JPH08229757A - Self-traveling work center and production system using this self-traveling work center - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a new production system and a crawler work center used in the production system wherein change of the production line is facilitated, instillation space for equipment can be reduced, and further production efficiency and product quality can be improved. CONSTITUTION: A self-traveling work center 1 is constituted by mounting a part storage rack 3 and a workbench 4 on a running carriage 2 which must crawl along a preset guide line 11. A production system is constituted by the guide line 11 extended on a floor toward a product carry out station from a part supply station, plurality of sets of the self-traveling work centers 1 self running on the floor along the guide line 11 and a host computer of collectively controlling running a plurality of sets of these crawler work centers. By a single set of the self-traveling work center stopped on the guide line 11, a single work station is constituted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a self-propelled work which carries parts to each process (work station) by a self-propelled trolley equipped with a workbench in a production line mainly composed of assembly processes. The present invention relates to a center and a new production system using the self-propelled work center.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional production line, which is mainly composed of an assembly process, a plurality of work stations for assembling, adjusting, and inspecting parts are arranged on a floor, and these work stations are mutually connected by a belt conveyor. The components required for each work station are connected to each other, and the parts required for each work station are conveyed to a work station required by a belt conveyor or a hand truck. Also, assembling parts at each workstation,
Operations such as adjustment and inspection are performed on the belt conveyor or on a work table installed on the side of the belt conveyor. According to such a belt-cove system production line, it is possible for the workers assigned to each workstation to improve the productivity by efficiently performing the relatively simple work assigned to each worker. Is.

[0003]

However, the belt conveyor type production line has the following problems. In the case of a production line consisting of many workstations, the installation space of the belt conveyor for connecting these workstations becomes large, and a vast floor area is required. In particular, the conveyor belt transport route must basically be configured as a straight route, and since the conveyor belts cannot be arranged on the same plane crossing each other, extra space is required. .

When it is necessary to add a workstation or change the layout due to a partial change of the production line, it is necessary to change the arrangement of the belt conveyor at the same time, which requires a lot of labor and cost. Will be needed.

When assembling a plurality of types of products on the same line, different components are mixedly supplied to each work station, so that the operator needs to carefully select the components of the desired product. In some cases, there is a risk that parts of other products will be erroneously assembled.

Since the workers assigned to each workstation basically perform only the work assigned to each of them, the work content becomes monotonous, and there is a possibility that the production efficiency and the quality may be deteriorated. . Further, if work is delayed at any of the workstations, the effect thereof directly leads to a reduction in production efficiency. Here, even if the workers of other workstations do not support, it is normal that one workstation does not have the parts and tools for two people. It will be in a waiting state.

On the other hand, on the other hand, there has been proposed a one-person line system in which one worker all assembles one product on one workbench. According to this method, it is easy to move or change the production equipment, and since skilled workers perform relatively complicated work in a pattern, compared with the simple work of division of labor in the belt conveyor method. , Improvement of production efficiency and quality is expected.

However, the one-person line system cannot cope with an increase in the number of lots and the variety of products because there is a limit in the number of lots and the types of parts that can be supplied to one workbench. However, the supply of parts to the workbench and the carry-out of the product rely on manual work using a hand cart, etc., and therefore there is a problem in terms of physical distribution.

The object of the present invention is that the physical distribution is better than the one-person line system, the number of lots and types can be easily increased, and the production line can be changed more easily than the belt conveyor system. , A new type production system that can reduce the installation space and further improve the production efficiency and quality, and a self-propelled work center that is indispensable for constructing the production system. Is to provide.

[0010]

A self-propelled work center according to the present invention comprises a component storage shelf (3) and a workbench (3) on a traveling carriage (2) to be self-propelled along a preset track. 4) is attached.

Specifically, the parts storage shelf (3) is constructed by installing a parts tray (33) in each of tray supporting mechanisms arranged in a plurality of upper and lower stages, and the parts storage shelf (3) is mounted on the parts storage shelf (3). Work table (4)
Is attached.

Further, the tray support mechanism comprises a pair of left and right tray support arms (32) (32) for movably supporting the component tray (33) in a front-back direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the traveling carriage (2). I am. More specifically, a turntable (41) is provided on the workbench (4).

The production system according to the present invention has a floor (1
0) A guide line (11) extending above, a plurality of self-propelled work centers (1) self-propelled on the floor (10) along the guide line (11), and a plurality of self-propelled work centers Work Center (1)
It is composed of a control device that controls the traveling of the vehicle. The self-propelled work center (1) has parts storage shelves on the traveling carriage (2).
(3) and workbench (4) are attached to the guide line.
(11) One workstation is constructed by one self-propelled work center (1) stopped above.

Specifically, one or a plurality of work stations for assembling, adjusting or inspecting the parts are formed between the parts supply station and the product unloading station.

The guide line (11) also comprises a return line extending from the outlet of at least one workstation to the repair station. More specifically, the component storage shelf (3) of the self-propelled work center (1) has a space capable of accommodating all the components necessary for assembling one product or a semi-finished product.

[0016]

[Function] On the floor (10) inside the factory, a guide line (11) from the parts supply station to the product discharge station
The traveling carriage (2) of the self-propelled work center (1) is self-propelled from the parts supply station to the product unloading station on the guidance line (11) under the traveling control of the control device. First, at the parts supply station,
After all the parts necessary for assembling one product or a semi-finished product are loaded in the parts storage shelf (3) of the self-propelled work center (1), the traveling carriage (2) starts self-propelled. If necessary, tools necessary for assembling the product are also loaded on the component storage shelf (3) of the self-propelled work center (1).

Thereafter, the self-propelled work center (1) is stopped at a predetermined position where the worker stands by by the traveling control by the control unit, and this position becomes a work station to assemble the parts. Here, the parts storage rack (3) of the self-propelled work center (1) is loaded with all the parts required for the workstation, and no parts of other products are loaded. The worker may unconsciously take out the parts on the parts storage shelf (3) and assemble them on the workbench (4).

The parts to be installed in the work station are not limited to a single part, but rather, a plurality of kinds of parts are installed by one worker on the same workbench (4). At the work station, not only the assembly of parts but also the adjustment and inspection work are sequentially performed by the same worker on the same workbench (4) as necessary.

In the configuration in which the component trays (33) are installed in each of the tray support mechanisms arranged in the upper and lower stages, the component trays (3
3) Parts can be grouped and stored for each.
Further, a large number of parts can be compactly housed in the space between the traveling carriage (2) and the workbench (4).

In a configuration in which each tray support mechanism includes a pair of left and right tray support arms (32) (32), a component tray (33) in which components necessary for the workstation are stored.
By pulling out the other side and slightly retracting the other parts tray (33) which is an obstacle, the desired parts can be taken out easily. In addition, turntable (4
With the configuration including 1), the orientation of the parts on the turntable (41) can be arbitrarily changed, and the work becomes easy.

Further, a self-propelled work center (1)
However, by moving to the standby position of the next worker,
The workstation at the latter stage is configured. In the workstation, one or a plurality of operations are similarly performed in sequence.

When a workstation for adjustment or inspection is constructed, the guide line (11) comprises a return line extending from the exit of the workstation to the repair station at which the worktable (4) ) When a defect is found in the upper semi-finished product, the self-propelled work center (1) moves to the repair station via the return line, and the semi-finished product on the workbench (4) is repaired.

The self-propelled work center (1) has a guide line (1
1) When all the work has been completed after passing through the above specified number of workstations, the self-propelled work center (1) will self-propell to the product unloading station, and the workbench at the station.
(4) The above products are unloaded.

[0024]

According to the present invention, the self-propelled work center (1) has a traveling carriage (2), a parts storage shelf (3) and a workbench (4).
Since it is a configuration that integrally comprises, in the configuration of the production line, it is only necessary to stretch the guide line (11) around the desired path, the conventional belt conveyor and the component storage shelf that should be permanently installed in each workstation. Also, a workbench is unnecessary. This greatly reduces the installation space on the production line. In addition, just by replacing the guide line (11),
Since the moving route of the self-propelled work center (1) can be easily changed, it is possible to flexibly deal with the addition of workstations and the change of layout.

The parts are transported by a self-propelled work center.
Since it is entirely carried out by the traveling carriage (2) of (1), the physical distribution is good. Also, by arranging multiple self-propelled work centers (1) on the guide line (11) and operating them simultaneously, it is possible to easily cope with the increase in the number of lots,
However, by loading different product parts for each self-propelled work center (1), it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase in product types.

Further, the work at one workstation constituted by one self-propelled work center (1) is as follows:
In addition to the work of incorporating multiple types of parts, adjustment and inspection work will also be included as necessary, so the work will not be monotonous, and production efficiency and quality will dramatically increase as the skill level of workers improves. To be improved. Needless to say, the parts required to assemble one product are one self-propelled work center (1) parts storage shelf.
Since all are stored in (3), there is no risk of mistakenly assembling parts of other products.

Further, between the plurality of workstations, the guide line (11) exists only on the floor (10), and the worker can move freely across the guide line (11). Therefore, when the work is delayed at one workstation, the workers deployed in front and behind surround the self-propelled work center (1) of the workstation to assist the stagnant work. You can do it. Here, since all parts and necessary tools are loaded on the parts storage shelf (3) of the self-propelled work center (1), assistance of other workers is effective. by this,
The production rate will recover quickly if the work is delayed at one workstation.

[0028]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Self-propelled work center according to the present invention (1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the component storage shelf (3) is mounted on the traveling carriage (2) which should be self-propelled along the guide line (11), and the component storage shelf (3) is mounted on the component storage shelf (3). It is configured with a workbench (4) attached. An obstacle detection sensor (29) for avoiding a collision with another self-propelled work center (1) traveling in front and other obstacles is attached to the front part of the traveling carriage (2). .

The parts storage shelf (3) is a body (2) of the traveling carriage (2).
The pair of left and right tray support arms (32) and (32) are attached to the two columns (31) and (31) that are erected on (0) in three vertical steps to accommodate and support the three component trays (33). It is possible. Also, the worktable (4) has a turntable equipped with a lock mechanism (42).
(41) is attached, and it is possible to orient the posture of the work (9) on the turntable (41) in an arbitrary direction and lock it in that posture.

A transmitter / receiver (6) having an antenna (61) is attached to the column (31) on the traveling direction side for communication with a host computer which will be described later. On the other side of the column (31), a group of input keys (7) for the worker to instruct the destination of the self-propelled work center (1) and the start of the self-propelled work center (1), The start button (7
1) and a stop button (72), and a display (70) for displaying various messages prompting the operator to perform key operations.

As shown in FIG. 3, the depth length W of the tray support arm (32) is formed larger than the depth length B of the component tray (33), for example, from the middle component tray (33b) to the component tray (33b). When removing the parts tray, pull out the parts tray (33b) toward you as shown by the chain line and
By retracting (33a) as shown by the chain line, it becomes easy to take out parts.

As shown in FIG. 4, the traveling carriage (2) has a body (2
At the bottom of (0), a pair of left and right moving wheels (21) (22) and a pair of left and right casters (28) (28) are provided, and the right moving wheel (21) has a right motor (23)
A left motor (24) is connected to the left driving wheel (22). Behind these motors (23) (24) is the battery (25) (2
5) is installed.

Also, the casters (28) (28) and both motors (23) (2)
Between 4), the control of the self-propelled work center (1) itself,
An electric circuit box (50) for controlling communication with the host computer is arranged. Castors (28) (28)
In the front part of the, there is a guidance line (1
A main magnetic sensor (26) for detecting 1) and an auxiliary magnetic center (27) for detecting a passage recognition marker (12) installed at a key part on the floor are attached to one side.

FIG. 5 shows the structure of a main circuit provided in the electric circuit box (50). The transmitter / receiver (6) having the antenna (61) is provided with a transmitter circuit (62) and a receiver circuit (63), and these circuits (62) and (63) are each a main control composed of a microcomputer. It is connected to the output port and the input port of the circuit (5).

The above-mentioned main magnetic sensor (26) and auxiliary magnetic center (27) are connected to the input port of the main control circuit (5) through the position shift detection circuit (51) and the counter circuit (52), respectively. ing. The right motor (23) and the left motor (24) are connected to the output port of the main control circuit (5) via driver circuits (53) and (54), respectively. Further, the input key group (7) is connected to the input port of the main control circuit (5).

The main magnetic sensor (26) is connected to the induction line (1
It detects the left and right balance of magnetic field lines received from 1),
By sending the detection signal to the positional deviation detection circuit (51), the lateral positional deviation of the traveling vehicle (2) is detected. Information indicating the displacement is supplied to the main control circuit (5). Further, the auxiliary magnetic center (27) detects the magnetic lines of force received from the passage recognition marker (12), and the detection signal is sent to the counter circuit (52), whereby the traveling carriage
The number of passage recognition markers (12) passed by (2) is counted. The count value is sent to the main control circuit (5) and used for recognition of the current position of the self-propelled work center (1).

When the traveling control signal sent from the host computer is detected by the reception circuit (63) of the transceiver (6), the detection signal is supplied to the main control circuit (5), and based on this , Control signals for starting, stopping, turning right, and turning left of the self-propelled work center (1) are created and sent to the driver circuits (53) (54). In case of starting and stopping,
Both motors (23) and (24) are started and stopped at the same time, and in the case of right turn and left turn, the rotation speeds of both motors (23) and (24) are different.

In this way, the self-propelled work center (1)
While traveling along the guide line (11),
When (2) is displaced left and right from the guide line (11), this is detected by the displacement detection circuit (51) and the main control circuit is detected.
(5) is a driver circuit (5
3) Send to (54). In addition, the command of the movement destination workstation given to the main control circuit (5) by the operation of the input key group (7) and the count value input to the main control circuit (5) from the counter circuit (52) are transmitted. It is transmitted from the circuit (62) to the host computer. In response to this, the host computer creates a travel control signal for controlling the travel of the self-propelled work center (1) and sends it back to the self-propelled work center (1).

FIG. 6 shows an example of the construction of a production line for a liquid crystal projector using the self-propelled work center (1). The guide line (11) includes a parts supply station (8), a parts assembly station (81), a first adjusting station (82), a second adjusting station (83), a third adjusting station (84), and a cabinet mounting station (85). ) And the inspection station (86), and are stretched vertically and horizontally.The adjustment line (8) is attached to the guide line (11).
2) Includes a return line extending from the exit of (83) (84) to the semi-finished product processing station (87).

At the parts supply station (8), there is installed a parts carry-in elevator (13) for carrying in parts from a parts warehouse provided on another floor, and at the exit of the parts carry-in elevator (13). Is connected to a conveyor (15), and a dust removing device (14) is provided in the middle of the conveyor (15).

From the parts warehouse, as shown in FIG. 8, the parts trays (33) accommodating parts are stacked on the conveyor (15) in three stages via the spacers (34) at the four corners. It is supplied and passes through the dust remover (14) in this state. Here, since the three-stage component trays (33) are stacked at sufficient intervals, the cleaning air in the dust removing device (14) flows through the corners of the components, and the dust removing efficiency is high. Become.

In the parts supply station (8) shown in FIG. 6, one self-propelled work center (1) parts storage rack (3)
After all the parts required to assemble one product have been loaded, the self-propelled work center (1) starts moving toward the parts assembly station (81) along the guide line (11). To do. At the parts assembly station (81), the self-propelled work center (1) is temporarily stopped and all parts are assembled in the stopped state. After that, the first adjusting station (82),
Second adjusting station (83) and third adjusting station
After (84), the optical system etc. are adjusted.

When any defect is found in the adjustment process, the worker operates the input key group (7) to tell the semi-finished product processing station (87) to the self-propelled work center (1). ) Give a command to return to. As a result, the self-propelled work center (1) will return to the semi-finished product processing station (87) along the return line. The defective product is taken out at the semi-finished product processing station (87), repaired at a repair station (not shown), and then placed on the workbench (4) of the self-propelled work center (1) again. Then, the worker operates the input key group (7) to indicate the work station to be moved next, whereby the self-propelled work center (1) advances toward the work station.

The self-propelled work center (1) passing through the third adjusting station (84) temporarily returns to the parts supplying station (8) with the adjusted semi-finished product mounted, and supplies the cabinet here. After receiving, proceed to cabinet mounting station (85). Then, after the cabinet is attached at the station (85), the process proceeds to the inspection station (86). Here, the products on the self-propelled work center (1) are transferred from the self-propelled work center (1) to the product unloading elevator (19) after undergoing a final inspection such as a pressure resistance test, and other products are transferred. It is taken out to the product warehouse on the floor.

FIG. 7 shows a state of work on the production line using the self-propelled work center (1). A plurality of self-propelled work centers (1) are arranged on a guide line (11) stretched over the floor (10), and each self-propelled work center is located in the control room (16). A host computer (17) and a transceiver (18) for controlling the traveling of all the self-propelled work centers (1) by bidirectional communication with (1) are installed.

One self-propelled work center stopped at a predetermined position under the traveling control by the host computer (17)
One workstation is composed of (1), and basically, the workstations are lined up for the number of the self-propelled work centers (1) that are stopped.
In addition, at the adjustment station, on the side of the guide line (11),
Equipment necessary for adjustment is provided.

At each work station, workers carry out operations such as assembly and adjustment.
It is possible to take out all the necessary parts from the parts storage shelf (3) of the self-propelled work center (1) and assemble these parts on the workbench (4). At this time, since the parts storage shelf (3) does not contain the parts of other products, no assembly error occurs. When the assembly is completed, the parts storage shelf
Since there should be no parts left in (3), this confirmation ensures correct assembly.

On the floor (10), the guide line (11) and the passage recognition marker (12) are simply attached to the floor surface, and the worker can freely cross the guide line (11). Since you can move, it is easy to support other workstations where work is stagnant. In this case, a plurality of workers can surround the self-propelled work center (1) of the workstation and assist the work, so that even if a stagnation occurs, the recovery after that is quick. .

It is also possible to stop the self-propelled work center (1) at an arbitrary position on the guide line (11) and use that position as a new workstation to operate the original production line irregularly. Is. Even in this case, the self-propelled work center (1) stores the necessary parts in the parts storage shelf (3) and the workbench (4) is integrally provided, so no new equipment is required. Does not need

However, since there is no belt conveyor between the workstations, the visibility is good, and the progress of the work at each workstation can be easily grasped visually, which is convenient for process control.

Furthermore, when it is necessary to partially or totally change the production line, the layout can be flexibly changed by simply changing the route of the guide line (11). There is no need to relocate the belt conveyor or move a stationary workbench.
Also, when designing the route of the guide line (11), the guide line (11) can be branched, exchanged, and crossed freely, which increases the degree of freedom in layout compared to the conventional belt conveyor system. , The installation space of equipment is greatly reduced.

The above description of the embodiments is for explaining the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention described in the claims or reducing the scope. The configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the technical scope described in the claims. For example, in the above embodiment, three types of work stations of assembly, adjustment and inspection are configured between the component supply station and the product unloading station.
It is also possible to carry out these operations collectively in one workstation, in which case the guide line (11)
It will extend from the parts supply station through a single workstation to the product unloading station.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled work center according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a self-propelled work center.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a self-propelled work center.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the self-propelled work center.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a main circuit configuration of a self-propelled work center.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a production line using a self-propelled work center.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state of work on the production line.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a main part of a component supply station.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (1) Self-propelled work center (2) Traveling trolley (3) Parts storage shelf (31) Strut (32) Tray support arm (33) Parts tray (4) Workbench (41) Turntable (6) Transceiver ( 61) Antenna (7) Input key group (9) Work (11) Guidance line (12) Marker for passage recognition

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A self-propelled work center in which a component storage shelf (3) and a workbench (4) are mounted on a traveling carriage (2) which should be self-propelled along a preset track. 2. The parts storage shelf (3) is configured by installing a parts tray (33) on each of tray supporting mechanisms arranged in a plurality of upper and lower stages, and a work table (3) is installed on the parts storage shelf (3). The self-propelled work center according to claim 1, wherein 4) is attached. 3. The tray support mechanism comprises a pair of left and right tray support arms (32) (32) for movably supporting the component tray (33) in a front-back direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the traveling carriage (2). The self-propelled work center according to claim 2. 4. The self-propelled work center according to claim 1, further comprising a turntable (41) mounted on the workbench (4). 5. A guide line (11) extending on the floor (10) from the parts supply station to the product unloading station.
And a plurality of self-propelled work centers (1) that are self-propelled on the floor (10) along the guide line (11), and integrally control the traveling of these plural self-propelled work centers (1). The self-propelled work center (1) is configured by mounting the parts storage shelf (3) and the workbench (4) on the traveling carriage (2), and is installed on the guide line (11). A production system in which one workstation is composed of one stopped self-propelled work center (1). 6. The production system according to claim 5, wherein one or a plurality of work stations for assembling, adjusting or inspecting the parts are formed between the parts supply station and the product unloading station. 7. The production system according to claim 6, wherein the guide line (11) comprises a return line extending from the outlet of the at least one workstation to the repair station. 8. A component storage shelf of a self-propelled work center (1)
The production system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein (3) has a space capable of accommodating all parts required for assembling one product or a semi-finished product.