WO2024028500A1

WO2024028500A1 - Workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts

Info

Publication number: WO2024028500A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/071730
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: DE102022119665A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts, comprising a carrier base, such as a carriage, which is designed to be conveyed along the production line, and at least one holder, arranged on the carrier base, for holding at least two ammunition parts of the same type, such as two ammunition casings, two ammunition projectiles, two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primers, wherein the at least one ammunition part holder is moveably mounted relative to the carrier base.

Description

Workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts

The present invention relates to a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts, such as an ammunition cartridge that combines the components necessary for firing a projectile in one unit, such as an ammunition case, an ammunition projectile, an ammunition primer and/or propellant powder. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts, which includes a workpiece carrier according to the invention.

The present invention fundamentally relates to the technical field of ammunition production, which includes the provision and assembly of the individual ammunition components into a complete ammunition unit. For decades, this took place at separate, successive processing stations, in which the following process was roughly summarized: providing the ammunition casing, the projectile, the primer bag and propellant powder at separate processing stations; Inserting the primer bag into the ammunition case; Filling propellant powder into the ammunition case; Inserting the bullet into the ammunition casing. Furthermore, additional sealing, painting and/or control steps were carried out. The individual parts were removed from the individual processing stations as bulk material and then separated from this bulk material in a separating station preceding the following processing station and fed to the following processing station. There have already been attempts to automate the loading of ammunition. For example, in WO 2017/085751 Ai a manufacturing system is described in which the individual processing stations are arranged along a circulation linear transfer system, in which a plurality of receiving sleeves, each adapted to receive an ammunition case, are conveyed through the various stations by means of a conveying direction become. However, the number of cycles of such a system is severely limited. This is particularly due to the fact that the transfer system is still quite rudimentary, as the ammunition casing is moved rigidly and immovably through the individual stations. In connection with this, such a system according to WO 2017/08575 Ai requires individual processing stations that are elaborately constructed and take up a lot of space in order to be able to carry out the necessary handling, the necessary alignment and the necessary processing steps.

Another approach to automating ammunition processing is described in JP 1020130133355 Bi, in which an ammunition case receiving plate is provided for receiving and holding a large number of ammunition cases and is moved along the production line by means of a conveyor device. The additional ammunition components, such as the projectile, primer and propellant charge, are each connected to the ammunition casing via separate, designated holders at specially designed handling and processing stations.

Also on the production line of JP 1020130133355 Bi, the complexity and the large installation space of the individual processing stations, which are necessary to assemble a complete cartridge, have proven to be disadvantageous.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to simplify the automated ammunition loading and / or to increase its cycle rate, especially while requiring less installation space.

The task relates to the features of the independent claims solved.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts is provided. The automated production line can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to cover a complete ammunition unit consisting of an ammunition case, an ammunition primer, an ammunition bullet and the propellant powder. Therefore, such a production line can also be called a laboratory plant. 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 basically assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is therefore ready for sale after passing through the automated production line . The automated production line 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 automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line.

The system includes several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and/or a projectile insertion station, for introducing at least one of the several ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, a plurality of quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a sleeve 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 plant. The rejection station can also serve to reject rejects from the manufacturing process. The several 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 manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system further comprises one or more conveying devices for holding several of the several ammunition parts and for transporting several of the several ammunition parts to or from, to and/or between the several 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 to process the ammunition parts individually Manufacturing stations enable and on the other hand the conveyor device is responsible for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts along the manufacturing process defined by the multiple 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 external 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.

At least one, in particular several, of the several production stations can be arranged in the interior and/or the exterior and can act from the inside and/or from the outside on the conveyor device, in particular the ammunition parts conveyed or transported along the conveyor device. The lateral or horizontal plane of action created in this way by the production stations on the conveyor device or on the ammunition parts conveyed with it enables a space-saving, tidy structure of the system. With such lateral access to the conveyor device, the high demands on production capacity can be better satisfied, because the lateral arrangement with the lateral access of the production stations to the conveyor device allows the individual production stations to be designed completely independently of the conveyor device and to be free or flexible in relation to them can be positioned, repositioned and swapped on the conveyor device.

Furthermore, the multiple conveyor devices can be moved from, to and/or between the multiple production stations independently of one another. In particular, the system comprises several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along a 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. So that's it Manufacturing process is considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

Furthermore, the system can have at least two propellant charge filling stations arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. The propellant charge filling stations are basically designed to fill ammunition parts, in particular the case, with propellant charge powder. The propellant charge filling station according to the invention can be designed on the basis of gravimetry or work on the basis of volumetric dosing. With gravimetric dosing, advantages can be achieved in terms of the accuracy of the dosing quantity. With the volumetric dosage, significant advantages can be achieved in terms of processing speed, which has a positive effect on the cycle rate, particularly when integrating the propellant charge filling station according to the invention into a system according to the invention, in particular, for the automated production of ammunition. The device according to the invention is used in particular for simultaneously filling the at least two ammunition casings with propellant powder. This means that the filling of the at least two ammunition cases is carried out in one filling process, in particular without changing direction by more than 90°. Simultaneous does not necessarily mean that the at least two ammunition casings are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a certain time lag between the filling, in particular the complete filling, of the ammunition casings arranged along the path. The device according to the invention can be designed to fill the at least two ammunition casings with a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount, taking into account the inaccuracies inherent in the process. The propellant charge powder can be, for example, a propellant charge powder for a small-caliber ammunition, in particular with a caliber in the range from 4.5 mm to 13 mm, which typically has one- or two-base spherical, tube, rod or leaflet shapes and/ or is powder-like. Alternatively, extruded propellant powders can also be used. If it is a spherical propellant powder, it can, for example, be rolled and have a spherical diameter of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. In the case of rod-shaped propellant powder, for example for 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, the rods can have a length of up to 1.1 mm and/or a diameter of up to 0.7 mm. The density of the propellant powder used can be in the range from 0.5 to 1 g/cm3 for nitrocellulose (NC), for example. The bulk density of such a propellant powder is Range from 0.6 to 1 g/cm3, for insert cartridges, for subsonic or blank cartridges at up to 0.4 g/cm3.

Furthermore, one of the several production stations can be an ignition element insertion station, which brings an ignition element into the production process of the system and inserts it into a sleeve. The ignition element insertion station can be designed to insert several, in particular at least two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or twelve, ignition elements simultaneously, in particular in one insertion process, into a corresponding number of sleeves.

Furthermore, one of the several production stations can be a fluid application station, in which a sealing compound is applied in an annular joint between the sleeve and the ignition element accommodated therein and/or between the sleeve and the projectile inserted therein and the annular joint is sealed and/or marked. It has been shown that integrating the application of the sealing compound into the automated manufacturing process brings significant advantages in terms of production capacity and manufacturing accuracy. Because the system ensures that the individual components are aligned with one another, the fluid application station can benefit from this predetermined alignment of the individual components with one another and can apply the sealing compound very precisely.

Furthermore, one of the several production stations can be a quality monitoring station, in which the sleeve and the projectile are monitored, in particular individually, before being assembled. Monitoring can be understood as quality control with regard to predetermined parameters.

Furthermore, the conveyor device and the production stations can be coordinated with one another in cycle cycles, with at least two, at least five, at least ten or at least twelve ammunition parts being processed into ammunition per cycle cycle at the production stations. The production capacity according to the invention is achieved, among other things, by the parallel processing of a large number of ammunition parts per cycle.

Furthermore, the conveyor track can have a rail oriented towards the interior and/or exterior, which runs along the conveyor track and fixes a coupling interface of the conveyor device in a ready position. The workpiece carrier can therefore fulfill two functions. On the one hand, it can hold ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual processing 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 form the interface to the automated production line, so that the at least two ammunition parts can be processed using of the workpiece carrier can pass through the automated production line.

The workpiece carrier according to the invention has a carrier base, such as a carriage, which is designed 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 casings, two ammunition bullets, two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primer caps. 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 holder is designed so that it can hold at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 15 pieces of ammunition of the same type. For example, the large number of ammunition parts are held by the receptacle in a predetermined, in particular unchangeable, arrangement. For example, in rows and/or parallel arrangement, such as in an array field.

According to the first of the present invention, 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 it comes at the expense of a more complex workpiece carrier requirements can be met. According to the invention, a high level of flexibility is achieved in a simple manner by means of the movable storage 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.

In an exemplary development, the ammunition part receptacle is pivotally mounted relative to the carrier base, in particular on the carrier base. As a result, the ammunition part holder can be pivoted between different positions with respect to an axis of rotation in order to assume a different orientation. According to an exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the at least one ammunition part receptacle 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 be processed simultaneously. 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 is 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 embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the at least one ammunition part receptacle is movably mounted on the carrier base in such a way that the ammunition part receptacle can carry out a combined pivoting and translational movement relative to the carrier base. For example, the ammunition part holder is pivotably mounted on the carrier base by means of a swivel arm, so that the pivot or rotation axis does not occur through the ammunition part holder. The at least one ammunition part receptacle can also be mounted on the pivot arm so that it can be moved, in particular pivoted, relative to the pivot arm. This further increases the flexibility of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, in particular because a further degree of freedom of movement is created, which makes it possible to adjust the orientation and positioning of the ammunition part holder or the ammunition parts held therein.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the carrier base has a driver which is designed to transmit the drive conveying force of the production line to the workpiece carrier. For example, the driver of the connecting device can have the type of a tongue and groove system. Furthermore, this can have actively controllable, operable fastening mechanisms such as a clamping and/or latching mechanism, via which the can be coupled to the production line in a force-transmitting manner.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects by way of example, a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts is provided.

The workpiece carrier can basically fulfill two functions. On the one hand, it can hold ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual processing 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 form the interface to the automated production line, so that the at least two ammunition parts can be processed using of the workpiece carrier can pass through the automated production line.

The workpiece carrier further comprises at least two receptacles for holding at least two ammunition parts of the same type, such as two ammunition casings, two ammunition bullets, two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primer caps. 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 holder is designed so that it can hold at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 15 pieces of ammunition of the same type. For example, the large number of ammunition parts are in a predetermined, in particular unchangeable, arrangement held by the recording. For example, in rows and/or parallel arrangement, such as in an array field.

According to the further aspect of the invention, 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 at the same time, into a processing position in which the at least two ammunition parts can in particular be processed at the same time. Since 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 workpiece carrier can be provided compared to the prior art. By combining the accommodation of the ammunition parts of different types necessary for the production of ammunition in one and the same workpiece carrier, significant advantages can be generated, particularly with regard to the cycle rate. 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 is 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 an exemplary development of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the at least one movable ammunition part holder can be moved relative to the other ammunition part holder in such a way that the movable ammunition part holder can assume a processing position in which the at least two ammunition parts movable ammunition part holder, the at least two ammunition parts of the other, either rigid or also movable ammunition part holder, can be processed together, in particular can be joined together. It was found that the workpiece carrier can not only be used to hold and provide ammunition parts at different processing stations, but can also serve to carry out processing steps in the production or assembly of ammunition. For example, if one type of ammunition part is the ammunition part casing and the other type of ammunition part is the ammunition projectile, the receptacle holding the ammunition projectiles can be displaceable relative to the ammunition part receptacle holding the ammunition casings, so that the workpiece carrier is able to hold the ammunition projectiles to insert into the ammunition casings, in particular to press them in.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the at least two partial ammunition receptacles can each be moved independently of the other partial ammunition receptacle. The ammunition parts receptacles holding different ammunition parts can therefore be moved independently of one another and moved into the required processing position. This makes it even possible for both ammunition parts holders to be in a processing position in which the ammunition parts picked up in each case can be processed, in particular at the same time. According to an exemplary development, the at least two partial ammunition receptacles can each carry out a pivoting and/or translational movement relative to the other partial ammunition receptacle. The more degrees of freedom of movement there are and/or the more independently of each other the at least two partial ammunition holders can be moved, the more flexibly the ammunition carrier of the workpiece carrier can be used and the simpler and less complex the necessary processing stations can be.

According to a further exemplary development of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the at least one movable partial ammunition receptacle defines a first travel space in which this partial ammunition receptacle can be moved, and the at least one further movable receptacle defines a further travel space in which this further receptacle can be moved, which within the first travel space is arranged. In a further exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the at least one first movable partial ammunition receptacle can be moved along a first travel path and the at least one further movable partial ammunition receptacle can be moved along a further travel path, with the two travel paths crossing each other. By crossing the movement paths, it can be ensured in a simpler manner that the workpiece carrier is able to carry out a machining process, such as joining together the ammunition parts arranged in the first movable ammunition part holder with the ammunition parts arranged in the further ammunition part holder.

According to a further exemplary development of the workpiece according to the invention, the workpiece carrier has a carrier base, such as a slide or a device based on the tongue-and-groove principle, which is designed to be conveyed along the production line. At least one of the receptacles can be mounted on the carrier base so that it can be moved via a travel arm. For example, the other receptacle is coupled to the support base via a support arm rigidly connected to the support base. According to an exemplary development, the movably mounted traversing arm is arranged on a holding arm which is in particular rigidly coupled to the carrier base and on which the at least one further ammunition part receptacle is mounted in particular movably. For example, the movable traversing arm is movably mounted on its storage surface facing the respective ammunition parts holder. This arrangement of the ammunition part receptacles on the workpiece carrier allows it to be made particularly compact and enables a high degree of flexibility with regard to the movement of the ammunition part receptacles.

According to an exemplary development of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, it has a carrier base, such as a carriage, which is set up to be conveyed along the production line. Furthermore, the workpiece carrier has at least two, in particular three, axes of rotation, with both receptacles being pivotable relative to the carrier base and the other receptacle with respect to a first or second axis of rotation, respectively, independently of the other receptacle. In other words, the first ammunition part receptacle is pivotally mounted with respect to a first axis of rotation and the second ammunition part receptacle is pivotally mounted to a second axis of rotation that is different from the first axis of rotation. According to an exemplary development, the at least two receptacles can be pivotable relative to the support base with respect to a common third axis of rotation. In other words, the two are Ammunition component holders can then be pivoted as a unit in relation to the third axis of rotation.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which is combinable with the preceding aspect and exemplary embodiments, a workpiece carrier is provided for an automated ammunition production line with at least two ammunition parts.

The workpiece carrier comprises at least one receptacle 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 primer caps. 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 holder is designed so that it can hold at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 15 pieces of ammunition of the same type. For example, the large number of ammunition parts are held by the receptacle in a predetermined, in particular unchangeable, arrangement. For example, in rows and/or parallel arrangement, such as in an array field.

The at least one receptacle can be moved from a receiving position in which the at least two ammunition parts can be fed in, in particular simultaneously, to a processing position in which the at least two ammunition parts can in particular be processed simultaneously. Since 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 workpiece carrier can be provided compared to the prior art. By combining the accommodation of the ammunition parts of different types necessary for the production of ammunition in one and the same workpiece carrier, significant advantages can be generated, particularly with regard to the cycle rate. 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. According to the further aspect according to the invention, 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 without a drive and/or a motor. The necessary activation or kinetic energy, which is necessary for moving the at least one partial ammunition holder, can in particular be supplied completely from outside, for example by a motor or drive of the production line.

According to the further aspect of the invention, the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface is designed in such a way, in particular in such a way that it is shape-matched 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 connecting 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 the at least one receptacle.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier, the coupling interfaces are designed for positive interlocking. For example, the coupling interfaces can be based on the tongue and groove principle.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface has a rectilinear recess and a rectilinear projection, the longitudinal extent of which is/are aligned parallel to a travel direction for coupling the workpiece carrier and motor together. The direction of travel of the workpiece carrier for coupling to one another can correspond to the direction of travel that is determined by the production line, for example the rotary transfer or circulation system.

In a further exemplary development of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the at least one receptacle has a pretensioning device which is designed to apply a projection force to the at least two ammunition parts when holding them. For example, the biasing device includes springs assigned to one of the ammunition parts. For example, the biasing device may include spring-biased pawls. According to a further exemplary embodiment, the workpiece carrier 2, 3, or 4 can have, in particular, movably mounted partial ammunition receptacles for receiving at least two, in particular 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15 , have ammunition parts of the same type.

In a further exemplary development of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the carrier base is designed such that it can be guided magnetically floating along the production line, in particular along a rail of the production line. A gap can be formed between two mutually facing bearing/guide surfaces of the carrier base and rail, in particular for the lowest possible friction displacement of the carrier base relative to the rail.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, an automated production line for ammunition, also called a system for the automated production of ammunition, is provided with at least two ammunition parts, which are at least one designed according to one of the preceding claims Has workpiece carrier.

In an exemplary embodiment of the production line according to the invention, it further comprises a plurality of production stations, such as an ammunition parts insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and/or a projectile insertion ring station, for introducing at least one of the several ammunition parts into the production process of the system, several quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example one 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 serve to reject rejects from the manufacturing process. The several 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 manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the manufacturing stations can be moved, in particular individually, between a manufacturing position in which the manufacturing stations can act on the ammunition parts and/or the conveyor device, and a passive position in which the manufacturing stations can be moved in relation to the ammunition parts and/or the Conveyor device are set back. The Passive position can be a maintenance position, for example in which the respective manufacturing station is decoupled from the manufacturing process in order to be able to carry out maintenance, repairs or other inspection measures not directly related to the production of ammunition. For example, the manufacturing stations can be individually moved or blasted away from the manufacturing position in the passive position of the conveyor track.

According to an exemplary development of the production line according to the invention, the production stations each have a drive for relocating the respective production station. For example, the drive is independent of a respective manipulation device specific to the production station for acting on the ammunition parts and/or the workpiece carrier. In other words, the drive for moving the manufacturing stations between the manufacturing and the passive position can be constructed and controlled independently of the manufacturing station-specific manipulation device with which the manufacturing process is intervened in order to be able to produce the ammunition. For example, the production stations should each have a detachable coupling interface for connecting to the particular stationary respective drive.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the production line according to the invention, the workpiece carrier is movably mounted, in particular in a guided manner, on a rail running along the conveyor track and is held on the rail by a horizontally oriented, in particular magnetic, holding force. For example, no further fastening mechanisms acting in the horizontal direction are used. The horizontal, in particular 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 workpiece carrier moves relative to the support.

According to a further exemplary development of the production line according to the invention, the workpiece carrier is mounted on the rail in a removable manner. For example, dismantling can be carried out by overcoming the particularly magnetic holding force between the conveyor device and the rail. A dismantling direction of the workpiece carrier away from the rail can be oriented in the horizontal direction. In a further exemplary embodiment of the production line according to the invention, the rail has at least one storage and/or guide surface for the workpiece carrier. The storage and/or guide surfaces support the movements of the workpiece carrier for the removal and/or transport of the multiple ammunition parts from, to and/or between the multiple production stations. For example, a guide surface oriented in particular in the horizontal direction provides the particularly magnetic holding force. The magnetic holding force can be achieved through surface contact or through two bearing surfaces of the rail and workpiece carrier arranged at a slight distance from one another.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the workpiece carrier and a rail running along the conveyor track, on which the workpiece carrier is mounted, in particular in a movably guided manner, form a magnetic levitation system.

Preferred embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

Further properties, features and advantages of the invention will become clear below by describing preferred embodiments of the invention using the accompanying exemplary drawings, in which:

Figure i is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a workpiece carrier according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the workpiece carrier from Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top view of the workpiece carrier from Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view of the workpiece carrier from Figures 1-3;

Figure 5 shows a further detailed sectional view of the workpiece carrier from Figures 1-3;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a detail of an exemplary embodiment of an automated production line according to the invention with several workpiece carriers according to the present invention;

Figure 7 shows a schematic principle sketch of an exemplary embodiment of an ammunition production system; Figures 8-11 further schematic principle sketches of sections of the production line from Figure 7.

In the present description of exemplary embodiments of the present inventions, a workpiece carrier according to the invention is generally provided with the reference number 1, which is in a production line 100, which is also referred to as a system, for the automated production of ammunition, also called a loading system, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a sleeve, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, can be used.

According to the exemplary embodiments of the workpiece carrier i according to the invention in Figures 1-3, the workpiece carrier 1 essentially comprises the following main components: a carrier base 3, which is adapted to be conveyed along the production line 100; a first and a second receptacle 5, 7 for each holding at least two, according to the exemplary embodiments in the figures of 12, ammunition parts of the same type; and a coupling interface 9 for connecting to a motor 109 of the production line 100 for actuating the drive/motorless workpiece carrier 1.

According to the exemplary embodiments, the carrier base 3 is designed in two parts and comprises a coupling cut 11 which is C-shaped in cross section, via which the workpiece carrier 1 can be releasably docked to the production line 100, for example there via a rotary or circulating conveyor system along the processing stations 105 of the production line 100 procedure or to be promoted. Furthermore, the carrier base 3 detects a bearing section 13 attached to the coupling section 11, on which both the two coupling interfaces 9 and the at least two ammunition part receptacles 5, 7 are arranged. The

According to the exemplary embodiments in the figures, ammunition component receptacles 5, 7 can each hold up to 12 ammunition parts of the same type, such as projectiles 121 (in receptacle 5), ammunition casings 17 (in receptacle 7) or primer caps (not shown) in a row in particular keep the same distance from one another, with the projectiles 121 already being inserted into the ammunition cases 17 according to FIG. 1, so that the ammunition part holder 7 according to FIG. 1 holds ammunition in an intermediate production state. The two ammunition part receptacles 5, 7 each include holding recesses 19, which are set up and designed to receive one piece of ammunition. The ammunition parts receptacles 5, 7 are basically arranged on the carrier base 3 via two support arms 21, 23 which are aligned parallel to one another and in particular are identically designed. The support arms 21, 23 can, for example, also be pivotally mounted with respect to a rotation axis R ₃ relative to the support base 3, in particular the bearing section 13, the bearing center being indicated by the reference r ₃ . These pivotable bearings make it possible to pivot the two ammunition parts receptacles 5, 7 as a unit relative to the carrier base 3, so that the ammunition part receptacles 5, 7 can be positioned in different positions in order to position the respective ammunition parts differently or to align them differently, depending on as required by the respective processing station 105.

In addition, the two ammunition parts receptacles are each mounted separately pivotably on the support arms 21, 23, so that the ammunition parts 5, 7 can each be pivoted independently of the other receptacle. In Figure 1 it can be seen that the ammunition parts receptacle 7 is rotatably mounted with respect to a rotation axis Ri, which runs through a bearing center r _x , and further that the rotation axis Ri runs through the receptacle 7, which results in the receptacle 7 being a pure one Can carry out rotational movement with respect to the axis of rotation Ri. In other words, the ammunition part holder 7 can be rotated about its own axis, in particular through 360°, in order to be able to align the recorded ammunition parts in a 360° orientation. The further partial ammunition receptacle 5 is in turn pivotally mounted on the lever arms 21, 23 via a swivel arm construction 25. The entire pivoting structure 25, including the holding recesses 19 defining the receptacle 5, can be pivoted about an axis of rotation _R2 , which runs through a center of rotation _r2 . When the receptacle 5 rotates relative to the support arms 23, the receptacle 5 carries out a combined pivoting and translational movement. As can be seen in particular in Figure 1, the pivoting structure 25 is mounted and fastened on mutually facing bearing surfaces 27, 29 of the support arms 21, 23.

Referring to Figure 2, the coupling section 11 of the carrier base 3 is particularly illustrated, the c-shape of which defines a receiving space 29, via which the workpiece carrier 1 can be placed on a driver of the production line 100, which conveys the workpiece carrier 1 along the production line 100. On an inside 31 of the coupling section 11 facing the receiving space 29 operable and/or adjusting device 33 is provided, via which a reliable attachment to the driver of the production line 100 can be achieved and adjusted, so that in principle an adaptation to different drivers is also possible here.

A further special feature of the workpiece carrier 1 according to the invention can be seen from FIG. The workpiece carrier 1 according to the invention not only serves to hold the ammunition parts 15, 17 necessary for the production of ammunition or to bring them into the desired alignment and orientation during processing at the various processing stations 105 of the production line 100, but the workpiece carrier 1 is also used for this purpose able to carry out process or processing steps. In Figure 3, the axis of rotation R ₂ is again shown, with respect to which the ammunition part holder 5 can be pivoted relative to the other ammunition part holder 7 and relative to the holding arms 21, 23. If the partial ammunition receptacle 5 is rotated in the direction U shown in _FIG . A crucial measure is that, on the one hand, the orientation of the ammunition parts held in the ammunition part holder 5, which is realized via the orientation of the holding recesses 19, is coordinated with respect to an orientation of the ammunition parts held in the further ammunition parts 7. On the other hand, a movement path when pivoting the partial ammunition receptacle 5 is coordinated with the arrangement of the partial ammunition receptacle 7 on the holding arms 21, 23, so that with a 180 ^° pivot in the direction U shown, starting from the constellation shown in Figure 3, there is one holding recess 19 in the partial ammunition receptacle 5 coincides with a holding recess 35 of the partial ammunition receptacle 7, in particular aligned.

Figures 4 and 5 each show detail sections in a partial sectional view of the workpiece carrier 1 with a focus on the holding recesses 19, 35 of the partial ammunition receptacles 5, 7; in the example of Figures 5, these are the holding recesses 35 of the partial ammunition receptacle 7. The partial ammunition receptacle 7 has a generally with Reference numeral 37 marked pretensioning device, which serves to fix the recorded ammunition parts, here the recorded ammunition case 17. The pretensioning device 37 applies a pretensioning and/or clamping force to the respective ammunition parts so that they are in the respective Holding recess 35 are secured against falling out. The preload is applied by using a preloading means, such as springs 39, to press movably mounted clamping jaws 41 against the respective ammunition part in order to build up the holding force.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the biasing device 37 is realized by spring-biased pawls. The clamping jaws 41 or pawls have clamping surfaces 43 which are inclined in the longitudinal direction L of the ammunition part and which are convexly shaped according to the embodiment in FIG can be pushed away, which means that the pawls are pushed outwards against the spring preload force, which also builds up the holding force without getting caught in them. In the unoccupied state of the holding recesses 35, not shown, the clamping jaws 41, in particular the mutually facing clamping surfaces 43, protrude significantly further towards the center of the holding recesses 35 and are pushed outwards in particular elastically when occupied by an ammunition part, as a result of which the particularly elastic clamp -/ builds up holding force, which is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the ammunition parts are reliably held in the holding recesses 35.

Referring to Figure 5, which represents a detailed sectional view of a similar section from Figure 4, but rotated by 90 °, four holding recesses 35 arranged in a row can be seen, in each of which an ammunition case 17 is accommodated. As already described, each holding recess 35 or each ammunition part is assigned a pretensioning device 37 made of spring-loaded clamping jaws 41. In Figures 5 it can be seen that the mutually facing clamping surfaces 43, 45 of the clamping jaws 41 in the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 5 are shaped differently. The clamping surfaces 43 of the lower clamping jaws 41 are flat in the cross-sectional view and therefore form a punctual line contact with the ammunition case 17. The opposite clamping surfaces 45 of the other clamping jaws 41 facing the clamping surfaces 43 are shaped in the cross-sectional view from FIG. It was found that such a receiving recess 47 simultaneously presses the clamping jaws 41 against each other and builds up the clamping/holding force on the ammunition parts Self-centering effect can be exploited, which is achieved through the statically determined storage that results in this way.

6 shows a schematic perspective view of a section of an automated production line 100 according to the invention, in which two processing stations 105, 103 are schematically indicated. In Figure 6 it can be seen that several workpiece carriers 1 according to the invention are arranged in a row one behind the other and at a short distance from one another and can be conveyed or moved along the production line 100 according to the invention in a conveying direction, which is indicated by the arrow with the reference number F, so that the Workpiece carrier 1 can be fed to the various processing stations 103, 105.

On the one hand, the pivotability of the ammunition parts holders 5, 7 can be seen in Figure 6, which results from a comparison of the two workpiece carriers 1 arranged next to one another (on the right in the picture). While the ammunition part holder 5 is initially arranged in the horizontal orientation (far right), the ammunition part holder 5 is then pivoted upwards by 90° into the vertical orientation (central workpiece carrier 1). For example, it is possible in this way to move the ammunition part receptacles 5, 7 between different positions, such as a receiving position in which the at least two ammunition parts can be fed into the receptacle 5, 7, in particular at the same time, and a processing position in which the at least two Ammunition parts can be processed in particular at the same time.

Another feature that can be realized with the workpiece carriers 1 according to the invention is the special type of coupling or coupling to actuators, motors 109 or drives of the production line 100, which means that the workpiece carrier itself does not need its own drive. According to the preferred embodiment in FIG. This makes it possible for the coupling interface 9 to be adapted to its shape and aligned in this respect in a motor, drive or actuator-side coupling interface 107, which is assigned to a schematically indicated motor 109, drive or actuator 109 of the production line 100, during conveyance along the production line 100 can move into the motor-side interface 107 automatically, that is, without manual or mechanical access, in order to establish a connection with the motor 109, To be able to produce a drive or actuator. The respective coupling interfaces 9 are rotatably mounted with respect to a bearing 53, which is firmly coupled to the carrier base 3, so that in the coupling state with the coupling interface 107 of the motor 109, actuator or drive of the production line 100, the coupling interface 9 can be actuated, so that it also rotates can be used to change the orientation of the coupling projection 51. This makes it possible for the respective workpiece carrier 1 to be fixed at a desired position and to be connected to the motor 109, the drive or the actuator for energy transmission.

In any case, the loading system 100 according to FIG. 7 comprises the following production stations: a sleeve insertion station 111, which is set up to introduce sleeves 119 into the conveyor device 113; a projectile introduction station 115, which is designed to introduce projectiles 121 into the conveyor 113; a propellant charge filling station 117, which is set up to fill sleeves 119 with propellant powder 11, 123; a case mouth expansion station; an ignition element supply station 125 for supplying ignition elements 127 and an ignition element insertion station 129 in which the ignition elements 127 are inserted into the conveyors 113; an igniter element caulking station; several quality monitoring stations 131 and quality testing stations 133 for optical and/or tactile assurance of the quality of the ammunition and a rejection station 135 for the final rejection of the finished ammunition.

The conveyor device 113 for holding the multiple ammunition parts and for transporting the multiple ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the multiple production stations defines a closed circulating conveyor track 137, which has an interior space 139 enclosed by the conveyor track 137 and an outer space delimited therefrom 141 limited. According to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, the conveyor track 137 is constructed from two parallel linear sections 143, which are connected by curve sections 145 in order to form a racetrack-shaped conveyor track. The production stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 are arranged laterally to the conveyor track 137 in the interior 139 (FIG. 12) or in the outer space 141 of the conveyor track 137.

Figure 7 shows a system arrangement, with the ammunition components being introduced into the system 1 from outside. Alternatively, the ammunition components can be brought out of the interior 139 into the conveying devices 113. The basic manufacturing process is the same for both system arrangements. Both system principles have the following production process: A curve section 145 is used to create a... A conveyor device 113 located in a buffer zone 147 is fed to the sleeve insertion station 111. This is followed by a projectile introduction station 115, in which the projectiles 121 are fed to the conveyor device 113. The entire conveyor device 113 with the projectiles 121 and sleeves 119 located thereon is then subjected to an optical inspection in a quality monitoring station 131. At the following stations, an ignition element 127 is first introduced into the system 1 via an ignition element feed station 125, in order to then be transferred with a slide 51 to an ignition element insertion station 129, and finally to be introduced into the rear of the sleeve 119. After insertion, the fired sleeves 119 are calibrated at a sleeve forming station 153 and then sealed with ring joint varnish at a fluid application station 149. The conveying devices 113 are then guided over a second curve section 145, after which a linear section 143 follows again with several production stations. Before the sleeves 119 are filled with propellant powder 11, 123 at the propellant charge filling station 117, a quality monitoring station 131 checks whether the ignition elements 7 have been properly received in the sleeves 119. After filling, the filling level is checked, in particular tactilely, at a quality testing station 133. The actual assembly of projectile 121 and sleeve 119 takes place in two stages, first the projectile 5 is only lightly brought onto the sleeve 119 at the projectile assembly station 155 and finally pressed into the sleeve 119 in the subsequent step at the projectile assembly station 151. The thus finalized ammunition 101 is then checked at a quality monitoring station 131 and/or a quality testing station 133 and then discharged via a discharge station 135.

8 shows a further detail in a perspective view of a production line 100 according to the invention with a focus on a workpiece carrier 1 arranged on the rail 63. 8 differs from the previous versions with regard to the coupling of the workpiece carrier 1 and rail 63 to one another. As is indicated schematically by the arrow with the reference symbol M, there is a horizontal direction H between the workpiece carrier 1 and rail 63 oriented magnetic holding force, which holds the workpiece carrier 1 on the rail 63. According to the embodiment in Figure 8, the workpiece carrier 1 is free of a positive or locking engagement with the rail 63. The coupling takes place through mutually assigned pairs of bearing and / or guide surfaces 83,87 and 85,89. The Guide surface 85 of the rail 63 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 with its bearing and / or guide surface 89 on the support 91 rests.

Figure 9 shows the expression from Figure 8 in a view from above. This results in a particularly preferred embodiment of the production line 100 according to the invention. The rail 63 and the workpiece carrier 1 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 workpiece carrier 1 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 during a relative movement of the workpiece carrier 1 relative to the rail 63 .

Figures 10 and 11 relate to the same embodiment as Figures 8 and 9, with the workpiece carrier 1 being partially dismantled from the rail 63. According to the preferred embodiment of Figures 8-11, dismantling can be carried out simply by overcoming the magnetic holding force (arrow M) between the workpiece carrier 1 and rail 63. For the subsequent re-assembly of the workpiece carrier 1 onto the rail 63, the workpiece carrier 1 must be fed back to the rail 63 essentially in the opposite direction, in particular until the magnetic holding force M begins to pull the workpiece carrier 1 in the direction of the rail 63.

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 the various embodiments.

Reference symbol list

I Workpiece carrier

3 carrier base

5, 7 ammunition compartment

9 coupling interface

II coupling section

13 storage section

15, 17 ammunition part

19? 35 holding recess

21, 23 holding arm

25 swing structure

27, 29 storage area

30 recording room

31 inside

33 adjustment device

37 pretensioning device

39 feather

41 clamping jaw

43? 45 clamping surface

47 recording recess

49 coupling surface

51 clutch lead

53 camps

63 rail

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

91 edition

93 bearing projection

100 production line

103 processing station

105 processing station

107 coupling interface

109 engine

III sleeve insertion station

113 funding facility

115 bullet insertion station

117 Propellant charge filling station 119 sleeve

121 floors

125 Ignition element feed station

127 ignition element

129 Ignition element insertion station

131 quality monitoring stations

133 quality testing stations

135 discharge station

137 conveyor track

139 interior

141 outdoor space

143 linear section

145 curve section

147 buffer zone

149 fluid application station

151 projectile assembly station

155 projectile introduction station

F conveying direction

L Longitudinal extension direction

Ri axis of rotation n center of rotation

U rotation movement

V, H vertical direction or horizontal direction a distance

M magnetic force

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Workpiece carrier (1) for an automated production line (100) for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts, comprising a carrier base (3), such as a carriage, which is adapted to be conveyed along the production line (100), and at least one receptacle (5, 7) arranged on the carrier base (3) for holding at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) of the same type, such as two ammunition cases (119), two ammunition projectiles (121), two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primer caps, characterized in that at least one partial ammunition receptacle (5, 7) is mounted so that it can move relative to the carrier base (3).

2. Workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one ammunition part holder (5, 7) can be moved from a receiving position in which the at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) can be fed in particular simultaneously into a processing position, in in which the at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) can be processed at the same time.

3. Workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ammunition part holder (5, 7) is movably mounted on the carrier base (3) in such a way that the ammunition part holder (5, 7) has a combined pivoting and translational movement relative to the carrier base (3) can carry out.

4. Workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier base (3) has a driver which is designed to transmit the drive conveying force of the production line (100) to the workpiece carrier (1).

5. Workpiece carrier (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for an automated production line (100) for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts, comprising at least two receptacles (5, 7) for holding at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) of the same Type, such as two ammunition casings (119), two ammunition projectiles (121), two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primers, characterized in that at least one of the ammunition part receptacles (5, 7) can be moved from a receiving position in which the at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) can be fed, in particular at the same time, into a processing position , in which the at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) can be processed in particular at the same time.

6. Workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the at least one movable receptacle (5, 7) can be moved relative to the other receptacle (5, 7) in such a way that the movable receptacle (5, 7) assume a processing position can, in which the at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) of the movable receptacle (5, 7) and the at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) of the other receptacle (5, 7) can be processed together, in particular can be joined together.

7. Workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the at least two receptacles (5, 7) can be moved independently of the other receptacle (5, 7), in particular the receptacles (5, 7) each having a swivel - and/or translational movement relative to the other receptacle (5, 7).

8. Workpiece carrier (1) according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the at least one first movable partial ammunition receptacle (5) can be moved along a first travel path and the at least one further movable partial ammunition receptacle (7) can be moved along a further travel path, whereby the two trajectories intersect.

9. Workpiece carrier (1) according to one of claims 5 to 8, further characterized by a carrier base (3), such as a carriage, which is designed to be conveyed along the production line (100), at least one of the receptacles (5, 7) is movably mounted on the support base (3) via a travel arm, in particular the travel arm being movably mounted on a support arm of the other receptacle (5, 7), in particular on its bearing surface (27) facing the respective receptacle (5, 7), 29).

10. Workpiece carrier (i) according to one of claims 5 to 9, further characterized by a carrier base (3), such as a carriage, which is adapted to be conveyed along the production line (100), wherein the workpiece carrier (1) has at least two has axes of rotation, wherein both receptacles (5, 7) can each be pivoted relative to the support base (3) and to the other receptacle (5, 7) with respect to a first or second axis of rotation, independently of the other receptacle (5, 7), wherein in particular the at least two receptacles (5, 7) can be pivoted relative to the support base (3) with respect to a common third axis of rotation.

11. Workpiece carrier (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for an automated production line (100) for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts

At least one receptacle (5, 7) for holding at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) of the same type, such as two ammunition casings (119), two ammunition projectiles (121), two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primer caps, which are from a receiving position in which the at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) can be fed in particular at the same time, can be moved into a processing position in which the at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) can in particular be processed simultaneously, and a coupling interface (9) for connecting to a motor of the production line (100) in order to move the receptacle (5, 7) from the receiving position into the processing position, characterized in that the coupling interface (9) is shaped and/or aligned with respect to a motor-side coupling interface (107) in such a way that the workpiece carrier (1) is used for connecting can be moved into the engine-side coupling interface (107) with the engine.

12. Workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the coupling interfaces (9, 107) are designed for positive interlocking.

13. Workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface (9) has a rectilinear depression and / or a rectilinear projection, the longitudinal extent of which is parallel to a travel direction for coupling the workpiece carrier (1) and motor to one another is/are aligned.

14- Workpiece carrier (i) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one receptacle (5, 7) has a pretensioning device which is designed to apply a pretensioning force to the at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) when holding them .

15. Workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier base (3) is designed such that it can be guided magnetically floating along the production line (100), in particular along a rail of the production line (100).

16. Automated production line (100) for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts, comprising at least one workpiece carrier (1) designed according to one of the preceding claims.

17. Production line (100) according to claim 16, further comprising a plurality of production stations, in particular an ammunition parts insertion station, preferably a case insertion station (111) and / or a projectile insertion ring station (155), for introducing at least one of the several ammunition parts into the production process of the production line (100 ), several quality testing stations (133), at least one ammunition part processing station, for example a case forming station (17), a propellant charge filling station (117), a projectile assembly station (151), a projectile marking station and / or a discharge station (135) for transporting away the manufactured ammunition (101). the manufacturing process of the production line (100), wherein the workpiece carrier (1) is designed to hold the multiple ammunition parts and to transport the multiple ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the multiple production stations.

18. Production line (100) according to claim 17, wherein the production stations can be moved in particular individually between a production position in which the production stations can act on the ammunition parts and / or the workpiece carrier (1), and a passive position, such as a maintenance position in which the Manufacturing stations are set back in relation to the ammunition parts and / or the workpiece carrier (1). - System (i) according to claim 18, wherein the production stations each have a drive for relocating the respective production station, in particular the drive being independent of a respective manipulation device specific to the production station for acting on the ammunition parts and/or the workpiece carrier (i). . System (i) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the workpiece carrier (i) is movably mounted, in particular in a guided manner, on a rail (63) which defines a conveyor track (29) and is held on the rail (63) by a magnetic holding force oriented in the horizontal direction . . System (1) according to claim 20, wherein the workpiece carrier (1) is mounted on the rail (63) so that it can be removed, in particular by overcoming the magnetic holding force between the workpiece carrier (1) and the rail (63). . System (1) according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the rail (63) has at least one bearing and / or guide surface (83, 85) for the workpiece carrier (1), in particular a guide surface (83, 85) oriented in particular in the horizontal direction. which provides, in particular, magnetic holding force. . System (1) according to one of claims 16 to 22, wherein the workpiece carrier (1) and a rail (63) defining a conveyor track (29) and on which the workpiece carrier (1) is mounted, in particular in a movably guided manner, form a magnetic levitation system.