MXPA98001694A - Method and apparatus for cutting through a protective film in the region of adhesion joints and vehicle body slots - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for cutting through a protective film in the region of adhesion of joints and slats, especially of bodies of passenger vehicles, which has an industrial robot, freely programmable - cutting opening robot - which has at least five degrees of freedom of movement, this industrial robot, by means of a cutting tool, arranged in its operating arm, perforates the protective film at the end of a board or strip that is to be cut freely and, through the movement of the cutting tool, along the direction of cutting and movement, which coincides with the course of the board or strip, cuts through the protective film, essentially over the entire length of the board or strip, cutting edges of the cut through the protective film are presented downwards on the body by means of a pressing tool, disposed downstream of the cutting tool you, on the operation arm

Description

METHOD AND YARD FOR CUTTING THROUGH A PROTECTIVE FILM IN THE REGION OF JOINTS OF ACCESSION AND GLASSES OF BODIES OF VEHICLES The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cutting through a protective film in the region of adhesion joints and slats, especially of passenger vehicle bodies. In the mass production operation of a large number of passenger vehicle manufacturers, the vehicles must be prepared for shipment in such a way that they do not suffer damage, in particular that the painting work or is not adversely affected by storage and the influences of the weather. Where rail travel or even transport by boat is necessary to take it to the customers, then the vehicles are covered for this purpose with a protective wax coating, which has to be removed again before delivery to the customer. The residue-free removal of protective wax is not only a labor intensive task, but also puts a strain on the man and the environment, due to the solvent used. For this reason, the bodies of vehicles have recently been protected during transport through the use of self-adhesive films, although only the essentially horizontal surface sections of the body, which are susceptible to damage by the environment and by the deposits, which have been protected in this way. Although this type of protection is very effective, it is also relatively expensive, so that it has been supplied not only as protection during transport, but also as protection during the assembly of the vehicle and consequently the protective film has been applied even before the final assembly. of the vehicle, that is directly after the painting of the body. In order to be able to apply the protective films carefully, the cut pieces of the film have been previously held by a plurality of people, carried on the vehicle, aligned and placed against the associated surface sections. Despite the high cost of labor, folds and bubbles can not always be avoided by the application of the protective film. When the regions for the added pieces are subsequently cut free, this often results in damage to the paint job, necessitating an expensive job of re-finishing. In the previous manual application of the protective film, the procedure is as follows: first, a rectangular piece of a protective film, which corresponds in size to a surface section, is taken from a feeding roll by at least one or two people and the back end is maintained and cut by one or two more people. This piece of protective film is tensioned freely by two, four or more people, in a hands-free manipulation, with the self-adhesive side pointing downwards, and is thus carried on the body, lowered there in a correct way positionally and horizontally colossally on the associated surface section, placed against it more or less free of folds and bubbles and pressed down by the smoothing with a soft sliding product, for example, a piece of rigid felt. In the region of the joints or adhesion holes for joining parts of the body, such as the fins or doors, the protective film is cut through manually with a blade and the cutting edges are pressed down with the hand in order to configure the manner in which the relevant work of the assembly is carried out. Despite constant practice, handling of the sharp edge blade directly around the painted surface of the body has repeatedly resulted, due to hustle and bustle, in paint damage and expensive re-finishing work. Particularly in body shapes which have, for example, slats in the region of the cap, the position of the film extending the slat can be manually cut in advance only after a strip of the film has been placed below, since there is a great risk of damage to the paint in the slat region.

This prior technique corresponds to normal production practice, at least as used by the Applicant, although for reasons of environmental protection of the USA, protective waxes are no longer allowed in the shipment of vehicles and other vehicle manufacturers have also made a similar film protector system for your vehicles during shipment. The Applicant, however, is aware of any printed publication related to this matter. The Solisitud de Patente Alemana del Solisitante 196 42 831.9, discloses an automatic application method and a corresponding apparatus for the application of a self-adhesive protective film to surface sections of passenger vehicle bodies, in which a dimensioned piece of protective film is extracted from a feed roll by a tension frame guided by robot and taken in this frame, of tension in a manner free of folds and under natural tension and cut from the feeding roll and, immediately after the introduction of the correct perforation lines positionally, by the robot of the tension frame, which uses an equally guided robot drilling tool, is lowered for the correct positioning on the section of the associated surface of the body and pressed down on it, in such a way that it is free of folds and bubbles.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for cutting through a protective film, in the region of adhesion of joints and slats, especially of bodies of passenger vehicles, which replaces manual work monotonous by automatic, helps prevent damage to the paint and, likewise, offer possible savings in labor costs. In particular, the process and apparatus provided are intended to be suitable for use with the invention described in German Patent Application 196 42 831.9, mentioned above. To achieve this object, the methods having the features of claims 1 and 9, and the apparatuses having the features of claims 11 and 24 are proposed. In the case of the automatic flattening of the film, a piece of The film is dimensioned of the film load, for example by a tension frame guided by a robot, and it is taken free of folds under natural stress in the tension frame. In this cut piece of the film that is stretched and, thanks to the tension frame, can be handled almost like a rigid piece of work, drilling lines are introduced, before the application of the film, in the form of sorresta positionally, inside of the piece of support of the film, which similarly uses a robot-guided drilling tool, its perforation lines allow specific regions of the film to be removed, as dictated by the assembly, being torn and separated along the lines drilling lines. It is only after the cut piece of the film, provided with the perforation lines, is lowered by the robot of the tension frame, in the correct position position on the associated surface section of the body and pressed down on it in a free of folds and bubbles. In the region of the joints and slats that have been adhered, the film, according to the invention, is cut by means of a robot-guided blade, the cutting edges are pressed downwards, for example, using a rotating brush or an air nozzle. These protective film parts in the region of the aggregate parts, which are obtained in the subsequent assembly, are removed, preferably manually, along the perforated tear lines. The apparatus, according to the invention, is distinguished by a freely programmable industrial robot (cutting opening robot) having at least five degrees of freedom of movement, to whose operating arm a cutting and cutting tool is mounted. pressure, a cushion that has a blade to cut through the protest film in the region of the adhesion of joints and slats is provided. For the downward pressure of the cutting edges of the protective film, a suitable pre-treatment tool is supplied. 6 -ion, which is disposed downstream of the cutting tool in the direction of cutting and movement. According to the invention, the pressure tool in question is either a rotating brush, which can be placed on the parts of the body lined with the protective film, or an air nozzle, which is directed at the cutting edges and diffuses preferably a jet of air, which presses down the edges. The use of the cutting opening robot serves to ensure the precise guidance of the cushion to sort through the prothesis film, so that the risk of damage to the paint is greatly reduced. In the region of adhesion of joints or slats, the robot of sorte opening pushes the blade of sushilla, arranged in his arm of operasión through the pelisula protestora and transports the suahilla in the direction of a diressión of sorte and movement predetermined by the board or strip, to the point where the end of the board or strip is raised. As a result of the rotary septal the sual, according to the invention, is placed behind the blade and placed directly or, through the descent of the operating arm, in the part of the body lined with the protective film, the edges of cutting of the protective film, through the cut, are pressed down on the body, thus preventing any detachment of the film because the edges of the protective film fail to adhere to the body. In another embodiment of the invention, the cutting edges are pressed down on the body by means of an air nozzle, arranged behind the blade, which emits a diffuse air current directly into the protective film. In a design of the invention, the flattened blades of the blade have a plastid re-rise. Such re-covering serves to prevent damage to the body painted through the conatate of the hard-blade material with the paint job, if the guide direction of the substrate should deviate slightly from the alignment of the joint. The plastic applied to both sides of the sheet must have good slip faces in relation to the enduresed vehicle paints and in relasion they are the protective film that is going to be applied. In a further design of the invention, the cushion is suspended elsstisamente in the tool of sorte and pressure, transversally to the direction of sorte and movement, by means of a spring. As a result of this design, according to the invention, the inaccuracies between the robot guide of the blade and the actual course of the board or strip of the body are considered, since the cushion, in the case of a lateral sontaste with the part of the body that limits the joint, can elastically "deviate in distance".

Advantageously, adjustable stop arms are provided which act on the blade and / or the spring transversely to the direction of cutting and movement, so that, when the protective film is perforated, the cushion can be fixed by actuated on it by the arms of stop. Following the insertion of the substrate and during the cutting operation, the action of the stop arms on the cushion and the spring rises, so that the desired elasticity effect sustains itself when the cushion enters lateral sontasto are the parts of the body. In a particularly advantageous design of the invention, the substrate is arranged so that, in the operation of the base, it can be pivoted back to the end of the floor. When the substrate, during the track operation, encounters an unforeseen obstacle in the direction of the fence, it then pivots backwards in this cutting direction. This pivoting is detected by a suitable sensor and causes an immediate withdrawal of the blade or operating arm of the cutting opening robot, so that the unexpected and inconvenient obstacle by which the blade is confronted in its cutting path, you do not have to stop the production line. Rather, the cutting opening robot travels to the next body or bar seal and systematically cuts this opening. Protective films that have not been cut properly are then treated in a manual sorption step below. Alternatively, the sorte opening robot, after the blade is removed, can jump the obstacle site and, behind the obstacle, reinsert the pole into the protesting film, above the joint to be sorted free, from so that they are the sorte. In a particularly advantageous design, the blade is arranged in a biaxial floating slide, such that it can be adjusted perpendicularly to the plane of the pelvis and transversely to the direction of cutting and movement. The floating slide is arranged on the robot's operating arm and allows, during the "search trip", before the beginning of the cutting operation, a fine adjustment of the cushion in the Z direction, is to perpendicular to the plane of the film. After completing this search trip, the floating slide in the Z direction is fixed and the blade extends. This extension can be performed both by the movement of the operating arm of the cutting opening robot, perpendicular to the plane of the film, and by the direct extension of the blade. This is immediately followed by the cutting operation, the inaccuracies between the cutting path guided by the robot of the blade and the body seal are compensated by the floating slide in the Y direction.

In an advantageous design, the cutting and pressing tool can be moved in a variety of operating settings and a measuring device is provided, which is assigned to the cutting and pressing tool, for recording within the working space of the robot of the cutting opening, the actual position of those joints or slats of the body that are going to be cut free. For this purpose, the measuring device is, for example, a measuring tool, arranged in the cutting and pressing tool, and this cutting and pressing tool can be rotated in a variety of operation settings, in a first turn adjusts the measuring tool and in a second turn adjusts the cutting tool and pressure to be operative. The measuring tool can, in this case, advantageously comprise optical sensors and / or acoustics, by means of which the exact position of the gap to be cut free can be detected. As soon as the current position of the gap has been determined, the cutting and pressure tool is pivoted in such a way that the blade is aligned to the actual detected position of the gap and the cutting operation can begin. In another design of the invention, a tactile probe, which can be adjusted in a biaxial floating slide, perpendicular to the plane of the film and transversely to the direction of movement and movement, is provided with a measuring device. This probe can be lowered down the arm of the robot and / or directly on the body, whereby the float slide in the Z direction is deflected (perpendicular to the plane of the film). The robot then executes with the tactile probe a movement that essentially runs transversely to the alignment of the joint. As soon as the probe is located in the gap of the joint, as the robot continues its journey, the float slide in the Y direction deviates (transversely to the direction of cut and movement), where the probe remains in the gap. After completing the search trip, the float slide in the Z direction is fixed. Armed with the knowledge of the actual position, which has been determined thus, of the joint to be cut free, the cushion can now be brought into the starting position for the cutting operation. In a particularly advantageous design of the invention, the blade is arranged in the biaxial flotation slide, which retains the probe and this probe and the tip can be adjusted perpendicularly to the plane of the film. Following completion of the search trip, the blade can thus easily extend, so the perforator pierces the protruding film that surpasses the bone, and the probe retracts, thus enabling the start of the operasión sorte through the robot guide. the sill.

In another design of the invention, a tactile probe, which can pivot transversely to the cutting and moving direction, is provided as the cutting device. In this design of the invention, a deflection of the probe is effected, as soon as this, in the search travel operation essentially transverse to the hollow to be cut free, it enters the gap of the joint. The deflection is detected by means of a suitable sensor and a signal is transmitted to the cutting opening robot, which stores the deflection point as the insertion point for the blade. After it has been stored, a deflection, which once detected, or a deflected deflection path, can also be used for an adjacent body seal or strip. In one design of the invention, the tactile probe has a rounded detection tip. In another design of the invention, the tactile probe has a probe tip with a sensing roller in correspondence with the gap. For the further achievement of the object of the invention, an apparatus for cutting through the protective film in the region of the joints and adhesion strips is proposed, which has the faces of claim 14., in the operating arm of a cutting opening robot, there is arranged as a cutting and pressing tool an air nozzle, which is suitable for the diffuse emission of the hot are, the hot air temperature corresponding, for example, at least at the melting temperature of the plastic of the protective film. The apparatus according to the invention allows the protective film to be cut through it in a contact-free manner, in the region of the joints and adhesion strips, since, as a result of the hot air, the plastic of the Protective film begins to melt and this plastic is cut through the region of the glue or ribbon by the pulse of the air stream that collides with it. The particular advantage of this contact-free cutting consists in the fact that an additional pressing tool is not necessary to press down the sorta edges of the protective film, since these cutting edges are already pressed down on the body by the air stream emitted from the air nozzle. Since the hot air is diffused from the air nozzle in a diffuse manner, that is to say, the partisan air jet is directed not to a point, but only over an area, it is not absolutely necessary to provide a measuring device that serves for the alignment of the air nozzle, since any small deviation of the gap, which will be cut free from the actual position, is compensated for by the diffuse air flow.

In a design of the invention, a pin of a material that offers good salinity co-conductivity is disposed in the region at the front of the air recess opening of the air nozzle. This pin can be extended for sale and serves to sort through the prothesis film, especially in the region of the anchors, suing the pulse applied by the air current to the protective film, because the width of the hole placed underneath of the film is insufficient to coerce through this movie. The invention is schematically represented on the basis of some illustrative modalities and is explained in detail below with reference to the drawing. Figure 1 shows a side view of a robot-guided apparatus, according to the invention, which has a cutting and pressing tool and a measuring tool assigned thereto. Figure 2a shows an amplified side representation of a cushilla sheet, partially coated with plastic. Figure 2b shows the blade sheet of Figure 2a, in a front view. Figure 2c shows the knife blade of Figure 2b, as a protective film is cut through in an adhesion joint region.

Figures 3a and 3b show a schematic representation in a side and front view of the assembly, according to the invention, of a rack, which uses a spring. Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a mounting, according to the invention, of a sub-frame, using a biaxial flotation sorradera. Figures 5a and 5b show, in a schematic representation, a measuring device, according to the invention, having a tactile probe, during the search travel in a movement transversely to a joint. Figure 6 shows a measuring device, according to the invention, having a tactile probe arranged so that it can be rotated transversely in the direction of the joint. Figure 7 shows, in a general schematic representation, the sorte, according to the invention, of a protective film in the region of the adhesion joint, which uses a hot air nozzle. In an automatic, previously stripped-down application of the prototype film to parts of passenger vehicle bodies, in the production line, immediately after the pressing station, a sounder opening station is provided, in which the adhesive seals can be used. to be cut free in the automatic operation, according to the invention, in the direction of the moving parts of the body. In this station, a method and apparatus, according to the invention, for cutting through the protective film, is used. A first illustrative embodiment of the apparatus, according to the invention, is represented in Figure 1. The apparatus, according to the invention, comprises a freely programmable industrial robot (cutting opening robot), not shown in greater detail, than it preferably has six degrees of freedom for an operating arm 81 and having a seventh axis of further movement for transporting the cutting opening robot along a floor corridor of a production line. Not only due to the measurement exercise, but also due to the adhesion joints that are placed on the front and back of the vehicle body and where the film has been cut open, the cutting opening robot is equipped with a transport tree, along the floor corridor. Alternatively, the exercise can be executed by one or more stationary cutting aperture robots, without any of the seven axes of movement, where the robots have to work only in partial regions of the body. In the illustrative embodiment, shown in Figure 1, to the operating arm 81 of the cutting opening robot, a cutting and pressing tool 83 is mounted, which can be rotated to a variety of operating settings, with the measuring tool 82 mounted there. As the bodies are transported from one station to another, the real position of the bodies, in spite of a mesanisa fixation of the conveyor slides against the lateral and longitudinal stops of the side of the station, produces leaks within a tolerance field that are unacceptably large for the free cutting of the joints . These body position tolerances are covered by certain natural tolerances of the body itself, which, although by themselves are substantially less than the position tolerances, are not totally negligible in the free space of the joints, at least not with respect to the cover. Before the joints of the body are cut freely, their precise real positions in relation to the sorte opening robot must, therefore, first be determined in a small number of points of the body in the front and back. This measurement of the actual position of the joints can be effected by a stationary measurement system that works in three dimensions. In the illustrative embodiment shown, the determination of the actual position of the seals 6 to be sorted is effected by the cutting opening robot itself, which, in this case, operates as a measurement robot. In a first adjustment of rotation of the tool, the measuring tool 82 is operative, whereby the precise real position of the body 1 and of the joints 6 in relation to the cutting opening robot can be detected. That part of the tool that becomes operative in the second turning adjustment of the dual purpose tool is configured as a cutting and pressing tool, 83, having a cushion 79 for sorting through the protective film 23 in the region of the joint (see Figure 2c) and the rotary brush 87, for pressing down the cutting edges. The cushion 79 projects a leaf 84 and a mounting 94 of this leaf, so that the leaf 84 can be easily changed. The rotary brush 87 can be driven by an electric motor 88 by means of a speed reducing miter gear. As an alternative to the rotating brush shown, 87, an air nozzle, which emits a stream of air directed to the cutting edges, can also be used to press the cutting edges downwardly. The blade 79 is elastically suspended transversely to the direction of cutting and movement by means of a spring 85, so that it can automatically follow any positional deviation of the joint from the guide path that is predetermined by the robot. In order to prevent the blade, on the other hand, from being able to deviate strongly to the side, in an inconvenient manner, the play of movement is constricted by a pair of stop arms 86, which arrive on the rack on both sides, the play of movement It is sapaz to be predetermined by adjustment screws 92. When the blade is inserted into the joint, a slat position of the blade, however, can be ensured and the motion play abolished. For this reason, the stop arms which can pivot about the pivot axis 91, can be moved together by means of a small pneumatic cylinder 90, which acts by an expansion wedge on the opposite lever arms, and the blade can be fastened between them in a positionally defined arrangement, this being done temporarily as the blade is inserted into a joint. The mounting of the blade 79 on the spring 85 is also illustrated by the representation of Figure 3 in the side view (Figure 3a) and the front view (Figure 3b), the adjustment screws 92 are not shown in the figure view. 3, to simplify the representation. In order to protect the paint job in the region from scratch joints caused by blade 84 of cushion 79 sweeping. through it, the two supported planes of the sheet are provided with a plastic cover 93, this coating prevents the direct contact of the hard sheet material with the painting work (see Figure 2). The plastis 93 applied on both sides of the leaf 84, it must have good sliding characteristics in relation to the hardened vehicle paints and in relation to the film 23 that is to be applied. As regards the thickness of the coating and the wear resistance of the covering plastic 93, this coating must last at least the life of the tool of the blade 84, even if it is repeatedly ground again. For reasons of sharpening the blade 84, the plastic coating 93 of the blade 84 is delayed relative to the cutting edge 99. It is also worth mentioning in relation to the cutting tool 83 that, with respect to the rasio-nal work, the The quick sambio of the thread 79 should be possible here, since this shroud, due to the large lengths of the film to be opened by cutting, is prone to a corresponding amount of wear. Conveniently, measures to increase the life of the tool are also adopted here, such as a better blade material, a harder coating of the cut or reserves of a material of better wear, for example through the use of round blades rotating. For integrity purposes, it is again worth mentioning in relation to this robot tool that must be replaced quickly in the case of damage and all connections of a mechanical, electrical or fluid nature, must be designed for rapid change. The measurement tool 82, alone, must also be capable of being quickly replaced within the 82/83 double action tool.

Figure 4 shows in a schematic representation the assembly of the blade 79 in a biaxial floating slide 95, which is arranged in the operating arm 81 of the cutting opening robot. The biaxial floating slide 95 comprises a slide Z, in the z direction, which can be transported perpendicularly to the plane of the film, and a slide Y in the y direction, which can be transported perpendicularly to the slide Z and transverse to the direction cutting and movement. In the slide Y in the y-direction, the blade 79 is provided to cut through the protective film 23. The pressing tool (rotary brush 87) is not reproduced in the representation of Figure 4 for clarity purposes, but is assembled similarly in the direction slide and, behind the sushi 79 in the direction of cutting and movement, or even, since there is a sufficient width to cover possible tolerances, directly on the operation arm 81. During the operation, following the determination of the insertion point by a suitable measuring device of the cutting opening robot, the slide Z in the z direction is fixed, so that the operating arm has only a short distance defined yet that travel in the z direction, in order to pierce the protective film. Advantageously, the slide Y of the direction and similarly fixed during insertion, but is released before starting the cutting operation, so that, through its floating movement in the direction, it is able to compensate any joint tolerance or deviations in the course of the joint from the desired position, the cushilla sheet 84, in each adjustment of the damper AND in the direction and, is placed perpendicular to the plane of the film. The arrangement of the blade 79 in the described biaxial floating slider, 95, can be effected with or without the assembly in a spring and with or without the additional components, as described above with reference to Figures 1, 2. and 3. Naturally, a mounting of the blade 79 on the single-axis float slide, which is active only in the direction and, also, adequately meets the defined requirements. Figure 5 shows a measuring device, according to the invention, by means of which the insertion position of the blade blade 84 can be determined. For this purpose, a tactile probe 96, having a rounded detentsion tip, 97, is arranged in a biaxial floating sorbet 95, as disengaged with reference to Figure 4, in the direction Y slide and, sensibly perpendicular to it. sular to the plane of the movie. In order to release the joint 6 for the free end, the biaxial floating sorcer 95 is fastened to the operating arm 81 and descends in the direction of the body 1 until the probe 96 acts with its detection tip 97 on the body 1 ( Figure 5a). After this, the cutting opening robot performs with its operating arm 81 a movement that essentially runs transversely to the alignment of the joint to be determined, until the tactile probe 96 engages its detentive tip 97 in the joint 6. This is recorded by the hesho that, in the further movement of the biaxial floating sorcer 95, the feedback Y and determines and indicates a deflection. The adjustment of the force and pressure and thus determined, is then used to determine the actual position of the gasket 6 and to insert the gasket 79 through the prothesis film 23. Advantageously, the knife 79 is disposed in alignment behind the phasing probe 96 in the direction of cutting and movement, to be precise preferably as the y-direction y slider. For this purpose, both the tandil probe 96 and the blade 79 can be adjusted separately in the z-direction, so that, by extending the holder 79 in the direction z, the prothesis film is punctured, and once the taupe probe 96 is has moved up, similarly in the z direction, the cutting operation can start. Alternatively, the deflection of the steering slide Y and in relation to the desired position, stored in the cutting opening robot, can be determined and the insertion point of the blade corrected accordingly. Another option for a measuring device for the location of the joint 6 to be cut free is shown in Figure 6. Accordingly, a probe 96 *, having a detection roller 97 ', is provided , which is conestate to a system of tactile mediation. The probe 96 'is connected by a suitable assembly to the operating arm 81 of the cutting opening robot, it is arranged in the assembly 98, so that it can pivot transversely to the direction of sorte and movement. In order to separate the joint 6 to be freely divided, the probe 96 ', as described above, is lowered onto the body 1 and is transposed essentially transverse to the joint 6 to be determined. As soon as the probe 96 'engages with its detent roller 97' in the joint 6, in the further movement of the operating arm, the pivoting of the probe 96 'oscillates, which is recorded in the assembly 98 by half of an adesuado sensor. The operating arm 81 completes its movement by going essentially transverse to the joint 6 and the adjustment of the probe 96 'is massed as an insertion position for the shank 79. Then, the probe 96' moves backward / rotates backwardly out of its position acting on the body 1 and the cutting and pressing tool is brought into its operative mode and the knife blade 84 is used to pierce the protective film 23 in the stored position. Of course, it is also possible in the probe 96 ', shown in Figure 6, to use a rounded detection tip (see Figure 5), presumably in the same way as the detection roller 97 can also be used in conjunction with the probe 96 shown in Figure 5. Figure 7 shows a schematic representation on a large scale of an illustrative embodiment of more than one apparatus according to the invention, to coerce through the protective film. The apparatus shown comprises an air nozzle 100, having an air discharge opening 102, which is arranged in an operating arm (not shown in greater detail) of a described cutting opening robot. The air nozzle 100 is aligned with its air discharge opening essentially perpendicular to the surface of the body and, spaced apart from the body 1 by means of the operation arm of the cutting opening robot, it moves along a joint 6 which it has adhered with the protective film 23 and is going to cut freely. The air nozzle 100 emits through its air discharge opening 102 a diffuse jet of air, which is illustrated by the arrows in Figure 7. The temperature of the air emitted from the air discharge opening 102 is it is selected so that, at the intersection with the velocity of air discharge, that is, the pressure exerted by the air in the film, the plastic will soften and then cut through it. In the embodiment of the invention, the expert, within the framework of his specialist knowledge, will therefore mutually reassure the parameters of interassión of temperature, pressure, nozzle configuration and nozzle distance from the protective film. In the case of a very diffuse air stream with a relatively low pressure, the temperature of the discharged air, therefore, corresponds at least to the melting temperature of the plastic of the protoplaser film 23 (>; 1402C). In the tests carried out by the Applicant, the temperature was brought to about 100 to -160 ° C combined with a pressure of 6 to 1 bar. The movement of the air nozzle 100 is effected at a speed, which is sufficiently slow that the plastic in the region of the joint 6 is cut through heating (softening or melting) and the influence of the air stream, so that, once the sequence of movement of the air nozzle 100 along the joint 6 is complete, the latter is freely cut. The advantage of the cutting device, shown in Figure 7, consists in the fact that a separate pressure tool is not necessary, since the cutting edges of the protective film 23 are not only cut through the air stream, but they are simultaneously pressed down on the body 1. There is no need for an additional measuring device to determine in fine form the position of the gap, since the possible tolerances of the presumed course of the joint are sompensed by the diffused air current. In order to cut open the protective film, which is covered by a band of the body, a pin of material which offers good thermal soundness can be conveniently disposed in the region in front of the opening 102 that discharges air from the body. air nozzle 100, this pin is used to pierce the prothesis film 23 by suing the band so that the protesting film 23 can not be assisted by the pulse exerted by the air stream. The perforation of the protective film 23 by the pin is effected, for example, by correspondingly lowering the air nozzle 100. Advantageously, the pin is disposed extensively on the air nozzle 100, so that the distance between the protective film and the air nozzle does not have to be changed to perforate the protective film with the pin.

Claims (26)

1. CLAIMS 1. A method for cutting through a protective film in the region of adhesion of joints and slats, especially passenger vehicle bodies, which has an industrial robot, freely programmable - cutting opening robot - which has at least Five degrees of freedom of movement, this industrial robot, by means of a cutting tool, arranged in its. operating arm, perforates the protective film in the. end of a joint or strip to be cut freely and, through the movement of the cutting tool, along the direction of cutting and movement, which coincides with the course of the board or strip, cuts through the protective film, essentially over the entire length of the joint or strip, the cutting edges of the cut through the protective film are pressed down on the body by means of a pressure tool, arranged downstream of the cutting tool , on the operating arm.
2. 2. Method, according to claim 1, characterized in that a blade is provided as the cutting tool and a rotating brush or an air nozzle is provided as the pressing tool.
3. 3. Method, according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the cutting tool, at the time of perforating the protective film, is maintained in an alignment defined in relation to the operating arm and, during the cutting operation, according to the parts of the body that limit the board or strip are touched, maintained so that it yields transversely to the direction of cutting and movement.
4. 4. Method, according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cutting tool, when it encounters an obstacle, during the operation of the frame, is removed from its position in which it perforates the protective film.
5. 5. Method, according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, before the cutting operation, the actual position of the joint to be cut freely is established by means of a suitable measuring device, assigned to the cutting tool and Pressure.
6. 6. Method, according to claim 5, characterized in that, for the establishment of the actual position of the joint to be cut freely, a probe, arranged in the operating arm, is lowered on the body in the region of a first end of the joint that is going to be cut freely and is transported essentially transverse to the joint until it engages in that joint.
7. 7. Method, according to claim 6, characterized in that the predetermined position of the probe is stored by a cutting opening robot and, once the probe has been recovered, the cutting tool is used to drill the protective film in the stored position.
8. 8. Method, according to claim 6, characterized in that the cutting tool is arranged in alignment are the probe and, a. Once this probe has been blown into the joint, it moves out and is used to puncture the protective film.
9. 9. Method to sort through a protesting film, in the region of adhesion of joints and slats, espesialmente of passenger vehicle bodies, that have an industrial robot, freely programmable - robot of sorte opening - that has at least sinso degrees of freedom of movement, this industrial robot, by means of a diffuse air jet, emitted from an air nozzle, arranged in its operating arm, whose temperature corresponds at least to the melting temperature of the plastic of the protective film, simultaneously cuts the protective film and press its cutting edges against the body.
10. 10. Method, according to claim 9, characterized in that a pin, made of a material that offers good conductivity, is disposed in the region in front of the air discharge opening of the air nozzle, this pin extends according to a lath It is cut freely and used to perforate the protective film, which extends from the batten.
11. 11. Apparatus for cutting through a protective film in the region of adhesion of joints and slats, especially of bodies of passenger vehicles, characterized by an industrial robot, freely programmable - robot of sorte opening - which has al least five degrees of freedom of movement, to whose arm of operation a sorting and pressing tool is mounted, which has a cushilla is a sheet to sort through the prothesis film, in the region of adhesion of joints and slats, together they are a rotating brush or an air nozzle, to press down the cutting edges.
12. 12. Apparatus, according to claim 11, characterized in that the flat sides of the blade of the blade respectively have a plastic coating.
13. 13. Apparatus, according to claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the cushion in the cutting and pressing tool is elastically suspended by means of a spring, transversely to the direction of cutting and movement.
14. 14. Apparatus, according to claim 13, characterized by adjustable stop arms, to act on the blade and / or the spring, transversely to the direction of cutting and movement.
15. 15. Apparatus, according to claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the substrate, suing an obstacle, during the sorting operation, can pivot backwards in the cutting direction.
16. 16. Apparatus, according to claims 11 to 15, characterized in that the cushion is arranged in a biaxial floating sorcer, so that it can be adjusted perpendicularly to the plane of the film and transversely to the direction of rotation and movement.
17. 17. Apparatus, according to claims 11 to 16, characterized in that the cutting and pressing tool can be moved in a variety of operating settings and because a measuring device is provided, which is assigned to this cutting and pressing tool , for the registration inside the work space of the cutting opening robot, to the actual position of the board or strip of the body to be cut freely.
18. 18. Apparatus, according to claim 17, characterized in that the measuring device is a measuring tool, arranged in the sortation and pressure tool, and because this cutting and pressing tool can be pivoted in a variety of operating settings, in a first pivot that adjusts the measuring tool, and in a second pivot the adjustment of the cutting and pressure tool is operative.
19. 19. Apparatus, according to claim 17, characterized in that the tactile probe, which can be adjusted in a biaxial floating slide, perpendicularly to the plane of the film and transversely to the cutting and moving direction, is provided as the measuring device.
20. 20. Apparatus, according to claim 19, characterized in that the blade is arranged in alignment with the tandil probe in the direction of movement and movement, in the biaxial floating sorredera, which retains the tactile probe, this tactile probe and the sill can be spread respicuously perpendicular to the plane of the film.
21. Apparatus, according to claim 17, characterized in that a probe, which can pivot transversely to the cutting and moving direction, is provided as the measuring device.
22. 22. Apparatus, according to one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that the probe has a rounded detection tip.
23. 23. Apparatus, according to one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that the probe has a detection tip with a detection roller in correspondence with the gap.
24. 24. Apparatus, according to claim 17, characterized in that the measuring device comprises optical sensors, asústisos and / or industivos, which detest points of measurement arranged along the body, to determine the deviation of the actual position of the body from its desired position .
25. 25. Apparatus for sorting through a protective film in the region of adhesion of joints and slats, especially of bodies of passenger vehicles, characterized by an industrial robot, freely programmable - cutting opening robot - having at least five degrees of freedom of movement, in whose operating arm an air nozzle is supplied for the diffuse emission of hot air.
26. 26. Apparatus, according to claim 25, characterized in that a pin is provided in the region in front of the air discharge opening of the air nozzle, this pin is made of a material that offers good thermal conductivity.