Method for Producing a Finished Part from a Blank

Abstract

The invention proposes producing finished parts for a finished product from blanks in a fully automatic process, the blanks being removed from a warehouse and worked by way of automatically defined tools in working stations of a production line in a defined working sequence to form the finished parts.

Claims

1. A method for producing a finished part from a blank, wherein properties of the finished part are defined, a blank suitable for producing the finished part is selected, tools suitable for producing the finished part from the selected blank are selected, working steps and a working sequence suitable for producing the finished part are defined, and working stations suitable for producing the finished part from the blank are selected.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the working steps and the working sequence suitable for producing the finished part from the selected blank are defined, taking the selected tools into consideration, and/or the working stations suitable for producing the finished part from the blank are selected, taking the selected tools, the working steps and the working sequence into consideration.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected blank is transported to a working station, or consecutively to a plurality of working stations, clamped and worked to form the finished part or to form an intermediate part, which is transported to a subsequent working station, clamped and worked further to form an intermediate part, until the finished part has been produced in a final working station.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a position of the blank or of the intermediate part in the working station is defined, possibly the blank or the intermediate part is oriented, and the blank or the intermediate part is worked as a function of the position thereof in the working station.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the working station comprises a vacuum chuck for clamping the blank or the intermediate part.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the vacuum chuck includes a plurality of suction openings, and suction openings that are not covered by the blank or the intermediate part are switched off.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, subsequent to a working process in a working station, properties of the intermediate part or of the finished part are checked automatically, and the intermediate part or the finished part is reworked, if necessary.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein selected tools are checked automatically for wear, and worn tools are automatically replaced.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein substitute tools are automatically selected from available tools for worn tools until the worn tools have been replaced.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a finished product comprising one or more finished parts that are produced by the method is selected on a mobile computer.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a space is detected by way of the mobile computer, and the finished product is displayed in the space.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The invention will be described hereafter based on a mobile computer, and reference is made to the drawings in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a mobile computer;

[0019] FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate two production lines; and

[0020] FIGS. 5A-5C show a program flow chart

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In particular, FIGS. 1 to 4 are simplified representations.

[0022] The invention is used to produce finished parts from blanks in a fully automatic process. Working stages of the blanks between the unworked blanks and the finished parts are also referred to here as intermediate parts, and the blanks, intermediate parts and finished parts are also referred to as workpieces. The goal of the invention is the fully automatic, or in any case substantially automatic, production of finished parts for a finished product comprising the finished parts. The finished product can also only be composed of one finished part or can comprise further finished parts that are produced in another manner, or are purchased.

[0023] At the beginning of the method according to the invention, properties of the finished part or parts to be produced are defined. Such properties are, in particular, dimensions and/or geometry and material, or materials, of the finished part or parts. Additional properties may be the color and structure of surfaces of the finished parts.

[0024] So as to define the properties of the finished parts, one embodiment of the invention provides that a finished product is selected by way of a mobile computer 1, such as a laptop, a tablet computer or a smart phone. The mobile computer 1 includes, or has access to, a database including a selection of finished products. The finished part or parts to be produced, and the properties thereof, are defined by the selected finished product.

[0025] A preferred variant of the method according to the invention provides measuring a space in which the selected finished product is to be disposed, by way of the mobile computer 1. For example, the space is a room in a building. So as to measure the space, the space is recorded, in particular, by way of a camera of the mobile computer 1 using different viewing directions, as is schematically shown in FIG. 1 on the bottom right of sheet 6/6 illustrating a corner 20. The recordings can be photos and/or videos. The recordings must be calibrated, for which purpose distances with respect to corners of the space are measured, for example, and entered into a computer program, for example an app stored on the mobile computer 1. The computer program preferably specifies which distances must be measured based on the recorded photos and/or videos. The selected finished product can now be displayed in the space, on a screen of the mobile computer 1. It is still possible, at this point, to modify the finished product, and in particular the dimensions, materials and surfaces thereof, or another finished product can be selected. The computer program checks whether the selected finished product fits the space. Another option is to make changes to the finished product or on the finished parts included therein. For example, it is possible to provide openings and recesses for cables, receptacles or protrusions projecting into the space on the finished parts to be produced.

[0026] The properties of the finished part or parts to be produced can also be defined differently, such as by way of manual input.

[0027] The finished parts are produced by way of a production line 2, for example, such as is shown in FIG. 2. Blanks 3 are removed from a warehouse, which is not shown, for example from a fully automatic high-bay racking system, and, for example, are transported to the production line 2 by a self-propelled industrial truck, which is not shown. At one end, a first robot 4 consecutively places the blanks 3 onto a roller conveyor 5 of the production line 2. The roller conveyor 5 can, generally speaking, also be understood to be a conveyor system.

[0028] The roller conveyor 5 conveys the blanks 3 to working stations 6 disposed consecutively on the roller conveyor 5 in a conveying direction. In the exemplary embodiment, the production line 2 comprises two working stations 6, each comprising two robots 7 disposed opposite one another on the two sides of the roller conveyor 5. A tool magazine 8 from which a robot may remove tools for working the blanks 3 is assigned to each robot 7. As a result of the working process, the blanks 3 become intermediate parts 9, as mentioned above, and the finished parts 10 at the end of the working process. The blanks 3, intermediate parts 9 and finished parts 10 can also be understood to be workpieces 11.

[0029] Each working station 6 comprises a clamping device 12 for fixing the workpieces 11 during the working process. The working stations 6 can, for example, comprise mechanical clamping devices including, for example, clamping jaws and/or clamping brackets, electromagnetic clamping devices for ferromagnetic workpieces or, as shown in the exemplary embodiment, a vacuum table 13 as a clamping device 12.

[0030] After having been worked in the working stations 6 to form the finished part 10, the blank 3 is conveyed by the roller conveyor 5 to an end located opposite the end at which the blank 3 was placed onto the roller conveyor 5 by the first robot 4, where a final robot 14 removes the finished parts 10 from the roller conveyor 5 and, for example, stacks these for shipping.

[0031] FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative production line 2 comprising machine tools 15 at the working stations 6. FIGS. 3 and 4 also show gantry machine tools 15. A combination of robots 7 and machine tools 15 is also possible. The production line 2 can also comprise one or more joining stations, such as welding stations, soldering stations and/or bonding stations, forming stations, paint spray booths or painting stations and/or laminating stations (not shown). The list is by way of example and not exhaustive.

[0032] Based on the properties of the finished part or parts to be produced, the method according to the invention, which may be implemented as a computer program, for example, selects one or more blanks suitable, in terms of shape, size and material, for producing the finished parts from inventory, for which purpose the computer program has access to a database including the inventory of blanks, which is updated by the computer program. The method according to the invention is shown in the form of a flow chart or workflow in FIGS. 5A-5C. For the production of the finished part 10, a stock item is selected, from which the blank 3 or the finished part 10 can be produced with as little scrap as possible. A remainder or remainders of the stock item that can be used for further, even different, finished parts is or are returned to the warehouse, and the inventory in the database is updated. Scrap is disposed of.

[0033] Moreover, the method according to the invention for producing the finished part offers suitable tools and defines working steps, a working sequence and working stations in which the working steps are carried out. A working step involves working a workpiece by way of a tool. Alternative tools for producing the finished part can be present, from which the method selects those by which the finished product can be produced. The selections of the tools, working steps, working sequence and working stations are dependent on one another and on the blank, and in particular on the material thereof. In addition, the selections and definitions are influenced by which tools are available in which working station. The tools, working steps and working sequence are preferably defined so that the workpieces can be transferred consecutively from a preceding working station to a subsequent working station and reach or enter a working station only once, to the extent possible. In each working station, one or more working steps can be carried out by way of one or more tools. For the selection of the tools and the definition of the working steps, working sequence and working stations, the method according to the invention or the underlying computer program has access to one or more tool databases in which the tools available at the working stations or, generally speaking, also the working steps possible in the working stations, are stored.

[0034] The selected blank is removed from the warehouse, preferably automatically, and transported to the production line or a (first) working station. The database encompassing the inventory of blanks is updated. In the working station, a position of the blank, which can also be understood to be a workpiece, is determined automatically and/or the blank is oriented into an intended position and fixed. If a clamping device for clamping the workpiece during the working process comprises a suction device, such as a vacuum table, suction openings that are covered by the workpiece are switched on, and suction openings outside the workpiece are switched off, if possible.

[0035] While the position of the workpiece in the working station is being determined and the workpiece is being oriented and clamped, a robot, a machine tool or the like of the working station removes a first, defined tool from the associated tool magazine and clamps it. Afterwards, the workpiece is worked by way of the tool, which is referred to as a working step. Working may be, for example, machining, non-machining, forming and/or joining working processes. The list is by way of example and not exhaustive. A workpiece may also be worked simultaneously by way of multiple tools in a working station.

[0036] After working, which is to say after a working step, the workpiece can be checked for dimensional accuracy, surface quality and the like. Reworking of the workpiece may possibly be carried out in the same working station using the same tool. Reworking of the workpiece can also be provided to be carried out by way of a tool used at a later point and/or in a downstream working station.

[0037] Prior to, during or after working of the workpiece, the respective used tool can be checked for wear. The check for wear is preferably carried out automatically. It is also possible to check the tools in the tool magazine for wear, in particular after one or more uses of a tool. A check for wear can be done visually, for example, and/or a wear measurement is carried out. As the workpiece is being worked, a feed force or a driving torque of the workpiece and/or a temperature at a spot being worked can be measured. If the measured values are higher than expected, this is an indication of wear of the tool. Worn tools in the tool magazine are replaced. Until a worn tool is replaced, the method according to the invention can select an alternative tool, or possibly also multiple alternative tools, which are available in the working station or a downstream working station and by which the finished part can be produced.

[0038] Once the working process of the workpiece by way of the tool is completed, the tool is automatically returned into the tool magazine, and a tool defined for a subsequent working step is removed from the tool magazine, by way of which the workpiece is subsequently worked further in the working station.

[0039] When the working process for the workpiece in the working station is complete, the workpiece is transported to the defined subsequent working station, where it is worked by way of the defined tools in the above-described manner.

[0040] When the workpiece is finished, which is to say the finished part has been produced, it is removed from the (final) working station or from the production line, preferably automatically, such as by a robot. Preferably, all the finished parts assigned to a finished product are arranged and made available, for example stacked, for packaging and shipping.