WO2022201675A1

WO2022201675A1 - Tape affixing device and tape affixing method

Info

Publication number: WO2022201675A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/046769
Authority: WO
Inventors: 浩光和田; 直行熱田; 由起喜多
Original assignee: 東レエンジニアリング株式会社
Priority date: 2021-03-23
Filing date: 2021-12-17
Publication date: 2022-09-29
Also published as: JP2022147579A

Abstract

Provided are a tape affixing device and a tape affixing method with which it is possible to accurately affix tape. This tape affixing device includes an affixing head that presses tape to an affixation surface, and a handling part to which the affixing head attaches and which controls a pressing position of the affixing head, wherein the affixing head comprises a pressing part that presses the tape on the affixation surface, a load control unit which is provided between the handling part and the pressing part and controls the force at which the pressing part presses, and a mechanical impedance adjustment unit which adjusts the mechanical impedance of the load control unit, the affixing head has a first operation mode until the pressing part is pressed on the affixation surface at a predetermined load, and a second operation mode in which the tape is affixed to the affixation surface by the pressing part moving relative to the affixation surface, and the mechanical impedance adjustment unit adjusts the mechanical impedance of the load control unit in the first operation mode and the mechanical impedance of the load control unit in the second operation mode to different mechanical impedances.

Description

TAPE APPLICATION DEVICE AND TAPE APPLICATION METHOD

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a tape applying apparatus and a tape applying method, and more particularly, a tape used when manufacturing a fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) molded product or the like by applying a tape to a surface to be applied. The present invention relates to a sticking device and a tape sticking method using this tape sticking device.

A fiber reinforced plastic that is formed into a desired shape by pasting a tape-shaped fiber bundle (also called prepreg tape, UD tape, etc.) that is pre-impregnated with resin, such as carbon fiber, to the surface to be adhered. (FRP: Fiber Reinforced Plastics) A method for manufacturing a molded article is known.

These manufacturing methods have various names such as ATL (Auto Tape Layup), ATW (Auto Tape Welding), and AFP (Auto Fiber Placement), but they are not strictly distinguished. In the present specification, the manufacturing method of pressing the tape onto the surface to be adhered is collectively called ATL, and the device (tape applying device) is called the ATL device.

A conventional ATL device includes an ATL head that applies a tape while pressing it against a surface to be applied, and an articulated robot that controls the pressing position and/or the pressing posture of the ATL head. The articulated robot controls the ATL head to apply the tape to the surface to be applied. At this time, the control of the position and/or pressing attitude of the ATL head at which the tape is pressed against the surface to be adhered by the articulated robot is performed using, for example, coordinate data based on the three-dimensional design data of the work having the surface to be adhered. It is Then, the ATL device moves from a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as a starting point) on the surface to be adhered, where the application of the tape is started, which is specified by the coordinate data, etc. The tape is applied while moving the ATL head between points to a position (hereinafter referred to as an end point). As described above, in the conventional ATL apparatus, the tape is pasted while the ATL head is moved from the starting point to the terminal point, so that the trajectory of the switching movement of the ATL head and the shape of the surface to be pasted are different. It is assumed that there is no error between them (for example, Patent Document 1 below).

However, a work having a surface to be adhered is a three-dimensional molded product, and often has shape errors with respect to the designed shape and dimensions. Therefore, an error occurs between the trajectory of the point-to-point movement of the ATL head described above and the shape of the surface to be adhered. There are places where the pressure of the tape on the sticking surface is excessive or insufficient. In other words, if the workpiece has a shape error, there is a possibility that the state of pressing the tape against the surface to be affixed by the ATL head may vary. Therefore, it has been desired to keep the state of pressing the tape against the surface to be affixed by the ATL head constant. In response to this, for example, an ATL device disclosed in Patent Document 2 below has been proposed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the ATL device 100 includes a pressure roller 103 for pressing a tape 102 onto a surface 106 of a workpiece 105 (hereinafter referred to as a surface 106), and a pressure position and a position of the pressure roller 103. / Or it is composed of an ATL head 101 having a parallel link mechanism 104 for controlling the pressing attitude. The parallel link mechanism 104 includes a base portion 107, an end portion 108 to which the pressure roller 103 is attached, and a plurality of link portions 109 which are provided in parallel between the base portion 107 and the end portion 108 and which expand and contract according to the flow of fluid. It has By controlling the lengths of the plurality of link portions 109, the pressing position and/or pressing posture of the pressing roller 103 is controlled. As a result, the parallel link mechanism 104 presses the tape 102 onto the surface 106 to be adhered while moving the pressure roller 103 so as to follow the shape of the surface 106 to be adhered. That is, even if the workpiece 105 has a shape error, the ATL device 100 can move the pressing roller 103 so as to follow the shape of the bonding surface 106 by the parallel link mechanism 104. It becomes possible to keep the pressing state of the tape 102 by the roller 103 constant.

JP 2018-149730 A International publication WO2020/184237

However, with the ATL device 100 described above, there were cases where the tape 102 could not be adhered accurately.

Specifically, when the ATL head 101 is moved in a state separated from the application surface 106 and when the pressure roller 103 of the ATL head 101 is pressed against the application surface 106 to apply the tape 102, the ATL head The optimum value of the mechanical impedance required for 101 is different. If the machine is operated under a constant mechanical impedance, the pressure roller 103 may wobble, the pressure roller 103 may not contact the starting point, and the surface 106 may not be pressed at a predetermined position. In this case, since the pressing roller 103 contacts and presses a position shifted from the starting point, the tape 102 is applied at a position shifted from the predetermined position. That is, in some cases, the tape 102 cannot be attached to a predetermined position. Further, there is a possibility that the pressure roller 103 cannot move so as to follow the shape of the surface 106 to be adhered when the tape 102 is adhered. In this case, the direction in which the pressure roller 103 presses against the surface 106 to be stuck varies, resulting in an excess or deficiency of the pressing force at the time of sticking. Therefore, the ATL device 100 may not be able to adhere the tape 102 accurately.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tape applying device and a tape applying method capable of accurately applying a tape.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a tape applying apparatus of the present invention has a tape applying head that presses a tape against a surface to be applied, and a handling section to which the applying head is attached and that controls the pressing position of the applying head. In the sticking device, the sticking head includes a pressing section that presses the tape against the sticking surface, and a load control section that is provided between the handling section and the pressing section and controls the pressing force of the pressing section. and a mechanical impedance adjustment section for adjusting the mechanical impedance of the load control section, and a first operation mode in which the pressing section is pressed against the surface to be adhered with a predetermined load; and a second operation mode in which the tape is attached to the surface to be attached by relatively moving with respect to the surface to be attached, and the mechanical impedance adjustment unit is adapted to be in the first operation mode. The mechanical impedance of the load control section and the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the second operation mode are adjusted to different mechanical impedances.

According to the above tape applying device, it has a first operation mode and a second operation mode, and the mechanical impedance adjustment unit adjusts the mechanical impedance of the load control unit in the first operation mode and the load in the second operation mode. The mechanical impedance of the controller is adjusted to different mechanical impedances. Thereby, it becomes possible to switch the mechanical impedance of the load control section to a mechanical impedance suitable for each operation mode in the first operation mode and the second operation mode. Therefore, the tape can be adhered with high accuracy.

Further, the mechanical impedance adjustment section may be configured to adjust the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the first operation mode to be higher than the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the second operation mode.

According to this configuration, the mechanical impedance adjustment section adjusts the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the first operation mode so as to be greater than the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the second operation mode. It is possible to prevent the pressing portion from wobbling in the operation mode. That is, the pressing portion can accurately bring the tape into contact with a predetermined position on the surface to be attached and press the tape.

The application head includes a parallel link mechanism for controlling the pressing position and/or the pressing posture of the pressing portion. The parallel link mechanism includes a base portion connected to the handling portion and the pressing portion. An end portion to be attached, and a plurality of link portions provided in parallel between the base portion and the end portion and having the load control portion that expands and contracts, and each of the link portions is caused to expand and contract by the expansion and contraction operation of the load control portion. By controlling the length of , the pressing position and/or the pressing posture of the pressing portion may be controlled so as to follow the shape of the adhered surface.

According to this configuration, the parallel link mechanism includes the load control section, and the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the first operation mode and the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the second operation mode are adjusted by the mechanical impedance adjustment section. Adjusted for different mechanical impedances. Thereby, it becomes possible to switch the mechanical impedance of the load control section to a mechanical impedance suitable for each operation mode in the first operation mode and the second operation mode. Therefore, it is possible to accurately contact and press the tape to a predetermined position in the first operation mode while coping with the shape error of the work in the second operation mode.

Further, the load control section expands and contracts according to the inflow and outflow of fluid, and the mechanical impedance adjustment section adjusts the internal pressure of the load control section in the first operation mode so that the internal pressure of the load control section in the second operation mode It is good also as a structure controlled so that it may become larger than.

According to this configuration, it is possible to adjust the mechanical impedance of the load control section without requiring an extra mechanism.

Further, the mechanical impedance adjustment section may be configured as lock means for locking the expansion and contraction operation of the load control section from the outside in the first operation mode.

According to this configuration, it is possible to control the mechanical impedance of the load control section without requiring complicated control.

In order to solve the above problems, the tape applying method of the present invention comprises an applying head for pressing the tape against a surface to be applied, and a handling section to which the applying head is attached and which controls the pressing position of the applying head, A tape comprising: a pressing portion in which the sticking head presses the tape against the surface to be stuck; and a load control portion provided between the handling portion and the pressing portion for controlling the pressing force of the pressing portion. A tape application method using an application device, comprising: a first operation step of pressing the pressing portion against the surface to be attached with a predetermined load; and moving the pressing portion relative to the surface to be attached. and a second operation step of applying the tape to the surface to be adhered by applying the mechanical impedance of the load control unit to the load control unit in the first operation step. It is characterized by having a mechanical impedance adjustment step of adjusting the mechanical impedance to a mechanical impedance different from the mechanical impedance of the part.

According to the tape application method, the first operation step and the second operation step are provided, and the mechanical impedance of the load control unit in the first operation step and the mechanical impedance of the load control unit in the second operation step can be adjusted to different mechanical impedances. This makes it possible to switch the mechanical impedance of the load control unit to a mechanical impedance suitable for each operation process in the first operation process and the second operation process. Therefore, the tape can be adhered with high accuracy.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the tape applying method of the present invention comprises an applying head for pressing the tape against the surface to be applied, the applying head comprising a pressing portion for pressing the tape against the surface to be applied, and the pressing portion. a parallel link mechanism for controlling a pressing position and/or a pressing attitude, wherein the parallel link mechanism includes a base portion, an end portion to which the pressing portion is attached, and between the base portion and the end portion. and a plurality of link portions provided in parallel with each other and having load control portions that expand and contract. A tape applying method using a tape applying device that applies the tape to the surface to be applied while operating the position and/or the pressing posture to follow the shape of the surface to be applied, wherein the pressing is performed with a predetermined load. a first operation step until the tape is pressed against a surface to be adhered; and a second operation step of affixing the tape to the surface to be adhered by moving the pressing portion relative to the surface to be adhered. , wherein the second operation step includes a mechanical impedance adjustment step of adjusting the mechanical impedance of the load control unit to a mechanical impedance different from the mechanical impedance of the load control unit in the first operation step. It is characterized by

According to the tape application method, the first operation step and the second operation step are provided, the parallel link mechanism is configured to include the load control section, and the load control section in the first operation process is The mechanical impedance and the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the second operation step can be adjusted to different mechanical impedances. This makes it possible to switch the mechanical impedance of the load control unit to a mechanical impedance suitable for each operation process in the first operation process and the second operation process. Therefore, it is possible to accurately bring the tape into contact with a predetermined position and press it in the first operation process while coping with the shape error of the work in the second operation process. That is, the tape can be adhered with high accuracy.

According to the tape applying device and the tape applying method of the present invention, the tape can be applied with high accuracy.

1 is a schematic diagram of an ATL device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a view taken along line AA′ of FIG. 1; Fig. 3 shows an ATL head in a first mode of operation; Fig. 3 shows the ATL head in a second mode of operation; 1 is a flowchart of a tape application method using an ATL device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a figure which shows one variation of the ATL apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows one variation of the ATL apparatus based on one Embodiment of this invention, (a) is a figure which shows the time of a 1st operation mode, (b) is a figure which shows the time of a 2nd operation mode. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional ATL device; FIG.

(ATL device)
An ATL device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the three axes of the orthogonal coordinate system are X, Y, and Z, the horizontal direction is expressed as the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the XY plane (that is, the vertical direction) is the Z-axis. expressed as direction.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an ATL device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view taken along line AA' in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the ATL head 10 in the first mode of operation. FIG. 4 shows the ATL head 10 in the second mode of operation.

An ATL device (so-called tape application device) 1 according to the present embodiment includes an ATL head (so-called application head) 10 that presses a tape T as shown in FIG. A so-called handling robot) 70 is provided. Note that the ATL head 10 is attached to the handling section 70 . Further, the ATL device 1 has a first operation mode and a second operation mode as its own modes (operations) for attaching the tape T. As shown in FIG.

The ATL device 1 controls the position and attitude of the ATL head 10 by operating each part constituting the ATL head 10 and/or the handling part 70, and presses the tape T onto the work W to adhere the tape. For the production of T-reinforced moldings.

The workpiece W in the present embodiment is, for example, a molded product having a three-dimensional shape, and may be a molded product made of resin such as thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin, or a molded product made of metal. may

In addition, the tape T in the present embodiment is, for example, a tape-like shape obtained by impregnating at least a part of a fiber bundle with a resin in advance, and is impregnated with a thermoplastic resin (also called a UD tape). or a tape impregnated with a thermosetting resin (also called a prepreg tape). Moreover, the tape T may contain carbon fibers, or may be a resin tape mixed with a large number of short fibers. The type of the tape T is appropriately selected according to the material of the work W and the like. Moreover, the tape T may be of a form in which a plurality of tapes are arranged in parallel.

The ATL head 10 in this embodiment is for pressing the tape T against the work W with a predetermined load (details will be described later), and is attached to the handling section 70 . This handling section 70 is for controlling the pressing position of the ATL head 10 . For example, while the ATL head 10 is pressing the tape T, the handling unit 70 moves the ATL head 10 according to the shape of the work W, and sticks the tape T on the surface H of the work W. wear. The handling unit 70 includes a mechanism (three degrees of freedom) capable of translating the ATL head 10 in at least the XYZ-axis directions, such as a gantry structure 72 (see FIG. 1) or an articulated robot 78 (see FIG. 6). (see ), etc.). Operation control of the handling unit 70 is executed by a robot control unit 71 (see FIG. 3). The robot control unit 71 is composed of, for example, a general-purpose computer device, and controls each unit based on the three-dimensional coordinate data of the surface H to be adhered (hereinafter referred to as the surface H to be adhered) of the work W, and the three-dimensional coordinate data. A program that controls the operation of the is stored. Further, based on the three-dimensional coordinate data and the like, the robot control unit 71 determines in advance a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as a starting point S) on the surface H to start the application of the tape T, and a position where the application of the tape T is completed. A predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as an end point E) on the adhered surface H is specified. With these, the pressing position of the ATL head 10 is controlled.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the handling unit 70 is configured by a gantry structure 72 as shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The gantry structure 72 includes an X-axis linear motion mechanism 73 having an XθZ-axis stage 74 that supports the workpiece W so as to be movable in the X-axis direction and rotatable in the yaw (θz) direction (around the Z-axis); A Y-axis linear motion mechanism 75 bridged over the X-axis linear motion mechanism 73 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis linear motion mechanism 76 supported by the Y-axis linear motion mechanism 75 and movable in the Z-axis direction are provided. I have. The ATL head 10 is attached to an ATL head attachment portion 77 provided in the Z-axis direct-acting mechanism 76 (details will be described later).

The X-axis linear motion mechanism 73 includes an X-axis guide portion 73a, an X-axis slide table 73b slidably attached to the X-axis guide portion 73a, and a yaw (θz) rotation on the X-axis slide table 73b. and an XθZ-axis stage 74 that is freely provided. A workpiece W is placed on the XθZ-axis stage 74 . That is, the X-axis linear motion mechanism 73 can translate the work W in the X-axis direction, and the XθZ-axis stage 74 can rotate the work W in the yaw (θz) direction.

The Y-axis direct-acting mechanism 75 includes a Y-axis guide portion 75a attached to a gate-shaped base and a Y-axis slider 75b slidably attached to the Y-axis guide portion 75a. The Z-axis linear motion mechanism 76 includes a Z-axis guide portion 76a attached to the Y-axis slider 75b, a Z-axis slider 76b slidably attached to the Z-axis guide portion 76a, and a Z-axis slider 76b. and an ATL head attachment portion 77. The ATL head 10 is attached to the lower end of the ATL head attachment portion 77 . That is, the ATL head 10 can be translated in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis linear motion mechanism 75, and the ATL head 10 can be moved in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis linear motion mechanism 76 (elevating and lowering with respect to the surface H to be applied). It is designed to be able to

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ATL head 10 of this embodiment includes a pressing portion 20 for pressing the tape T against the surface H to be bonded, a feeder 40 for feeding the tape T toward the pressing portion 20, and the feeder 40. A heating means 50 that heats at least one of the fed tape T and the surface H to be adhered, and a parallel link mechanism 30 that operates so that the pressing position and/or posture of the pressing portion 20 follows the shape of the surface H to be adhered. and The operation of each section of the ATL head 10 is controlled by the ATL head control section 11 (details will be described later).

The pressing part 20 presses the surface H to be stuck through the tape T, and presses the tape T against the surface H to be stuck. and a roller support portion 23 attached to the end portion 32 of the parallel link mechanism 30 in a state of being supported by the roller support portion 23 . The pressing roller 21 is composed of a resin roller, an elastic roller, a metal roller, or the like, depending on the characteristics of the tape T, the material of the work W, or the like. Further, the size (diameter, width) of the pressing roller 21 is appropriately selected according to the type and size of the tape T to be used and the type and shape of the workpiece W. Note that in another configuration example, a pressing member such as a pressing shoe may be used instead of the pressing roller 21 .

The feeder 40 is for conveying the tape T to feed the tape T between the pressure roller 21 and the surface H to be adhered. attached to the The feeder 40 has, for example, a pair of conveying belts 41, and conveys the tape T by rotating the conveying belt pair 41 with the power of a motor (not shown). The feeder 40 may be equipped with an unwinding mechanism for unwinding the tape T from a bobbin, or may supply the tape T cut to a predetermined length in advance. Alternatively, the tape may be unwound from an unwinding mechanism mounted separately from the ATL head 10, and the tape T may be supplied to the feeder 40 along the transport path.

The heating means 50 is for heating at least one of the tape T fed by the feeder 40 and the surface H to be adhered, and is capable of heating the tape T and the surface H to be adhered in a non-contact manner. It may be composed of a radiation source such as a lamp, a laser, an IR lamp, or a hot air source such as a hot air nozzle. It should be noted that the heating means 50 is not an essential element. A portion may be provided to allow the heating means 50 to be detachable.

The parallel link mechanism 30 is for controlling the pressing position and/or pressing posture of the pressing portion 20 so as to follow the shape of the surface H to be adhered. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the parallel link mechanism 30 has a base portion 31 attached to the handling portion 70, an end portion 32 to which the pressing portion 20 is attached, and parallel links between the base portion 31 and the end portion 32. and a plurality of link portions 33 provided. By controlling the lengths of the plurality of link portions 33, the pressing position and/or pressing posture of the pressing roller 21 is controlled.

Each link portion 33 has universal joints 35a and 35b such as a spherical joint at both ends of itself, and a load control portion 34 (details will be described later) which is provided between these universal joints and expands and contracts according to the inflow and outflow of fluid. and The length of the link portion 33 is controlled by the expansion and contraction of the load control portion 34 . That is, in the parallel link mechanism 30, the length of each of the plurality of link portions 33 is controlled by the expansion and contraction operation of the load control portion 34, so that the position (three directions of translation) and attitude (three directions of rotation) of the end portion 32 are controlled. can be changed. That is, the parallel link mechanism 30 moves in three translational directions (XYZ axis directions) and three rotational directions (around the XYZ axes) to control the pressing position and pressing posture of the pressing roller 103 . there is

The parallel link mechanism 30 is generally composed of three to six link portions 33, and the pressing position and/or pressing posture of the pressing roller 21 can be operated so as to follow the shape of the surface H to be adhered. If possible, the number of link portions 33 is not particularly limited. If the number of link portions 33 is reduced, the configuration of the parallel link mechanism 30 can be simplified. It is possible to make it difficult to be affected by the moment accompanying the operation of the parallel link mechanism 30 .

The load control section 34 is for controlling the pressing position and/or the pressing posture of the pressing roller 21 by controlling the length of each link section 33 . It is also for pressing against the adhered surface H with a predetermined load. As shown in FIG. 3, the load control section 34 includes a cylinder section 34a to which fluid (in this embodiment, air) is supplied, and a rod section 34b that advances and retreats (displaces) according to the internal pressure of the cylinder section 34a. ing. The ATL head 10 further includes a pressure sensor 34f that detects the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a, and a displacement sensor 34c (for example, a magnetic linear encoder) that detects displacement of the rod portion 34b.

The cylinder portion 34a is connected to a servo valve 34d via a pressure sensor 34f. The servo valve 34d is connected to an air pressure supply section 34e (for example, a compressor) that outputs compressed air, and adjusts the flow rate and exhaust amount of air into the cylinder section 34a, thereby controlling both chambers of the cylinder section 34a. It is possible to control the pressure. Thereby, the displacement of the rod portion 34b is controlled.

The pressure signal detected by the pressure sensor 34f and the displacement signal detected by the displacement sensor 34c are output to the ATL head control section 11, respectively. The ATL head control unit 11 is composed of, for example, a general-purpose computer device, and controls the ATL based on the three-dimensional shape data of the adhered surface H of the work W, the three-dimensional coordinate data, the pressure signal, the displacement signal, and the like. Programs and the like for controlling the operation of each part of the head 10 are stored.

The ATL head control unit 11 controls the operation of the servo valve 34d of each load control unit 34 using, for example, the detection signal received from the pressure sensor 34f or the displacement sensor 34c as a control parameter, and controls the operation of the cylinder of each load control unit 34. Processing is performed to control the internal pressure of the portion 34a and/or the displacement of the rod portion 34b. As a result, by changing the position (translation) and posture (rotation) of the end portion, the pressing position and/or the pressing posture of the pressing roller 21 can be driven and controlled so as to follow the shape of the surface H to be adhered. . That is, it is possible to control the pressing direction (load direction) of the pressing roller 21 against the surface H to be adhered so as to be in the normal direction (direction orthogonal to the surface H to be adhered). This makes it possible to apply a more uniform load to the pressing roller 21 . Further, even if there is a shape error between the three-dimensional coordinate data of the pasting surface H described above and the actual pasting surface H, the pressing position and/or position of the pressure roller 21 can be adjusted so as to absorb the shape error. Since the pressing posture can be flexibly controlled, the pressing state of the tape T against the surface H to be stuck by the pressing roller 21 can be kept constant. Therefore, the tape T can be adhered to the surface H to be adhered with high precision.

The tape T is pressed by the ATL device 1 including the handling unit 70 and the ATL head 10 as described above, and the tape T is applied to the surface of the workpiece W while controlling the pressing position and/or pressing attitude of the pressing roller 21. It can be attached to H.

The operation of the ATL device 1 will be explained. First, the handling unit 70, in this embodiment, the X-axis linear motion mechanism 73, the XθZ-axis stage 74, and the Y-axis linear motion mechanism 75 of the gantry structure 72 move the ATL head 10 onto the starting point S on the surface H to be adhered. position. Next, the Z-axis direct-acting mechanism 76 lowers the ATL head 10 toward the surface H to be adhered, and brings the pressure roller 21 into contact with the starting point S on the surface H to be adhered. Then, the pressing roller 21 is pressed against the adhered surface H with a predetermined load. In this embodiment, the operation until the pressure roller 21 is pressed against the surface H to be adhered with a predetermined load is referred to as a first operation mode. Then, the Y-axis direct-acting mechanism 75 moves the ATL head 10 relative to the surface H to be applied (to the end point E on the surface H to be applied) while pressing the tape T to adhere it to the surface H to be applied. In the present embodiment, a series of operations for pressing the tape T and applying it to the surface H to be applied while the ATL head 10 is moved from the starting point S to the end point E on the surface H to be applied is referred to as a second operation mode. do. In this second operation mode, the mechanical impedance of each load control section 34 of the parallel link mechanism 30 is relatively adjusted so that the pressing position and/or the pressing posture of the pressing roller 21 follow the shape of the surface H to be adhered. making it smaller. That is, the mechanical impedance is differentiated (switched) between the first operation mode and the second operation mode, making it easier to change the length of each link portion 33 .

The mechanical impedance referred to here is the ratio of the response speed at a certain point on the structure to the force when a periodic excitation force is applied to the mechanical structure. It means the difficulty of movement of a substance (in the present invention, the load control section 34) when it is pressed. In the present invention, the degree of difficulty in movement of the load control section 34 is represented by the magnitude of the mechanical impedance. That is, in the present embodiment, when the mechanical impedance of the load control section 34 increases, the load control section 34 is less likely to expand and contract, and when the mechanical impedance of the load control section 34 decreases, the load control section 34 expands and contracts more easily. Here, in the configuration having a plurality of load control units 34 as in the present embodiment, by increasing the mechanical impedance of each load control unit 34, all operations of the parallel link mechanism 30 (such as the position of the pressure roller 21 and the By reducing the mechanical impedance of each load control unit 34, movement becomes easier in all operations of the parallel link mechanism 30 (control of the position and attitude of the pressure roller 21).

Here, in the present invention, the ATL head 10 further includes a mechanical impedance adjuster (not shown). The mechanical impedance adjuster is for adjusting the mechanical impedance of the load controller 34 . The mechanical impedance adjustment section adjusts the mechanical impedance so that the mechanical impedance is optimized in each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode. In addition, in this embodiment, the servo valve 34d is a mechanical impedance adjustment unit. The mechanical impedance adjustment section adjusts the mechanical impedance of the load control section 34 by controlling the internal pressure of the cylinder section 34a of each load control section 34 (when the internal pressure of the cylinder section 34a increases, the load control section 34 When the mechanical impedance increases and the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a decreases, the mechanical impedance of the load control portion 34 decreases). It should be noted that the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a here refers to the sum of the pressures of both chambers within the cylinder portion 34a.

In the present invention, the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a of each load control portion 34 in the first operation mode is made larger by the mechanical impedance adjustment portion than the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a of each load control portion 34 in the second operation mode. controlled to be That is, the internal pressure P ₁ of the cylinder portion 34a of each load control portion 34 in the first operation mode (see FIG. 3) and the internal pressure P ₂ of the cylinder portion 34a of each load control portion 34 in the second operation mode (see FIG. 4) ), the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a of each load control portion 34 is controlled for each mode so that at least the relationship of internal pressure P ₁ >internal pressure P ₂ is satisfied. That is, the mechanical impedance of each load control section 34 in the first operation mode is higher than the mechanical impedance of each load control section 34 in the second operation mode. This makes it difficult to move the parallel link mechanism 30 in all operations (control of the position and attitude of the pressure roller 21) in the first operation mode, so that the pressure roller 21 can be prevented from wobbling and displacement. The pressure roller 21 can be brought into contact with the starting point S without causing the pressure roller 21 to contact the starting point S. That is, the tape T can be accurately pressed at a predetermined position.

On the other hand, in the second operation mode, the mechanical impedance of each load control section 34 is smaller than the mechanical impedance of each load control section 34 in the first operation mode. As a result, all the operations of the parallel link mechanism 30 (control of the position and attitude of the pressure roller 21) are facilitated, so the operation of the parallel link mechanism 30 is controlled so that the pressure roller 21 follows the shape of the surface H to be adhered. You can do it. That is, the pressing direction of the pressing roller 21 can always be the normal direction with respect to the surface H to be stuck, and it is possible to prevent excess or deficiency of the pressing force on the tape T. FIG. As a result, the tape T can be adhered to the surface H to be adhered with higher accuracy.

As described above, according to the ATL device 1 of the above-described embodiment, the mechanical impedance adjustment section adjusts the mechanical impedance of the load control section 34 to the optimum value in each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode. Since the pressure roller 21 is adjusted, it is possible to prevent the pressure roller 21 from wobbling in the first operation mode, and the pressure roller 21 is brought into contact with and pressed against the starting point S on the surface H to be adhered without being displaced. becomes possible. Further, in the second operation mode, the operation of the parallel link mechanism 30 can be controlled so that the pressure roller 21 follows the shape of the surface H to be adhered. can always be in the normal direction, and it is possible to prevent excessive or insufficient pressing force. Therefore, it becomes possible to stick the tape T to a predetermined position with high precision. That is, the accuracy of attaching the tape T can be improved as compared with the conventional ATL device.

(Tape application method)
A tape applying method using the ATL device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those of the apparatus described above, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that step S3 below will be described as a first operation process, and steps S4 to S6 will be described as a second operation process.

In the tape applying method in this embodiment, first, the robot control unit 71 operates the handling unit 70, and in this embodiment, the X-axis direct-acting mechanism 73 of the gantry structure 72, thereby moving the XθZ-axis stage on which the workpiece W is placed. 74 is moved in the X-axis direction, and the Y-axis direct-acting mechanism 75 is operated to move the ATL head 10 so that the pressure roller 21 is positioned immediately above the starting point S of the surface H of the workpiece W (step S1). ). At this time, the XθZ-axis stage 74 is rotated so that the trajectory along which the pressure roller 21 moves from the start point S to the end point E becomes a straight line, if necessary.

Next, the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a of each load control portion 34 is controlled by the mechanical impedance adjustment portion to make the mechanical impedance of each load control portion 34 larger than the mechanical impedance of each load control portion 34 in the second operation step. (Step S2). Then, the Z-axis direct-acting mechanism 76 lowers the pressure roller 21 toward the surface H to be adhered, bringing the pressure roller 21 into contact with the starting point S on the surface H to be adhered and pressing it with a predetermined load (step S3).

Next, the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a of each load control portion 34 is controlled by the mechanical impedance adjustment portion to make the mechanical impedance of each load control portion 34 smaller than the mechanical impedance of each load control portion 34 in the first operation step. (Step S4).

Next, the ATL head control unit 11 operates each part of the ATL head 10 to start applying the tape T to the application surface H, and apply the tape T from the starting point S to the end point E on the application surface H. It is added (step S5). Specifically, the ATL head control section 11 operates the feeder 40 to convey the tape T between the pressure roller 21 and the surface H to be adhered. In addition, the ATL head control unit 11 operates the parallel link mechanism 30 (if necessary, the robot control unit 71 may also operate the gantry structure 72), and the pressure roller 21 presses the tape T onto the application surface. Press H. Further, the ATL head controller 11 starts heat treatment by the heating means 50 to heat the tape T and/or the surface H to be adhered. Then, the ATL head control unit 11 controls the operation of the pressing position and/or pressing posture of the pressing roller 21 by the parallel link mechanism 30 . Also, the robot control unit 71 controls the operation of the gantry structure 72 . Under the control of the ATL head control section 11 and the robot control section 71, the ATL head 10 adheres the tape T to the surface H to be applied by moving relative to the surface H to be applied. That is, the tape T is adhered to the surface H to be adhered along the application route of the tape T from the starting point S to the end point E on the surface H to be adhered. At this time, the operation of each part of the parallel link mechanism 30 is controlled so that the pressing position and/or pressing attitude of the pressing roller 21 follow the shape of the surface H to be adhered.

Next, when the pressure roller 21 reaches the end point E on the surface H to be adhered, the process of completing the application operation of the tape T is performed (step 6). Specifically, the ATL head control unit 11 determines whether or not the pressure roller 21 has reached the end point E. If it is determined that the pressure roller 21 has not reached the end point E, then step S5 in FIG. If it is determined that the end point E has been reached, processing is performed to complete the pasting operation. That is, the ATL head control unit 11 performs control to cut the tape T by a cutting unit (not shown) provided in the feeder 40, control to stop the heating operation by the heating means 50, and control to cancel the pressing operation by the pressing roller 21. , completes the application of the tape T for one line.

Then, it is determined whether or not the application of the tape T to the surface H to be applied has been completed. Control is performed such that the tape T on the surface H to be applied is sequentially arranged and applied by moving the tape T directly above the starting point S. On the other hand, if it is determined that all have been completed, all operations are terminated.

In the tape application method, the mechanical impedance of the load control unit 34 is adjusted to the optimum value in each of the first operation process and the second operation process. movement (control of the position and attitude of the pressing roller 21). As a result, the pressure roller 21 can be prevented from swaying, so that the tape T can be brought into contact with and pressed against the starting point S on the surface H to be adhered without the position of the pressure roller 21 shifting. Further, in the second operation process, all the operations of the parallel link mechanism 30 (control of the position and attitude of the pressure roller 21) become easy to move. As a result, the operation of the parallel link mechanism 30 can be controlled so that the pressure roller 21 follows the shape of the surface H to be adhered. It is possible to prevent excessive or insufficient pressing force. Therefore, it becomes possible to stick the tape T to a predetermined position with high precision. That is, the accuracy of attaching the tape T can be improved as compared with the conventional tape attaching method.

As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. , substitutions, and other modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the ATL head 10 has the parallel link mechanism 30, but the ATL head 10 does not have the parallel link mechanism 30 and only has one load control unit 34. It may be something that is For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the ATL head 10 may be configured to have one load control section 34 between the handling section 70 and the pressing roller 21 . Even in such a case, the mechanical impedance adjustment section adjusts the mechanical impedance of each load control section 34 to the second operation mode (second operation process) immediately before the first operation mode (first operation process). ), it is possible to prevent the pressure roller 21 from wobbling. As a result, the tape T can be brought into contact with the starting point S without being displaced in the first operation mode.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a of the load control portion 34 is controlled by taking air in and out. Such). Also, the mechanical impedance adjustment unit is not limited to the servo valve 34d (for example, an electropneumatic regulator or the like).

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the mechanical impedance adjustment unit is the servo valve 34d and the mechanical impedance of each load control unit 34 is adjusted by controlling the internal pressure of the cylinder portion 34a of each load control unit 34 has been described. However, the expansion/contraction operation of each load control unit 34 may be locked from the outside. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the mechanical impedance adjuster may be composed of clamps 36, for example. In the first operation mode, the rod portion 34b of each load control portion 34 is locked by a clamp 36 as shown in FIG. 7A, so that the mechanical impedance of the load control portion 34 is reduced to It is made larger than the mechanical impedance of the load control section 34 . On the other hand, in the second operation mode, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the rod portion 34b of each load control portion 34 is unlocked.

Further, in the above embodiment, the control of adjusting the mechanical impedance of the load control section 34 by the mechanical impedance adjustment section so as to be greater than the mechanical impedance of the load control section 34 in the second operation mode (second operation process) is An example of performing immediately before the first operation mode (first operation step) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, at least until the pressure roller 21 is brought into contact with the surface H to be adhered and pressed with a predetermined load. It should be done on

In addition, at least the mechanical impedance should be different between the first operation mode (first operation process) and the second operation mode (second operation process) for optimum operation. In some cases, the mechanical impedance in the first operation mode (first operation process) may be higher than the mechanical impedance in the second operation mode (second operation process).

Further, in the above embodiment, the feeder 40 is attached to the rotating shaft portion 22 of the pressing roller 21 via the member 60, but the member 60 may be a rotating member 60. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the rotating member 60 is rotatably attached to the rotating shaft portion 22 of the pressing roller 21 . The rotary member 60 is provided with a rotary joint 83 for coupling with the rotary motion part 80 . The rotary motion unit 80 includes a linear motion means 81 erected on the end portion 32 toward the base portion 31, and a cylinder portion 81a of the linear motion means 81, which controls the pressure in the rod. A link whose both ends are rotatably attached via a rotary joint 83 between a linear motion member 82 that is linearly moved in the vertical direction by displacing the portion 81b and between the linear motion member 82 and the rotary member 60 arm 84; Thereby, the attitude of the feeder 40 can be controlled according to the operation of the parallel link mechanism 30 .

1 ATL device (tape applying device)
10 ATL head (pasting head)
11 ATL head control section 20 pressing section 21 pressing roller 22 rotating shaft section 23 roller support section 30 parallel link mechanism 31 base section 32 end section 33 link section 34 load control section 34a cylinder section 34b rod section 34c displacement sensor 34d servo valve 34e air pressure Supply unit 34f Pressure sensor 35a, 35b Universal joint 36 Clamp 40 Feeder (conveying means)
41 conveyor belt pair 50 heating means 60 member (rotating member)
70 handling unit 71 robot control unit 72 gantry structure 73 X-axis linear motion mechanism 73a X-axis guide unit 73b X-axis slide table 74 XθZ-axis stage 75 Y-axis linear motion mechanism 75a Y-axis guide unit 75b Y-axis slider 76 Z-axis linear motion mechanism Motion mechanism 76a Z-axis guide part 76b Z-axis slider 77 ATL head mounting part 78 Articulated robot 80 Rotating motion part 81 Linear motion means 81a Cylinder part 81b Rod part 82 Linear motion member 83 Rotating joint 84 Link arm T Tape W Work H Attachment surface S _Start point E End _point P1 internal pressure P2 internal pressure

Claims

a sticking head that presses the tape against a surface to be stuck;
A tape applying device including a handling section to which the applying head is attached and which controls a pressing position of the applying head,
The sticking head includes a pressing portion that presses the tape against the sticking surface;
a load control unit provided between the handling unit and the pressing unit for controlling the pressing force of the pressing unit;
a mechanical impedance adjustment unit that adjusts the mechanical impedance of the load control unit,
a first operation mode until the pressing portion is pressed against the surface to be adhered with a predetermined load;
a second operation mode in which the tape is attached to the surface to be attached by moving the pressing portion relative to the surface to be attached;
The mechanical impedance adjuster adjusts the mechanical impedance of the load controller in the first operation mode and the mechanical impedance of the load controller in the second operation mode to different mechanical impedances. Device.
3. The mechanical impedance adjustment section adjusts the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the first operation mode so that the mechanical impedance of the load control section in the second operation mode is higher than the mechanical impedance of the load control section. 2. The tape applying device according to 1.
The pasting head includes a parallel link mechanism for controlling a pressing position and/or a pressing posture of the pressing portion,
The parallel link mechanism includes a base portion connected to the handling portion, an end portion to which the pressing portion is attached, and the load control portion that is provided in parallel between the base portion and the end portion and expands and contracts. comprising a plurality of link parts having
By controlling the length of each of the link portions by the expansion and contraction operation of the load control portion, the pressing position and/or the pressing posture of the pressing portion is controlled so as to follow the shape of the surface to be adhered. 3. The tape application device according to claim 1 or 2.
The load control unit expands and contracts due to the inflow and outflow of the fluid,
2. The mechanical impedance control section controls the internal pressure of the load control section in the first operation mode to be higher than the internal pressure of the load control section in the second operation mode. 4. The tape applying device according to any one of claims 3 to 4.
4. The tape applying device according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical impedance adjusting section is lock means for locking the expansion and contraction of said load control section from the outside in said first operation mode. Device.
a sticking head that presses the tape against a surface to be stuck;
a handling unit to which the pasting head is attached and which controls a pressing position of the pasting head;
a pressing portion for pressing the tape against the surface to be adhered by the applying head;
A tape applying method using a tape applying device including a load control section provided between the handling section and the pressing section for controlling the pressing force of the pressing section,
a first operation step until the pressing portion is pressed against the surface to be adhered with a predetermined load;
a second operation step of attaching the tape to the surface to be attached by moving the pressing portion relative to the surface to be attached;
The second operation step includes a mechanical impedance adjustment step of adjusting the mechanical impedance of the load control unit to a mechanical impedance different from the mechanical impedance of the load control unit in the first operation step. Method.
Equipped with a sticking head that presses the tape against the surface to be stuck,
a pressing portion for pressing the tape against the surface to be adhered by the applying head;
and a parallel link mechanism for controlling the pressing position and/or the pressing attitude of the pressing portion,
The parallel link mechanism includes a base portion, an end portion to which the pressing portion is attached, and
a plurality of link portions provided in parallel between the base portion and the end portion and having a load control portion that expands and contracts;
By controlling the length of each of the link portions by the expansion and contraction operation of the load control portion, the pressing position and/or the pressing posture of the pressing portion are operated so as to follow the shape of the surface to be adhered, A tape applying method using a tape applying device for applying the tape to the surface to be applied,
a first operation step until the pressing portion is pressed against the surface to be adhered with a predetermined load;
a second operation step of attaching the tape to the surface to be attached by moving the pressing portion relative to the surface to be attached;
The second operation step includes a mechanical impedance adjustment step of adjusting the mechanical impedance of the load control unit to a mechanical impedance different from the mechanical impedance of the load control unit in the first operation step. Method.