JPH0890233A - Operation control method of welding robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To execute operation control of a welding robot so that welding work sharing by plural welding robots is made uniform. CONSTITUTION: The center coordinate of weld line and estimated welding time of an object to be welded is operated in the data collecting process by a data collecting means 4, in a region dividing process by a region dividing means 4, by dividing a region to be welded so that a welding time of each welding robot 14 is made uniform, the method is configured so as to decide welding work sharing of plural welding robots 14. By this configuration, welding work of each welding robot is uniformly shared so as to reduce welding time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to operation control of a welding robot, and particularly in a system in which welding is performed by a plurality of welding robots, operation control of the welding robots is performed so that the welding work is equally divided among the welding robots. Is about how to do.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the progress of automation of welding work, labor saving of welding work has been often performed by using a welding robot. In particular, when the welding target is large, it is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the efficiency of the welding work that the welding work of each welding line of the welding target is shared by each of the plurality of welding robots at the welding work site. . When the welding work of each welding line is shared in this way, it is necessary to determine which welding robot is to share the welding work of which welding line. The current situation is to decide roughly according to. Then, according to the allocation decision of the welding work, each welding robot is taught so as to execute the welding operation along the welding line in the work area in charge thereof, and the actual welding work is performed.

[0003]

However, when the size of the welding object is increased and the number of welding lines is increased, and the number of welding robots used is increased, the following problems occur. In other words, as the number of welding lines increases, the number of welding line combinations that should be shared by each welding robot increases significantly. Therefore, when the welding line is assigned to each welding robot and the welding work is actually performed, the welding end time varies depending on the assignment of the welding line assigned to each welding robot, and the entire welding work is completed in the shortest time. Has become difficult. This occurs because the worker roughly assigns the welding work division of each welding line of the welding object to each welding robot based on the experience in the field work, and the welding completion time varies among the welding robots. Inevitably, the welding work was not always performed in the shortest time. Therefore, it is desired that welding robots share welding lines with each other so that the welding work is completed in the shortest time on a welding object having a large number of welding lines. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems in the conventional technique, and in the case where a plurality of welding robots share the welding work of a welding target having a large number of welding lines, the work of each welding robot is performed. An object of the present invention is to provide an operation control method for a welding robot that controls the operation of the welding robot so that the shares are evenly distributed.

[0004]

According to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems, when welding is carried out by a plurality of movable welding robots sharing a welding target region installed in a common moving space, In the method of controlling the operation of the welding robot,
Based on the data collection process that collects the data of all the welding lines in the welding target area and the data of all the welding lines that were collected in the above data collection process, welding is performed so that the total welding time shared by each welding robot is equal. An operation control method for a welding robot, comprising: an area dividing step of dividing a target area. Furthermore, in the above data collection process,
This is a method for controlling the operation of a welding robot that collects data by obtaining the center coordinates of each welding line and the time required for welding each welding line. Furthermore, in the above data collection process,
It is a welding robot operation control method that collects data by dividing the welding line and determining the center coordinates for each division and the time required for welding for each division.

Further, in the area dividing step, each of the large divided areas is obtained when the area to be welded is divided into large divided areas by the number of sets of welding robots arranged in one of the vertical and horizontal directions. After dividing the area to be welded so that the total welding time for each is equal, the large divided areas are divided into medium divided areas by the number of welding robots arranged in the other direction. The operation control method for a welding robot divides each large divided area so that the total welding time for each medium divided area becomes equal. Furthermore, when it is necessary to jointly weld one welding line by the welding robots arranged in the other direction, except for the joint welding line that should be jointly welded in the area dividing step, This is an operation control method for a welding robot in which the welding target area is divided into medium-divided areas for the remaining welding lines, and then the joint welding line is divided into large divided areas. Furthermore, when there is a welding robot in failure among the plurality of welding robots, operation of the welding robot that divides the welding target area with respect to the remaining welding target area excluding the welding target area occupied by the welding robot in failure It is a control method. Further, the operation control of the welding robot, which further divides each of the medium-divided regions divided in the region dividing process into small divided regions and determines the welding work order between the small divided regions based on the simulation result of the welding work Is the way.

[0006]

According to the present invention, data of all welding lines in the welding target area is collected by the data collecting step. Based on the thus-collected welding line data, the region dividing process divides the welding target region so that the total welding time shared by the welding robots becomes even. Therefore, the operation control of the welding robots can be performed so that the work assignments of the welding robots are even. Further, in the data collecting step, the data of each welding line can be reliably collected by obtaining the center coordinates of each welding line and the time required for welding of each welding line. Further, in the data collecting step, the welding line is divided, and the central coordinates of each division and the time required for welding of each welding line are obtained, so that the data can be collected more reliably. Further, in the area dividing step, the welding target area is divided into one of the vertical and horizontal directions based on the number of sets of welding robots arranged in one of the directions so that the total welding time is equally divided. It is divided into regions, and the number of welding robots lined up in the other direction is divided into medium regions so that the total welding time is even. As a result, the work time required for each welding robot to weld each medium-divided region becomes more uniform.

Further, when it is necessary to jointly weld one welding line by welding robots arranged in the other direction, the joint welding line is temporarily removed in the area dividing step, and the remaining welding is performed. This can be dealt with by dividing the welding target area into middle-divided areas for lines and then dividing the joint welding line into large-divided areas. Furthermore, when there is a welding robot that is out of order, it can be dealt with by dividing the welding target area with respect to the remaining welding target area excluding the welding target area occupied by the welding robot. Further, in the area dividing step, the divided medium divided areas are further divided into small divided areas, and the welding operation sequence is determined for each of these small divided areas based on the simulation result of the welding operation. If welding work is performed according to the welding work sequence, each welding robot can complete the work in the shortest welding time.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings for the understanding of the present invention. still,
The following examples are examples embodying the present invention and are not of the nature to limit the technical scope of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system to which a welding robot operation control method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. FIG. 2 is a welding robot using the welding robot operation control method of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the schematic arrangement of the welding robot, FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation control method of the welding robot of the present invention,
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a method of dividing the welding target area, FIG.
Is a schematic explanatory view showing a method of determining a welding order for each welding robot, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an area occupied by a defective welding robot. As shown in FIG. 2, a large number of welding lines 21
In order to weld a welding target 11 having a plurality of welding robots 14 (see FIG. 4A), five gate-shaped columns 12 are installed so as to straddle the welding targets 11.
Further, each welding robot 14 is arranged by the moving mechanism 13 so as to be movable in the XYZ directions (vertical and horizontal height directions). The welding target 11 is a large one having a relatively large number of welding lines, and a plurality of (10 in this embodiment) welding robots 14 share the welding work of the welding target 11.

In the welding robot operation control method according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3A, data for geometrically defining each welding line 21 is collected in step S10, and a plurality of data are collected in the next step S11. The division of the welding work of the welding target 11 is determined so that the welding work time of each welding robot 14 is equal. Then, the work order of the welding robot 14 in the welding work sharing area determined in the last step S12 is determined. Each welding robot 1 to which the above method can be applied
As shown in FIG. 1, the system for controlling the operation of No. 4 has a control unit 2 using a computer. The control unit 2 is provided with a data collecting unit 3 and a region dividing unit 4 configured by operating the CPU according to a program stored in advance. The data collecting means 3 includes a computer-based drawing system (hereinafter referred to as a CAD system) 1 to the welding target 1
The data of each welding line 21 in 1 is input. As the data of each welding line 21, when designing the welding target 11 by the CAD system, data such as coordinates, length and angle of each welding line 21 calculated in advance by the CAD system is used. By using these data, it becomes easy to geometrically define each welding line 21. In this way, when the data of each welding line 21 is input to the data collecting means 3 in the control unit 2, the data collecting means 3 calculates the center coordinates of each welding line 21 and the expected welding time.
The calculated center coordinates of each welding line 21 and the planned welding time are input to the area dividing means 4 so that the area dividing means 4 equalizes the welding work time of each of the plurality of welding robots 14. The welding target area of the welding target 11 is divided. Then, the data of each welding line 21 in the welding target area of each welding robot 14 thus set is transmitted to each welding robot 14 through the interface 5, and each welding robot 14 performs each welding by the transmitted data. Each welding robot 14 is taught to perform the welding operation along the line 21, and the welding operation is performed.

The operation of the above system will be described below in association with the above method. In the system that controls the operation of each of the welding robots 14, first, as shown in FIG.
Pick up a welding point in the welding target area designed by the CAD system or the like (step S1), and then execute step S2.
Then, the data of the welding line 21 is sent to the data collecting means 3 (data collecting step). At this time, in the data collection means 3, if the data of the welding line 21 (joint welding line) to be welded by the welding robots 14 arranged in the lateral direction in the joint work is picked up and excluded from the calculation target (step S3). The joint welding line is, for example, one in which two robots simultaneously weld both sides of the wall in the height direction from the front side to the back side. If the welding robot 14 in failure is known in advance, the data of the welding range of the welding robot 14 is excluded (step S4), and the center coordinates of the welding line 21 to be welded and the time required for welding are calculated. To do. This allows the data to be quantized and reliably collected. Furthermore, the length of the welding line is appropriately divided to divide the welding line, and the time required for the center coordinates of each division and the coordinates of each welding line is obtained and quantized to collect data more reliably. You can also The welding target data in which the central coordinates and the welding time are calculated is sent to the area dividing means 4 and the welding target 11 is divided in the vertical direction (step S5). For this division, the number of divisions = the number of welding robots 14 in the vertical direction = the total number of welding robots 14 (10 in this embodiment) / the total number of welding robots 14 arranged in the horizontal direction (2 in this embodiment). ) Is used, and in this embodiment, it is decided to divide into 5 equal parts.
Based on this decision, all welding lines 2 that are the target of welding work
The total welding time of 1 is divided into 5 equal parts, and the large divided region 23 (see C in FIG. 4) is determined (region dividing step). Specifically, this is done as follows.

The central coordinate position of the welding line 21 obtained in steps S1 to S4 is scanned from above in the vertical direction, and the welding time is added. The boundary line is set when the total welding time becomes an integral multiple of the total welding time / (the number of sets of the welding robot 14 in the vertical direction). This (vertical welding robot 14
The division of step S5 can be performed by performing the set number of -1) times. Further, the large divided area 23 is divided into two equal parts based on the number of welding robots 14 arranged side by side in the lateral direction, and the medium divided area 24 (see D in FIG. 4) is determined (step S).
6). Specifically, this is done as follows. Scanning is performed from the left in the horizontal direction in each of the large divided areas 23, and welding time is added. The total welding time is the large divided area 23 in step S5.
The boundary line is set when the number of welding robots in the figure / integral number of the number of welding robots 14 in the horizontal direction. By performing this (the number of welding robots 14 in the horizontal direction-1), the division in step S6 is performed. By the above operation, the welding share of each robot can be determined. The joint welding line excluded in step S3 is divided into five in the vertical direction in the same manner as in step S5, so that the welding time for each welding robot 14 is evenly divided and each large divided region 23 is divided.
Is further assigned to each of the medium-divided regions 24 shared by the welding robot 14 performing the joint work (step S7). Then, the welding work order is determined by each welding robot 14 (step S8). In the data collecting step and the area dividing step, as shown in FIG. 4, the data of each welding line 21 excluding the joint welding portion is quantized by the data collecting means 3 (FIG. 4).
A). Next, each welding line 21 is defined in the center coordinates of each welding line 21 by each dot 22 having a different radius according to the welding time of the welding line 21 (B in FIG. 4). Each dot 2
The total welding time is calculated by calculating 2
According to step S5 of (b), the welding time is divided into five equal parts so that the welding time is equalized, and the large divided regions 23 are divided.

Further, in step S6, the welding time is divided into two equal parts for each of the large divided regions 23, the large divided regions 23 are divided into the medium divided regions 24, and the welding region of each welding robot 14 is determined. To be done. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, the medium divided region 24a shared by the welding robot 14a is divided into four equal divided regions 25, for example. Then, when all the robots weld the divided areas in the same order, a welding work simulation is performed for the welding line of the joint work following the welding line other than the joint work, and the work sequence with the shortest total work time is selected. For example, welding robot 1
For 4a, each subdivided area 25 is divided into A1, B1, C
Assuming that welding is started from A1 when the number is 1, D1, all combinations of the welding order of A1 to D1 are as follows. A1 → B1 → C1 → D1, A1 → C1 → B1 → D1, A1 → D1 → B1 → C1, A1 → B1 → D1 → C1, A1 → C1 → D1 → B1, A1 → D1 → C1 → B1 Welding order above The simulation is performed for each of the above cases, and the welding sequence is determined based on the simulation results so that the welding work time is the shortest. Each of these medium divided areas 24
The welding order of the small divided areas 25 in the
Each of the welding robots 14b to 14d sharing the tasks of b to 24d.
Are sequentially performed. Although each of the welding sharing areas is divided into four equal parts here, it is sufficient that interference does not occur when the robots are present in the same area, so any number of divisions that satisfy this condition may be used. However, the number of combinations (number of times) for welding simulation will increase.

Further, when there is a welding robot 14 in failure among a plurality of welding robots 14, as shown in FIG. 6, the area 30 occupied by the welding robot 14 in failure is occupied.
Cannot be welded by another welding robot 14. Therefore, the dots 22a in the region 30 are excluded from the welding range, and the welding of the welding target 11 is completed.
Further, when one welding line exceeds the operating range of one robot, if the allocation is determined for each welding line, an area in which all the welding lines cannot be actually welded occurs. In such a case, the method of dividing the welding line described above is used. For example, in a region where one robot can weld, the target welding line may be divided and the sharing may be determined. When the operation of the welding robot is controlled in this way, each welding robot 14
The welding times are almost equal to each other, and the welding work in the shortest time is surely realized as compared with the conventional case where the welding work sharing of each welding robot 14 is roughly determined by the experience of the worker. . In the above embodiment, the welding target area is vertically divided into the large divided areas 23 in the area dividing step, and is then horizontally divided into the middle divided areas 24. You may divide in order. That is, it is only necessary to divide in one of the vertical and horizontal directions and then divide in the other direction. In the above embodiment, the number of robots in the horizontal direction forming each group of vertical robots is two, but in actual use, the number of robots may be different for each group. .

[0014]

Since the operation control method for the welding robot according to the present invention is configured as described above, the welding object is divided so that the work time of each welding robot becomes equal, and the welding robot is divided into each divided area. It is possible to perform the welding work in a state where the welding work time of each welding line is shortened to the shortest time by each welding robot.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system to which a welding robot operation control method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic arrangement of a welding robot and the like using the operation control method of the welding robot.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation control method of the welding robot of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a method of dividing a welding target area.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a method of determining a welding order for each welding robot.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an area occupied by a failed welding robot.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 ... Control unit 3 ... Data collecting means (executes data collecting process) 4 ... Region dividing means (executes region dividing process) 21 ... Welding line 23 ... Large divided region 24 ... Medium divided region 25 ... Small divided region

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A method for controlling the operation of each welding robot when welding is performed by sharing a welding target area installed in a common moving space with a plurality of movable welding robots. Based on the data collection process that collects welding line data and the data of all welding lines collected in the above data collection process, the welding target area is divided so that the total welding time shared by each welding robot is equal. An operation control method for a welding robot, which comprises a region dividing step. 2. The operation control method for a welding robot according to claim 1, wherein in the data collecting step, data is collected by obtaining a center coordinate of each welding line and a time required for welding each welding line. 3. The operation control method for a welding robot according to claim 1, wherein in the data collecting step, data is collected by dividing a welding line, and determining a center coordinate for each division and a time required for welding for each division. . 4. In the area dividing step, when the welding target area is divided into large divided areas by the number of sets of welding robots arranged in one of the vertical and horizontal directions, the large divided areas are divided into large divided areas. After dividing the welding target area so that the total welding time becomes even, the large divided areas are divided into medium divided areas by the number of welding robots arranged in the other direction. The operation control method for a welding robot according to claim 1, wherein each of the large divided regions is divided so that the total welding time for each of the medium divided regions becomes equal. 5. When it is necessary to jointly weld one welding line by the welding robots arranged in the other direction, the joint welding line to be jointly welded is excluded in the area dividing step. 5. The operation control method for a welding robot according to claim 4, wherein the welding target area of the remaining welding line is divided into medium divided areas, and then the joint welding line is divided into large divided areas. 6. The welding target area is divided into the remaining welding target areas excluding the welding target area occupied by the welding robot in failure when the plurality of welding robots have a welding robot in failure. The operation control method of the welding robot according to 1 or 4. 7. The medium-divided region divided in the region dividing step is further divided into small divided regions, and a welding work sequence between the small divided regions is determined based on a simulation result of the welding work. The operation control method of the welding robot described.