Trailer trolley-type conveyor system, comprising a plurality of the elongated rails adapted for installation on a trailer bed, a conveyor system frame adapted for transport back and forth along the rails within a trailer's exterior framework, a plurality of wheels mounted on the frame and adapted for rolling carriage of the frame on the rails, at least one winch adapted for mounting onto the trailer and adapted for pulling the frame with any cargo thereon back and forth along the rails; and at least one lock engaged with one of the frame, the wheels, and the rails, adapted for preventing movement of the conveyor system frame during transport of the trailer.

A plant for treatment of car bodies may include: transport units to carry car bodies; a first transport line to move the transport units between a starting zone and an arrival zone so as to pass over at least one treatment tank; and a second transport line along which empty transport units are returned. The second transport line is configured to convey the transport units rotated on one side relative to a normal position for transporting the car bodies. A first transfer device is configured to pick up a transport unit from the first transport line, rotate the transport unit on one side, and to deliver the transport unit to the second transport line. A second transfer device is configured to pick up a transport unit from the second transport line, rotate the transport unit into the normal position, and deliver the transport unit to the first transport line.

A vehicle inspection system is described. The vehicle inspection system comprises: an inspection device, for performing an inspection on a vehicle to be inspected; a carrier platform, for carrying the vehicle to be inspected; and an unmanned controlled travelling device for moving the carrier platform to pass through a scanning area of the inspection device, so as to perform the inspection on the vehicle to be inspected. In the present disclosure, the vehicle to be inspected is carried by the carrier platform, and the unmanned controlled travelling device is used to move the carrier platform to pass through the scanning area of the inspection device, so that the vehicle to be inspected can be subject to inspection smoothly. There is no driver required to drive through the scanning area in this process, thus avoiding exposure of a driver to a threat of radiation.

A method for producing vehicles, in which vehicle bodies are conveyed through multiple treatment devices in order to carry out multiple work steps. In two successive work steps, work processes of different types are carried out on the vehicle bodies. The vehicle bodies are conveyed at least from a corrosion protection treatment process to a final assembly process in a surface treatment system for treating the surface of the vehicle bodies at least along some regions by a driverless transport system that has a plurality of floor-bound transport carriages which travel on a travel floor and each of which carries a dedicated drive system and is driven and moved independently of one another. Furthermore, a surface treatment system is provided for treating the surface of vehicle bodies using multiple treatment devices, wherein a driverless transport system is provided that includes a plurality of floor-bound transport carriages, on each of which a respective vehicle body is secured and which travel on a travel floor, and each transport carriage carries a dedicated drive system and can be driven and moved independently of one another.

Provided is an object conveying system including: a conveying apparatus that conveys an object; one or more cameras that capture images of feature points of the object; a position measuring portion that measures positions of the feature points from the acquired images; a detecting portion that detects a position or a movement velocity of the object; a position correcting portion that corrects the positions of the feature points so as to achieve positions at which the feature points are disposed at the same time; a line-of-sight calculating portion that calculates lines of sight that pass through the feature points on the basis of the corrected positions of the feature points and the positions of the cameras; and a position calculating portion that calculates a three-dimensional position of the object by applying a polygon having a known shape to the calculated lines of sight.

A transport system and method useful for autonomously or semi-autonomously transporting and positioning materials or components in an industrial facility. In one example in use for passenger vehicle body assembly, a transport device includes a lift device and first and second build devices for alternately supporting a workpiece. The transport device includes a clearance opening for passage by the second build device along the path of travel. The transport device positions the first build device and workpiece over the second build device and deposits the workpiece on the lower second build device for processing. When the process is complete, the first build device re-engages the workpiece for movement to another workstation.

A method for producing vehicles, wherein vehicle bodies are conveyed through multiple system zones of a production system in order to produce vehicles. Different types of work are carried out on the vehicle bodies in two respective system zones which follow each other. The vehicle bodies are conveyed through the system zones of the surface treatment system at least from a corrosion protection treatment to a final assembly using a single conveyor system in a surface treatment system for treating the surface of the vehicle bodies. A surface treatment system is provided for treating the surface of vehicle bodies, having multiple system zones, and the vehicle bodies are treated in a different manner in two respective system zones which follow each other. The surface treatment system is designed such that the vehicle bodies can be conveyed through the system zones of the system using a single conveyor system. A production system for producing vehicles using a surface treatment system is also provided, which is arranged between a corrosion protection system and a final assembly system, the production system including such a surface treatment system.

A vehicle body tracking system of a vehicle assembly line provided at a conveyor unit for transferring a vehicle body may include: a mounting frame to be installed at a power rail of the conveyor unit; a pair of rotating bodies installed at the mounting frame; a driven chain to be combined to the pair of rotating bodies and combined with a drive chain that travels along the power rail; and an encoder sensor installed at the mounting frame and connected to at least one rotating body of the rotating bodies. In particular, the driven chain travels on an endless track, and the encoder sensor detects a rotation amount of the at least one rotating body to output the detected rotation amount to a controller.

The present disclosure includes a method for coating a vehicle body-in-white (BIW) in a tank of processing fluid. In one form, the method includes lowering the vehicle BIW in a tank of processing fluid, rotating the vehicle BIW around its lateral axis until the vehicle BIW is completely submerged in the processing fluid, and simultaneously conveying the vehicle BIW along a longitudinal axis of the tank while rotating the vehicle BIW around its longitudinal axis in a corkscrew type movement.

A conveyor device for an automated production line, including at least one conveyor track along a course of the production line, at least one component carrier carriage for transporting components or component assemblies on the production line, wherein the production line includes transfer portions and workstations that are run through by the conveyor track along the course of the production line. The conveyor track is configured as a monorail which extends along a central longitudinal axis of the component carrier carriage. The conveyor track includes a plurality of rollers which are driven at least in part by means of drives and the component carrier carriage includes at least one friction surface, by means of which the component carrier carriage is drivable by the rollers of the conveyor track, in particular is movable dynamically along the conveyor track.