Patent classifications
B23P21/004
Moving line assembly of airframes
Systems and methods are provided for aircraft assembly. The method includes receiving a half barrel section of fuselage in an assembly line having a plurality of serially arranged work stations; advancing the half barrel section in a process direction through the assembly line such that the half barrel section extends across at least a portion of the work stations; and performing work on the half barrel section with the portion of the work stations simultaneously.
PRODUCTION STATION FOR WORKPIECES, IN PARTICULAR VEHICLE BODY PARTS, AND PRODUCTION SYSTEM
A production station for vehicle body parts is configured in a modular manner and has at least two production cells (8, 10; 12, 14), each of which has a separate work area (16, 18; 20, 22). The work areas have uniformly disposed robots (64, 66, 68, 70) and receiving arrangements (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) that interact with the robots. At least one transport arrangement (56) for required components (58, 60, 62) and workpieces (44, 46) is provided for both production cells (8, 10; 12, 14). A receiving arrangement store (24, 26; 28, 30; 110) with all of the receiving arrangements is assigned to each production cell (8, 10; 12, 14), and a transport arrangement (48, 50; 52, 54; 111) is provided for at least one production cell. The production cells are coupled to one another via a connecting axle (102) having at least one connecting robot (104).
MANUFACTURING CELLS HAVING MODULAR SUPPORT PLATFORMS
A transportable manufacturing cell including a robotic arm extending between a base and a terminal end, a tool attached to the terminal end of the robotic arm, a positioner unit including a positioner extending between a base and a connector, the connector configured to secure a workpiece to the positioner, a sensor unit including one or more sensors, a controller configured to control the operation of the robotic arm and the tool attached to the robotic arm, and a support platform assembly including a free-standing first platform and a separate and distinct free-standing second platform, wherein the robotic arm and the sensor unit are each mounted to the first platform and the positioner unit is mounted to the second platform.
Tooling plate for conveying different work parts in an assembly line, and method for configuring the same
Disclosed herein is a tooling plate for conveying a plurality of work parts to be assembled on an assembly line, the tooling plate including a platform, a supporting element fixed on and protruding from a surface of the platform, and one or more interfacing elements configured to be attached in a removable way to the supporting element, and configured to support at least a portion of a work part from the plurality of work parts when the one or more interfacing elements is attached to the supporting element. A shape of the interfacing element matches a portion of a shape of the portion of the work part, so that the tooling plate can be configured to convey, successively, different sets of work parts by only changing interfacing elements on the supporting element, from one set to another set, without changing the platform.
TRANSPORT SYSTEM, TRANSPORT METHOD, AND ARTICLE MANUFACTURING METHOD
A transport system includes a transport path having at least two transporting modules, a carriage configured to move on the transport path, a controller provided on each of the two transporting modules and configured to drive the carriage in response to a drive command, and a sensor provided on each of the two transporting modules. The drive command is corrected with a distance between the sensors provided on the two transporting modules.
Transport system, transport method, and article manufacturing method
A transport system includes a transport path having at least two transporting modules, a carriage configured to move on the transport path, a controller provided on each of the two transporting modules and configured to drive the carriage in response to a drive command, and a sensor provided on each of the two transporting modules. The drive command is corrected with a distance between the sensors provided on the two transporting modules.
ROBOTIC ASSEMBLY METHOD
The invention relates to a method for assembling a product or portion of a product (10), on an assembly site (SA), comprising an assembly line (LA), the assembly line comprising a plurality of assembly stations (S1, S2, S3, etc.) and at least one mobile platform (PMA, PMB, etc.), the method comprising the following steps applied to each mobile platform of the at least one mobile platform (PMA, PMB, etc.): h) loading on the mobile platform (PMA, PMB, etc.) a plurality of objects, comprising one or more elementary parts (P1A, P2A, P3A, P4, P5, P6, etc.) and/or one or more partial assemblies (AP1, AP2, . . . APi) constituting the product to be assembled or a portion of the product to be assembled on the assembly line (LA); i) moving the mobile platform (PMA, PMB, etc.) to an assembly station of the plurality of assembly stations (S1, S2, S3, etc.) of the assembly line (LA); j) transferring onto the assembly station one or more objects of the plurality of objects present on the mobile platform (PMA, PMB, etc.); k) modifying or assembling the one or more objects transferred in step c), so as to constitute an intermediate object; I) transferring onto the mobile platform (PMA, PMB, etc.) the intermediate object constituted in the preceding step, so that, for the subsequent steps of the method, the object or said plurality of objects transferred in step c) are replaced in the plurality of objects with the intermediate object constituted in step d); m) repeating steps b) to e) so that the platform moves consecutively from an assembly station, at which an intermediate object is constituted, to another station, at which another intermediate object is constituted.
ROBOTIC ASSEMBLY CELL
In an aspect of the disclosure, a first manufacturing cell for assembling a structure is provided. The first manufacturing cell for assembling the structure may include a plurality of first robots positioned around a common point in a first configuration, and a plurality of second robots positioned around the common point in a second configuration, the second configuration being closer to the common point than the first configuration. One of the plurality of first robots is configured to translate towards and away from the common point to interact with one of the plurality of second robots or one of the plurality of second robots is configured to translate towards and away from the common point to interact with one of the plurality of first robots.
Part assembling system of automation line
A part assembling system of an automation line includes: a station frame in which a part assembling tool is installed and that includes at least one mounting part; at least one positioner mounted on the at least one mounting part; a part conveying pallet including at least one positioning pin coupled to the at least one positioner; and a moving carriage that transports the part conveying pallet to a predetermined position on a floor of a process work area.
METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A CARTRIDGE FOR A SMOKING ARTICLE
- Frederic Philippe Ampolini ,
- Timothy Brian Nestor ,
- Jack Gray Flinchum, Jr. ,
- Wayne Douglas Brown ,
- Nicholas Harrison Watson ,
- Charles Jacob Novak, III ,
- Paul Andrew Brinkley ,
- James Robert Covino ,
- John DePiano ,
- Edward Louis Dickinson ,
- Eugene R. Harris ,
- Kevin Edward Keough ,
- David Jay Smith ,
- John Hook ,
- Michael LaCourse ,
- Robert Metcalf ,
- Steven Hart ,
- David Pelletier ,
- Marc Bourque ,
- Nathaniel Cambray ,
- John William Wolber ,
- James William McClellan ,
- Steven R. Mongillo ,
- Frank S. Silveira ,
- Michael Laine ,
- Quentin Paul Guenther, Jr.
The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods for assembling cartridges for aerosol delivery devices. The cartridges may be assembled by transporting carriages between various substations at which parts are added to a base. In another assembly method, the base may be moved between a plurality of robots which direct the base downwardly into contact with components to couple the components therewith. An inspection system may inspect the cartridges at various stages of completion.