individual parts carried in are individual parts used for assembling (hereinafter referred to as designated individual parts). Is determined. If at least one individual part that is not a designated individual part is mixed with the individual parts that are carried in, assembly is stopped. When the assembly is stopped, for example, an operator replaces all individual parts that are not designated individual parts with designated individual parts.

  According to the present invention that employs the technical means described above, regardless of the number of individual parts that are not designated individual parts, all the parts that are not designated individual parts when the required number of individual parts are carried in Since the individual parts are replaced with designated individual parts, the replacement can be performed more efficiently than when the individual parts that are not designated individual parts are carried in as in the past. Assembling parts can be efficiently assembled.

  Hereinafter, a component assembling apparatus according to the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

  A plurality of types of individual parts used for assembling the frames of a plurality of types of forklifts are placed on a dedicated pallet by a predetermined number and stored in a load rack dedicated to each individual article in a shared automatic warehouse. At a predetermined position of the pallet, a label made up of a barcode or the like for identifying individual parts placed on the pallet is attached.

  As schematically shown in FIG. 3, the parts assembling apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured so that individual parts placed on a pallet transported from a shared automatic warehouse 100 by a transport means 1 including an automatic transport vehicle (AGV). A dedicated automatic warehouse 2 that receives and stores the pallets together, an assembly robot 3 that performs assembly work with individual parts stored in the dedicated automatic warehouse 2, a terminal 5 that receives instructions from the operator, and the like are provided.

  In this dedicated automatic warehouse 2, a carry-in stage 21 for receiving a pallet on which individual parts are placed from the transport means 1, a rack 22 having a predetermined number of loading shelves for storing the individual parts together with the pallets, and a rack from the carry-in stage 21 to the rack A traverser 23 is provided that is used to carry individual parts into 22 and take out individual parts from the rack 22.

  The frame assembly job input by the operator to the component assembling apparatus is stored in the job management unit 202 shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the job management unit 202 stores three jobs with job numbers 1 to 3 as shown in FIG.

When the job management means 202 is instructed to start the job by the worker, first, in order to process the assembly job of the frame of the model 1 having the smaller job number, the type of designated individual parts necessary for the assembly of the frame of each model The type and number of designated individual parts of model 1 are recognized with reference to the individual part storage means 203 in which the number is managed. As shown in FIG. 1C, the individual component storage unit 203 holds a table in which the types and number of designated individual components of the frame of each model are described.

  Subsequently, the job management unit 202 recognizes the cargo rack of the shared automatic warehouse 100 in which the designated individual parts of model 1 are stored with reference to the shared warehouse management unit 201. As shown in FIG. 1D, the shared warehouse management means 201 holds a table in which a loading shelf of the shared automatic warehouse 100 in which designated individual parts of each model are stored is described.

  When the job management unit 202 recognizes the type and number of designated individual parts of the model 1 and the loaded shelves, the model for determining whether the frame is assembled to the correctness determination unit 204 (model 1 in this case). (S201 in FIG. 2), and notifies the conveying means 1 of the stored shelves.

  When notified of the cargo rack, the transport means 1 takes out the individual parts from the notified cargo racks together with the pallets and carries them one by one to the carry-in stage 21.

  The carry-in stage 21 is provided with a detection unit 205 that reads the sign of the pallet carried in by the carrying unit 1 and detects the type of the individual component carried in.

  When detecting the type of the individual component, the detection unit 205 notifies the rack management unit 207 of the type of the individual component carried into the carry-in stage 21 (S202 in FIG. 2). When notified of the type of the individual component, the rack management means 207 determines the load shelf of the rack 22 that stores the individual component for which the type has been notified, and instructs the traverser 23 to store it in the determined load shelf.

  When there is a storage instruction, the traverser 23 stores the individual parts carried into the carry-in stage 21 in the cargo rack designated by the rack management means 207. When the traverser 23 stores the individual parts, it notifies the rack management means 207 that the storage has been completed.

  When notified that the storage is completed, the rack management means 207 stores the type of the individual component and the stored storage rack in association with each other as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the individual parts carried into the carry-in stage 21 by the transport unit 1 are stored in the predetermined load rack of the rack 22, and the load rack stored by the rack management unit 207 is managed.

  The counting means 206 counts the number of types of individual parts stored in association with the loading shelves stored in the rack management means 207. When the number counted by the counting means 206 matches the number of designated individual parts notified from the job management means 202, the correctness determination means 204 determines the type of individual parts stored in the rack management means 207 and the job management means 202. It is determined whether or not the types of designated individual parts notified from (FIG. 2, S203 → S205).

  Here, the correctness determination unit 204 determines that they match if all types of designated individual parts notified from the job management unit 202 are stored in the rack management unit 207.

  If the correctness determination unit 204 determines that they match, the corrector determination unit 204 instructs the traverser 23 to move the individual component to the positioning jig 4. When this instruction is given, the traverser 23 refers to the rack management means 207 and moves each individual component stored in each shelf of the rack 22 to the positioning jig 4 corresponding to each individual component. When the traverser 23 moves all the individual parts to the positioning jig 4, the correctness determination unit 204 instructs the assembly robot 3 to assemble the model 1 (FIG. 2, S206).

When the assembly robot 3 is instructed to assemble the model 1, the assembly robot 3 acquires individual parts from the positioning jig 4 according to a predetermined assembly order of the model 1, and assembles the individual parts to each other. Assemble.

When the assembly is completed, the assembly robot 3 notifies the rack management means 207 that the assembly is completed. When the rack management means 207 is notified that assembly has been completed,
The traverser 23 and the conveying means 1 are instructed to carry out all the individual parts currently stored in the rack 22 of the rack 22 in a predetermined order.

  When the traverser 23 is instructed to carry out, the traverser 23 moves the individual parts from the loading rack to the carry-in stage 21 in the instructed order, and the carry-out means 1 transfers the individual parts moved to the carry-in stage to a predetermined load in the shared automatic warehouse 100. Transport to the shelf. By this carry-out, the rack 22 returns to the state before the individual parts are carried in. When all the individual parts are carried out by the traverser 23, the rack management unit 207 notifies the job management unit 202 that the assembly job of the model 1 has been completed.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 205 that they do not match, the correctness determination unit 204 notifies the traverser 23 that they do not match. When the traverser 23 is notified of the mismatch, the traverser 23 instructs the assembly robot 3 to stop the assembly (S207 in FIG. 2).

  Next, the correct / incorrect determination unit 204 specifies a loading shelf in which an individual component that is not a specified individual component whose type is stored in the rack management unit 207 is stored, and a specified individual component whose type is not stored in the rack management unit 207. Is identified and notified to the worker (FIG. 2, S208). This notification is performed, for example, by displaying a designated individual part whose type is not recorded on the operation panel attached to the terminal 5.

  The correctness determination means 204, when specifying the load shelf, issues an instruction to the traverser 23 to move individual parts from the specified load shelf to the carry-in stage 21. When this movement instruction is given, the traverser 23 moves the individual parts from the specified loading rack to the carry-in stage 21.

  The operator takes out the individual parts moved to the carry-in stage 21 by the traverser 23 out of the dedicated automatic warehouse 2 using, for example, a forklift.

  After this, the operator carries in the designated individual parts whose types are not stored in the rack management means 207 to the carry-in stage 21 using a forklift, and manually controls the traverser 23 to move the designated individual parts into the rack 22. Store in a predetermined load shelf. When the operator stores the designated individual part in the load shelf by manual operation, the operator associates the designated individual part with the stored load shelf and stores it in the rack management means 207.

  In this way, when the designated individual part is carried into the load shelf of the rack 22 and the correspondence between the designated individual part and the stored load shelf is stored in the rack management means 207, the worker is provided in the terminal 5. The release switch is pressed (FIG. 2, S209).

  When the release switch is pressed, the traverser 23 instructs the traverser 23 to transfer, to the positioning jig 4, an individual part issued by the correctness determination unit 204 when it is determined to match in the determination of step 205. 23. The processing after the instruction to move the individual component to the positioning jig 4 is performed in the same manner as in the case where the determination in step 205 determines that they match.

  As described above, according to this component assembling apparatus, when there are the same number of carry-in as the designated individual components used for assembling the frame, it is determined whether or not individual components that are not designated individual components are carried in for the first time. .

  Accordingly, even when a plurality of individual parts that are not designated individual parts are carried in, all the individual parts that are not designated individual parts are replaced with designated individual parts when the necessary number of parts are loaded. Therefore, as compared with the conventional case, the replacement can be performed more efficiently than when the individual parts that are not designated individual parts are carried in, so that the assembly parts can be efficiently assembled. .

  The present invention is not limited to a forklift component assembling apparatus, and is widely applied to a part assembling apparatus that assembles an assembling part with a plurality of individual parts.

It is a functional block diagram of the component assembly apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure from carrying in of the individual components to the assembly start in the components assembly apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a top view of the component assembly apparatus of embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveyance means 3 Assembly robot 100 Shared automatic warehouse 201 Shared warehouse management means 202 Job management means 203 Individual part storage means 204 Correct / incorrect judgment means 205 Detection means 206 Count means 207 Rack management means

Claims (1)

In a parts assembly apparatus equipped with an assembly robot for assembling assembly parts with the individual parts that have been brought in when the required number of individual parts has been brought into the assembly parts,
Individual component storage means for storing the number and type of individual components used for assembling the assembly component;
Detection means for detecting the type of the individual parts carried in;
Counting means for counting the number of detections of the detection means;
When the number stored in the individual component storage means matches the number of detections, the correctness determination means for determining whether the type detected by the detection means matches the type stored in the individual component storage means And
A component assembling apparatus characterized in that assembly by the assembly robot is performed when the determination by the correctness determination means is coincident, and assembly by the assembly robot is not performed when it is determined that they do not coincide .

Images