JP7437487B1 - Work supply system, work supply method and work supply program - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a workpiece supply system, a workpiece supply method, and a workpiece supply program that can spray compressed air from an air separator to appropriate positions on a workpiece. [Solution] A work supply robot that transports the uppermost workpiece from a group of works loaded on a workpiece mounting table; An air separator between which compressed air is blown, and a control device that controls the work supply robot, the control device acquiring position information of the air separator on the workpiece mounting table, and controlling the position of the air separator. The robot is configured to determine a direction in which the workpiece supply robot holding the uppermost workpiece moves based on the information. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a work supply system, a work supply method, and a work supply program.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is an air separator that uses air pressure to separate the topmost plate out of a plurality of plates loaded in a loading area (see Patent Document 1, etc.). A conventional air separator includes, for example, a support member installed in an upright position adjacent to a loading area, a cam member provided on one side of the support member and having a guide elongated hole extending in the vertical direction, and a slider having a follower guided in a guide elongated hole; a contact member provided on the slider that abuts the surface of the uppermost plate from above; and a contact member provided on the slider and attached to the end surface of the uppermost plate. and a nozzle that injects air toward the target.

Patent No. 6667316

However, conventional air separators are erected around a workpiece mounting table loaded with workpieces and cannot be moved. Therefore, depending on the placement position of the workpiece on the workpiece mounting table, the compressed air jetted from the nozzle of the air separator may not hit the appropriate position of the workpiece, resulting in a problem that it is not possible to prevent the workpiece from being taken in two pieces.

It is also possible to load workpieces according to the installation position of the air separator, but if the air separator is installed upright around the workpiece mounting table, for example, in the case of a small workpiece, It is difficult to position the workpiece by abutting it against the contact surface, secure the workpiece holding position of the workpiece supply robot that transports the workpiece, and load the workpiece in such a way that compressed air hits the appropriate position.

One aspect of the present invention is a workpiece supply system, a workpiece supply method, and a workpiece supply program that can spray compressed air from an air separator to appropriate positions on a workpiece.

A work supply system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a work supply robot that transports the uppermost workpiece from a group of works loaded on a workpiece mounting table; an air separator that blows compressed air between the workpiece and the remaining workpiece group, and a control device that controls the workpiece supply robot, and the control device acquires position information of the air separator on the workpiece mounting table. The robot is configured to determine the direction in which the workpiece supply robot holding the uppermost workpiece moves based on the positional information of the air separator.

A workpiece supply method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a position information acquisition step of acquiring positional information of an air separator on a workpiece mounting table using a control device; and a movement direction determining step of determining the direction in which the workpiece supply robot holding the uppermost workpiece of the workpiece group stacked thereon moves.

A workpiece supply program according to one aspect of the present invention includes a position information acquisition process of acquiring positional information of an air separator on a workpiece mounting table, and a workpiece supplying process that acquires positional information of an air separator on a workpiece mounting table; A control device is caused to execute a movement direction determination process for determining a direction in which a workpiece supplying robot holding the topmost workpiece of a workpiece group moves.

According to the workpiece supply system, workpiece supply method, and workpiece supply program according to one aspect of the present invention, the air separator is placed on the workpiece mounting table, and the workpieces can be easily loaded in accordance with the position of the air separator. , compressed air from the air separator can be blown to appropriate locations on the workpiece. In addition, the control device determines the direction in which the work supply robot holding the uppermost workpiece moves based on the position information of the air separator, so that even if the air separator is placed upright on the workpiece mounting table, the air separator The air separator does not interfere with the conveyance of the workpiece, and the air separator does not interfere with the workpiece supply robot or the topmost workpiece. Therefore, the air separator can be placed on the workpiece mounting table, and compressed air can be blown onto appropriate positions of the workpiece.

According to the workpiece supply system, workpiece supply method, and workpiece supply program according to one aspect of the present invention, compressed air from the air separator can be blown to appropriate positions on the workpiece.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a work supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a part of the work supply system of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the robot hand of the work supply robot of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the air separator of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the air separator of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the effect of the uneven portions of the air separator of this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the effect of the uneven portions of the air separator of this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the air separator of this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the air separator of this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing a part of the air separator of this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing continuous blowing according to this embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the pulse blow of this embodiment. FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram showing the control device of this embodiment. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the moving direction of the robot hand of the work supply robot of this embodiment. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the compressed air blowing direction of this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the workpiece supply method of this embodiment. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the workpiece supply method of this embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions claimed in each claim, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the solution of the invention. .

[Overall configuration of work supply system according to this embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a work supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
First, with reference to FIG. 1, a work supply system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be outlined. As shown in FIG. 1, the work supply system 1 according to the present embodiment schematically includes a work supply robot 100 that transports the uppermost workpiece Wt from a group of works W loaded on a workpiece mounting table 10; An air separator 200 that is placed on the workpiece mounting table 10 and blows compressed air between the uppermost workpiece Wt and the remaining workpieces W group, and a control device 300 that controls the workpiece supply robot 100 and the air separator 200. Be prepared.

In this embodiment, "blowing compressed air" means that the air separator 200 blows out compressed air so that the compressed air hits at least the end of the workpiece W. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, "blowing out compressed air" means that the air separator 200 blows out compressed air from a discharge port 250, which will be described later, regardless of whether or not the compressed air hits the end of the workpiece W. means. That is, "blowing out compressed air" also includes "blowing out compressed air."

Further, the workpiece supply system 1 includes a workpiece mounting table 10 on which a group of works W in which a plurality of works W are stacked can be placed. Further, the workpiece supply system 1 may include a camera 50 that can photograph the workpiece mounting table 10. Furthermore, the workpiece supply system 1 may further include a processing machine such as a bending machine, and may constitute an automatic processing system for the workpiece W together with the processing machine.

[Workpiece mounting table configuration]
FIG. 2 is a front view showing a part of the work supply system of this embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the workpiece mounting table 10 includes a mounting surface 12 on which a workpiece W can be placed, and an abutment part 14 provided at at least one end of the mounting surface 12. Further, the workpiece mounting table 10 may further include a magnetic floater (not shown).

In this embodiment, the mounting surface 12 is made of a magnetic plate-like member such as an iron plate, and a detachable portion 270 of the air separator 200, which will be described later, can be attached and detached by magnetic force. Further, the mounting surface 12 may be provided with a flat plate made of resin, a protective sheet, etc. on an iron plate or the like, as long as the detachable part 270 can be attached and detached by magnetic force.

Further, the mounting surface 12 may be formed by applying magnetic powder to the surface of a plate-like member made of a non-magnetic material such as resin, or by using a non-magnetic material as a main material with magnetic powder mixed therein. A plate-like member may be used. Further, the mounting surface 12 may not be composed of a single plate-like member but may be composed of a plurality of plate-like members, as long as it can form a surface on which the group of works W can be stably loaded. Magnetic members may be arranged at predetermined intervals on the surface of a non-magnetic plate-like member, or magnetic members may be embedded at predetermined intervals on the surface of a non-magnetic plate-like member. .

Note that the mounting surface 12 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and can adopt various arbitrary configurations depending on the attachment/detachment section 270 as long as the attachment/detachment section 270 can be repeatedly attached and detached.

The abutting portion 14 is provided along a part or all of the end of the mounting surface 12 and extends in a direction intersecting the mounting surface 12 (the direction in which the group of works W is stacked). The surface of the abutment portion 14 on the placement surface 12 side is an abutment surface 14a against which the group of works W can be abutted.

The abutment surface 14a may have a smooth surface or may have an uneven surface. Further, the abutment surface 14a may have a smooth surface provided with an uneven member. When the surface of the abutment surface 14a has an uneven surface, or when an uneven member is provided on the surface, the work supply robot 100 can pick up the uppermost workpiece Wt of the group of works W that is abutted against the abutment surface 14a. The unevenness has an advantage in that it becomes easier to prevent the workpiece W from being taken in two pieces during conveyance.

[Camera configuration]
The camera 50 is equipped with one lens and one image sensor, and as shown in FIG. It is arranged at the upper part via a support member such as a camera stand 51. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the camera 50 is placed in a position that does not interfere with the workpiece supply robot 100, and the camera 50 is located at a position where it does not interfere with the workpiece supply robot 100, and the workpieces W placed on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10 and the The separator 200 is configured to be photographed from above.

The camera 50 is configured to supply captured image data to an image processing unit 335 (described later) of a control unit 330 (described later) of the control device 300. Note that the camera 50 according to the present embodiment may be configured to directly output a digital signal (photographed image data) from the camera 50 to the image processing unit 335, or may be configured to output an analog signal (photographed image signal) output from the camera 50 directly. ) may be converted into a digital signal (photographed image data) using an A/D converter (not shown) or the like and output to the image processing section 335.

In addition, when the work supply system 1 includes the camera 50, when photographing the work W group and the air separator 200 placed on the mounting surface 12 of the work mounting table 10, the work W group and the air separator 200 are It may further include lighting equipment (not shown) so that illumination light is irradiated. When the workpiece supply system 1 includes lighting equipment, the camera 50 may be configured to be able to operate in conjunction with the lighting equipment. According to such a configuration, the edges of the work W group and the air separator 200 are made clear, and when specifying the external shapes and positions of the work W group and the air separator 200, the edges of the work W group and the air separator 200 are identified. This has the advantage of being easier to do.

[Work supply robot configuration]
The work supply robot 100 is disposed between the workpiece mounting table 10 and a destination (for example, a processing machine) for transporting the workpieces W, and feeds a group of works W loaded on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10. It is configured to hold the uppermost workpiece Wt and transport the uppermost workpiece Wt toward a destination such as a processing machine.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece supply robot 100 includes a robotic hand 120 that holds the uppermost workpiece Wt, and an arm that moves the robot hand 120 toward or away from the workpiece W. 140. Further, the work supply robot 100 may further include a moving mechanism 160 for moving the work supply robot 100.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the robot hand of the work supply robot of this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the robot hand 120 includes a hand main body 122 that is removably attached to the tip of an arm section 140, and a plurality of suction sections that are attached to the hand main body 122 and configured to be able to hold a workpiece W. 124. The hand main body 122 includes an attachment part 122a that is detachably attached to the distal end of the arm part 140, a first support bar 122b coupled to the attachment part 122a, and a first support bar 122b that is spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of second support bars 122c are provided. Note that the shape of the hand main body 122 is not limited to the illustrated example, and can be arbitrarily changed depending on the shape of the workpiece W and the like.

The suction parts 124 are attached to both ends of each second support bar 122c, and each is connected via piping to a compressed air suction source (not shown) that sucks compressed air. Each suction unit 124 has a flat suction pad at its lower end that can suction (contact) the surface of the workpiece W, and the suction force of the compressed air from the compressed air suction source causes the workpiece to be placed on the workpiece mounting table 10. It is configured to be attracted to the surface of the uppermost work Wt of the group of loaded works Wt.

Note that since the robot hand 120 can adopt various known configurations, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the robot hand 120 is not limited to the suction method described above, and can arbitrarily adopt various known configurations.

The arm section 140 has one end connected to the base 160b of the moving mechanism 160 and the other end connected to the robot hand 120, and is connected to the robot control section 331 (described later) of the control section 330 of the control device 300. The robot hand 120 is configured to approach or move away from the workpiece W based on the control signal. In this embodiment, the arm section 140 is a multi-jointed arm having six control axes, and is capable of not only transporting the workpiece W from the workpiece mounting table 10, but also supplying (inserting) the workpiece W to a processing machine, etc. It is configured to be able to assist in processing (bending) the work W, and transport (unload) the product (bending product) from a processing machine or the like.

Note that since the arm portion 140 can adopt various known configurations, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the arm section 140 is not limited to the configuration of the multi-jointed arm having the six control axes described above, and can arbitrarily adopt various known configurations.

The moving mechanism 160 includes a rail portion 160a laid on a floor surface, a base 160b movable along the rail portion 160a, and a base driving means (not shown) for driving the base 160b. This is a so-called linear motion mechanism, and is configured to move the workpiece supply robot 100 on the floor based on a control signal from the robot control section 331 of the control section 330 of the control device 300.

Note that the moving mechanism 160 can employ various known configurations, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the air separator of this embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the air separator 200 includes a housing 210 that is placed on the placement surface 12 of the workpiece placement table 10, and a contact member 220 that comes into contact with the surface of the uppermost workpiece Wt. , and a slider 230 for moving the contact member 220 in the loading direction of the group of works W. The air separator 200 also includes a guide rail 240 for moving the slider 230 and a discharge port 250 for discharging compressed air.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the air separator 200 includes a pulse blow unit 260 for intermittently supplying compressed air to the discharge port 250, and a detachable part 270 for attaching the housing 210 to the mounting surface 12. Equipped with.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the casing 210 has an elongated shape with a substantially U-shaped cross section, such as a channel material. Further, the housing 210 is placed on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10 with the longitudinal direction being the loading direction of the group of works W. Since the housing 210 in this embodiment has such a configuration, the pulse blow unit 260 and piping described below can be housed in the housing, so the air separator 200 can be downsized, and the workpiece mounting table 10 can be It has the advantage that it can be placed more freely on the placement surface 12.

Moreover, from the viewpoint of reducing the weight of the air separator 200, the housing 210 is preferably made of a lightweight member such as a resin material.

A guide rail 240 is laid along the longitudinal direction of the housing 210 on at least one outer peripheral surface of the housing 210, and a slider 230 is attached to be movable on the guide rail 240. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the guide rail 240 is provided on one of mutually opposing surfaces (side surfaces) having a substantially U-shaped cross section, but is not limited thereto. The guide rail 240 may be provided on a bottom surface (work abutment surface 212 described later in this embodiment) having a substantially U-shaped cross section.

Further, a surface of the outer circumferential surface of the housing 210 that is different from the surface on which the guide rail 240 is provided (in this embodiment, the bottom surface having a substantially U-shaped cross section) is a workpiece abutment against which the group of workpieces W can be abutted. It is a surface 212. By having such a configuration, for example, the air separator 200 can be arranged so that the workpiece abutment surface 212 of the housing 210 faces in a direction that intersects the abutment surface 14a of the abutment part 14 of the workpiece mounting table 10. This has the advantage that the group of works W can be easily stacked on the mounting surface 12 of the work mounting table 10 with the ends of the works W aligned.

The work abutting surface 212 is provided with an uneven portion 280 on at least a portion of the work abutting surface 212 . The uneven portion 280 is made of, for example, a mesh member having a mesh size of several tens of meshes (eg, 5 to 100 meshes), and is attached to a part of the workpiece abutting surface 212.

6 and 7 are schematic diagrams showing the effect of the uneven portions of the air separator of this embodiment.
By having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 6, when the robot hand 120 of the workpiece supply robot 100 moves up while holding the uppermost workpiece Wt, the end of the workpiece W on the workpiece abutment surface 212 side and the unevenness of the uneven portion 280 come into contact with each other, and a gap is created between the uppermost workpiece Wt and the lower workpiece W stuck to the uppermost workpiece Wt. As shown in FIG. 7, compressed air enters this gap, making it possible to obtain a high peeling effect.

Note that the uneven portion 280 is not limited to the configuration in which it is provided as a separate member on the workpiece abutting surface 212 as described above, but the surface of the workpiece abutting surface 212 is formed to have an uneven shape, and the uneven portion 280 may be configured.

The guide rail 240 extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 210 from one end of the housing 210 to the other end along the outer peripheral surface of the housing 210. In this embodiment, the guide rail 240 is composed of two rails, but is not limited to this. The guide rail 240 may be composed of one rail, or may be composed of three or more rails. Further, the guide rail 240 is not limited to a structure in which the slider 230 moves on the track of the guide rail 240 as long as the slider 230 is movable in the longitudinal direction of the housing 210. For example, the guide rail 240 may have a long hole extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing 210, and the slider 230 may be movably attached to the long hole.

The slider 230 is movably arranged so as to be sandwiched between the two rails of the guide rail 240, and includes a plurality of guide rollers (not shown) that come into contact with the rails. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the slider 230 has an abutting member 220 attached to the workpiece abutting surface 212 side of the housing 210 to abut the uppermost workpiece Wt from above.

8 and 9 are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the air separator of this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 8, the slider 230 is configured such that when the robot hand 120 of the work supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt moves upward, the contact member 220 contacts the surface of the uppermost workpiece Wt. It moves upward on the guide rail 240 while remaining in contact with the guide rail 240. Thereafter, as the robot hand 120 moves in the horizontal direction, the contact member 220 no longer contacts the surface of the uppermost workpiece Wt. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the slider 230 moves downward on the guide rail 240 due to its own weight or the like. After the slider 230 descends, the contact member 220 contacts the surface of the next highest workpiece Wt in the workpiece W group.

The slider 230 is preferably made of a lightweight member such as a resin material from the viewpoint of reducing the weight of the air separator 200. By reducing the weight of the slider 230, after the robot hand 120 of the work supply robot 100 picks up the uppermost workpiece Wt, the uppermost workpiece Wt is prevented from being peeled off from the robot hand 120 due to the weight of the slider 230. It has the advantage of being possible.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the slider 230 is provided with a discharge port 250 that injects compressed air toward the workpiece W at a position corresponding to the abutment member 220. The height position of the discharge port 250 with respect to the slider 230 is slightly lower than or approximately the same as the height position of the contact surface of the contact member 220 with respect to the slider 230. Further, the slider 230 is provided with an air supply port SP for supplying compressed air to the discharge port 250 at an appropriate position on the slider 230, as shown in FIG. The air supply port SP can be connected to a supply pump (not shown) as an air supply source SS via piping (not shown).

FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing a part of the air separator of this embodiment.
The piping is arranged, for example, inside the casing 210 (in a U-shaped recess) having a substantially U-shaped cross section. As shown in FIG. 10, the air separator 200 in this embodiment is provided with a continuous blowing pipe CP for continuous blowing described later and a pulse blowing pipe PP for pulse blowing described later. The piping branches from the air supply source SS into two systems of piping, a continuous blow piping CP and a pulse blow piping PP, and the branched piping converges in front of the air supply port SP. Thereby, continuous blowing and pulse blowing are possible from the single air supply port SP and, by extension, the discharge port 250.

As shown in FIG. 5, the pulse blow unit 260 is provided inside the housing 210 similarly to the piping, and is connected to the middle of the pulse blow piping PP (see FIG. 10). The pulse blow unit 260 includes an internal valve (not shown), and as shown in FIG. The air is configured to be supplied from the port to the air supply port SP and eventually to the discharge port 250. Specifically, the pulse blow unit 260 supplies compressed air to the air supply port SP at a frequency within a predetermined range.

The pulse blow unit 260 also includes a frequency adjustment screw (not shown). The user can set the pulse blow interval to any frequency within a predetermined range by turning the frequency adjustment screw.

Note that the frequency adjustment of the pulse blow unit 260 is not limited to the manual adjustment described above, and the frequency of the pulse blow unit 260 may be adjusted by remote control by sending an electric signal to the pulse blow unit 260. .

The attachment/detachment part 270 is provided at the bottom of the housing 210 (the end of the housing 210 on the placement surface 12 side of the workpiece placement table 10), and is configured to be detachable from the placement surface 12. In this embodiment, the attachment/detachment part 270 is attachable/detachable to the mounting surface 12 by magnetic force, but is not limited thereto. Moreover, the attachment/detachment part 270 in this embodiment is equipped with an ON/OFF lever type magnet and can be easily attached to and detached from the mounting surface 12, but is not limited thereto.

The attachment/detachment section 270 can adopt various arbitrary configurations as long as the housing 210 can be repeatedly attached to and detached from the mounting surface 12. For example, the attachment/detachment part 270 may be configured to be attachable/detachable to the placement surface 12 by a pressure difference like a suction cup.

With such a configuration, the air separator 200 is configured to be able to be placed at any position on the workpiece mounting table 10 in accordance with the placement position of the workpiece W group. Moreover, the air separator 200 in this embodiment can be independently erected on the workpiece mounting table 10 by being provided with the attachment/detachment part 270.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing continuous blowing according to this embodiment.
The air separator 200 having the above configuration is configured to be able to switch between continuous blowing that blows out compressed air continuously and pulse blowing that blows out compressed air intermittently. In the case of continuous blowing, the air separator 200 can blow out compressed air continuously as shown in FIG. 11 by sending compressed air from the air supply source SS to the discharge port 250 through the continuous blowing pipe CP. is possible.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the pulse blow of this embodiment.
In addition, in the case of pulse blowing, the air separator 200 is continuously supplied with compressed air from the air supply source SS through the pulse blowing piping PP, and is operated by a pulse blowing unit 260 provided in the middle of the pulse blowing piping PP. By intermittently sending the compressed air to the discharge port 250, as shown in FIG. 12, it is possible to blow out the compressed air intermittently at a constant cycle.

Pulse blowing can deliver compressed air at a higher pressure than continuous blowing. In addition, in pulse blowing, compressed air is intermittently blown to give a vibrating effect to the workpieces W, so that gaps are likely to be created between the workpieces W, and a higher peeling effect can be obtained. On the other hand, in pulse blowing, for example, when the size of the workpiece W is large, only a portion close to the discharge port 250 vibrates, making it difficult for compressed air to reach the depths of the workpiece W (a portion far from the discharge port 250). Continuous blowing is more effective for such a workpiece W, since the compressed air can reach the depths of the workpiece W by continuously blowing the compressed air.

The air separator 200 in this embodiment can obtain a high peeling effect regardless of the size of the workpiece W by appropriately using continuous blowing and pulsed blowing depending on the size of the workpiece W. Moreover, the air separator 200 in this embodiment can also be used in combination with continuous blowing and pulse blowing. For example, by intermittently blowing compressed air between the workpieces W by pulse blowing for a predetermined period of time, the workpieces W are caused to peel off due to the action of vibration, and the pulse blowing causes the workpieces W to be separated from each other at a location near the discharge port 250. By continuously blowing compressed air into the created gap, the compressed air is spread to the depths of the work W, and the work W can be separated from each other more reliably.

Further, the air separator 200 having the above configuration has portability, and the user can move the air separator 200 to an arbitrary position. With such a configuration, there is an advantage that the air separator 200 can be placed at an optimal position.

Note that the movement of the air separator 200 may not be performed by the user, but may be performed by a robot such as the work supply robot 100.

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram showing the control device of this embodiment.
The control device 300 is an example of a control device that controls the work supply robot 100 and the air separator 200. The control device 300 is an electronic computer such as a desktop personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet terminal, or a CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) device, and is illustrated in FIG. as shown includes an input section 310, a display section 320, a control section 330, and a storage section 340.

The control device 300 also includes CAD (computer-aided design)/CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) software. Further, the control device 300 is connected to the work supply robot 100 and the air separator 200 using various known configurations.

The input unit 310 is configured with input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, and a joystick, and by operating the input unit 310, the control device 300 In addition to the normally required information input function, it is possible to perform operations such as selecting an NC (Numerical Control) control program to be used in the work supply robot 100, for example.

Furthermore, if the air separator 200 is placed in a position different from the placement position candidate specified by the robot control unit 331, which will be described later, the user can change the placement of the air separator 200 on the CAM software via the input unit 310. It is. For example, the user can adjust the actual arrangement of the air separator 200 by moving the 2D/3D model of the air separator 200 displayed on the CAM software screen or inputting the coordinate data of the air separator 200. The position information of the air separator 200 can be input by

The display unit 320 has a display as a display device, and in addition to the screen display function normally required in the control device 300, it also displays, for example, an NC control program selection screen or a CAD/CAM software screen. etc. will be displayed. Further, the display unit 320 may be configured with a touch screen having the function of the input unit 310. When the display section 320 is configured with a touch panel, the user can input various information such as selection of an NC control program to the control device 300 by operating the display section 320, for example.

Note that the configurations of the input unit 310 and the display unit 320 are not limited to the configurations described above, and any configurations having equivalent functions can be used instead of the input unit 310 and the display unit 320 (for example, a display that can be used remotely). means, input means, etc.), but is not limited to these.

The control unit 330 is configured of an integrated arithmetic processing device including, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit 330 includes a robot control unit 331 that controls the operation of the workpiece supply robot 100 and an air separator control unit 333 that controls the operation of the air separator 200. Furthermore, when the work supply system 1 includes the camera 50, the control section 330 further includes an image processing section 335.

The robot control unit 331 is configured to be able to specify candidates for the placement position of the air separator 200 based on the placement positions of the group of works W on the CAM software as a preparatory step for robot control processing. Specifically, the robot control unit 331 calculates the operation of the workpiece supply robot 100 in accordance with the placement position of the group of works W on the placement surface 12 of the workpiece placement table 10. Further, the robot control unit 331 identifies candidates for placement of the air separator 200 on the placement surface 12 based on the placement position of the workpiece W group and the movement path of the workpiece supply robot 100.

Note that the robot control unit 331 may specify only one placement position candidate for the air separator 200, or may specify multiple placement position candidates and present them to the user so that the user can choose between the multiple placement positions. The mounting position of the air separator 200 may be specified from inside. Further, the user can also place the air separator 200 at a position on the mounting surface 12 other than the candidate mounting position specified by the robot control unit 331. When the air separator 200 is placed at a position other than the candidate placement position, the user inputs the position information of the air separator 200 on the CAM software via the input unit 310.

The robot control unit 331 is configured to be able to execute a position information acquisition process for acquiring position information of the air separator 200 on the workpiece mounting table 10. Specifically, in the position information acquisition process, the robot control unit 331 acquires the placement position information of the air separator 200 specified by the robot control unit 331 or the placement position information of the air separator 200 input by the user. .

Note that, when the workpiece supply system 1 includes the camera 50, the robot control unit 331 determines whether the workpiece is placed on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10 based on the image taken by the camera 50 in the position information acquisition process. The position information of the air separator 200 may also be acquired.

Furthermore, the robot control unit 331 specifies the blowing direction of compressed air from the air separator 200 from the acquired position information of the air separator 200, and calculates the operation of the workpiece supply robot 100 after holding the uppermost workpiece Wt. Specifically, the robot control unit 331 determines the direction in which the robot hand 120 of the workpiece supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt moves based on the positional information of the air separator 200 acquired in the positional information acquisition process. .

In the present embodiment, the robot control unit 331 controls the robot hand 120 of the workpiece supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt in the blowing direction of compressed air (downward direction of the compressed air blown out from the discharge port 250 of the air separator 200). ) is determined.

Further, the robot control unit 331 is configured to be capable of CNC control of the workpiece supply robot 100, and is a robot that controls a series of operations of the workpiece supply robot 100 that separates the uppermost workpiece Wt from the group of works Wt and transports it. It is configured to be able to execute control processing. Specifically, the robot control unit 331 is configured to read the NC control program selected by the user from the control program storage unit 342 of the storage unit 340 and control the work supply robot 100 in accordance with the read NC control program.

For example, the robot control unit 331 controls the moving mechanism 160 and the arm unit 140 based on the NC control program so that the robot hand 120 reaches the highest workpiece Wt from the group of works W loaded on the workpiece mounting table 10. is configured to do so. Furthermore, when the robot hand 120 reaches the uppermost workpiece Wt, the robot control unit 331 controls the air suction source so that the uppermost workpiece Wt is held by the robot hand 120, and also controls the air suction source so that the uppermost workpiece Wt is held by the robot hand 120. It is configured to control the moving mechanism 160 and the arm section 140 to lift the workpiece Wt upward and transport it toward a destination such as a processing machine.

Note that various known control methods can be employed to control the workpiece supplying robot 100 until the robot hand 120 of the workpiece supplying robot 100 holds the uppermost workpiece Wt, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the moving direction of the robot hand of the work supply robot of this embodiment.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the robot control unit 331 controls the workpiece supply robot 100 so that the robot hand 120 of the workpiece supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt moves upward of the group of works Wt. control. Thereafter, the robot control unit 331 controls the workpiece supply robot 100 so that the robot hand 120 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt moves in the direction in which compressed air is blown from the air separator 200, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 14. do.

Furthermore, the robot control unit 331 is configured to stop moving while holding the top workpiece Wt for a predetermined waiting time in a state where the robot hand 120 holds the top workpiece Wt above the group of works Wt. There is. The predetermined waiting time can be any arbitrary time depending on the size of the workpiece W and the like.

The air separator control unit 333 is configured to control ON/OFF of discharge of compressed air from the air separator 200. Moreover, the air separator control unit 333 is configured to be able to control switching between continuous blowing and pulse blowing.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the compressed air blowing direction of this embodiment.
In this embodiment, the air separator control unit 333 is configured to switch between continuous blowing and pulse blowing depending on the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of compressed air, as shown in FIG. Specifically, first, the air separator control unit 333 identifies the blowing direction of compressed air from the air separator 200 based on the position information of the air separator 200 on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10 acquired by the robot control unit 331. do.

Then, the air separator control unit 333 acquires the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of the compressed air from the dimensions of the CAD data of the workpiece W, and makes sure that the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of the compressed air is a predetermined value. Determine whether it is greater than or equal to the length. When the air separator control unit 333 determines that the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of compressed air is shorter than a predetermined length, the air separator control unit 333 blows compressed air between the topmost workpiece Wt and the remaining workpieces W group by pulse blowing. The air separator 200 is controlled to spray air between the two. On the other hand, if it is determined that the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of compressed air is equal to or greater than a predetermined length, the air separator 200 is controlled to perform pulse blowing for a predetermined time and then switch to continuous blowing. .

In this embodiment, the air separator control unit 333 executes a pulse blow as the robot hand 120 of the work supply robot 100 moves upward in the group of works W, and the robot hand 120 picks up the uppermost work Wt. When the robot hand 120 stops moving while being held, the air separator 200 is controlled to switch to continuous blowing and continue to perform continuous blowing until the robot hand 120 stops moving up; however, the invention is not limited thereto.

Note that the air separator control unit 333 can also control the air separator 200 to perform only continuous blowing.

The image processing unit 335 detects edges of the outer shapes of the workpiece W group and the air separator 200 placed on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10 based on the captured image data supplied from the camera 50, and detects the edge detection results. It is configured to calculate the position (x, y) information of the work W group and the air separator 200 from there, and supply the calculated position information to the robot control unit 331. That is, the image processing unit 335 can function as a workpiece identification device that specifies the position of the uppermost workpiece Wt with high accuracy, and can also function as an air separator identification device that pinpoints the position of the air separator 200 with high accuracy. It is composed of

The storage unit 340 has a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various data in a readable and writable manner. Furthermore, the storage unit 340 includes a control program storage unit 342 and a drawing data storage unit 344. Furthermore, the storage unit 340 stores a work supply program 346, CAD/CAM software, and programs necessary for controlling each part of the control device 300.

The control program storage unit 342 stores an NC control program for the workpiece supply robot 100. The NC control program in this embodiment not only functions as a control program for the work supply robot 100 but also functions as a control program for the air separator 200. The drawing data storage section 344 stores various CAD data of the workpiece W, the air separator 200, and the like.

The workpiece supply program 346 includes a positional information acquisition process for acquiring positional information of the air separator 200 on the workpiece mounting table 10, and a movement of the workpiece supplying robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt based on the positional information of the air separator 200. The control device 300 is caused to execute a movement direction determination process for determining a direction to move.

[Work supply method according to this embodiment]
Next, a work supply method using the work supply system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. The workpiece supply method according to the present embodiment generally includes a positional information acquisition step of acquiring positional information of the air separator 200 on the workpiece mounting table 10 using the control device 300; and a moving direction determining step of determining the direction in which the workpiece supplying robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt moves based on the movement direction.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the workpiece supply method of this embodiment.
First, the preparation stage of the workpiece supply method according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 16. First, the user operates the input unit 310 of the control device 300 to open the CAM software. The control device 300 reads the CAM software from the storage section 340 and starts it up, and at the same time, the control device 300 displays a screen of the CAM software on the display section 320.

Subsequently, the user selects the type and quantity of the workpieces W constituting the group of workpieces W to be placed on the placement surface 12 of the workpiece placement table 10 on the CAM software (S1 in FIG. 16). Further, the user inputs position information of the work W group. The control device 300 reads the CAD data of the selected workpiece W from the control program storage section 342 of the storage section 340, and opens it on the CAM software (S10 in FIG. 16).

Note that when the workpiece supply system 1 includes the camera 50, the types of the workpieces W constituting the workpiece W group and the position information of the workpiece W group are controlled based on the captured image data of the camera 50 without being specified by the user. The image processing unit 335 of the control unit 330 of the device 300 may specify the information.

After that, the robot control unit 331 of the control unit 330 of the control device 300 calculates the operation and movement route of the work supply robot 100 according to the position information of the work W group (S11 in FIG. 16). Here, the operation of the workpiece supply robot 100 calculated by the robot control unit 331 may be only the operation of holding the top workpiece Wt and moving it upward in the group of works Wt, or may be in addition to these operations. , and may also temporarily include subsequent horizontal movement and transportation to a processing machine or the like.

The robot control unit 331 also controls the placement of the air separator 200 on the placement surface 12 in accordance with the placement position of the workpiece W group on the placement surface 12 of the workpiece placement table 10 and the movement path of the work supply robot 100. Position candidates are identified (S12 in FIG. 16).

Note that the robot control unit 331 may specify only one placement position candidate for the air separator 200, or may specify multiple placement position candidates and display the CAM software on the display unit 320 of the control device 300. It may also be presented to the user on a screen, and the user specifies the placement of the air separator 200 from among the placement position candidates via the input unit 310 of the control device 300. Further, the user may place the air separator 200 at a location other than the placement position candidate specified by the robot control unit 331.

The user confirms the placement position candidates identified by the robot control unit 331 on the CAM software screen. Furthermore, if necessary, the air separator 200 is actually placed on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10 to confirm whether there is any problem. The air separator 200 is attached onto the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10 by the attachment/detachment part 270.

For example, the user may wish to place the air separator 200 at a location other than the placement position candidate specified by the robot control unit 331, or may actually not be able to place the air separator 200 at the specified placement position candidate (see Fig. If NO in S2 of FIG. 16), a position different from the candidate placement position of the robot control unit 331 is specified (S3 of FIG. 16).

If there is a problem in actual confirmation and the air separator 200 is to be placed in a position different from the candidate placement position on the CAM software, the user should change the position of the air separator 200 on the placement surface 12 of the workpiece placement table 10. is measured, and the position of the air separator 200 is specified on the CAM software according to the actual position. Furthermore, when the work supply system 1 includes the camera 50, the air separator 200 may be photographed by the camera 50, and the placement position of the air separator 200 may be designated based on the photographed image data.

Thereafter, the robot control unit 331 of the control unit 330 of the control device 300 acquires the placement position information of the air separator 200 specified by the robot control unit 331 or the placement position information of the air separator 200 input by the user ( S13 in FIG. 16: position information acquisition step). In this embodiment, the robot control unit 331 acquires the positional information of the air separator 200 from the positional information on the CAM software before actually placing the air separator 200 on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10. However, it is not limited to this.

The robot control unit 331 of the control unit 330 of the control device 300 can also acquire the position information of the air separator 200 after actually placing the air separator 200 on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10. Further, when the work supply system 1 includes the camera 50, the robot control unit 331 may acquire the air separator 200 position information specified by the image processing unit 335 of the control unit 330 from the captured image data of the camera 50.

Thereafter, the robot control unit 331 of the control unit 330 of the control device 300 specifies the blowing direction of the compressed air of the air separator 200 from the acquired position information, and determines the direction in which the compressed air is blown from the air separator 200, and the robot hand 120 of the workpiece supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt. The moving direction is determined (S14 in FIG. 16: moving direction determining step). Specifically, the robot control unit 331 sets the blowing direction of the compressed air to be the horizontal movement direction of the robot hand 120. In addition, the robot control unit 331 calculates the operation and movement path of the workpiece supply robot 100 after holding the uppermost workpiece Wt.

Furthermore, the air separator control unit 333 of the control unit 330 of the control device 300 determines the direction of the compressed air from the air separator 200 based on the direction of the compressed air from the air separator 200 specified by the robot control unit 331 of the control unit 330. The length L of the workpiece W along the line is obtained (S15 in FIG. 16). Then, the air separator control unit 333 determines whether the length L of the acquired workpiece W is equal to or greater than a predetermined length, and determines the operation of the air separator 200 (S16 in FIG. 16).

Specifically, when it is determined that the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of compressed air of the air separator 200 is shorter than a predetermined length, the air separator control unit 333 of the control unit 330 of the control device 300 The separator 200 operates as a pulse blow. On the other hand, if it is determined that the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of the compressed air is equal to or greater than the predetermined length, the air separator control unit 333 causes the air separator 200 to operate in a combination of pulse blowing and continuous blowing.

In this embodiment, the discharge pressure and discharge time of the compressed air of the air separator 200 are set to a predetermined discharge pressure and a predetermined discharge time regardless of the size of the workpiece W, but are not limited thereto. The air separator control unit 333 of the control unit 330 of the control device 300 may acquire the size of the workpiece W from the CAD data of the workpiece W, and may determine the discharge pressure and discharge time of the compressed air of the air separator 200. Further, the discharge pressure and discharge time of the compressed air of the air separator 200 may be specified by the user on the CAM software via the input unit 310 of the control device 300.

Thereafter, the control unit 330 of the control device 300 writes a series of operations of the work supply robot 100 and the air separator 200 as an NC control program to the control program storage unit 342 of the storage unit 340 of the control device 300.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the workpiece supply method of this embodiment.
Next, the workpiece supplying step of the workpiece supplying method according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 17. In this embodiment, the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of compressed air is a predetermined length or more, and the air separator 200 switches between pulse blowing and continuous blowing to supply compressed air to the workpiece W. However, this is not limited to.

First, the user selects the NC control program written out by the control unit 330 of the control device 300 (S100 in FIG. 17). The control unit 330 reads the NC control program selected by the user from the control program storage unit 342 of the storage unit 340 of the control device 300 (S110 in FIG. 17). Then, the robot control unit 331 of the control device 300 controls the work supply robot 100 according to the read NC control program (S111 in FIG. 17).

The workpiece supply robot 100 causes the robot hand 120 to approach the uppermost workpiece Wt of the workpieces W group stacked on the mounting surface 12 of the workpiece mounting table 10 (S120 in FIG. 17). Specifically, in the workpiece supply robot 100, the robot hand 120 moves to the holding position of the uppermost workpiece Wt by operating the arm section 140 and the movement mechanism 160. Thereafter, the robot hand 120 holds the uppermost workpiece Wt by suctioning the suction pad of the suction unit 124 to the surface of the uppermost workpiece Wt by the suction force of the air suction source (S121 in FIG. 17).

At the same time as or after the robot hand 120 of the workpiece supply robot 100 holds the uppermost workpiece Wt, the air separator control unit 333 of the control unit 330 of the control device 300 controls the air separator 200 according to the NC control program. (S112 in FIG. 17). The air separator 200 performs pulse blowing for a predetermined time to blow compressed air between the upper workpiece Wt and the remaining workpieces W group (S130 in FIG. 17).

On the other hand, the work supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt with the robot hand 120 holds the uppermost workpiece Wt so as to be almost horizontal with respect to the workpiece mounting table 10, and transfers the uppermost workpiece Wt to the workpiece. Peel it off from the W group. Then, the workpiece supply robot 100 raises the robot hand 120 while keeping the uppermost workpiece Wt substantially horizontal with respect to the workpiece mounting table 10 (S122 in FIG. 17).

The air separator 200 performs pulse blowing and continues blowing out compressed air even while the robot hand 120 of the workpiece supply robot 100 holds the uppermost workpiece Wt and ascends. Thereafter, the workpiece supply robot 100 temporarily interrupts the ascent and stops moving for a predetermined waiting time with the robot hand 120 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt above the group of works Wt (FIG. 17). S123).

While the work supply robot 100 stops moving, the air separator 200 ends the pulse blow and switches from the pulse blow to continuous blow (S131 in FIG. 17). Then, the air separator 200 performs continuous blowing to blow out compressed air, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, ends the continuous blowing.

After the waiting time has elapsed, the workpiece supply robot 100 raises the robot hand 120 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt again (S124 in FIG. 17). After rising to a predetermined height, the work supply robot 100 horizontally moves the robot hand 120 in the direction in which compressed air is blown out (S125 in FIG. 17).

At this time, the contact member 220 of the air separator 200 that was in contact with the uppermost workpiece Wt falls together with the slider 230 of the air separator 200, and contacts the next uppermost workpiece Wt of the workpiece W group.

After that, the workpiece supply robot 100 transports the uppermost workpiece Wt toward a transport destination such as a processing machine (S126 in FIG. 17). Through the above steps, a series of workpiece supply methods by the workpiece supply system 1 according to the present embodiment are executed.

Note that the timing at which the air separator 200 switches from pulse blowing to continuous blowing is not limited to the standby time of the workpiece supply robot 100 described above; the air separator 200 switches from pulsed blowing to continuous blowing while the workpiece supplying robot 100 is rising. It's okay.

[Advantages of the work supply system, work supply method, and work supply program according to the present embodiment]
As described above, the work supply system 1 according to the present embodiment includes the work supply robot 100 that transports the uppermost workpiece Wt from the group of works W loaded on the workpiece mounting table 10, and The control device 300 includes an air separator 200 that blows compressed air between the uppermost workpiece Wt placed on the workpiece Wt and the remaining workpieces W group, and a control device 300 that controls the workpiece supply robot 100. The robot 10 is configured to acquire positional information of the air separator 200 on the air separator 10 and determine the direction in which the workpiece supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt moves based on the positional information of the air separator 200.

The workpiece supply system 1 according to the present embodiment has such a configuration, so that the air separator 200 is placed on the workpiece mounting table 10, and the workpieces W are aligned with the position of the air separator 200. Since it is easy to load, it has the advantage that the compressed air of the air separator 200 can be blown onto appropriate positions of the work W.

The control device 300 also determines the direction in which the work supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt moves based on the position information of the air separator 200, so that the air separator 200 can be erected on the workpiece mounting table 10. Even if the air separator 200 is used, the air separator 200 does not become an obstacle to conveying the workpiece W, and the air separator 200 does not interfere with the workpiece supply robot 100 or the uppermost workpiece Wt. Therefore, the air separator 200 can be placed on the workpiece mounting table 10 and compressed air can be blown onto the workpiece W at an appropriate position.

Furthermore, in the workpiece supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, the air separator 200 is configured to be able to be placed at any position on the workpiece mounting table 10 in accordance with the placement position of the workpiece W group. With such a configuration, the group of workpieces W can be positioned by abutting against the abutment surface 14a of the abutment part 14 of the workpiece mounting table 10, and after securing the workpiece holding position of the workpiece supply robot 100, compression can be performed. This has the advantage that the air separator 200 can be placed at a position where air can be blown to appropriate positions on the workpiece W.

Furthermore, in the workpiece supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, the control device 300 specifies the direction in which compressed air is blown from the air separator 200, and causes the workpiece supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt to move in the direction of the blowout. The work supply robot 100 is controlled to. With such a configuration, the workpiece supply robot 100 and the uppermost workpiece Wt held by the workpiece supply robot 100 can be safely moved without interfering with the air separator 200, regardless of the shape of the workpiece W. This has the advantage that the degree of freedom in the placement position of the air separator 200 is further increased. Further, there is an advantage that the amount of movement of the work supply robot 100 can be kept to a minimum.

Furthermore, in the workpiece supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, the control device 300 is configured to be able to specify candidates for the placement position of the air separator 200 based on the placement positions of the workpieces W group. With such a configuration, the user has the advantage of being able to know the candidate mounting position of the air separator 200 according to the mounting position of the workpiece W group, without depending on the user's experience or the like. ing.

Furthermore, the air separator 200 is configured to be able to switch between continuous blowing that blows out compressed air continuously and pulse blowing that blows out compressed air intermittently. By having such a configuration, continuous blowing and pulse blowing can be switched depending on the size of the workpiece W, so there is an advantage that a high peeling effect can be achieved regardless of the size of the workpiece W.

Furthermore, in the workpiece supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, the control device 300 is configured to be able to control the air separator 200, and the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of compressed air is equal to or more than a predetermined length. If determined, the air separator 200 is controlled to perform pulse blowing for a predetermined period of time and then switch to continuous blowing. By having such a configuration, after the workpieces W are separated by pulse blowing, compressed air can be delivered to the depths of the workpieces W through the gap created by pulse blowing by continuous blowing. It has the advantage of being able to achieve a peeling effect. It also has the advantage that compressed air can be sprayed accurately depending on the size of the workpiece.

Furthermore, in the work supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, the air separator 200 is configured to be removably attached to the workpiece mounting table 10 by magnetic force. With such a configuration, the air separator 200 can be mounted on the workpiece mounting table 10 many times, so that the air separator 200 can be mounted at an appropriate position each time the mounting position of the workpiece W group changes. It has the advantage of being able to

Furthermore, in the workpiece supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, the air separator 200 includes a workpiece abutment surface 212 against which the group of works W can be abutted, and at least a portion of the workpiece abutment surface 212 is provided with an uneven portion 280. It is being With such a configuration, the end of the workpiece W facing the workpiece abutment surface 212 is caught on the uneven part 280, so when the workpiece supply robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt rises, the uppermost workpiece Wt This has the advantage that a gap is created between the uppermost workpiece Wt and the lower workpiece W stuck to the uppermost workpiece Wt, and the compressed air of the air separator 200 can be blown to a more appropriate position on the workpiece W. ing.

Furthermore, in the workpiece supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, the air separator 200 includes a housing 210 placed on the workpiece mounting table 10, and the housing 210 is formed of a resin material. By providing such a configuration, the weight of the air separator 200 can be reduced, and the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the air separator 200 is improved, so that the compressed air of the air separator 200 can be blown to a more appropriate position on the workpiece W. It has the advantage of being able to

Furthermore, in the workpiece supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, the air separator 200 includes a contact member 220 that contacts the surface of the uppermost workpiece Wt, and a contact member 220 for moving the contact member 220 in the loading direction of the group of works Wt. The slider 230 is made of a resin material. With such a configuration, the weight of the slider 230 can be reduced, and the weight of the slider 230 that supports the contact member 220 that contacts the surface of the uppermost workpiece Wt causes the robot hand 120 of the workpiece supply robot 100 to This has the advantage that the uppermost work Wt being held can be prevented from peeling off from the robot hand 120.

[Modified example]
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the range described in the embodiments described above. Various changes or improvements can be made to the embodiments described above.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the air separator 200 was described as being configured to be able to be placed at any position on the workpiece mounting table 10 in accordance with the placement position of the workpiece W group, but it is not limited to this. Not done. The air separator 200 does not need to be placed at an arbitrary position on the workpiece mounting table 10 in accordance with the mounting position of the group of works W, as long as it is possible to blow compressed air to an appropriate position of the workpieces W. . For example, the air separator 200 may be placed on the workpiece mounting table 10 first, and then the group of works W may be placed on the workpiece mounting table 10.

In the embodiment described above, the control device 300 specifies the blowing direction of compressed air from the air separator 200 and controls the workpiece feeding robot 100 so that the workpiece feeding robot 100 holding the uppermost workpiece Wt moves in the blowing direction. Although the description has been made assuming that the The control device 300 controls the work supply robot 100 to move in various arbitrary directions as long as the work supply robot 100 and the uppermost workpiece Wt held by the work supply robot 100 do not interfere with the air separator 200. It is possible.

In the embodiment described above, the control device 300 has been described as being configured to be able to specify a candidate placement position for the air separator 200 based on the placement position of the group of works W, but the control device 300 is not limited to this. The control device 300 does not have to be able to identify candidates for the placement position of the air separator 200.

In the embodiment described above, the air separator 200 has been described as being configured to be able to switch between continuous blowing, which blows out compressed air continuously, and pulse blowing, which blows out compressed air intermittently, but is not limited to this. . The air separator 200 does not need to be able to switch between continuous blow and pulse blow.

In the embodiment described above, the control device 300 is configured to be able to control the air separator 200, and when it is determined that the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of compressed air is equal to or longer than a predetermined length, the control device 300 controls the air separator 200. Although the description has been made assuming that the air separator 200 is controlled to switch to continuous blowing after blowing for a predetermined period of time, the present invention is not limited to this. The control device 300 does not need to be able to control the air separator 200. When the control device 300 determines that the length L of the workpiece W along the blowing direction of compressed air is equal to or greater than a predetermined length, the control device 300 controls the air separator 200 to perform pulse blowing for a predetermined time and then switch to continuous blowing. You don't have to. Further, the workpiece supply system 1 may include a control device that controls the air separator 200 separately from the control device 300 that controls the workpiece supply robot 100.

In the present embodiment, the air separator 200 has been described as including a workpiece abutting surface 212 against which a group of works W can be abutted, and an uneven portion 280 is provided on at least a portion of the workpiece abutting surface 212. It is not limited to this. The air separator 200 does not need to be hit by the group of works W as long as compressed air can be blown onto appropriate positions of the works W. Moreover, the air separator 200 does not need to be provided with the uneven portion 280 on at least a portion of the workpiece abutting surface 212.

In the present embodiment, the air separator 200 includes a housing 210 that is placed on the workpiece mounting table 10, and the housing 210 has been described as being made of a resin material, but is not limited thereto. The casing 210 can have various arbitrary configurations as long as the air separator 200 can be placed on the workpiece mounting table 10. The housing 210 may be made of, for example, a metal material.

The air separator 200 includes a contact member 220 that contacts the surface of the uppermost workpiece Wt, and a slider 230 for moving the contact member 220 in the loading direction of the group of works Wt, and the slider 230 is made of resin material. Although the description has been made on the assumption that it is formed, the present invention is not limited thereto. The air separator 200 does not need to include the contact member 220 and the slider 230 as long as it is possible to spray compressed air to an appropriate position on the workpiece W. Furthermore, the slider 230 does not need to be made of resin material.

In the embodiment described above, the workpiece supply robot 100 has been described on the assumption that it is a so-called robot arm, but the present invention is not limited to this. The workpiece supply robot 100 may have any configuration such as a gantry-type workpiece supply robot, as long as it can transport the workpiece W to a processing machine or the like.

In the embodiment described above, the air separator 200 was described on the assumption that compressed air is blown onto one group of works W, but the air separator 200 is not limited to this, and the air separator 200 blows compressed air onto a plurality of groups of works W. It may be configured to be blown with compressed air. For example, in the air separator 200, a guide rail 240 is further laid on a third surface other than the surface on which the guide rail 240 is laid on the outer peripheral surface of the casing 210 and the workpiece abutting surface 212, and A slider 230 including an abutment member 220 and a discharge port 250 may be further mounted on the guide rail.

In the embodiment described above, the air separator 200 is connected to one supply pump serving as an air supply source SS, and supplies compressed air by switching between continuous blow and pulse blow from one air supply port SP and, in turn, from one discharge port 250. Although the description has been made assuming that it can be ejected, the invention is not limited to this. The air separator 200 may separately include an air supply source SS, air supply port SP, and discharge port 250 for continuous blowing, and an air supply source SS, air supply port SP, and discharge port 250 for pulse blowing. .

1 Work Supply System 10 Work Placement Table 12 Placement Surface 14 Abutment Part 14a Abutment Surface 50 Camera 51 Camera Stand 100 Work Supply Robot 120 Robot Hand 122 Hand Body 122a Mounting Part 122b First Support Bar 122c Second Support Bar 124 Adsorption Part 140 Arm part 160 Moving mechanism 160a Rail part 160b Base part 200 Air separator 210 Housing 212 Workpiece abutment surface 220 Contact member 230 Slider 240 Guide rail 250 Discharge port 260 Pulse blow unit 270 Attachment/detachment part 280 Uneven part 300 Control device 310 Input section 320 Display section 330 Control section 331 Robot control section 333 Air separator control section 335 Image processing section 340 Storage section 342 Control program storage section 344 Drawing data storage section 346 Work supply program CP Continuous blow piping PP Pulse blow piping SP Air Supply port SS Air supply source W Work Wt Top work

Claims (12)

a workpiece supply robot that transports the topmost workpiece from a group of workpieces loaded on a workpiece mounting table;
an air separator placed on the workpiece mounting table and blowing compressed air between the uppermost workpiece and the remaining workpiece group;
a control device that controls the work supply robot;
The control device acquires positional information of the air separator on the workpiece mounting table, and determines a direction in which the workpiece supply robot holding the uppermost workpiece moves based on the positional information of the air separator. The workpiece supply system is configured as follows. The workpiece supply system according to claim 1, wherein the air separator is configured to be placed at any position on the workpiece mounting table according to the placement position of the workpiece group. The control device specifies the blowing direction of the compressed air of the air separator, and controls the workpiece supplying robot so that the workpiece supplying robot holding the uppermost workpiece moves in the blowing direction. Or the work supply system according to 2. The work supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device is configured to be able to specify a candidate placement position for the air separator based on the placement position of the workpiece group. The work supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air separator is configured to be able to switch between continuous blowing that blows out the compressed air continuously and pulse blowing that blows out the compressed air intermittently. The control device is configured to be able to control the air separator, and when it is determined that the length of the workpiece along the blowing direction of the compressed air is a predetermined length or more, the control device controls the pulse blow for a predetermined time. The work supply system according to claim 5, wherein the air separator is controlled to switch to the continuous blowing after the execution. The work supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air separator is configured to be removably attached to the workpiece mounting table by magnetic force. The workpiece supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air separator includes a workpiece abutment surface against which the workpiece group can be abutted, and at least a portion of the workpiece abutment surface is provided with an uneven portion. The air separator includes a casing placed on the workpiece mounting table,
The work supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the casing is made of a resin material. The air separator includes a contact member that contacts the surface of the uppermost workpiece, and a slider for moving the contact member in the loading direction of the workpiece group,
The work supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the slider is made of a resin material. a position information acquisition step of acquiring position information of the air separator on the workpiece mounting table using a control device;
a movement direction determining step of determining a direction in which a work supply robot holding the uppermost work of a group of works loaded on the work mounting table moves based on the position information of the air separator. a position information acquisition process for acquiring position information of the air separator on the workpiece mounting table;
causing a control device to execute a movement direction determination process of determining a direction in which a workpiece supply robot holding the topmost workpiece of the workpiece group loaded on the workpiece mounting table moves based on the positional information of the air separator; Work supply program.

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