WO2016097542A1

WO2016097542A1 - Handling system, manipulator that can be used in such a system, and workshop equipped with same

Info

Publication number: WO2016097542A1
Application number: PCT/FR2015/053412
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maxime PRIETO; Nicolas AUBANEL; Laurent MONET
Original assignee: Supratec
Priority date: 2014-12-17
Filing date: 2015-12-10
Publication date: 2016-06-23
Also published as: FR3030334A1; FR3030334B1

Abstract

The invention relates, in particular, to a system for a flexible production workshop intended to produce a workpiece 2, of which a circuit 3, 4 comprises, in particular; at least two production stations 9 for working said workpiece; at least one first production track 6, said track being designed for guiding, without engagement, a carriage 5 carrying the workpiece, preferably for optical guiding, said track serving each of the stations; and at least one second release track 7; the invention also relates to a circuit and a carriage for such a system. It further relates to a workshop equipped with such a system. Such a workshop has the advantage of being highly flexible, and easy to maintain.

Description

HANDLING SYSTEM, MANIPULATOR USABLE IN SUCH A SYSTEM AND WORKSHOP THUS EQUIPPED.

The present invention relates primarily to the field of production workshops, including flexible workshops.

Workshops are known in which the systems to be assembled or the workpieces are moved by manipulator carriages from one workstation to another workstation. The trolleys are guided on the ground by a network of metal rails embedded in the concrete floor of the workshop.

However, there is a demand for increased reactivity to the factories, in particular to adapt rapidly to a change in production or a ramp-up in production. However, the previously described workshops are weakly flexible. They demand large and long infrastructure works, including civil engineering. They also fail to respond to supply disruptions.

The object of the invention is in particular to propose means making it possible simply and at a reduced cost to produce workshops with improved flexibility, and in particular:

- reduce or eliminate the civil engineering work necessary for the implementation or modification of such a workshop;

- facilitate the implementation or integration of such a workshop; - to manage supply disruptions;

- allow great flexibility in terms of production management; and,

- facilitate the maintenance of this workshop.

According to a first object of the invention, a handling circuit for a flexible production workshop intended to produce a part is characterized in that it comprises in particular:

- at least two production stations to work this piece;

- At least a first production track, this track being provided for guidance without taking a carriage carrying the part, preferably for optical guidance, the track serving each of the positions; and,

at least one second clearance track, provided for non-plug guidance, preferably for optical guidance, of the carriage;

these tracks having portions common to each other.

The circuit may further comprise at least one third production track having a common portion with the first and / or second track.

A common portion may be facing an area for loading the workpiece onto the carriage. A common portion may be facing an area to unload the carriage part.

Each of the first, second and third tracks advantageously forms a closed loop.

According to a second object of the invention, a carriage for use with a circuit according to the first object of the invention is characterized in that it comprises means for manipulating the workpiece. This cart includes preferably non-contact guiding means, preferably optical guiding means complementary to those of the circuit. Advantageously, it comprises autonomous power supply means, preferably batteries.

According to a third object of the invention, a handling system for a production workshop is characterized in that it comprises at least one circuit according to the first object of the invention and at least one carriage according to its second object.

According to a fourth object of the invention, a production workshop is characterized in that it comprises a system according to the third subject of the invention.

Several embodiments of the invention will be described below, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a workshop according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic and side view of a manipulator carriage used in the workshop of Figure 1; and,

- Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the carriage of Figure 2, revealing some internal components of the carriage.

Figure 1 illustrates a mounting workshop 1 in which parts 2 are gradually integrated, that is to say assembled and assembled. In the illustrated example, these parts are thrust reversers intended to be mounted on the nacelle of a jet engine.

The illustrated workshop 1 comprises two circuits 3, 4 arranged symmetrically on either side of a longitudinal axis XI of the workshop. Each circuit allows the assembly of one of the two thrust reversers. Only one of these circuits will be described. The circuits are designed to circulate carriages 5 provided for carrying the parts 2. In the example shown, the carriages are manipulators carriages, that is to say they allow to change the position of the piece that they wear according to the work done there.

Each circuit 3, 4 comprises three tracks 6, 7, 8 of oblong shape. Each of the tracks is substantially inscribed in a rectangle and comprises four straight sides A-D, interconnected by E-H connections in quarter circles. Thus, it includes:

an inner side A, respectively A6, A7, A8, extending parallel to the axis XI of the workshop between a first connection E, respectively E6, E7, E8, and a second connection F, respectively F6, F7, F8 ;

a downstream side B, respectively B6, B7, B8, extending perpendicular to the axis XI between the second connection F and a third connection G, respectively G6, G7, G8;

an outer side C, respectively C6, C7, C8, extending parallel to the axis XI between the third connector G and a fourth connector H, respectively H6, H7, H8;

an upstream side D, respectively D6, D7, D8, extending parallel to the axis XI between the fourth coupling H and the first fitting E.

The first and second connectors E, F and the inner side A are common to the three tracks 6-8. The upstream side D6 and the downstream side B6 of a first track 6 are portions respectively of the upstream side D7 and the downstream side B7 of a second track 7. The upstream side D7 and the downstream side B7 of the second track 7 are portions respectively of the upstream side D8 and the downstream side B8 of the third track 8. The first track 6 and the third track 8 are production tracks; each is intended to serve respective workstations. The second runway 7 is a runway.

A loading station 11 is vis-à-vis the upstream side D, for the loading of the piece 2 in a "raw" configuration on a carriage 5; an unloading station 12 is vis-à-vis the downstream side B, for the unloading of the part 2 in an "assembled" configuration from the same carriage. The common portion A, between the unloading stations and the loading station, is provided for the empty return of the carriages.

In the illustrated example, the workstations of the first track are identical to those of the third track, that is to say that they are assigned to the assembly of the same part. In another embodiment, these workstations could be different, that is, they could each be assigned to a specific manufacture.

The line of clearance allows storage of unused carts. These trolleys can be used in case of increased activity.

In the embodiment of Figure 1, the tracks are materialized by white continuous lines painted on the floor of the workshop. The guiding of the trolleys is optical, they are intended to follow these lines without contacts, according to a computer program. Thus, it is easy to modify the configuration of a workshop, including adding a production line or a line of clearance. It is also possible to draw such lines between different production workshops, or between a production workshop and a maintenance workshop.

A carriage 5 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The carriage is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal vertical plane P5. It mainly comprises a base 21 and an articulated arm 22. A distal end of the arm 22 comprises a plate 23 provided for attaching the part 2, at least indirectly. The plane of symmetry P5 of the carriage is the plane of projection of FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the carriage is shown loaded with an inverter 2. The inverter is mounted in a frame 24 acting as an interface between the In the illustrated example, the arm extends from the base 21 towards the front of the carriage. It is arranged so that the piece is cantilever relative to the base 21. Viewed from above, the base is substantially square.

In the illustrated example, the arm comprises:

an elevator 26;

a rocker 27; and,

an orientator 28.

The stage is carried by the orientator, the orientator is carried by the rocker and the rocker is carried by the elevator.

The elevator 26 has the shape of a deformable parallelogram, extending forwardly from the base 21. Its long sides are formed by two beams 31, 32 arranged one above the other and s' extending between the base 21 and a first element 33 of the rocker 27, this element and the base each forming a respective small side of the parallelogram.

The rocker 27 comprises a second element 34 articulated with the second element, about a tilting axis X27 substantially perpendicular to the plane of symmetry P5. The orientator 28 comprises a ring 35 relative to which the fixing plate 23 is rotatably mounted about an axis of orientation X28. The axis of orientation X28 is substantially included in the plane of symmetry P5.

The movements of the arm are provided by actuators 30 of the hydraulic cylinder type.

As particularly illustrated in Figure 3, the base 21 comprises a mechanically welded frame 36 on which the arm 22 is articulated. The base further includes a set of components useful for the operation of the carriage. In Figure 3, a protective cover for these components has been removed so that they are visible.

The carriage 5 comprises eight wheels 42 for its support and its movement. The rollers are twinned, and each pair is mounted near an angle of the base 21. Each pair of wheels is rotatably mounted about an axis X42 fixed relative to the frame 36 of the base, perpendicular to the plane of symmetry P5. The rear wheels 42Z are mounted free around the corresponding axis X42. Each pair of front wheels 42A is driven by a respective electric geared motor assembly 43. The axis of rotation X42 of the rollers being fixed relative to the frame 36, it is the difference in speed of rotation between the two pairs of front wheels 42A which allows the carriage to take a turn. Complementary rollers 44 serve as a displacement sensor, in order to control those of the carriage 5.

An optical system 46 makes it possible to detect and follow the white lines marking the tracks.

In the illustrated example, the carriage is autonomous and powered by a set of batteries 41, here ten in number. A workshop according to the invention it does not require continuous feeding of trolleys, neither by rail nor by trolley. Charging stations may be provided on the runway 7 and / or at another location outside the production circuit.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described.

Thus, a manipulator carriage may provide other axes of movement for the part carried relative to the base of the carriage which carries it.

Also, in a circuit according to the invention there may be a release path that starts between two workshops of a production track, and not only after the last workshop of the same track.

Claims

claims

1. Circuit (3, 4) for a production workshop (5) flexible to produce a part (2), characterized in that it comprises in particular:

at least two production stations (9) for working said workpiece; at least one first track (6) for production, this track being provided for a guide without taking a carriage (5) carrying said part, preferably for optical guidance, this track serving each of said stations; and,

- At least a second track (7), for release, provided for a guide without plug, preferably for optical guidance, said carriage;

said tracks having portions (A, B, D) common to each other.

2. Circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least a third track (8) of production having a portion (A, B, D) common with the first and / or the second track.

3. Circuit according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a common portion (D) is vis-à-vis a zone to load the workpiece on the carriage.

4. Circuit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a common portion (B) is vis-à-vis a zone to discharge the part of the carriage.

5. Circuit according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each of the first, second and third tracks form a closed loop.

6. Trolley (5) for use with a circuit according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises means (22) for manipulating the workpiece.

7. Trolley according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises non-contact guiding means, preferably complementary optical guiding means.

8. Trolley according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that it comprises autonomous supply means, preferably batteries (41).

Handling system (3, 4; 5) for a production workshop (1), characterized in that it comprises at least one circuit (3, 4) according to one of claims 1 to 5 and at least one carriage (5) according to one of claims 6 to 8.

10. Production plant, characterized in that it comprises a system according to claim 9.