Method and robot system for producing transformer core

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a robot system (23) for producing transformer cores (12), sheets of metal (16) from which a transformer core is constructed being received on at least two stacking tables (18) by means of a multiaxial robot (22) of the robot system, the sheets of metal being supplied to the robot and stacked adjacent to the robot in at least two storage positions (31) for different sheets of metal by means of a conveyor device (29), the robot and the conveyor device being controlled by a control device (17), sheets of metal being collected from the storage positions and being stacked on the stacking tables by means of the robot disposed between and above the stacking tables.

Claims

1. A method of robotically stacking sheets of metal for producing a transformer core, the method comprising the steps of: conveying the sheets of metal to a multiaxial robot by means of a conveying device; stacking the sheets of metal adjacent to the robot in at least two storage positions; providing a control device adapted to control the multiaxial robot and the conveyor device; collecting the sheets of metal from the at least two storage positions with the multiaxial robot; and providing at least two stacking tables, each of the stacking tables comprising at least two threading bolts or sheet-metal abutments which serve as positioning aids for the sheets of metal, each stacking table forming a positioning surface for the threading bolts or the sheet-metal abutments, wherein each stacking table and either the threading bolts or the sheet-metal abutments are configured such that a free positioning and location-independent fastening of the threading bolts of the sheet-metal abutments within the positioning surface is possible at any position of the positioning surface; stacking the sheets of metal on the at least two stacking tables with the multiaxial robot to form the transformer core, wherein the multiaxial robot is disposed between and above the stacking tables.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of adjusting a stacking sequence of the sheets of metal on the stacking tables as a function of an availability of the sheets of metal in the storage positions.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the robot removes a single sheet of metal or a sheet-metal bundle from the storage position.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the stacking step comprises creating a plurality of stacks of sheets of metal for the construction of a plurality of transformer cores on one stacking table.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting control commands to the control device from a control system of an installation for producing transformer cores as a function of component data describing a transformer core.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting step comprises identifying a positioning of threading bolts or sheet-metal abutments on the stacking tables, the storage positions for the respective sheets of metal or a cutting sequence of a cutting device for sheets of metal.

7. A robot system for producing transformer cores, the robot system comprising; a multiaxial robot; at least two stacking tables for receiving sheets of metal from which a transformer core can be constructed, wherein each of the stacking tables comprises at least two threading bolts or sheet-metal abutments which serve as positioning aids for the sheets of metal, each stacking table forming a positioning surface for the threading bolts or the sheet-metal abutments and being equipped with the threading bolts or the sheet-metal abutments, and wherein each stacking table and either the threading bolts or the sheet-metal abutments are configured such that a free positioning and location-independent fastening of the threading bolts or the sheet-metal abutments within the positioning surface is possible at any position of the positioning surface; a conveyor device for supplying sheets of metal; and a control device for controlling the robot and the conveyor device, wherein the conveyor device includes at least two storage positions intended for different sheets of metal and disposed adjacent to the robot, wherein the conveyor device is adapted to supply the respective sheets of metal to the storage positions and further adapted to stack the respective sheets of metal in the storage positions, wherein the robot is disposed between and above the stacking tables, and wherein the robot is adapted to collect the sheets of metal from the storage positions and is further adapted to stack the sheets of metal on the stacking tables.

8. The robot system according to claim 7, characterized in that the robot is disposed between two parallel rows of at least two or more stacking tables in each instance.

9. The robot system according to claim 8, characterized in that the robot is displaceable parallel to the rows.

10. The robot system according to claim 8, characterized in that the robot system comprises a plurality of robots which are disposed in a displaceable manner between the rows and above the storage positions.

11. The robot system according to claim 7, characterized in that the conveyor device includes one storage position per stacking table, the storage position being disposed adjacent to the stacking table.

12. The robot system according to claim 7, characterized in that the stacking table is transported by means of a self-propelling cart of the robot system.

13. The robot system according to claim 7, wherein the multiaxial robot includes only a single arm.

14. The robot system according to claim 7, wherein the robot is adapted to stack the sheets of metal in direct contact with one another.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

(1) In the following, an embodiment of the invention is further described with reference to the attached drawing.

(2) The FIGURE shows a schematic illustration of an installation 10 having a device 11 for producing transformer cores 12. Installation 10 comprises a control system 13 which serves for controlling installation 10. Component data 14 describing transformer cores 12 are processed using control system 13 by means of a so-called core configurator 15 so sheets of metal 16 from which transformer core 12 is constructed are calculated using their measurements. Control system 13 transmits control commands and/or data for producing transformer core 12 to a control device 17 which then initiates producing transformer core 12 using corresponding control commands.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) Device 11 comprises among other elements a number of stacking tables 18 having a retaining system 19 for collecting sheets of metal 16. Retaining system 19 comprises at least two threading bolts 20 and, in this shown embodiment, substructions 21 for placing sheets of metal 16.

(4) Sheets of metal 16 are realized having bores not illustrated in this instance and are placed and/or inserted on threading bolts 20. Sheets of metal 16 are placed on threading bolts 20 or rather on stacking table 18 by means of a robot 22 of a robot system 23. Threading bolts 20 are also positioned on a positioning surface 26 of stacking table 18 by means of a robot 24 of a positioning system 25. Positioning surface 26 is flat so a free positioning and a location-independent fastening of threading bolts 20 on positioning surface can be effected according to the specifications of control system 13. Threading bolts 20 are stored in a magazine 27 and are disposed on or removed from positioning surface 26 by means of robot 24. For this purpose, stacking table 18 is transported by means of a self-propelling cart 28. Cart 28 transports stacking table 18 to illustrated robot systems 23 at which stacking table 18 is equipped with sheets of metal 16 or rather sheets of metal 16 are stacked to construct transformer core 12. After transformer core 12 has been stacked, stacking table 18 is transported away from robot system 23 by cart 28.

(5) A number of sheets of metal 16 is supplied to robot systems 23 from a cutting device 30 by means of a conveyor device 29 and are stacked adjacent to respective robot 22 in two storage positions 31 for different sheets of metal 16 in each instance. Robot 22 and/or storage position 31 is/are also controlled by means of control device 17. Robot 22 grapples sheets of metal 16 from respective storage positions 31 and positions them on threading bolts 20 on stacking table 18 until transformer core 12 is constructed. Robot 22 can be displaced above conveyor device 29 so that robot 22 can equip four stacking tables 18 with sheets of metal 16 simultaneously.

(6) Only schematically illustrated cutting device 30 serves for cutting sheets of metal 16 and is controlled by control device 17. In cutting device 30, not-illustrated sheet-metal strips are cut such that sheets of metal 16 are yielded. Not-illustrated sheet-metal strips are supplied from steel-strip rolls to cutting device 30.