A device for measuring a flange in a creased sheet of metal is provided, along with a method of use thereof. The device includes a block including at least two slots and a body extending from the block in a first direction. The device also includes at least two retractable teeth. Each tooth is mounted in a respective one of the at least two slots. Each tooth is biased toward the first direction and retractable in a second direction opposite the first direction. A foot is mounted to an end of the body and includes a groove configured to receive an edge of the sheet of metal. A free edge of the flange is received in the groove and a creased edge is retained by the teeth. The flange may be measured by inserting a depth gauge through the block to a surface of the sheet of metal.

An automobile manufacturing plant for manufacturing automobiles has a series of manufacturing sites including a part forming shop, a body shop, a paint shop and an assembly shop. Each manufacturing site is associated with a respective inspection site. The respective inspection sites provide inspection data representing at least one of dimensional characteristics, shape characteristics or surface characteristics of the car body parts, the car body, the painted car body and the car-on-wheels produced in the series of manufacturing sites. The inspection data from the plurality of inspection sites is correlated in a common data base server. Inspection sites at a later stage of the manufacturing process can use inspection data from previous stages and automatically decide whether or not a car body part, the car body, the painted car body or the car-on-wheels has to be reworked.

The analysis method of optimizing a joint location of an automotive body of this disclosure is to determine an additional welded point 75 to be added to an automotive body frame model 31, including: an automobile model generation step S3 to generate an automobile model by joining the automotive body frame model 31 to a chassis model 51 via a joining portion; a driving analysis step S5 to perform a driving analysis of the automobile model to acquire a load generated at the joining portion during driving; an optimization analysis model generation step S7 to generate an optimization analysis model 71 by setting welding candidates 73 on the automotive body frame model 31; an optimization analysis condition setting step S9 to set optimization analysis conditions; and an optimization analysis step S11 to apply the load generated at the joining portion to the optimization analysis mode 71 to select an additional welded point 75 that satisfies the optimization analysis conditions from the welding candidates 73.

A robot system includes at least one robot, a first sensor, at least one second sensor, and circuitry. The at least one robot is to work on a workpiece. The first sensor is to detect a three-dimensional shape of the workpiece. The at least one second sensor is to detect a three-dimensional position of the workpiece. The circuitry is configured to control the at least one robot based on teaching data. The circuitry is configured to correct the teaching data according to the three-dimensional shape detected by the first sensor. The circuitry is configured to correct the teaching data according to the three-dimensional position detected by the at least one second sensor.

In order to provide a checking facility for checking workpieces and also a treatment facility for treating workpieces, which enable efficient and reliable quality optimisation, it is proposed that workpiece parameters are detected, for example by means of an automatic checking station, and a workpiece-specific data set is created on this basis and/or from facility parameters.

A method and system for automatically inspecting an apparatus is provided. The method includes receiving an initial set of software scripts for executing an autonomous inspection process with respect to an apparatus for inspection. A vehicle is directed to a specified geographical location associated with the apparatus for inspection. Hand gesture commands and voice commands of an individual associated with inspecting the apparatus are detected via audio and video retrieval devices of the vehicle and a specified distance is maintained between the vehicle and the individual. In response to the commands, an autonomous inspection process with respect to the apparatus for inspection is executed and a modified set of software scripts for executing future autonomous inspection processes with respect to additional apparatuses for inspection is generated.

A method of directing a vehicle body through a paint process includes obtaining, by a vehicle manufacturing system, process operation data from a vehicle body process. The process operation data is indicative of an operation state of an identified machine performing a selected body operation as part of the vehicle body process. The method includes determining, by the vehicle manufacturing system, whether a recognized fault has occurred based on the process operation data, identifying a potential vehicle body imperfection based on a paint process model and the recognized fault, and providing, by the vehicle manufacturing system, a notification to the paint process of the potential vehicle body imperfection for the vehicle body, where the notification includes location information of the potential vehicle body imperfection, a remedial action for addressing the potential vehicle body imperfection, a recommended resource allocation, or a combination thereof.

A method that is able to measure the gap and flush of vehicle parts by means of a measuring tunnel. The method is able to determine the coordinates in 3D of the edges or ends of two adjacent parts of a vehicle. The measuring tunnel includes several video cameras, LED lights, a conveyor, a position encoder that measures the movement of the vehicle; a total station that measures fixed points of the measuring tunnel structure; a calibration chessboard and a calibration pattern; processing and storage means to store images taken by the video cameras, Computer-Aided-Design files of the vehicles and an edge recognition algorithm.

A device for measuring a flange in a creased sheet of metal is provided, along with a method of use thereof. The device includes a block including at least two slots and a body extending from the block in a first direction. The device also includes at least two retractable teeth. Each tooth is mounted in a respective one of the at least two slots. Each tooth is biased toward the first direction and retractable in a second direction opposite the first direction. A foot is mounted to an end of the body and includes a groove configured to receive an edge of the sheet of metal. A free edge of the flange is received in the groove and a creased edge is retained by the teeth. The flange may be measured by inserting a depth gauge through the block to a surface of the sheet of metal.

The present disclosure provides a system and method for vehicle inspection. The system for vehicle inspection installed on an inspection line to inspect an assembled vehicle may include: a wireless terminal connected to the vehicle and configured to externally transmit vehicle state information; an antenna arranged on the inspection line and configured to relay wireless communication of the wireless terminal; a camera arranged upwardly along the inspection line and configured to transmit image information of a photographed vehicle; and a server configured to set a coordinates system and a reference driving line on the inspection line, generate drive control information based on the image information and the vehicle state information such that the vehicle moves along the reference driving line, and transmit the drive control information to the wireless terminal.