WO2024028499A1

WO2024028499A1 - System and method for the automated production of munition, and conveyor device

Info

Publication number: WO2024028499A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/071729
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Biedermann; Peter Spatz
Original assignee: Swissp Defence Ag
Priority date: 2022-08-04
Filing date: 2023-08-04
Publication date: 2024-02-08
Also published as: DE102022119659A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for the automated production of munition which consists of a plurality of munition parts, in particular a casing, an ignition element, a projectile, and a propellant charge, comprising a plurality of production stations and a conveyor device which conveys the plurality of munition parts to and/or from each production station, wherein the conveyor device is made of a rail/slide assembly in which the rail defines a conveyor path of the system, and multiple slides for holding the plurality of munition parts are guided by the rail.

Description

System and method for the automated production of ammunition and conveyor device

The invention relates to a system and a method for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a sleeve, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, as well as a conveyor device for such a system.

Systems with a closed rotating conveyor track for the automated production of ammunition are known from US 2019 094 000 A1. The system described in US 2019 094 000 A1 comprises a conveyor device for ammunition parts with several stations at which ammunition parts are processed, assembled, manipulated and / or picked up and which are ultimately assembled into finished ammunition. The conveying device for the individual ammunition parts is implemented by means of a coherent conveyor chain, which basically moves the individual ammunition parts between the stations at a constant and equal conveying speed and comes to a standstill once per cycle. The positioning with regard to the individual production stations occurs due to the arrangement of the holding device for the ammunition parts in the conveyor chain. The connected conveyor chain only requires one positioning per cycle. However, this means that only a single cyclic movement profile can be processed, which means that all production stations have to be approached at the same time.

The proposed system must be aligned and calibrated very precisely, which makes operation susceptible to failure. Furthermore, the fixed and clearly defined arrangement of the processing stations increases the space required and the flexibility of the machine. This ultimately has a negative impact on the machine-dependent general manufacturing costs. There is also a need to process more ammunition parts in a shorter time (increase production capacity). For this purpose, the speed of the conveyor chain can be increased in the known approach. However, due to the faster starting and stopping of the conveyor chain, the loads in the individual bearings increase disproportionately, which leads to increased wear on the machine, especially its moving parts. In addition, the faster movement of the conveyor chain increases the susceptibility of the entire system to errors in terms of feeding, which leads to increased rejects. This reduces overall plant effectiveness despite higher production capacity.

Another challenge in ammunition production is the adaptability of the machine to the production of different calibers. If the conveyor chain is displaceable and fixed purely mechanically, the different, caliber-specific diameter of the sleeve can only be inadequately taken into account. Furthermore, it is important for production quality that the individual production stations are approached in their own and suitable movement profile and that the overall size of the ammunition to be produced is taken into account.

It is the object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to provide a system which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular has an increased production capacity and/or enables more reliable production of the ammunition, in particular without increasing the space requirement increase.

The task is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

Accordingly, a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a casing, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. The system for automated manufacturing can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit consisting of a case, an ignition element, a projectile and the propellant powder. Therefore, a facility can also be called a laboratory facility. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is ready for sale after passing through the system . The system is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and in accordance with a conveying cycle of the production line Automated assembly of ammunition units. The system can also be referred to as a linear transport system, which is used, for example in assembly and automation technology for ammunition, to transport ammunition parts in precise positions to processing and/or assembly stations that are positioned along the transport path.

The system according to the invention includes several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps can be carried out. The manufacturing stations can be set up to handle at least one piece of ammunition, in particular to manipulate it, handle it, interact with it or act on it in some other way. For example, the multiple manufacturing stations include an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and/or a projectile insertion station, for introducing at least one of the multiple ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition part processing station For example, a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the system. The rejection station can also be used to remove rejects from the manufacturing process. The plurality of manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the successive manufacturing steps carried out.

The system according to the invention further comprises a conveyor device, which can also be referred to as a workpiece carrier or can have this, for holding the multiple ammunition parts and for transporting the multiple ammunition parts to and from, to and/or between the multiple production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for particularly automated transport or Responsible for transporting the individual ammunition parts along the manufacturing process defined by the several manufacturing stations. The conveyor device defines a closed, circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an exterior space delimited therefrom. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular the system includes several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, the conveyor device is formed by a rail/carriage arrangement, in which the rail defines a conveyor path of the system and several carriages, in particular each, are guided through and/or along the rail for holding the plurality of ammunition parts are. The conveyor track can be designed to be closed all around and delimit an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited from it. The individual ammunition parts can be transported along the conveyor track at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, carriages distributed along the conveyor track.

The rail/slide arrangement is based on the basic principle of a linear guide, according to which the multiple slides are translationally movable relative to the particular stationary rail. Each carriage can be designed to accommodate several ammunition parts, to fix them so that they can be processed at the production stations, and, if necessary, to displace ammunition parts relative to the carriage in order to set a desired positioning or orientation. For example, the carriage can have a so-called workpiece carrier, which can receive the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition, enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual processing stations and, on the other hand, the workpiece carrier can be used as a separate component be made to the slide and be designed individually for the respective ammunition part. Predefined interfaces can be provided for coupling the workpiece carrier and slide to one another.

The workpiece carrier has a carrier base, such as a carriage, which is adapted to be conveyed along the production line. The carrier base can therefore be set up to be coupled, in particular releasably, to the automated production line in order to be automatically transported from one processing station to the next. The support base can, for example, be designed to form a tongue and groove system with a connecting component of the automated production line. The workpiece carrier further comprises at least one receptacle arranged on the carrier base, in particular preferably releasably attached thereto, for holding at least two ammunition parts of the same type, such as two ammunition cases, two ammunition bullets, two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primers. An essential aspect of the workpiece carrier according to the invention is that it is designed to hold several ammunition parts, which are held in such a way that they can be processed simultaneously or in parallel. For example, the receptacle is designed so that it can hold at least 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 15 ammunition parts of the same type. For example, the large number of ammunition parts are held in a predetermined, in particular unchangeable, arrangement by the receptacle. For example in rows and/or parallel arrangement, such as in an array field.

According to an exemplary development, the at least one partial ammunition receptacle is mounted so that it can move relative to the carrier base. It was found that when loading ammunition, the individual ammunition parts must be held in a different orientation depending on the processing station. While this was solved in the prior art by complex and individually constructed processing stations that could access the rigid holding devices for the ammunition parts, the present invention breaks away from this concept in that these requirements can be met at the expense of a more complex workpiece carrier. According to the invention, a high degree of flexibility is achieved in a simple manner by means of the movable mounting of the ammunition part holder relative to the carrier base. Due to the movability of the material holder, it is possible to bring it into the optimal orientation during the different processing steps or in the different processing stations. This means that the individual processing stations can be significantly simplified in terms of construction, handling and control and their installation space can be significantly reduced. The processing stations no longer require complex, complex systems in order to be able to access or process the rigidly arranged ammunition parts.

According to a further exemplary development, at least one of the ammunition part receptacles can be moved from a receiving position in which the at least two ammunition parts can be fed in particular simultaneously, into a processing position in which the at least two ammunition parts can in particular be processed simultaneously. Because not all different types of ammunition parts necessarily have to be able to be fed to the same number of different processing stations and/or each have to be able to be processed in different orientations or positions, a cost-effective and yet significantly more flexible system can be achieved compared to the prior art Workpiece carriers are provided. By combining the accommodation of the ammunition parts of different types required for the production of ammunition in one and the same workpiece carrier, significant advantages can be generated, particularly with regard to the number of cycles. Thus, the ammunition parts to be joined together can, for example, be provided in close proximity to one another, but in any case be held by one and the same workpiece carrier, so that they are held in a locally concentrated manner on the workpiece carrier for easy handling and accessibility. The movability of the at least one partial ammunition receptacle relative to the carrier receptacle can be designed so flexibly that a large number of different positions can be approached. For example, the at least one partial ammunition receptacle can be locked when assuming the receiving position and/or when assuming the processing position, so that the movement of the partial ammunition receptacle is temporarily prevented. It should be clear that the position of the at least two ammunition parts in the receiving position or their orientation can also be such that processing of the at least two ammunition parts can also take place in the receiving position. The different adoptable positions of the ammunition part holder relative to the carrier base can differ by a different orientation and / or position in relation to the distance from the carrier base.

According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece carrier further has a coupling interface for connecting to a motor of the production line, in particular a motor-side coupling interface, in order to move the recording from the receiving position into the processing position, and in particular vice versa. The workpiece carrier itself can therefore be designed to be driveless and/or motorless. The necessary activation or kinetic energy, which is necessary for moving the at least one ammunition component holder, can in particular be supplied completely from outside, for example by a motor or drive of the production line.

According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface is designed in such a way, in particular in such a way that it is shaped and/or aligned with respect to a motor-side coupling interface, so that the workpiece carrier can move into the motor-side coupling interface for connection to the motor. In this way, a particularly easy-to-implement coupling of the workpiece carrier and energy source is made possible without the workpiece carrier requiring its own energy supply in order to move at least one holder.

In an exemplary embodiment, the rail/carriage arrangement comprises a drive system through which the several carriages can be driven individually, in particular in order to achieve different movement characteristics independently of one another along the To be able to experience the conveyor belt. This means that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each carriage. This means that the manufacturing process is considerably more flexible than if the carriages were fixed together along the conveyor track.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drive system comprises at least one linear motor. The linear motor can have an arrangement of coils and permanent magnets. The carriage can be equipped with at least one permanent magnet. In principle, the magnetic fields of the permanent magnet assigned to the carriage can be combined or coordinated with one another in such a way that the carriage is in particular alternately pulled or repelled in order to move along the conveyor track. An advantage of the linear motor is its direct power transmission properties, whereby high accelerations and speeds as well as a high degree of precision can be achieved.

According to an exemplary development of the system according to the invention, the drive system comprises at least one linear spindle mounted on the conveyor device, which drives and/or positions the carriage in particular without play.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the carriage is positively coupled to the rail and/or guided in a mobile manner. For example, the rail and carriage can have coordinated, in particular shape-coordinated, coupling interfaces which are designed for coupling the rail and carriage together and/or for guiding the rail and carriage along one another, in particular sliding along one another. For example, the positive coupling ensures that the rail and carriage are secured to one another, in particular secured against being removed from one another, with, for example, a predetermined dismantling orientation and/or direction being specified by the coupling to one another.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the carriage is guided on the rail in a rolling and/or sliding manner. For example, the carriage and rail can have coordinated rolling and/or sliding surfaces, which can be oriented in relation to the conveyor path along which the carriage is guided through the rail. According to a further exemplary development of the system according to the invention, the carriage is designed to at least partially grip around the rail. For example, the carriage can have a substantially C-shape in cross-section and accommodate the rail between its C-legs. For example, the carriage has two guide devices for moving, in particular, sliding or rolling along the rail. For example, the guide devices can be arranged on mutually facing surfaces of the C-leg and can be designed for simultaneous, in particular sliding or rolling, contact with corresponding guide surfaces of the rail. For example, a dimension of the carriage, in particular the distance between the two C-guide legs, is matched to a dimension, in particular the vertical dimension, of the rail. Furthermore, it is possible for a distance between the guide legs of the carriage to be adjustable.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drive system is set up to move the carriages with different movement characteristics or profiles along the system into a rest position. It has been found that, depending on the processing status of the ammunition, in particular the individual ammunition parts, different movement profiles, in particular speeds and/or accelerations, are more advantageous in order to make the system significantly more flexible and reliable.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rest position can be approached with an absolute speed and/or a repeatability of at most 1 mm, in particular at most 0.5 mm or at most 0.1 mm.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, a travel path between two production stations designed as processing stations for manipulating the ammunition parts is between 80 and 1200 mm, in particular between 100 and 1000 mm or in the range of 120 to 800 mm.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, a travel distance between two production stations designed as test positions is in the range of 10 mm to 60 mm. In general, the inventors of the present invention have found that a travel path between two manufacturing stations designed as processing stations for manipulating the ammunition parts must be designed to be longer than a travel path between two manufacturing stations designed as test positions, in particular at which manipulation, processing and manufacturing operations are carried out or the like are checked, recorded using sensors or otherwise subjected to quality checks and/or assurance.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the drive system is set up to move to a rest position before filling an ammunition part designed as a sleeve with a propellant charge with a different movement characteristic than after filling with the propellant charge. In other words, the drive system can be designed in such a way that, depending on the processing progress of the ammunition to be manufactured, the weight of the ammunition parts held by the slides and/or the characteristics of the ammunition parts held by the slides, the movement characteristics, in particular the travel speed and/or or acceleration, varies, particularly in this regard. For example, the drive system can be coupled to a sensor system. The sensor system can, for example, be set up to detect a state of the manufacturing process, such as a manufacturing progress, a movement characteristic, such as a movement speed and/or acceleration, the number and/or the weight of the ammunition parts held by the carriage, etc Through such measures according to the invention, it can be ensured in a particularly efficient manner that the carriages move as precisely as possible and/or with a high cycle rate between the individual manufacturing stations, without the manufacturing process and/or the quality of the ammunition to be manufactured being impaired .

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the conveyor track is designed such that a time interval for feeding and/or removing at least one carriage to a production station designed in particular as a rest position is less than δ seconds, in particular less than 3 seconds or less than 2 seconds . The high cycle rate is an essential means of increasing production capacity.

According to an exemplary development of the system according to the invention, there is a downtime at a processing station for manipulating the ammunition parts trained production stations between 500 ms and 3000 ms. Furthermore, the system can be designed or the drive system can be able to carry out manipulation operations on the ammunition parts held by the slides without the slides coming to a standstill. For example, when applying a coating, such as a sealing varnish, it can be provided that the carriage holding the components to be coated moves past the corresponding production station designed as a coating station at a particularly constant speed. In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, a downtime for a production station designed as a testing station is in the range of 30 ms to 80 ms. Because different movement characteristics can be set with the system according to the invention or the carriages can be moved with a different movement profile and the carriages can be moved independently of one another, it is also possible to significantly increase production capacity, since a machining process only has to take as long as the machining process lasts without the carriage having to wait for a longer machining process.

According to an exemplary development of the system according to the invention, this includes a control system which moves the carriages at a speed of up to 2 m/s, in particular up to 1.5 m/s, preferably up to 1 m/s and/or with an acceleration of up to up to 40 m/s ² , in particular up to 20 m/s ² , preferably up to 15 m/s ² .

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the carriages are held on the rail by a magnetic holding force oriented in the horizontal direction. For example, no further fastening mechanisms acting in the horizontal direction are used. The horizontal, magnetic holding force can be supported by a vertically oriented support for a bearing interface on the conveyor device side, which slides and/or rolls along the support as the conveyor device moves relative to the support.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the rail has at least one storage and/or guide surface for the carriages. The storage and/or guide surfaces support the movements of the conveying devices for the removal and/or transport of the multiple ammunition parts from, to and/or between the multiple production stations. For example, a horizontally oriented guide surface provides the magnetic holding force. The magnetic holding force can be achieved by surface contact or by two bearing surfaces of the rail and conveyor device arranged at a slight distance from one another. According to a further exemplary development, the rail/slide arrangement is designed as a magnetic levitation system.

According to a further exemplary development of the system according to the invention, the conveyor device, in particular the carriage, is mounted on the rail in a removable manner. For example, dismantling can be carried out by overcoming the magnetic holding force between the carriage and the rail. A dismantling direction of the conveyor away from the rail can be oriented in the horizontal direction.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiment, there is a conveyor device for a system according to the invention in particular for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a sleeve, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided. The conveyor device can also be referred to as a workpiece carrier or can have this, for holding the multiple ammunition parts and for transporting the multiple ammunition parts to or from, to and / or between the multiple production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for particularly automated transport or Responsible for transporting the individual ammunition parts along the manufacturing process defined by the several manufacturing stations. The conveyor device according to the invention comprises a rail/slide arrangement, in which the rail defines a conveyor track system and a carriage is guided which accommodates at least some of the ammunition parts.

According to the further aspect of the present invention, the conveyor device has a rail/slide arrangement, in which the rail defines a conveyor path of the system and a carriage, in particular several carriages, is guided, which accommodates at least some of the ammunition parts. The carriage can be designed to hold the multiple pieces of ammunition and can be guided through and/or along the rail. The conveyor track can be designed to be closed all around and delimit an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited from it. The individual ammunition parts can be transported along the conveyor track at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process. The conveyor track can be an endless racetrack-like one Have structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, carriages distributed along the conveyor track.

The rail/slide arrangement is based on the basic principle of a linear guide, according to which the slide, in particular the multiple slides, can be moved translationally relative to the particularly stationary rail. Each carriage can be set up to accommodate several ammunition parts, to fix them so that they can be processed at the production stations, and, if necessary, to displace ammunition parts relative to the carriage in order to set a desired positioning or orientation. For example, the carriage can have a so-called workpiece carrier, which can receive the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition, enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual processing stations and, on the other hand, the workpiece carrier can be used as a separate one Component must be made to the slide and be designed individually for the respective ammunition part. Predefined interfaces can be provided for coupling the workpiece carrier and slide to one another.

According to an exemplary development of the conveyor device according to the invention, the rail/slide arrangement comprises a drive system which is set up to drive several carriages individually, in particular in order to independently communicate different movement characteristics, such as speed and/or acceleration profiles, to the carriage along the conveyor track.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the conveyor device according to the invention, the drive system is set up to move the carriage using a jerk-limited movement characteristic after the carriage has been filled with a propellant charge, in particular into a rest position. Because the drive system is able to communicate an individual movement profile to the carriage depending on the manufacturing progress, the type and/or the size and/or the weight of the ammunition parts held, it can be ensured that in sensitive phases, such as For example, if propellant charge is filled into an ammunition casing, be careful, i.e. H. is moved at reduced speed and/or reduced acceleration. In a further exemplary embodiment of the conveyor device according to the invention, the drive system is set up to apply a force of up to 1000 N/slide.

In a further exemplary development of the conveyor device according to the invention, the carriage is designed in such a way that it is guided on the rail in a magnetically floating manner A gap can be formed between two mutually facing bearing/guide surfaces of the carriage and rail, in particular for the lowest possible frictional displacement of the carriage relative to the rail.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, there is a use of a rail/slide arrangement for a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, namely a case, an ignition element , a projectile, and a propellant charge, provided, the system comprising several production stations and a conveyor device designed in particular according to the invention.

In an exemplary embodiment, the system is used for an ammunition caliber range from 4.5 to 13 mm.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the previous aspects and exemplary embodiments, is a method for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a sleeve, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge , provided. According to the method according to the invention, the ammunition can be produced according to a system designed in accordance with one of the previously described aspects or exemplary embodiments and/or the method can be designed such that the system according to the invention can carry out the method steps.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

Further advantages, features and properties of the invention are explained by the following description of preferred embodiments of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1, 2 show schematic principle sketches of exemplary embodiments of a system according to the invention;

Figure 3 shows a schematic principle sketch in greater detail of a further exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention;

Figures 4-6 partial perspective views of the system from Figure 3 Figure 7 is a diagram of a route profile of an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention;

Figure 8 is a diagram of a speed profile of an exemplary

Execution of the system according to the invention;

Figure 9 is a diagram of an acceleration profile of an example

Execution of the system according to the invention; and

Figures 10-13 further schematic principle sketches of further sections of the system from Figure 3.

In the present description of exemplary embodiments of the present inventions, a system 1 according to the invention, also called a laboratory system 1, is generally provided with the reference number 1, the conveyor device 100 or the workpiece carrier 63 for holding the several ammunition parts and for - or removal of the multiple ammunition parts from and/or between the multiple manufacturing stations is generally marked with the reference number 100. The finished ammunition 101 is identified by the reference numeral 101.

According to the exemplary embodiments of the laboratory system 1 according to the invention in FIGS. 1-3, the laboratory system 1 comprises the following production stations: A sleeve insertion station 11, which is set up to introduce sleeves 3 into the conveyor 100; a projectile introduction station 13, which is set up to introduce projectiles 5, also called projectiles 5, into the conveyor device 100; a propellant charge filling station 15, which is set up to fill sleeves 3 with propellant charge powder 9; an ignition element supply station 49 for supplying ignition elements 7 and an ignition element insertion station 47 in which the ignition elements 7 are inserted into the conveyors 100; several quality monitoring stations 59 and quality testing stations 69 for optical and/or tactile monitoring of the quality of the ammunition 101 and a discharge station 25 for the final discharge of the finished ammunition 101.

The conveyor device 100 for holding the multiple ammunition parts and for transporting the multiple ammunition parts to and from, to and/or between the multiple manufacturing stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 defines a closed circulating conveyor track 29, which an interior space 33 enclosed by the conveyor track 29 and an exterior space 31 delimited therefrom. According to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1-3, the conveyor track 29 is constructed from two parallel linear sections 27, which are connected by curve sections 43 in order to create a racetrack-shaped conveyor track form. The production stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 are arranged laterally to the conveyor track 29 in the interior 33 (Figure 1) or in the exterior 31 (Figure 2) of the conveyor track 29.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, schematic schematic sketches of exemplary embodiments of a system 1 according to the invention can be seen. Figure 1 shows a system arrangement, with the ammunition components being introduced into the system 1 from outside. Figure 2 shows the rotated approach, with the ammunition components being brought out of the interior 33 into the conveying devices 100. The basic manufacturing process is the same for both system arrangements according to Figures 1 and 2. Both system principles have the following production process: A conveyor device 100 located in a buffer zone 45 is fed to the sleeve insertion station 11 via a curved section 43. This is followed by a projectile introduction station 13, in which the projectiles 5 are fed to the conveyor device 100. The entire conveyor device 100 with the projectiles 5 and sleeves 3 located thereon is then subjected to an optical inspection in a quality monitoring station 59. At the following stations, an ignition element 7 is first introduced into the system 1 via an ignition element feed station 49, in order to then be transferred with a slide 51 to an ignition element insertion station 47, in order to finally be introduced into the rear of the sleeve 3. After insertion, the fired sleeves 3 are calibrated at a sleeve forming station 17 and then sealed at the annular joint 55 with ring joint paint at a fluid application station 53. The conveying devices 100 are then guided over a second curved section 43, after which a linear section 27 follows again with several production stations. Before the sleeves 3 are filled with propellant powder 9 at the propellant charge filling station 15, a quality monitoring station 59 checks whether the ignition elements 7 have been properly received in the sleeves 3. After filling, the filling level is checked, in particular tactilely, at a quality testing station 69. The actual assembly of projectile ö and sleeve 3 takes place in two stages, first the projectile 5 is only lightly brought onto the sleeve 3 at the projectile insertion station 19 in order to finally be pressed into the sleeve 3 in the subsequent step at the projectile assembly station 21. The thus finalized M unition 101 is then checked at a quality monitoring station 59 and/or a quality testing station 69 and then discharged via a rejection station 25.

A detailed representation of system 1 can be seen from Figure 3, whereby a special feature of system 1 can be seen. To increase production capacity or production reliability, it is possible for the system 1 to have at least two propellant charge filling stations 15 arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. This special arrangement allows two conveyor devices 100 to operate in one cycle Propellant powder 9 can be filled. This has the effect that the propellant powder 9 has more time per cycle to trickle into the sleeve 3, which leads to increased metering accuracy. Labor-intensive stations can generally be implemented twice in the system 1 according to the invention, so that the workload of a station is halved accordingly. An example of a labor-intensive step is the feeding and introduction of ignition elements 7 into the rear of the sleeve 3. For this purpose, an exemplary development of the system 1 according to the invention can be seen in FIG. 3, which has two ignition element feed stations 49 for equipping the ignition element insertion station 47 with ignition elements 7 and in Conveying direction F are arranged one behind the other. In Figure 3, the ignition element insertion station 47 is arranged in the conveying direction F between the ignition element feed stations 49. This has the advantage that production capacity can be significantly increased because processes can be carried out in parallel.

4 and 5 show schematic principle sketches in a perspective view of sections from the system according to FIG. 3, with the focus being on the rail/slide arrangement 37, which has several slides 39 which hold the several ammunition parts and are guided along a rail41 through system 1. In other words, the carriages 39 are mounted movably relative to the rail 41 in order to be able to move the carriages 39 between the different movement stations of the system 1, so that the different manipulation or processing operations can be carried out on the ammunition parts. The carriage 39 is connected or combined with a workpiece carrier 63, which ultimately receives the ammunition parts and fixes them in the desired orientation and position during the machining and manipulation processes. The carriage 39 also has a coupling interface 65 for connecting to a motor on the system side and for resting and sliding along a guide section 71 of the system 1. As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the carriage 39 is essentially C-shaped in cross section formed and comprises two guide arms 73, 75 which extend parallel to one another and form the legs of the C-shape, which are designed to be guided in particular sliding or rolling along the rail 41 and are coordinated with respect to the rail 41.

Figure 4 shows a detailed view of the carriages 39 mounted one behind the other, which are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. The detail shows how the conveyor device 100 is formed by a rail/slide arrangement 37, in which the rail 41 defines a conveyor track 29 of the laboratory system 1 according to the invention and several slides 39 are guided through the rail 41. In addition to guiding the slide 39 using the Both guide arms 73 and 75, the carriage 39 is additionally guided through a guide section 71. In particular, the coupling interface 65 in the desired position, thereby enabling precise position fixation of the working state of the workpiece carrier 63. In order to enable optimal positioning of the carriage 39, a guide system with as little play as possible is required; the entire guide system consists on the one hand of the stationary structures, the rail 41 and the guide section 71, and on the other hand of the movable structures, the guide arms 73 and 75 and the coupling interface 65.

Figure 5 shows a further detailed view of the conveyor device 100. The entire conveyor track 29 has drive systems which are implemented by linear motors and/or linear spindles. The carriages 39 are driven and/or positioned on the rail 41 without play. The carriage 39 is positively coupled and/or movably guided with the rail 41 using at least one guide arm 73 or 75. Figure 5 shows a curved section 43 of the conveyor device 100, the carriages 39 are also preferably guided without play on the curved sections of the conveyor track 29. In addition to the guidance on the rail 41, the upper part of the carriage 39 in particular is guided at the guide section 71 via the coupling interface 65. This second guide is also guaranteed by the guide section 71, which ensures that the workpiece carrier 63 is fixed in a certain position, is in contact with the coupling interface 65 over the entire curve section 43 and ensures reliable production of the ammunition 101. In addition to the guide function and the The curve section 43 of the racetrack-shaped conveyor device 100 also ensures the deflection function of a buffer zone 45, whereby the carriages 39 can be retrieved from this buffer zone 45 individually, but one after the other.

Referring to Figure 6, which shows a greatly enlarged and perspective detail of Figure 3, an optical quality monitoring station 59 is shown. According to Figure 6, the quality monitoring station 59 is equipped with three cameras 61. The cameras 61 are aimed at both the sleeve 3 and the projectile 5. It is therefore possible to take several images of each sleeve 3 and each projectile 5 in order to then evaluate them mechanically, manually or using artificial intelligence (Kl), “deep learning” or “machine learning”. The cameras 61 can, for example, be combined with a handling or a robot 35 or moved and controlled by it. For example, the cameras 61 are held via a support structure 77, which has a base 79 connected to a base and an angle support arm 81.

Figures 7 - 9 show diagrams of various physical quantities of the same movement sequence. In principle, it is possible for the drive system to drive each carriage 39 individually. Accordingly, the movement sequences can be individual, which creates different movement characteristics. Figures 7 - 9 show representative diagrams for a typical movement sequence of a carriage 39 between the individual production stations. In the diagrams, the X-axis each describes time and the Y-axis each describes a physical unit for describing a movement process. The area marked S in the diagrams according to FIGS. 7 - 9 refers to a typical movement sequence, with all ammunition components stored on the slide 39 and to be processed being processed in one process step, in particular simultaneously. The area marked P refers to a typical movement sequence that takes place, for example, at a fluid application station 53; a similar course is also conceivable at a testing station. The area marked C refers to a typical movement sequence at a quality monitoring station 59. If the resolution rate of the camera 61 is high enough, such a process can also take place continuously.

7 shows a diagram of a route profile 110 of an exemplary embodiment of the system 1 according to the invention. This route profile 110 is used to define the travel path 118 of the carriage 39 and to describe the route as a function of the time between the processing stations. The Y-axis of the diagram shown shows the distance s traveled in meters. The starting point was set to 0 to increase readability. However, this does not mean that no processing steps take place upstream or downstream. Due to the particular backlash-free design of the rail/slide arrangement 37, the predefined process positions in the diagram shown in FIG. 7 can be approached with an absolute accuracy of at most 1 mm. The X-axis shows the time that elapses between the individual process steps and the time that elapses between the movements in the process itself. This is particularly evident in the test area P, whereby several intermediate stages, also called interprocess downtimes 120, are described. These intermediate stages each mean a short standstill, with, for example, a pair of identical ammunition components being processed simultaneously. In the diagram according to Figure 7, the travel path 118 can be read between two production stations designed as processing stations. According to Figure 7, this is approximately 0.27 m. The interprocess distance between the rest stations is approximately 30 mm. The stretch area Sin Figure 7 mainly shows an area in which the carriage 39 is at rest, which is only left for movement to the next processing station. The route area P has a wave-shaped route. The carriage 39 remains briefly in the same position during the process. In this example, the process only takes place in one direction, that is, the munition components are processed one after the other. This does not actually result in en maxima, but rather continuously small sections of route that build on each other. However, the drive system would allow such forward and backward positioning. The route area C shows a continuous course of movement with a constantly rising S-shaped line. The S-shaped position curve comes about due to the approach path of the carriage 39.

Figure 8 shows a diagram of a speed profile 112 of an exemplary embodiment of the system 1 according to the invention. This speed profile 112 is used to define speed sections and to describe the speed as a function of the time between the processing stations. The Y-axis of the diagram shown shows a simulated course of the speed profile 112 and displays the speed v in meters per second (m/s). The X-axis shows how much time elapses between the individual process steps and how long the carriage 39 is at rest. In the course of the speed, the process downtimes 120 can be read particularly precisely; according to FIG. 8, these are approximately 50 milliseconds. If one refers to the downtime 120 shown in Figure 8, it becomes obvious that the conveyor track 29 is designed such that the time interval for feeding and removing the carriage 39 is approximately 1.2 seconds. With regard to the area S, it becomes clear that after a rest phase during which the ammunition components are processed, the travel path 118 is characterized by a particularly high travel speed, with a maximum of approximately 1.3 m/s being achieved. The speed profile 112 is characterized by short sections in the area P, with the speed returning to 0. During these short standstill times 120, entertaining processing steps can generally take place. The area C of FIG. 8 has a constant speed lasting more than 1 second. During this continuous speed phase 116 of the carriage 39, for example, image recordings can be made to check the ammunition quality.

Figure 9 shows a diagram of an acceleration profile 114 of an exemplary embodiment of the system 1 according to the invention. This acceleration profile 114 is used to define acceleration sections and to describe the accelerations that occur as a function of the time between the processing stations. The acceleration profile 114 represents the derivative of the speed profile 112 shown in FIG. 8 and the second derivative of the route profile 110 shown in FIG Conveyor device 100 represents. The Y-axis of the diagram shown in FIG. 9 shows a maximum acceleration value 122 of approximately 12 m/s ² in area S. This acceleration value places the greatest load on the carriage 39 and the ammunition components stored on it. For such accelerations, the method with propellant powder 9 is particularly useful provided sleeves 3 pose a challenge as this could be spilled or checked inaccurately. In principle, it is conceivable that the rest positions can be approached with a different acceleration characteristic before checking the propellant powder level than after checking. To prevent this, the acceleration profile 114 is preferably designed to be smooth. The area P has short, successive acceleration edges. Designing an acceleration profile 114 according to area C represents a system-intrinsic challenge in terms of control and vibration resistance, since the carriage 39 has to be accelerated and decelerated within a short time. No significant accelerations occur during processing in continuous processing stations (area C).

10 shows a further detail in a perspective view of a system 1 according to the invention with focus on a conveyor device 100 with carriage 39 arranged on the rail 41. 10 differs from the previous versions in terms of the coupling of conveyor device 100 and rail 41. As is indicated schematically by the arrow with the reference symbol M, there is one between conveyor device 100 and rail 41 magnetic holding force oriented in the horizontal direction H, which holds the conveyor 100 on the rail 41. According to the embodiment in Figure 13, the conveyor device 100 is free of positive or locking engagement with the rail 41. The coupling occurs through mutually assigned pairs of bearing and/or guide surfaces 83.87 and 85.89, respectively. The guide surface 85 of the rail 41 is formed by a support 91 for the conveyor device 100, namely for a bearing projection 93, which protrudes from the flat, magnetic bearing and / or guide surface 87 and rests with its bearing and / or guide surface 89 on the support 91 .

Figure 11 shows the expression from Figure 10 in a view from above. This shows a particularly preferred embodiment of system 1 according to the invention. The rail 41 and the guide device 100 together form a magnetic levitation system, which is evident from the narrow gap a between the mutually facing magnetic bearing and / or guide surfaces 83,87. Thus, the conveyor device 100 is supported vertically by the support 91 at least via the bearing projection 93 and can also float past in the area of the mutually facing bearing and / or guide surfaces 87, 89 without contact and friction when the conveyor device 100 moves relative to it the rail 41.

Figures 12 and 13 relate to the same embodiment as Figures 10 and 11, with the conveyor device 100 being partially dismantled from the rail 41. According to the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 13-16, dismantling can be done simply by overcoming the magnetic holding force (arrow M) between conveyor 100 and rail 41. For the subsequent re-assembly of the conveyor device 100 onto the rail 41, the conveyor device 100 must be fed back to the rail essentially in the opposite direction, in particular until the magnetic holding force M begins to pull the conveyor device 100 in the direction of the rail 41.

The features disclosed in the above description, the figures and the claims can be important both individually and in any combination for the implementation of the invention in various embodiments.

Reference symbol list

1 laboratory facility

3 sleeve

5 floors

7 ignition element

9 propellant powder

11 Sleeve insertion station

13 floors are brought in

15 propellant charge filling station

17 sleeve forming station

19 Projectile introduction station

21 projectile assembly station

23 projectile marking station

25 rejection station

27 Li near section

29 conveyor track

31 outdoor space

33 Interior

35 Robotics

37 rails/sledges - in order

39 sledges

41 rail

43 corners

45 buffer zone

47 Ignition elem ent a set zst at i on

49 Ignition element feed station

51 sliders

53 fluid application station

55 ring joint

57 fluid applicator

59 Q a l i t y a b u r e a n g s st at i o n

61 camera

63 workpiece carriers

65 coupling interface

69 quality inspection station

71 leadership section

73, 75 guide arm

77 supporting structure 79 base

81 angle arm

83,85,87,89 Guide and/or storage surface

91 edition

93 bearing projection

100 funding facility

101 ammunition

110 route profile

112 Speed Profile

114 Acceleration profile

116 continuous speed phase

118 travel distance

120 intra-process downtime

122 maximum acceleration value

F conveying direction

A removal direction

S process area

P test area

C continuous area

X X axis

Y Y axis

M magnetic force

V, H vertical direction or horizontal direction a distance

Claims

SwissP Defense AG R31125WO PATENT CLAIMS

1. System (1) for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile (5) and a propellant charge (9), comprising several production stations and a conveyor device (100) designed in particular according to one of claims 21 to 25, which conveys the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from the respective production station, characterized in that the conveyor device (100) is formed by a rail/slide arrangement (37). , in which the rail (41) defines a conveyor track (29) of the system (1) and several carriages (39) are guided through the rail (41) to hold the several ammunition parts.

2. Plant (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Rail/slide arrangement (37) comprises a drive system through which the plurality of slides (39) can be driven individually in order to be able to experience different movement characteristics along the conveyor track (29), in particular independently of one another.

3. System (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the drive system comprises at least one linear motor, in particular the linear motor comprising an arrangement of coils and permanent magnets, in particular the carriage (39) being equipped with at least one permanent magnet.

4. System (1) according to one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the drive system comprises at least one linear spindle mounted on the conveyor device (100), which drives and / or positions the carriage (39), in particular without play.

5. System (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the carriage (39) is positively coupled to the rail (41) and / or movably guided.

6. System (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the carriage (39) is guided on the rail (41) in a rolling and / or sliding and / or floating manner. System (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the carriage (39) is designed to grip around the rail (41) at least in one direction, in particular the carriage (39) having two guide devices for sliding or sliding in particular rolling movement along the rail (41). System (1) according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the drive system is set up to move the carriages (39) into a rest position with different movement characteristics. System (1) according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the rest position can be approached with an absolute accuracy and/or repeatability of at most 1 mm, in particular at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.1 mm. System (1) according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that a travel path (118) between two production stations designed as processing stations for manipulating the ammunition parts is between 80 mm and 1200 mm, in particular between 100 and 1000 mm or between 120 and 800 mm, lies. System (1) according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that a travel distance between two production stations designed as test positions is between 10 mm and 60 mm. System (1) according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the drive system is set up to move to a rest position before filling an ammunition part designed as a sleeve (3) with a propellant charge (9) with a different movement characteristic than after filling with the propellant charge (9). Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveyor track (29) is designed such that a time interval for feeding and/or removing at least one carriage (39) to a production station designed in particular as a rest position is less than 5 s, in particular less than 3 or less than 2 s. Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a downtime at a production station designed as a processing station for manipulating the ammunition parts is between 500 and 3000 milliseconds. Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a downtime (120) for a production station designed as a testing station is in the range of 30 to 80 milliseconds. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a control system which moves the carriages (39) at a speed of up to 2 m/s, in particular up to 1.5 m/s, preferably up to 1 m/s, and/or can actuate with an acceleration (122) of up to 40 m/s ² , in particular up to 20 m/s ² , preferably up to 15 m/s ² . System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carriages (39) are held on the rail (41) by a magnetic holding force oriented in the horizontal direction. System (1) according to claim 17, wherein the rail (41) has at least one bearing and/or guide surface (83, 85) for the slides (39), with a guide surface (83, 85) oriented in particular in the horizontal direction. which provides magnetic holding force. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rail/slide arrangement (37) is designed as a magnetic levitation system. . Plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor device (100), in particular the carriage (39), is mounted on the rail (41) so that it can be removed, in particular by overcoming the magnetic holding force between the carriage (39) and rail (41). Conveyor device (100) for a system (1) designed in particular according to one of claims 1 to 20 for the automated production of M unition (101), characterized by a rail/slide arrangement (37), in which the rail (41) forms a conveyor track (29) of the system (1) is defined and a carriage (39) is guided, which accommodates at least some of the ammunition parts. Conveyor device (100) according to claim 21, characterized in that the rails/slide arrangement (37) comprises a drive system which is set up to drive several slides (39) individually, in particular to independently produce different movement characteristics along the slide (39). communicate to the conveyor track (29). Conveyor device (100) according to claim 22, characterized in that the movement characteristics are freely programmable and the carriages (39) can be moved in synchronous and/or asynchronous operation, in particular by means of a linear motor or spindle drive. Conveyor device (100) according to one of claims 22 to 23, characterized in that the drive system is set up to move the carriage (39) through a jerk-limited movement characteristic after filling the carriage (39) with a propellant charge (9), especially in a resting position. Conveyor device (100) according to one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the drive system is set up to apply a force of up to 1000 N per carriage (39). Conveyor device (100) according to one of claims 22 to 25, characterized in that the carriage (39) is designed such that it can be guided magnetically levitating on the rail (41). Use of a rail/slide arrangement (37) for a system (l) for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, namely a case (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile (5) and a propellant charge ( 9), wherein the system comprises several production stations and a conveyor device (100) designed in particular according to one of claims 21 to 26. Use according to claim 27 for an ammunition caliber range of 4.5 to 13 mm. Method for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile (5) and a propellant charge (9), in particular by means of one according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 19 trained system (1), the method being designed so that the system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 19 carries out the method steps.