US20170157664A1 - Arrangement and method for producing a reinforcement cage - Google Patents
Arrangement and method for producing a reinforcement cage Download PDFInfo
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- US20170157664A1 US20170157664A1 US15/323,638 US201515323638A US2017157664A1 US 20170157664 A1 US20170157664 A1 US 20170157664A1 US 201515323638 A US201515323638 A US 201515323638A US 2017157664 A1 US2017157664 A1 US 2017157664A1
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- Prior art keywords
- reinforcement
- reinforcement cage
- bars
- accordance
- bar
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
- B21F27/00—Making wire network, i.e. wire nets
- B21F27/12—Making special types or portions of network by methods or means specially adapted therefor
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
- B21F27/00—Making wire network, i.e. wire nets
- B21F27/12—Making special types or portions of network by methods or means specially adapted therefor
- B21F27/121—Making special types or portions of network by methods or means specially adapted therefor of tubular form, e.g. as reinforcements for pipes or pillars
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
- B21F23/00—Feeding wire in wire-working machines or apparatus
- B21F23/005—Feeding discrete lengths of wire or rod
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
- E04C5/00—Reinforcing elements, e.g. for concrete; Auxiliary elements therefor
- E04C5/01—Reinforcing elements of metal, e.g. with non-structural coatings
- E04C5/06—Reinforcing elements of metal, e.g. with non-structural coatings of high bending resistance, i.e. of essentially three-dimensional extent, e.g. lattice girders
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
- E04C5/00—Reinforcing elements, e.g. for concrete; Auxiliary elements therefor
- E04C5/01—Reinforcing elements of metal, e.g. with non-structural coatings
- E04C5/06—Reinforcing elements of metal, e.g. with non-structural coatings of high bending resistance, i.e. of essentially three-dimensional extent, e.g. lattice girders
- E04C5/0604—Prismatic or cylindrical reinforcement cages composed of longitudinal bars and open or closed stirrup rods
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a method, and an arrangement for producing a reinforcement cage.
- Reinforcement cages can, e.g., be used for reinforcement of bridge piers. Such reinforcement cages may have a large size, e.g., 10 ⁇ 10 m. However, reinforcement cages of that size are difficult, if not impossible, to transport from a factory to a building site. Therefore, only smaller reinforcement cages can be built and transported to the construction site.
- an objective of the invention is to solve or at least reduce one or several of the drawbacks discussed above.
- the above objective is achieved by the attached independent patent claims.
- the present invention is realized by an arrangement for producing at least one reinforcement cage.
- the arrangement comprises: a control unit, and an assembler, the control unit being arranged to provide reinforcement cage information relating to at least one from the group of position, order, and dimension of reinforcement bars in said reinforcement cage, and the assembler being arranged to assemble reinforcement bars in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, thus producing said reinforcement cage.
- the assembler may comprise a reinforcement bar provider, at least one carrier robot, and an attachment robot, the at least one carrier robot being arranged to pick reinforcement bars from the reinforcement bar provider and to arrange the reinforcement bars on a surface in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, and the attachment robot being arranged to attach the reinforcement bars arranged on the surface to each other in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, thus producing said at least one reinforcement cage.
- the reinforcement bar provider may provide reinforcement bars in accordance with said reinforcement cage information. This is advantageous in that the production can be automated, more efficient and less likely to contain errors.
- the reinforcement bar provider may further comprise a supply having at least one roll of reinforcement bar, the reinforcement bar provider being arranged to select a roll of reinforcement bar having a dimension in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, and retrieve a part of the roll of reinforcement bar, and arranged to bend, straighten, and/or cut the part in accordance with said reinforcement cage information. This is advantageous in that rolls of reinforcement bar may be used. Transport of rolls of reinforcement bar is cost efficient and relatively simple.
- the arrangement may further comprise the at least one carrier robot being arranged to hold the part during bending and/or cutting of the part. This is advantageous in that the carrier robot must not pick the part up after bending and/or cutting which is time efficient and reduces risks of errors.
- the reinforcement bar provider may further comprise a supply having pre-cut and/or pre-bent reinforcement bars, and the reinforcement bar provider may be arranged to select pre-cut and/or pre-bent reinforcement bars from the supply in accordance with said reinforcement cage information. This is advantageous in that the reinforcement bar provider does not need to bend and/or cut rolls of reinforcement bar.
- the reinforcement bar provider may be arranged at a first side of the surface, a second reinforcement bar provider may be arranged at a second side of the surface, and the second side may be orthogonal to the first side of the surface. In one embodiment, the second side may be opposite to the first side of the surface. This is advantageous in that the production of reinforcement cages can be speeded up since the robots have shorter paths to travel.
- the arrangement may further comprise at least one holder arranged on the surface and arranged for receiving at least one reinforcement bar. This is advantageous in that arranging of the first reinforcement bars on the surface is simplified since they can be held in place by holders.
- the arrangement may further comprise a crane arranged to transport the at least one reinforcement cage from the surface to a form. This is advantageous in that the entire production process can be automated. Furthermore, the reinforcement cages can be produced at the site where they will be used.
- the arrangement may further comprise a protective tent arranged over at least one of the control unit, the reinforcement bar provider, the at least one carrier robot, the attachment robot, and the surface. This is advantageous in that the production of reinforcement cages can continue even during bad weather conditions such as, e.g., rain and wind.
- the arrangement may further comprise the at least one carrier robot being arranged to acquire at least one image of reinforcement bars provided by the reinforcement bar provider, to compare the at least one image with at least one stored image, and to pick reinforcement bars in accordance with a result of the comparison.
- the at least one carrier robot is able to recognize the reinforcement bar that it is supposed to fetch.
- the present invention is realized by a method for producing a reinforcement cage.
- the method comprises: a control unit providing reinforcement cage information relating to at least one from the group of position, order, and dimension of reinforcement bars in the reinforcement cage, and an assembler assembling reinforcement bars in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, thus producing said reinforcement cage.
- the assembler may comprise a reinforcement bar provider, at least one carrier robot, and an attachment robot.
- the method may further comprise: the at least one carrier robot picking reinforcement bars from the reinforcement bar provider and arranging the reinforcement bars on a surface in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, the attachment robot attaching the reinforcement bars arranged on the surface to each other in accordance with said reinforcement cage information.
- the method may further comprise the reinforcement bar provider to provide reinforcement bars in accordance with said reinforcement cage information.
- the method may further comprise the reinforcement bar provider selecting, from a supply having at least one roll of reinforcement bar, a roll of reinforcement bar having a dimension in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, and retrieving a part of the roll of reinforcement bar, and bending, straightening, and/or cutting the part in accordance with said reinforcement cage information.
- the method may further comprise the at least one carrier robot holding the part during bending and/or cutting of the part.
- the method may further comprise the at least one carrier robot acquiring at least one image of reinforcement bars provided by the reinforcement bar provider, comparing the at least one image with at least one stored image, and picking reinforcement bars in accordance with a result of the comparison.
- the present invention is realized by a method for producing a reinforcement cage.
- the method comprises:
- the method may further comprise a crane transporting the reinforcement cage from the surface to a form.
- the present invention is realized by a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium with instructions for performing the method of any one of the aspects two or three.
- the advantages of the first aspect are equally applicable to the second and the third aspect. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the second aspect can be embodied in accordance with the first aspect, and the first aspect can be embodied in accordance with the second aspect.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement 1000 for producing reinforcement cages and illustrates a construction site.
- a reinforcement cage 100 that has been produced by the arrangement is arranged in a form 200 .
- the reinforcement cage 100 has been moved to the form 200 by a crane 300 .
- the crane 300 receives coordinates of the position of the form 200 .
- the form 200 can, e.g., be used for casting bridge piers, slabs for buildings, base plates, etc.
- FIG. 1 further illustrates an assembler 500 and a control unit 700 .
- the assembler is producing a reinforcement cage 100 by assembling reinforcement bars.
- the control unit 700 is arranged to provide reinforcement cage information.
- a reinforcement cage comprises a plurality of reinforcement bars attached to each other.
- the reinforcement cage can have any shape.
- the reinforcement cage information can describe a structure of reinforcement cages.
- the reinforcement cage information can comprise information about position, order, and/or dimension of reinforcement bars in the reinforcement cage.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement 1000 .
- Reinforcement cage 100 is under production and is arranged on a surface 400 .
- the surface 400 can, e.g., be cast concrete.
- the assembler 500 comprises an attachment robot 510 and two carrier robots 520 .
- the robots can be arranged on a robot holder 530 .
- the robot holder 530 is arranged to move in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the robots are arranged to move. In this way, the robots can be moved over the entire part of the surface 400 onto which reinforcement bars are arranged.
- the number of carrier robots 520 is two. It is to be noted that it is also possible to have one carrier robot or more than two carrier robots.
- the assembler 500 also comprises a reinforcement bar provider 540 which provides reinforcement bars.
- the reinforcement bar provider 540 may arrange the reinforcement bars on a bar surface 542 .
- the carrier robots 520 pick reinforcement bars from the reinforcement bar provider 540 and arrange them on the surface 400 in accordance with a predetermined pattern.
- the first reinforcement bars to be placed on the surface 400 can be arranged in holders. These holders can be placed on the surface by, e.g., at least one carrier robot and/or at least one person. Alternatively, the reinforcement bars can be bent such that they can stay in position on the surface 400 on their own without any holder holding them.
- the first reinforcement bars to be placed on the surface 400 can, e.g., be reinforcement bars being part of a first layer of the reinforcement cage 100 .
- the first layer of the reinforcement cage 100 is the layer closest to the surface 400 during production.
- At least one carrier robot can hold at least one of the reinforcement bars in place.
- the attachment robot can attach the reinforcement bars to each other by, e.g., welding, gluing, using clips and/or lashing.
- the reinforcement bar provider 540 may have a supply having pre-cut and/or pre-bent reinforcement bars.
- the reinforcement bar provider 540 may have a supply 600 having at least one roll 610 of reinforcement bar.
- the rolls 610 of reinforcement bar can have different thicknesses.
- the reinforcement bar provider 540 selects a roll 610 of reinforcement bar having the desired thickness, retrieves a part of the roll 610 of reinforcement bar, and bends, straightens, and/or cuts the part as desired in order to provide a reinforcement bar.
- the carrier robot 510 can hold the part.
- the two embodiments of the supply can be combined and/or used separately.
- the reinforcement cage information can comprise information about which roll 610 of reinforcement bar the reinforcement bar provider 540 is to select.
- the control unit 700 is arranged to instruct the reinforcement bar provider 540 which roll 610 of reinforcement bar the reinforcement bar provider 540 is to select.
- FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the inventive arrangement 1000 .
- a second reinforcement bar provider 800 arranged at a second side of the surface 400 .
- the second side 420 is orthogonal to the first side 410 of the surface 400 .
- the second side of the surface is parallel to the first side.
- a 3D (three-dimensional) model of the reinforcement cage is created including information about position, order, and dimension of reinforcement bars.
- the reinforcement cage information referred to herein can be created and/or extracted from the 3D model.
- the 3D model can, e.g., be generated using computer-aided design (CAD).
- Position can be in what position the reinforcement bars are to be arranged in the reinforcement cage, e.g., coordinates and orientation. Thus, position can be in what positions the carrier robots arrange reinforcement bars.
- Order can, e.g., be in what order the reinforcement bars are to be arranged on the surface. Hence, the order can also be in what order the reinforcement bar provider is to provide the reinforcement bars and in what order the carrier robots are to pick which reinforcement bar.
- the predetermined pattern mentioned before can be determined from the order and position of the reinforcement cage information.
- the reinforcement cage information can be sent to the control unit.
- the control unit uses the reinforcement cage information to provide at least one of the reinforcement bar provider 540 , the second reinforcement bar provider 800 the robots 510 , 520 , and the portal 530 with instructions.
- the control unit instructs the first and the second reinforcement bar providers 540 and 800 to select rolls of reinforcement bar in accordance with the reinforcement cage information and to bend, straighten, and/or cut the part in accordance with the reinforcement cage information.
- a protective tent (not shown) can be arranged over at least one of the control unit 700 , the assembler 500 , the second reinforcement bar provider 800 , and the surface 400 .
- the protective tent can be opened in order for the crane 300 to move the produced reinforcement cages.
- the at least one carrier robot acquires at least one image of the reinforcement bars provided by the reinforcement bar provider. More specifically, reinforcement bars arranged on the bar surface are photographed. The images (photographs) are compared with stored images. This comparison can, e.g., be performed by either the carrier robot or the control unit. The carrier robot then picks the reinforcement bars for which the photographs correspond to the stored images. When comparing stored images with the photographs, the size and shape of the reinforcement bars can be compared. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the supply has pre-cut and/or pre-bent reinforcement bars. From the stored images, the carrier robot can also receive information regarding at what part of the reinforcement bar to grip.
- the reinforcement bar provider in order to increase the rate of the production of reinforcement cages, can be instructed to provide next reinforcement bar before the carrier robot/robots is/are ready to pick the next reinforcement bar. This can be realized by the control unit monitoring the robots and then instructing the reinforcement bar provider to provide next reinforcement bar. Alternatively the carrier robot can inform the control unit that it needs a reinforcement bar and the control unit can then instruct the reinforcement bar provider to provide next reinforcement bar.
- a method for producing at least one reinforcement cage can comprise the steps of: generating a computer file comprising the reinforcement bar information, providing the control unit with the reinforcement bar information, and producing the at least one reinforcement cage.
- a crane can transport the at least one reinforcement cage from the surface to a form. These steps can be performed automatically. No human needs to be involved in these steps.
- the arrangement can be packed in a container and transported to a construction site. Hence, the parts of the arrangement are mobile.
- the surface 400 is cast at the site and the arrangement is unpacked and installed in connection to the surface 400 .
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Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a method, and an arrangement for producing a reinforcement cage.
- Reinforcement cages can, e.g., be used for reinforcement of bridge piers. Such reinforcement cages may have a large size, e.g., 10×10 m. However, reinforcement cages of that size are difficult, if not impossible, to transport from a factory to a building site. Therefore, only smaller reinforcement cages can be built and transported to the construction site.
- When producing reinforcement cages, usually, the factory first produces reinforcement bars of a certain predefined dimension and with certain predefined bends. After that, another type of reinforcement bar is produced. Thereafter, people manually arrange the reinforcement bars and manually attach them to each other. This is time-consuming and expensive. Furthermore, the risk of the people making errors is quite high.
- In view of the above, an objective of the invention is to solve or at least reduce one or several of the drawbacks discussed above. Generally, the above objective is achieved by the attached independent patent claims.
- According to a first aspect, the present invention is realized by an arrangement for producing at least one reinforcement cage. The arrangement comprises: a control unit, and an assembler, the control unit being arranged to provide reinforcement cage information relating to at least one from the group of position, order, and dimension of reinforcement bars in said reinforcement cage, and the assembler being arranged to assemble reinforcement bars in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, thus producing said reinforcement cage.
- This is advantageous in that the structure of the reinforcement cage can be carefully planned before assembling the reinforcement cage. Furthermore, the production can be automated, more efficient and less likely to contain errors.
- The assembler may comprise a reinforcement bar provider, at least one carrier robot, and an attachment robot, the at least one carrier robot being arranged to pick reinforcement bars from the reinforcement bar provider and to arrange the reinforcement bars on a surface in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, and the attachment robot being arranged to attach the reinforcement bars arranged on the surface to each other in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, thus producing said at least one reinforcement cage.
- This is advantageous in that the process of producing reinforcement cages can be automated. Instead of at least one person manually arranging the reinforcement bars and manually attaching them together, this is carried out by the robots. Additionally, the production can be performed on site and the reinforcement cages need not be transported from a factory.
- The reinforcement bar provider may provide reinforcement bars in accordance with said reinforcement cage information. This is advantageous in that the production can be automated, more efficient and less likely to contain errors.
- The reinforcement bar provider may further comprise a supply having at least one roll of reinforcement bar, the reinforcement bar provider being arranged to select a roll of reinforcement bar having a dimension in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, and retrieve a part of the roll of reinforcement bar, and arranged to bend, straighten, and/or cut the part in accordance with said reinforcement cage information. This is advantageous in that rolls of reinforcement bar may be used. Transport of rolls of reinforcement bar is cost efficient and relatively simple.
- The arrangement may further comprise the at least one carrier robot being arranged to hold the part during bending and/or cutting of the part. This is advantageous in that the carrier robot must not pick the part up after bending and/or cutting which is time efficient and reduces risks of errors.
- The reinforcement bar provider may further comprise a supply having pre-cut and/or pre-bent reinforcement bars, and the reinforcement bar provider may be arranged to select pre-cut and/or pre-bent reinforcement bars from the supply in accordance with said reinforcement cage information. This is advantageous in that the reinforcement bar provider does not need to bend and/or cut rolls of reinforcement bar.
- The reinforcement bar provider may be arranged at a first side of the surface, a second reinforcement bar provider may be arranged at a second side of the surface, and the second side may be orthogonal to the first side of the surface. In one embodiment, the second side may be opposite to the first side of the surface. This is advantageous in that the production of reinforcement cages can be speeded up since the robots have shorter paths to travel.
- The arrangement may further comprise at least one holder arranged on the surface and arranged for receiving at least one reinforcement bar. This is advantageous in that arranging of the first reinforcement bars on the surface is simplified since they can be held in place by holders.
- The arrangement may further comprise a crane arranged to transport the at least one reinforcement cage from the surface to a form. This is advantageous in that the entire production process can be automated. Furthermore, the reinforcement cages can be produced at the site where they will be used.
- The arrangement may further comprise a protective tent arranged over at least one of the control unit, the reinforcement bar provider, the at least one carrier robot, the attachment robot, and the surface. This is advantageous in that the production of reinforcement cages can continue even during bad weather conditions such as, e.g., rain and wind.
- The arrangement may further comprise the at least one carrier robot being arranged to acquire at least one image of reinforcement bars provided by the reinforcement bar provider, to compare the at least one image with at least one stored image, and to pick reinforcement bars in accordance with a result of the comparison. This is advantageous in that the at least one carrier robot is able to recognize the reinforcement bar that it is supposed to fetch.
- According to a second aspect, the present invention is realized by a method for producing a reinforcement cage. The method comprises: a control unit providing reinforcement cage information relating to at least one from the group of position, order, and dimension of reinforcement bars in the reinforcement cage, and an assembler assembling reinforcement bars in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, thus producing said reinforcement cage.
- The assembler may comprise a reinforcement bar provider, at least one carrier robot, and an attachment robot. The method may further comprise: the at least one carrier robot picking reinforcement bars from the reinforcement bar provider and arranging the reinforcement bars on a surface in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, the attachment robot attaching the reinforcement bars arranged on the surface to each other in accordance with said reinforcement cage information.
- The method may further comprise the reinforcement bar provider to provide reinforcement bars in accordance with said reinforcement cage information.
- The method may further comprise the reinforcement bar provider selecting, from a supply having at least one roll of reinforcement bar, a roll of reinforcement bar having a dimension in accordance with said reinforcement cage information, and retrieving a part of the roll of reinforcement bar, and bending, straightening, and/or cutting the part in accordance with said reinforcement cage information.
- The method may further comprise the at least one carrier robot holding the part during bending and/or cutting of the part.
- The method may further comprise the at least one carrier robot acquiring at least one image of reinforcement bars provided by the reinforcement bar provider, comparing the at least one image with at least one stored image, and picking reinforcement bars in accordance with a result of the comparison.
- According to a third aspect, the present invention is realized by a method for producing a reinforcement cage. The method comprises:
- generating a computer file comprising the reinforcement cage information of the second aspect, providing the control unit with said reinforcement cage information, and performing the steps of any one of the embodiments of the second aspect. This is advantageous in that the process can be fully automated.
- The method may further comprise a crane transporting the reinforcement cage from the surface to a form.
- According to a fourth aspect, the present invention is realized by a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium with instructions for performing the method of any one of the aspects two or three.
- The advantages of the first aspect are equally applicable to the second and the third aspect. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the second aspect can be embodied in accordance with the first aspect, and the first aspect can be embodied in accordance with the second aspect.
- Other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed disclosure, from the attached claims as well as from the drawings.
- Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the [element, device, component, means, step, etc]” are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of said element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated.
- Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement. - The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of theinventive arrangement 1000 for producing reinforcement cages and illustrates a construction site. Areinforcement cage 100 that has been produced by the arrangement is arranged in aform 200. Thereinforcement cage 100 has been moved to theform 200 by acrane 300. In one embodiment, thecrane 300 receives coordinates of the position of theform 200. Theform 200 can, e.g., be used for casting bridge piers, slabs for buildings, base plates, etc.FIG. 1 further illustrates anassembler 500 and acontrol unit 700. The assembler is producing areinforcement cage 100 by assembling reinforcement bars. - The
control unit 700 is arranged to provide reinforcement cage information. A reinforcement cage comprises a plurality of reinforcement bars attached to each other. The reinforcement cage can have any shape. The reinforcement cage information can describe a structure of reinforcement cages. The reinforcement cage information can comprise information about position, order, and/or dimension of reinforcement bars in the reinforcement cage. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of theinventive arrangement 1000.Reinforcement cage 100 is under production and is arranged on asurface 400. Thesurface 400 can, e.g., be cast concrete. - The
assembler 500 comprises anattachment robot 510 and twocarrier robots 520. The robots can be arranged on arobot holder 530. Therobot holder 530 is arranged to move in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the robots are arranged to move. In this way, the robots can be moved over the entire part of thesurface 400 onto which reinforcement bars are arranged. In this example, the number ofcarrier robots 520 is two. It is to be noted that it is also possible to have one carrier robot or more than two carrier robots. - The
assembler 500 also comprises areinforcement bar provider 540 which provides reinforcement bars. Thereinforcement bar provider 540 may arrange the reinforcement bars on abar surface 542. Thecarrier robots 520 pick reinforcement bars from thereinforcement bar provider 540 and arrange them on thesurface 400 in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The first reinforcement bars to be placed on thesurface 400 can be arranged in holders. These holders can be placed on the surface by, e.g., at least one carrier robot and/or at least one person. Alternatively, the reinforcement bars can be bent such that they can stay in position on thesurface 400 on their own without any holder holding them. The first reinforcement bars to be placed on thesurface 400 can, e.g., be reinforcement bars being part of a first layer of thereinforcement cage 100. The first layer of thereinforcement cage 100 is the layer closest to thesurface 400 during production. - When the
attachment robot 510 attaches the reinforcement bars to each other, at least one carrier robot can hold at least one of the reinforcement bars in place. The attachment robot can attach the reinforcement bars to each other by, e.g., welding, gluing, using clips and/or lashing. - The
reinforcement bar provider 540 may have a supply having pre-cut and/or pre-bent reinforcement bars. In another embodiment, thereinforcement bar provider 540 may have asupply 600 having at least oneroll 610 of reinforcement bar. In this embodiment, there are fourrolls 610 of reinforcement bar. Therolls 610 of reinforcement bar can have different thicknesses. Thereinforcement bar provider 540 selects aroll 610 of reinforcement bar having the desired thickness, retrieves a part of theroll 610 of reinforcement bar, and bends, straightens, and/or cuts the part as desired in order to provide a reinforcement bar. During bending and/or cutting of the part, thecarrier robot 510 can hold the part. The two embodiments of the supply can be combined and/or used separately. - The reinforcement cage information can comprise information about which roll 610 of reinforcement bar the
reinforcement bar provider 540 is to select. In one embodiment, thecontrol unit 700 is arranged to instruct thereinforcement bar provider 540 which roll 610 of reinforcement bar thereinforcement bar provider 540 is to select. -
FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of theinventive arrangement 1000. In this embodiment, there is a secondreinforcement bar provider 800 arranged at a second side of thesurface 400. Thesecond side 420 is orthogonal to thefirst side 410 of thesurface 400. In one embodiment (not shown), the second side of the surface is parallel to the first side. - When planning the reinforcement cages to be produced, a 3D (three-dimensional) model of the reinforcement cage is created including information about position, order, and dimension of reinforcement bars. The reinforcement cage information referred to herein can be created and/or extracted from the 3D model. The 3D model can, e.g., be generated using computer-aided design (CAD).
- Dimension can, e.g., be thickness and/or length of reinforcement bars. Position can be in what position the reinforcement bars are to be arranged in the reinforcement cage, e.g., coordinates and orientation. Thus, position can be in what positions the carrier robots arrange reinforcement bars. Order can, e.g., be in what order the reinforcement bars are to be arranged on the surface. Hence, the order can also be in what order the reinforcement bar provider is to provide the reinforcement bars and in what order the carrier robots are to pick which reinforcement bar. The predetermined pattern mentioned before can be determined from the order and position of the reinforcement cage information.
- The reinforcement cage information can be sent to the control unit. The control unit uses the reinforcement cage information to provide at least one of the
reinforcement bar provider 540, the secondreinforcement bar provider 800 therobots reinforcement bar providers - A protective tent (not shown) can be arranged over at least one of the
control unit 700, theassembler 500, the secondreinforcement bar provider 800, and thesurface 400. The protective tent can be opened in order for thecrane 300 to move the produced reinforcement cages. - In one embodiment, the at least one carrier robot acquires at least one image of the reinforcement bars provided by the reinforcement bar provider. More specifically, reinforcement bars arranged on the bar surface are photographed. The images (photographs) are compared with stored images. This comparison can, e.g., be performed by either the carrier robot or the control unit. The carrier robot then picks the reinforcement bars for which the photographs correspond to the stored images. When comparing stored images with the photographs, the size and shape of the reinforcement bars can be compared. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the supply has pre-cut and/or pre-bent reinforcement bars. From the stored images, the carrier robot can also receive information regarding at what part of the reinforcement bar to grip.
- In one embodiment, in order to increase the rate of the production of reinforcement cages, the reinforcement bar provider can be instructed to provide next reinforcement bar before the carrier robot/robots is/are ready to pick the next reinforcement bar. This can be realized by the control unit monitoring the robots and then instructing the reinforcement bar provider to provide next reinforcement bar. Alternatively the carrier robot can inform the control unit that it needs a reinforcement bar and the control unit can then instruct the reinforcement bar provider to provide next reinforcement bar.
- The inventive method and arrangement can almost fully automatically provide reinforcement cages. A method for producing at least one reinforcement cage can comprise the steps of: generating a computer file comprising the reinforcement bar information, providing the control unit with the reinforcement bar information, and producing the at least one reinforcement cage. A crane can transport the at least one reinforcement cage from the surface to a form. These steps can be performed automatically. No human needs to be involved in these steps.
- The arrangement can be packed in a container and transported to a construction site. Hence, the parts of the arrangement are mobile. The
surface 400 is cast at the site and the arrangement is unpacked and installed in connection to thesurface 400. - It is to be noted that all embodiments and features described in this application are applicable on all aspects of the invention.
- While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.
- Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.
Claims (20)
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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SE1450835A SE542398C2 (en) | 2014-07-03 | 2014-07-03 | Arrangement, method and computer program for producing a reinforcement cage |
SE1450835-2 | 2014-07-03 | ||
PCT/EP2015/064957 WO2016001290A1 (en) | 2014-07-03 | 2015-07-01 | Arrangement and method for producing a reinforcement cage |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20170157664A1 true US20170157664A1 (en) | 2017-06-08 |
Family
ID=53539679
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US15/323,638 Abandoned US20170157664A1 (en) | 2014-07-03 | 2015-07-01 | Arrangement and method for producing a reinforcement cage |
Country Status (7)
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US (1) | US20170157664A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3164233B1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2953868A1 (en) |
DK (1) | DK3164233T3 (en) |
FI (1) | FI3164233T3 (en) |
SE (1) | SE542398C2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2016001290A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN108536933A (en) * | 2018-03-26 | 2018-09-14 | 何登富 | A kind of system and method for automatic arrangement reinforcing bar |
US20190077020A1 (en) * | 2016-03-10 | 2019-03-14 | ETH Zürich | Digital method and automated robotic setup for producing variable-density and arbitrary shaped metallic meshes |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2019183948A1 (en) * | 2018-03-30 | 2019-10-03 | 深圳市君盈建筑科技有限公司 | Method for preparing movable steel bar |
DK180334B1 (en) * | 2019-03-19 | 2020-12-04 | Gmt Robotics Aps | Assembly machine and method for assembling reinforced structures |
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US4667452A (en) * | 1983-04-15 | 1987-05-26 | Ytong Ag | Reinforcing unit including steel mats connected by connector bars |
EP1145783A2 (en) * | 2000-04-14 | 2001-10-17 | Progress Maschinen & Automation AG | Process for the manufacture of steel reinforcement-cages |
US20060104788A1 (en) * | 2004-04-23 | 2006-05-18 | Fanuc Ltd. | Object picking system |
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BE748787A (en) * | 1969-12-06 | 1970-09-16 | Hell Josef | DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC MANUFACTURING OF SPACE ELEMENTS FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE REINFORCEMENTS |
DE3422661A1 (en) * | 1984-06-19 | 1985-12-19 | IDEAL - Werk C. + E. Jungeblodt GmbH + Co, 4780 Lippstadt | Apparatus for feeding cut-to-length longitudinal wires to a grid welding machine |
US5392580A (en) * | 1992-05-06 | 1995-02-28 | Baumann; Hanns U. | Modular reinforcement cages for ductile concrete frame members and method of fabricating and erecting the same |
US7660433B2 (en) * | 2002-08-27 | 2010-02-09 | Dralle A/S | Method and a system for automatic measurement and tracking of logs, industrial wood and boards |
JP4199264B2 (en) * | 2006-05-29 | 2008-12-17 | ファナック株式会社 | Work picking apparatus and method |
IT1400333B1 (en) * | 2009-11-13 | 2013-05-24 | A W M Spa | METHOD AND MACHINE FOR AUTOMATIC ASSEMBLY OF COMPLEX CAGES FORMED BY ELECTROSALDATE METALLIC NETWORKS. |
-
2014
- 2014-07-03 SE SE1450835A patent/SE542398C2/en unknown
-
2015
- 2015-07-01 DK DK15735898.7T patent/DK3164233T3/en active
- 2015-07-01 FI FIEP15735898.7T patent/FI3164233T3/en active
- 2015-07-01 US US15/323,638 patent/US20170157664A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-07-01 WO PCT/EP2015/064957 patent/WO2016001290A1/en active Application Filing
- 2015-07-01 CA CA2953868A patent/CA2953868A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-07-01 EP EP15735898.7A patent/EP3164233B1/en active Active
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4667452A (en) * | 1983-04-15 | 1987-05-26 | Ytong Ag | Reinforcing unit including steel mats connected by connector bars |
EP1145783A2 (en) * | 2000-04-14 | 2001-10-17 | Progress Maschinen & Automation AG | Process for the manufacture of steel reinforcement-cages |
US20060104788A1 (en) * | 2004-04-23 | 2006-05-18 | Fanuc Ltd. | Object picking system |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20190077020A1 (en) * | 2016-03-10 | 2019-03-14 | ETH Zürich | Digital method and automated robotic setup for producing variable-density and arbitrary shaped metallic meshes |
US10946522B2 (en) * | 2016-03-10 | 2021-03-16 | Eth Zurich | Digital method and automated robotic setup for producing variable-density and arbitrary shaped metallic meshes |
CN108536933A (en) * | 2018-03-26 | 2018-09-14 | 何登富 | A kind of system and method for automatic arrangement reinforcing bar |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP3164233A1 (en) | 2017-05-10 |
CA2953868A1 (en) | 2016-01-07 |
WO2016001290A1 (en) | 2016-01-07 |
SE1450835A1 (en) | 2016-01-04 |
SE542398C2 (en) | 2020-04-21 |
FI3164233T3 (en) | 2023-11-08 |
EP3164233B1 (en) | 2023-08-16 |
DK3164233T3 (en) | 2023-11-13 |
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