TWI531328B - Method to process technical objects, in particular, parts for shoes - Google Patents

Description

Method of processing technical objects, particularly shoe parts

The present invention relates to a method of processing a technical object, particularly a shoe component, and an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Although the invention is not limited to the use of shoe components as objects in processing, the invention is described hereinafter by means of such shoe components. Such shoe components, such as those applied to, for example, soles, uppers, and the like, have dimensions and volumes that deviate by a few millimeters, which are caused by variations in manufacturing tolerances and shrinkage. In general, in addition, particularly in the case of shoe components, this deviation involves a "soft" component such that after production, the object assumes an undefined shape that cannot be reproduced.

These objects are independent of the remainder of the manufacturing process. Conventionally, in later operations, the components are positioned in a negative mould and then further processed using a program.

In general, shoes are popular items, so the design changes several times a year and is further developed. For the manufacturer, this situation results in a very large number of different variations of the product. In order to automate this process when applied to the features described above, this puts great demands on the input and personnel. As a result, until now, these shoe components have been manually machined during assembly of the components. Because of the many manual operations, assembly costs are extremely labor intensive and error prone.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method by which an object can be individually and automatically machined by a machine, regardless of the object being processed.

The present invention solves this task as set forth in claim 1 wherein the object is loaded and transported by a transport system into a processing unit where it is scanned and measured by a sensor system The objects, from the sensor system, feed the scanned measurements to a computer that individually programs a 6-axis industrial robot for each object based on the recorded measurements. Operation, and then transferring the processed objects to other processing units.

The stated system automatically processes the shoe components described above by an industrial robot. The geometric contours of the objects are obtained individually. Using these geometric profiles, then individual robot programs are automatically generated according to freely defined criteria. The geometry is captured and machined one after the other and interconnected by a conveyor system (conveyor belt). Robotic machining is performed accurately on objects with defined limits. Due to this automatic geometry capture and robotic generation, individual stylization of objects is unnecessary. The operator of the system does not need further stylized knowledge of a particular robotic system. This situation is so important that in the manufacture of shoes and components, it is often the case that an operator/worker with little or relatively low educational level is used. The product is intended to be of high quality and without signs of quality changes caused by the manufacturing process. This development allows the shoe components to be automated by the current operator. The difference in product quality caused by errors in manual work is eliminated.

According to item 2 of the scope of patent application, in the case of machining of an object by an industrial robot, the specified object is statically transmitted to the robot, that is, once the object has been measured and a special robotic machining program has been generated, it is cycled one by one. The object is machined by an industrial robot.

However, according to item 3 of the scope of the patent application, it is also stipulated that the object continues to move forward in front of the robot or under the robot, respectively, and the robot follows the object during the machining operation.

In this way, the objects can be transported to subsequent processing stations or transferred back to the transfer location. This is achieved by a double conveyor belt having opposite directions of travel through which the processed object is transported to a subsequent processing station or, for example, transferred to a package or transferred to another belt by changing to another belt. Another processing unit. This provides a savings in manpower. In view of the above, according to item 4 of the scope of the patent application, all processing steps from loading the processed object to measurement, program generation and subsequent processing based on this stylization may occur in a common housing.

This type of device forms the subject matter of claim 5 of the scope of the patent application. These units are structurally compact and contain everything needed to accurately machine the object.

In practice, such enclosures are sealed at the loading and unloading openings and are not viewable by unauthorized persons or, as the case may be, cannot be accessed by unauthorized persons arriving at the time of operation, thus also taking into account the safety state. kind.

According to item 7 of the scope of the patent application, it is provided that a plurality of such units may be arranged in series or in parallel with each other, whereby different objects may be processed in a parallel configuration, and then the objects are transported to a processing station arranged downstream, wherein For example, processed objects can be transported together.

The unit according to the invention can be easily integrated into existing production lines without much cost.

The invention is illustrated and described below with the aid of the drawings.

The device (processing station) comprises a housing 1 having a bottom plate 2, side walls 3 and a top 4.

The unit is accessed via the door 5.

A conveyor system (conveyor belt) 6 is located in the casing 1 on which the object to be processed is first conveyed to a sensor device (3D scanner) 7 which is only schematically shown in this example, the feeling A detector device (3D scanner) 7 is connected to a computer (not shown here) in the housing 1 and, in the computer, based on the value determined by the 3-D scanner 7, specifically for the object being measured Generate a machining program. In this system, the computer is connected to an industrial robot 9, which uses a machining program to perform appropriate processing on an object passing therethrough. Processing can occur statically. However, it is also possible to transmit through the machined object at the robot table 9, and the robot table 9 follows the object during the machining operation.

The object being processed is then transferred back to the transfer station via the internal transfer system or from the unit to another unit.

The processing space in the unit 1 can be observed through the window 10, which can be made dark.

1. . . shell

2. . . Bottom plate

3. . . Side wall

4. . . top

5. . . door

6. . . Conveyor system

7. . . Sensor device

9. . . Industrial robot

10. . . window

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a processing station in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the processing station according to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of the processing station.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the processing station.

1. . . shell

2. . . Bottom plate

3. . . Side wall

4. . . top

5. . . door

6. . . Conveyor system

7. . . Sensor device

10. . . window

Claims (6)

A method of processing a technical object, in particular a shoe component, the geometry of which is different between the components due to unavoidable manufacturing tolerances, size and/or softness variations, by means of the method Loading and transporting the objects into a processing unit (1) by means of a transport system (6), in which the objects are scanned and measured by a sensor system (7) From the sensor system (7) to feed the scanned measurements to a computer that programs the subsequent operations to individually acquire the geometric contours of the objects, using the geometric contours, and then The freely defined criteria automatically generate individual robot programs whereby the geometry is captured and machined one after the other, interconnected by the conveyor system, whereby the recorded measurements are programmed to a 6-axis industrial robot (9), and then transferring the processed objects to other processing units, wherein the feeding to the measuring operation, the measuring of the objects, the stylization, the processing of the processed objects And unloading can occur A common housing (1). The method of claim 1, characterized in that the objects to be measured are cyclically transferred to the industrial robot (9) for processing and the processing occurs statically. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the measured objects are continuously moved forward on the industrial robot (9) or under the industrial robot (9), respectively, and the industrial robot (9) Follow the object during the machining operation. A device for carrying out the method of any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is passed through a common casing (1) a transport system (6), a sensor system for measuring an object to be processed and delivered on the transport system (6), a computer connected to the sensor system to generate a processing program, and a computer The 6-axis industrial robot (9) is arranged in a common housing (1), wherein the housing (1) is sealed at the loading and unloading opening of the conveyor system (6) and is difficult for an unauthorized person to view. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the plurality of housing units (1) units can be arranged in series and/or in parallel with one another. A device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the conveying system (6) is composed of two belts which are arranged parallel to each other in the opposite direction.