JPH0133291B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an assembly device used, for example, in assembling the body of an automobile, and particularly to a composite assembly device for assembling products by human work and robot work.

(Prior art) In an assembly factory where multiple panels are assembled and integrated by welding or the like to manufacture products such as car body side panels, robots are used for welding work, etc., and the work by the robots and the work by humans are A line may be configured to complete the above product with operations.

However, in conventional combined assembly lines of this type, humans and robots are arranged along one main assembly line, and each part is supplied to the line either directly or after being sub-assembled on a sub-assembly line. , these were constructed so that they were sequentially assembled on the main assembly line by humans and robots. This type of line simply replaces some of the human work with robot work on a so-called assembly line using conventional conveyors, and almost all of the work is done on one main assembly line. In order to carry out the work, especially when there are many work steps, a significantly long line is required, and as a result, a vast amount of factory space is required.

In addition, since humans and robots coexist along one main assembly line, safety may be lacking or sufficient space is required between each work station to ensure safety, and the capabilities of both parties may be affected.
Because the characteristics are different, there may be a waiting time for one side, etc.
There was a dislike that the abilities of both parties were not utilized efficiently.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problems in complex assembly work performed by humans and robots.
By abolishing the conventional main assembly line and centrally placing humans and robots in their respective work areas, we can safely and efficiently utilize the capabilities of humans and robots according to their respective characteristics in a relatively small space. The purpose is to realize a composite assembly device that can be used effectively.

(Structure of the Invention) That is, in the case where a plurality of parts assembled in separate processing lines are mutually assembled into a product in the next process, the composite assembly apparatus according to the present invention
As shown in the figure, the entire work area is first divided into a human work area A and an automatic work area B. Then, on one side of the human work area A, the starting ends C'...C' of all the processing lines C...C provided in parallel are faced, and on the other side, the parts to be assembled on each processing line C...C are exposed. Parts supply station D centrally places parts needed for
...D, and in the human work area A, humans perform work on processing the parts taken out from the component supply stations D...D and supplying them to the starting ends C'...C' of the respective processing lines. The automatic work area B is configured to be performed depending on the work, and the automatic work area B is
Including each of the above-mentioned processing lines C...C, parts supplied to these processing lines C...C are processed by processing robots, and each processing line C...
The parts that have been processed as single units in C are supplied to one mutual assembly station E by the transfer robot installed at the terminal end C''...C'' of each processing line C...C, and the above-mentioned parts are The parts are configured to be assembled together by at least one of the transport robots.

According to such a configuration, in the human work area A, the first stage processing of each part is performed using the parts supplied to the parts supply station D, and these parts are transferred to each of the above-mentioned processing lines C. It is supplied to the starting end C'...C' of...C. These parts are further processed by a processing robot placed in automatic work area B, and
The parts that have been processed as single units are transported by a transport robot to a mutual assembly station E, where they are mutually assembled by at least one of the transport robots. In particular, according to the above configuration, safety is ensured because the work areas A and B for humans and robots are separated, and the work areas A and B for humans and robots can be controlled according to their respective abilities and characteristics. In addition, in work area A, human work is not distributed to each part, so in the case of mixed production, for example, the amount of processing for each part changes depending on the model. too,
This can be easily handled and no human work is wasted. In addition, a plurality of processing lines C...C are provided in parallel, and work on these lines C...C is performed by robots, and mutual assembly of each part at a mutual assembly station E is performed by a transfer robot. Therefore, the entire work area is configured compactly.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, the main components are a rear fender, a quarter panel, and a front pillar inner panel, which are assembled and processed separately and then integrated to manufacture a car body side plate, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown, the entire work area is separated into a human work area 10 and an automatic work area 20 by a virtual boundary line XX.

On one side of the human work area 10, parts supply stations 11...11 are provided where the above-mentioned panels and other parts are centrally arranged, and on the side adjacent to the automatic work area 20, a part supply station 11...11 is provided. There are three parts delivery windows ₀ , ₀ , and ₀ . Further, in the human work area 10, stationary welding machines 12, 12 and work stations 13, . . . 13 for performing welding work and other work on each part are arranged.

On the other hand, in _the automatic work area 20, _there are _{three processing} lines _{( 0-1-2-
3} ) _{, (0-1-2 )} , _{(0-1 ) ,}
A mutual assembly station 21 where the ends of each line join together, and an output line ( ₁ - ₂ ) from which products are carried out from the station 21.
and is provided.

The first line among the above-mentioned processing lines includes a transport device 22 consisting of a rail 22a starting from the first window ₀ and a cart 22b moving on the rail 22a, and a relay station 23 from the end point of the transport device 22. The second robot 25 is also rotatable and transports parts from the relay station 23 to the mutual assembly station 21.
The arms of these robots 24 and 25 are equipped with transport tools 24a and 25a for holding and transporting parts.
In addition, stationary welding machines 26 and 27 are installed on the rotation path ₂ of the first robot 24.
Also, stationary welding machines 28 are arranged on the rotation path ₃ of the second robot 25, respectively. Furthermore, the second robot 25 is equipped with a welding tool 25b for welding work at the relay station 23.

The second line includes a transport device 29 consisting of a rail 29a starting at the second window ₀ and a cart 29b moving on the rail 29a, and a transport device 29 from the end point of the transport device 29 to the mutual assembly station 2.
A third rotary robot 30 conveys parts to the robot 1.
The above-mentioned conveying device 29
The end point is an intermediate processing station 31. The third robot 30 is equipped with a welding tool 3.
0a, and welding tools 32a and 33a, respectively.
Fourth and fifth robots 32 and 33 having the same diameter are arranged so that welding work is performed by these robots 30, 32 and 33 at the intermediate processing station 31. Here, the third robot 3
0 is a transport tool 3 for transporting parts from the intermediate processing station 31 to the mutual assembly station 21
0b, but this conveyor 30b is detachable, and when the third robot 30 is performing welding work at the intermediate processing station 31 as shown in the figure, it is attached to a temporary stand 34 provided on the rotation path ₂ . It is designed to be temporarily placed on top. Further, in this embodiment, while the third robot 30 is transporting the parts from the intermediate processing station 31 to the mutual assembly station 21, the fourth robot 32 is transporting the parts at a work station 35 provided on its rotation path'. Welding work is performed on parts separately supplied from the work area 10.

Furthermore, the third line in the automatic work area 20 is a rotary sixth robot 3 that transports parts from the third window ₀ to the mutual assembly station 21.
6. Here, the above window ₀
is equipped with two removable conveyors 36a, 36a for the sixth robot 36. Parts are assembled alternately to the transport tools 36a, 36a by human labor at the counter ₀ , and the sixth robot 36 sequentially transports the parts together with the transport tool 36a to the mutual assembly station 21.

The sixth robot 36 and the seventh robot 37 are arranged at the mutual assembly station 21 where the above-mentioned processing lines join together.
Each of these robots 36 and 37 is equipped with a welding tool 36.
b, 37a are provided so that a plurality of parts supplied from each line to the mutual assembly station 21 can be assembled and integrated. Here, in the mutual assembly station 21, a second welding tool having welding tools 25b and 30a,
The third robots 25 and 30 can also be made to perform welding work.

In addition, the output line from the mutual assembly station 21 to the unloading station 38 is as follows:
It is composed of the seventh robot 37 and a transport device 39 consisting of a rail 39a and a cart 39b that moves on the rail 39a. The seventh robot 37 has a mutual assembly station 2.
A conveying tool 37b is provided for conveying the product completed in step 1 to the starting end of the conveying device 39.
This carrier tool 37b is also detachable like the carrier tool 30b of the third robot 30, and while the seventh robot 37 is performing welding work at the mutual assembly station ₂₁ , a temporary It is designed to be temporarily placed on a placing stand 40.

Incidentally, the above configuration is shown in FIG. 3 in three dimensions.

Next, a detailed description will be given of how the composite assembly apparatus according to this embodiment operates in the assembly line configured as described above.

In this embodiment, a rear fender panel, a quarter panel, and a front pillar inner panel are used as the main parts, and by assembling and integrating these with sub parts such as a wheel house, side sills, center pillar, and roof rail, the automobile body side panels are manufactured. Each of the above-mentioned parts is supplied to parts supply stations 11...11 provided on one side of the human work area 10, and a worker placed in the area 10 first picks up the necessary parts from each supply station 11...11. It is taken out and subjected to a predetermined processing operation using the welding machines 12, 12 or at the work stations 13...13. In this way, each of the primary processed parts a, b, and c, which have been processed in the first stage by human work, are transferred to the first, second, and third processing lines in the automatic work area 20 by human work. ,, window ₀ ,
Passed to ₀ , ₀ . That is, the first part a is the carriage 22 of the conveying device 22 that constitutes the first line.
The second part b is placed on the trolley 29b of the conveying device 29 constituting the second line, and the third part c is a conveying tool for the sixth robot 36 constituting the third line. 36a.

The first part a delivered to the first line is automatically transported to the mutual assembly station 21 by the transport device 22 and the first and second robots 24 and 25.
on the rotation path ₂ of the second robot 25, and the welding machine 2 on the rotation path ₃ of the second robot 25.
8, predetermined welding work is performed, respectively, and the rotation paths ₂ and ₃ of the first and second robots 24 and 25 are
At the relay station 23 where the
Predetermined welding work is performed by the welding tool 25b of the robot 25.

Further, the second part b delivered to the second line is transported by the transport device 29 to an intermediate processing station 31, where the third part b is
Welding tools 3 for the fourth and fifth robots 30, 32, and 33
A predetermined welding operation is performed by robots 0a, 32a, and 33a, and then the third robot 30 transports the robot to the mutual assembly station 21. At this time, the third
The robot 30 first moves to the carrier 30b on the temporary stand 34.
The operator goes to pick up the part B, attaches it to his own arm, grasps the part b on the intermediate processing station 31, and conveys it to the mutual assembly station 21. Then, when returning to the intermediate processing station 31, the carrier 30b is separated and placed on the temporary stand 34, and after that, the intermediate processing station 31 performs welding work on the next part. Further, while the third robot 30 is transporting the part b to the mutual assembly station 21, the fourth robot 32 moves to the work station 35 facing the human work area 10.
Performs welding work on parts supplied by humans. This part is human work area 1
0 and can be assembled to any main part. Furthermore, the third part c assembled on one of the transport tools 36a at window ₀ of the third line is transported to the mutual assembly station 21 by the sixth robot 36 together with the transport tool 36a. When the sixth robot 36 returns from the mutual assembly station 21 to counter ₀ , it returns with an empty carrier 36a.
The other transport tool 36a with the above part c assembled
While the parts are being transported to the mutual assembly station 21 and predetermined work is being performed, the next part c is assembled into the empty transport tool 36a by human work in the human work area 10.

In this way, parts a, b, and c, which have been processed in the second stage by each line, are gathered at the mutual assembly station 21, and at this station 21, the welding tools of the sixth and seventh robots 36 and 37 are assembled. Mutual assembly is performed by 36b and 37a, resulting in an integrated product (vehicle body side plate) d.
Then, this product d is transferred by the seventh robot 37 onto the cart 39b of the transport device 39 of the output line, and
9 to the unloading station 38.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the composite assembly apparatus of the present invention, when manufacturing a desired product by assembling and integrating a plurality of parts by human work and robot work,
Since humans and robots are concentrated in their respective work areas, safety is ensured, and both can work efficiently in their respective areas according to their respective abilities and characteristics.Especially in the human work area, each robot can Since work on parts is not dispersed, in the case of multi-mix production, even if the amount of processing for each part differs depending on the model, it can be easily accommodated, thereby improving productivity. In addition, multiple processing lines are arranged in the automatic work area where the robot is placed, and work is performed in parallel, and parts can be supplied to each line from one area of human work area. Since humans and robots can be centrally placed in each area, the overall work area can be made more compact. As a result, the work density per unit interview is improved and space is saved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Human work area, 11... Parts supply station, 20... Automatic work area, 21... Mutual assembly station, 24, 25, 30, 32, 33, 3
6,37…Robot,,,…Processing line.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 An assembly device that assembles a plurality of parts assembled in separate processing lines into a product in the next process, one side facing the starting end of all the processing lines installed in parallel, and The other side faces the parts supply station where the parts necessary for the parts to be assembled on each processing line are centrally arranged, and the parts taken out from the parts supply station are processed and sent to the starting end of each of the above processing lines. It includes a human work area where supply work is done by humans, and each of the above processing lines, and the parts supplied to these processing lines are processed by processing robots, and each processing line completes processing as a single unit. An automatic operation in which the parts are supplied to one mutual assembly station by a transport robot provided at the end of each processing line, and the parts are mutually assembled by at least one of the transport robots at the mutual assembly station. A complex assembly device using a robot characterized by comprising a region.