RU2755994C1 - Autonomous assembly modular cell - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mechanical engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of mechanical engineering. The autonomous assembly modular cell contains a frame, a transporting mechanism, a control unit, a module for installing components with a manipulator with capture and identification means, a technological module, an interface module, a module for collecting, processing and storing data, connected to the control unit through a communication module. In the identification zone by means of means built into the manipulators and access to their gripping means, a transporting mechanism with loading and unloading locks is mounted, equipped with guides movable in the horizontal plane with the possibility of moving the trays located in them both into the access zone of the manipulator and out of it. At least one loading/unloading module is connected to the control unit via a communication module, which provides automation of assembly processes.

EFFECT: increasing productivity of equipment, reducing its forced downtime, increasing autonomy.

3 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The investigated technical solution relates to the field of mechanical engineering and robotics and can be used for autonomous execution of technological operations for assembly, packaging, sorting, product quality control [H05K 13/00, H05K 13/04, H05K 13/06, B25J 5/06, B25J 9 / 00, B25J 13/00].

From the prior art, a DEVICE FOR MOVING A WORKPIECE ON A STAMP PRODUCTION LINE [CN106041894 (A), publ. moving the workpiece grippers at a certain step distance, the manipulator includes a manipulator main body for driving the workpiece gripper cam for uniform movement and a workpiece gripper and an auxiliary manipulator machine providing linear motion control.

Also known from the prior art is a DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS [JPH0249498 (A), publ .: 19.02.1990], which feeds the components, a lead forming unit that cuts the leads of the supplied components to a predetermined length and forms them into a predetermined shape, and the electronic components lead-shaped with horizontal tips. The manipulator, which is gripped and lifted up and down, and the heating element, which is located next to this manipulator, which is moved up and down and heats up to a predetermined temperature by supplying power, can rotate as a whole about a vertical axis through the drive mechanism. A soldering head provided with a linear motion drive mechanism guided by a horizontal bar, and a soldering head located below the horizontal bar within the horizontal motion range of the soldering head and mounted from the transfer conveyor by transfer. A device for mounting electronic components with leads, comprising: an XY table that holds the placed printed circuit board horizontally and performs a lifting and horizontal movement in the XY directions.

The disadvantages of analogs are low flexibility due to a limited list of operations performed by devices and a small number of degrees of freedom of manipulators.

The closest in technical essence is the ASSEMBLY DEVICE AND ASSEMBLY CELL [EP2664412 (A2), publ .: 20.11.2013], containing a tactile robot with a controlled gripping tool, a controlled and actuated auxiliary device for connecting the bearing to the workpiece, the auxiliary device contains a controlled a press with a driven clamping means, a press chuck and a clamping tool, made with the possibility of their replacement, the tactile robot is equipped with a gripping tool designed to work with a press chuck of the press and / or a clamping tool, in addition, the assembly device is equipped with a magazine with a separator and an output means for separate bearings, and the assembly cell can include two or more interacting tactile robots connected to a common controller, an auxiliary device is also connected to the said controller, the robotic gripping tool is designed as a parallel gripping device with two or more pa parallel movable gripping fingers, the tactile robot has one or more axes of motion with adjustable or adjustable force and an integrated system of object detection sensors.

The main technical problem of the prototype is low productivity due to the occurrence of forced inactivity of the device and the cell at the time of loading blanks or unloading finished parts.

The objective of the invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the prototype.

The technical result of the invention consists in increasing the productivity of the equipment and reducing its forced downtime, as well as increasing the autonomy.

The specified technical result is achieved due to the fact that an autonomous assembly modular cell containing a frame, a transport mechanism, a control unit, a component installation module with a manipulator with capture and identification means, a technological module, an interface module, a data collection, processing and storage module connected to control unit through a communication module, characterized in that in the identification zone by means of means built into the manipulators and access to their gripping means, a transport mechanism is mounted, containing at least one loading and unloading gateway, equipped with guides movable in the horizontal plane with the possibility of movement placed in of them trays both to the access zone of the manipulator and from it, and at least one loading / unloading module is connected to the control unit via a communication module, which ensures the automation of assembly processes.

In particular, guides with trays in loading and unloading gateways can be multi-tiered.

In particular, the loading / unloading module is designed as a mobile platform.

Brief description of the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a general view of a self-contained assembly modular cell.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a self-contained assembly modular cell.

The figures indicate: 1 - frame, 2 - working surface, 3 - manipulators, 4 - grippers, 5 - vision modules, 6 - loading gateway, 7 - unloading gateway, 8 - technological module, 9 - control unit, 10 - interface module, 11 - trays, 12 - communication modules, 13 - loading / unloading module, 14 - data storage unit.

The autonomous assembly modular cell contains frame 1 (see Figure 1). The work surface 2 is horizontally mounted on the frame 1.

At least one manipulator 3 is mounted on the working surface 2, made in the form of a mechanical arm from elements pivotally connected to each other. The articulated joints of the mechanical arm elements are equipped with servo drives. Manipulator 3 is made with at least five degrees of freedom. At the end of the manipulator 3, on the movable head (not shown in the figures), a grip 4 is mounted, made mechanical or vacuum. On the gripper 4, on the manipulator head 3 or stationary, at least one vision module 5 is mounted, made, for example, in the form of touch sensors or a digital camera.

In the area accessible to the manipulator 3, at least one loading gate 6 and one unloading gate 7 are mounted on the working surface 2, while the gateways 6 and 7 are equipped with horizontal guides movable in the horizontal plane with the ability to move the trays 11 placed in them as in the access zone of the manipulator 3 and from it. Guides with trays 11 in the loading gates 6 and unloading 7 can be made in several tiers.

In the central part of the working surface 2, in the access zone of the manipulator 3, a technological module 8 is mounted, made with the possibility of performing assembly operations, or packaging, or sorting, or quality control of parts, while for performing assembly operations, the technological module 8 contains an assembly tool, for example, a soldering station , means for feeding and tightening screws, welding machine, etc.

Manipulator 3, vision module 5 and technological module 8 are connected to control unit 9. Interface module 10 is also connected to control unit 9, configured to debug and control the operation of elements of an autonomous assembly modular cell and data storage unit 14, configured to collect and storing data on the work of an autonomous assembly modular cell.

To automate assembly processes, at least one loading / unloading module 13, made, for example, in the form of a mobile platform, is connected to the control unit 9 through the communication module 12.

Let us consider the operation of an autonomous assembly modular cell using the example of a modular cell equipped with two manipulators for assembling a part by soldering, consisting of two blanks.

The operator is given a command from the interface module 10 or to the loading / unloading module 13 through the communication module 12 to start the assembly operation. Upon receipt of the command, the operator or the loading / unloading module 13 loads into the loading gateway 6 a tray 11 with blanks and feedback to the control unit 9 notifies about the execution of the command.

Manipulators 3 move trays 11 with blanks along the guides of the loading gate 6 into the working area.

One manipulator 3 with the help of the gripper 4 takes the first workpiece from the tray 11, with the other manipulator 3 using the gripper 4 take the second workpiece from the same or another tray 1, bring the first and second workpieces to the technological module 8, made in the form of an object stage, above which a soldering station is mounted on the guides (not shown in the figures). Before carrying out the assembly operation, the vision modules 5, mounted above the stage, determine the position of the blanks by the position of their edges and by turning the heads with grippers 4 or by moving the manipulators 3, the blanks are positioned relative to each other.

After positioning the workpieces, manipulators 3 hold the workpieces on the stage of the technological module 8, release the soldering iron of the soldering station of the technological module 8, press the workpieces together and connect them by soldering.

After the completion of the assembly operation, one of the manipulators 3 moves the assembled part into the tray 11 of the unloading gate 7 or the loading gate 6.

The cycle is repeated until the end of the processing of all the blanks in the trays 11 of the loading gate 6.

After the end of the assembly operations, manipulators 3 move the empty trays 11 of the loading gate 6 along the guides into the unloading area. From the control unit 9 to the interface module 10, the operator or through the communication module 12 to the loading / unloading module 13 is given a command to remove finished parts and load new blanks.

In one of the embodiments of an autonomous modular assembly cell with a multi-tier loading of trays 11, a command from the control unit 9 to the interface module 10 to the operator or via the communication module 12 to the loading / unloading module 13 to remove finished parts and load new blanks is sent at the end of the processing of each of the trays 11 with blanks with the possibility of providing a continuous technological process of assembling parts from blanks.

The technical result of the invention - increasing the intelligence of the technical system when performing technological operations related to the production of products is achieved by eliminating (reducing) the forced inactivity of the cell at the time of loading blanks or unloading finished parts by introducing at least one loading gate 6 and one unloading gate 7 each equipped with horizontal guides moving the trays 11 both into the access zone of the manipulator 3 and out of it. This technical solution provides continuous automatic loading / unloading of assembly units and finished products. And by connecting through the communication module 12 to the control unit 9 of the mobile platform, which performs the function of the loading / unloading module 13, automatic or at least automated supply / delivery to the autonomous assembly cell of assembly units and from it of finished products is provided, which ultimately provides automation of assembly processes.

Since 2012, the authors have implemented more than ten described autonomous assembly modular cells, the successful operation of which has shown the complete autonomy of the assembly and production process and the possibility of flexible and simple changeover of cells for new products, as well as flexible management of the production schedule in 24/7 mode, which confirms the achievement technical result. In addition, the introduction of autonomous assembly modular cells made it possible to increase productivity several times compared to semi-automatic assembly lines, eliminate (join) bottlenecks in the process chain and improve labor protection in hazardous areas or areas requiring increased accuracy.

Claims (3)

1. An autonomous assembly modular cell containing a frame, a transport mechanism, a control unit, a module for installing components with a manipulator with capture and identification means, a technological module, an interface module, a module for collecting, processing and storing data, connected to the control unit through a communication module, which is different the fact that in the identification zone by means of means built into the manipulators and access to their gripping means, a transport mechanism is mounted, containing at least one loading and unloading gateway, equipped with guides movable in the horizontal plane with the possibility of moving the trays located in them both into the access zone of the manipulator, and and from it, and at least one loading / unloading module is connected to the control unit via a communication module, which provides automation of assembly processes. 2. Modular cell according to claim 1, characterized in that the guides with trays in the loading and unloading gateways are multi-tiered. 3. Modular cell according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading / unloading module is made in the form of a mobile platform.

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