Method for stiffening metal components by means of a robot-controlled application head

Abstract

In order to optimize a method for stiffening a metal component by pressing a fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component in such a way that the method can be integrated into the serial production of the car body, it is proposed that the fiber-reinforced plastic insert be picked up by means of a robot-controlled application head and pressed onto the metal component.

Claims

1. A method for stiffening a metal component by pressing a fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component by means of a robot-controlled application head, whereby the method comprises at least the following steps: a) picking up the fiber-reinforced plastic insert by means of the application head, and b) picking up the metal component by means of a robot-controlled auxiliary head, c) arranging the fiber-reinforced plastic insert on the metal component, and d) pressing the fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component by means of a pressure piston located on the application head, wherein the auxiliary head builds up a counter-pressure on the application head in order to assist with the pressing.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, before and/or during step d), heating the metal component to a temperature between 60 C. and 180 C., at least in certain sections.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising heating the metal component by means of a robot-controlled inductor for purposes of inductive heat transfer.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising heating the fiber-reinforced plastic insert to a temperature between 60 C. and 180 C. before and/or while it is being picked up in step a).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic insert is picked up in step a) by means of a gripper arranged on the application head (12).

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in step d), actuating the pressure piston by means of a pressure element arranged on the application head.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, during step c), holding the metal component on the application head by means of a holding mechanism.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, before step d), rigidly coupling the application head to the auxiliary head via at least one coupling element.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, before step d), placing a nonwoven fabric between the metal component and the fiber-reinforced plastic insert in order to reduce corrosive effects.

10. A device for stiffening a metal component by pressing a fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component, wherein the device comprises: a robot-controlled auxiliary head configured to pick up the metal component; and a robot-controlled application head having a pressure piston located thereon; wherein the robot-controlled application head is configured to: pick up the fiber-reinforced plastic insert, arrange the fiber-reinforced plastic insert on the metal component, and press the fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component using the pressure piston; wherein the robot-controlled auxiliary head is configured to build up a counter-pressure on the robot-controlled application head while the robot-controlled application head presses the fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component.

11. A device for stiffening a metal component by pressing a fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component, wherein the device comprises: an application head having a pressure piston located thereon; an auxiliary head; and a robot configured to: control the auxiliary head to pick up the metal component; control the application head to: pick up the fiber-reinforced plastic insert, arrange the fiber-reinforced plastic insert on the metal component, and press the fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component using the pressure piston; and control the auxiliary head to build up a counter-pressure on the application head while the application head presses the fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained below by way of example on the basis of preferred embodiments.

(2) The following is schematically shown:

(3) FIG. 1: a schematic diagram of a device for stiffening a metal component in a welding station of a car body production line;

(4) FIG. 2: another schematic diagram of a device for stiffening a metal component in a welding station of a car body production line;

(5) FIG. 3: a scematic diagram showing different positions of a robot-controlled application head and a robot-controlled auxiliary head of a device for stiffening a metal component using the robot-controlled application head and the robot-controlled auxiliary head;

(6) FIG. 4a: an embodiment of an application head for pressing the fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto a metal component;

(7) FIG. 4b: an embodiment of an application head and of an auxiliary head for pressing a fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto a metal component; and

(8) FIG. 5: a perspective view of a section of a metal component stiffened with a fiber-reinforced plastic insert.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) FIGS. 1 and 2 show schematic diagrams of a device 200 for stiffening a metal component 10. In both figures, the device 200 is integrated into a welding station 32 of a car body production line. As a result, the method according to the invention can be integrated in a particularly suitable manner into the serial production of the car body.

(10) The car body 100 is moved through the welding station 32 to undergo the requisite production step. The device 200 has two robots 30, 31. The first robot 30 serves as the application robot and it has the application head 12 (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the sake of greater clarity). The second robot 31 serves as the auxiliary robot and it has the auxiliary head 13 (likewise not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the sake of greater clarity). The application robot 30 removes a fiber-reinforced plastic insert 11 from a magazine and places it onto a heating field 33 in order to heat it. Subsequently, the application robot 30 transports the heated up fiber-reinforced plastic insert 11 to the work surface 34. The auxiliary robot 31 removes the metal component 10 from a magazine shelf and likewise transports the metal component 10 to the work surface 34. In the meantime, the metal component 10 can be heated up by a heating element 19 integrated into the auxiliary head 13. As an alternative, an inductor 15 can be used for this purpose.

(11) In a subsequent step, the robot 30 is employed to move the application head 12 in the direction of the auxiliary head 13, and the fiber-reinforced plastic insert 11 is pressed onto the metal component 10.

(12) FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the positions of the application head 12 and of the auxiliary head 13 described in the method steps above. The application head 12 removes and holds the fiber-reinforced plastic insert 11 by means of grippers 16. The application head 12 is controlled by a robot 30. The auxiliary head 13 is controlled by another robot 31 and it serves to pick up the metal component 10 as well as to exert a counter-pressure onto the metal component 10 while the fiber-reinforced plastic insert 11 is being pressed onto the metal component 10 by the application head 12 or by the pressure element 17 and the pressure piston 17 on the application head 12.

(13) FIG. 4a shows an embodiment of an application head 12 in greater detail. The application head 12 shown in FIG. 4a has grippers 16 for picking up and holding the fiber-reinforced plastic insert 11. Moreover, the application head 12 has a holding mechanism 18 for picking up and holding the metal component 10. In this variant, a robot-controlled auxiliary head 13 is not absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, also with this embodiment, a robot-controlled auxiliary head 13 can be provided for picking up and transporting the metal component 10 towards the application head 12.

(14) While the fiber-reinforced plastic insert 11 is being pressed onto the metal component 10, the latter is held rigidly and stationarily on the application head 12 by means of the holding mechanism 18, so that a counter-pressure is exerted onto the metal component 10 via the holding mechanism 18.

(15) FIG. 4b shows another embodiment of an application head 12 and of an auxiliary head 13. In order to increase the contact pressure or the pressing force, coupling elements 21 for coupling the application head 12 to the auxiliary head 13 are provided in this embodiment. In contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a, the application head 12 in FIG. 4b does not have a holding mechanism 18 for holding the metal component 10. However, as shown in FIG. 4b, the metal component 10 is also held by the auxiliary head 13 while the fiber-reinforced plastic insert 11 is being pressed onto the metal component 10. Before the start of the pressing procedure, the application head 12 and the auxiliary head 13 are rigidly connected to each other via the coupling elements 21, so that, during the pressing procedure, a counter-pressure is exerted via the coupling elements 21 onto a counter-pressure holding element 22 of the auxiliary head 13 and onto the metal component 10.

(16) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a section of a car body part 100 reinforced employing the method according to the invention. Here, the car body part 100 consists of the metal component 10 and of the fiber-reinforced plastic insert 11 that has been pressed onto the inside.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(17) 100 car body part 200 device for stiffening a metal component 10 metal component 11 fiber-reinforced plastic insert 12 application head 13 auxiliary head 14 pressure piston 15 inductor 16 gripper 17 pressure element 18 holding mechanism 19 heating element 20 pressure force 21 coupling element 22 counter-pressure holding element 30, 31 robot 32 welding station 33 heating field 34 work surface