Method for Producing a Device for Moving a Workpiece From a First Tool Into a Second Tool, Electronic Computing Unit, Computer Program Product and Computer-Readable Medium

Abstract

A method for producing a device includes, by an electronic computing unit, determining a nominal value of a nominal property of the device to be produced and/or of a movement apparatus for moving the device in space. By the electronic computing unit, comparing the nominal value with actual values of a property of respective already produced devices and/or of an already produced movement apparatus, where a respective difference between the nominal value and the respective actual value is determined in the comparing. By the electronic computing unit, displaying an item of information on an electronic display, where the information characterizes one of the already produced devices, where one of the actual values belongs to the one device characterized by the information, and where one of the differences was determined on a basis of the one actual value belonging to the device characterized by the information.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A method for producing a device for moving a workpiece from a first tool for machining the workpiece into a second tool for machining the workpiece, comprising the steps of: by an electronic computing unit, determining a nominal value of a nominal property of the device to be produced and/or of a movement apparatus for moving the device in space; by the electronic computing unit, comparing the nominal value with actual values, stored in a data memory, of a property of respective devices which have already been produced and/or designed and/or of a movement apparatus for moving the device which has already been produced and/or designed, wherein a respective difference between the nominal value and the respective actual value is determined in the comparing; and by the electronic computing unit, displaying an item of information on an electronic display, wherein the information characterizes at least one of the devices which have already been produced and/or designed, wherein one of the actual values belongs to the at least one device which has already been produced and/or designed and is characterized by the information, and wherein one of the differences was determined on a basis of the one actual value belonging to the device which has already been produced and/or designed and is characterized by the information.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein during the comparing, it is determined that at least one of the differences lies below a threshold value and wherein the information characterizes the one of the devices already produced and/or designed to which the actual value belongs, using which the at least one difference lying below the threshold value was determined.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, depending on at least one criterion, an order of differences is produced, and a corresponding order of devices already produced and/or designed to which the actual values belong, using which the differences were determined, wherein the information characterizes the devices forming the order and already produced and/or already designed, and their order.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, as the property, a distance is used between a fixing element of the respective device which can be fixed to the respective movement apparatus by the fixing element, and a receiving region in which the respective workpiece is to be held reversibly releasably on the respective device.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein, as the property, a physical orientation is used of an element of the respective movement apparatus, on which element the respective device can be fixed.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a rod is used as the element.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein, as the property, a surface normal and/or a direction of a surface normal is used which runs through a fixing point of the respective device, at the fixing point of which the respective workpiece is to be held reversibly releasably on the respective device.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein that determination of the nominal value comprises that, by the electronic computing unit, at least one input caused by a person is detected, from which the nominal value results and/or which characterizes the nominal value.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the device is produced depending on the displayed information.

22. An electronic computing unit configured to perform the method according to claim 13.

23. A computer program product comprising commands which cause the electronic computing unit according to claim 22 to carry out the method according to claim 13.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a device for moving a workpiece from a first tool for machining the workpiece into a second tool for machining the workpiece; and

[0034] FIG. 2 is a block diagram to illustrate a method according to the invention for producing the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG. 1 shows in a schematic, perspective view a device 1 by means of which a workpiece can be or is moved, i.e., can be or is transported, transferred or shifted, from a first tool for machining the workpiece into a second tool for machining the workpiece. The device 1 is used for example in a tool line, configured in particular as a pressing line. The pressing line comprises for example at least two presses arranged successively along a transport direction. A first of the presses comprises the above-mentioned first tool, and the second press, following the first press along the transport direction, comprises for example the above-mentioned second tool. For example, a component is produced from the workpiece. For this, the workpiece is firstly laid in the first tool while the first press is open. Then the first press is closed, whereby the workpiece is for example shaped, in particular deep-drawn, by means of the first press and the first tool. Then the first press or the first tool is opened again. Then by means of the device 1, the shaped workpiece is taken from the first tool. For this, the device 1 comprises holding elements in the form of suction cups 2, by means of which the shaped workpiece is held, i.e., fixed or secured, non-destructively releasably and temporarily, i.e., provisionally, on the device 1. Furthermore, the device 1 is held, in particular reversibly or non-destructively releasably, on a robot arm of a robot (not shown in FIG. 1). By means of the robot, the device 1 and via this the shaped workpiece, held non-destructively releasably on the device 1, are moved in space such that the shaped workpiece is taken from the first tool and laid in the second tool while the second press is open. Then the workpiece is detached from the device 1, in particular from the suction cups 2, and the device 1 is moved away from the second tool by means of the robot. Then the second press is closed, whereby for example the shaped workpiece is mechanically separated, in particular cut, by means of the second tool.

[0036] The device 1 comprises an assembly 3, configured for example as a frame, via which the device 1 and hence the suction cups 2 are attached, in particular reversibly releasably, on the robot arm. The respective suction cup 2 or suction cups 2 as a whole may form a further assembly of the device 1. The assembly 3 comprises for example respective components 4 which are connected together in articulated fashion via a respective joint 5. Thus for example the components 4 may be moved, in particular pivoted, relative to one another into at least two different positions. Also, the device 1, in particular its joint 5, may comprise at least one fixing element by means of which the respective components 4 can be fixed relative to one another in the respective position. When the components 4 are in a first of the positions and the components 4 are fixed relative to one another in the first position by means of the respective fixing element, then for example the device 1 has a first form. When the components 4 are for example in the second position and the components 4 are fixed relative to one another in the second position by means of the respective fixing element, then for example the device 1 has a second form different from the first.

[0037] Now with reference to FIG. 2, a method is described by means of which the device 1 can be designed and produced in a particularly time- and cost-favorable fashion. As will be explained in more detail below, the method uses existing i.e., former constructions which have already been and/or are used to produce components. The respective former construction is thus a device already produced and/or designed, which was designed and/or produced chronologically before the device 1, in particular in collaboration with a movement apparatus by means of which the former construction can be and/or was moved, using the former construction, in order thereby to machine, in particular form, components. The above-mentioned movement apparatus may mean the above-mentioned robot and/or the above-mentioned movement apparatus means a further, other robot of the same apparatus for moving the former construction. For example, the former construction and the former movement apparatus are and/or were used in a production process for producing components, wherein for example it is intended and planned to use the device 1 in the context of a further new production process.

[0038] In a first step S1 of the method, by means of an electronic computing unit, at least one first nominal value of at least one first nominal property of the new device 1 to be designed and produced, and/or of the robot for moving the device 1 in space, is determined. For this for example a person entrusted with the design for producing the device 1, also known as the constructor, makes an input into the electronic computing unit which detects the input. The input results in the nominal value or the input characterizes the nominal value.

[0039] A data memory, in particular of the electronic computing unit, contains datasets which for example comprise actual values of the property of the former constructions and/or the movement apparatus intended and/or used for moving the former constructions. In a second step S2 of the method, the nominal value is compared with the actual values stored in the data memory. Since the nominal value and the actual values relate to the same property, wherein the nominal value also relates to the device 1 to be produced and/or to the robot, while the respective actual value also relates to the former construction and the movement apparatus, the nominal value and actual value can be compared with one another, in particular such that it can be determined which of the former constructions resembles or corresponds to the new desired device 1 to be designed and produced. In the comparison, by means of the electronic computing unit, a respective difference is determined between the nominal value and the respective actual value.

[0040] The respective difference is also described as a deviation. The respective calculation of the respective deviation may for example be relative. An invariance of the comparison from absolute coordinates may be advantageous for a success of the method. Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the actual construction of the respective assembly, i.e., of respective elements of the assembly, and the geometric parameters are not changed.

[0041] In a third step S3 of the method, by means of the electronic computing unit, at least one item of information is displayed on an electronic display, known as a screen, in particular of the electronic computing unit. The information can be perceived by a person, i.e., with the human eye and hence optically. The information defines or characterizes at least one of the devices already produced and/or designed, wherein one of the actual values belongs to the at least one device characterized by the information and already produced and/or designed, and wherein one of the differences was determined using the one actual value belonging to the device characterized by the information and already produced and/or designed. In particular, the information may characterize several or all of the devices already produced and/or designed, in particular such that the information visually perceptible by the person comprises a first order of the former designs, the first order of which corresponds to a second order of the determined or calculated differences belonging to the former designs forming the first order, wherein the differences and hence the former designs in the respective order are sorted by increasing differences or increasing or rising values of the differences.

[0042] The information thus notifies the person of the former design or designs which resemble or even correspond to the device 1. The information is thus an optical signal, by means of which the person is notified or visually informed of the former design strongly resembling the desired device 1. The former design characterized by the information constitutes a starting point with a high technological maturity, wherein starting from the starting point, the person may design and subsequently produced the device 1, in some cases with only minor changes and hence in a time- and cost-favorable fashion. Using the method therefore, the device 1 can be produced particularly time- and cost-favorably.

[0043] From the order, the person is presented with or offered several solutions, and hence in particular also solutions resulting from different types of assemblies. Since for example the nominal and actual values are multiple values or states, or in other words each describes a vector of these states, the comparison is made between components of the vectors. In order to be able to compare the individual former constructions, for example, a norm of the vector is calculated which describes the difference between the nominal and actual state. In calculation of the norm, it may be provided to give individual components of the vector a different weighting. Then after sorting the results of the calculation of the norms of the individual difference vectors, a rising sort may be performed. The lower the value of the norm, the better the nominal state correlates to the actual state, or the closer the actual value or actual state is to the nominal value or nominal state. In addition, each type of assembly has a clear designation in the form of a number or alphanumeric identification. The constructor may select the best candidates from this designation and the value of the norm.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0044] 1 Device [0045] 2 Suction cup [0046] 3 Assembly [0047] 4 Component [0048] 5 Joint [0049] S1-S3 Method steps