Production station for workpieces, in particular vehicle body parts, and production system

Abstract

A production station for vehicle body parts is configured in a modular manner and has at least two production cells (8, 10; 12, 14), each of which has a separate work area (16, 18; 20, 22). The work areas have uniformly disposed robots (64, 66, 68, 70) and receiving arrangements (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) that interact with the robots. At least one transport arrangement (56) for required components (58, 60, 62) and workpieces (44, 46) is provided for both production cells (8, 10; 12, 14). A receiving arrangement store (24, 26; 28, 30; 110) with all of the receiving arrangements is assigned to each production cell (8, 10; 12, 14), and a transport arrangement (48, 50; 52, 54; 111) is provided for at least one production cell. The production cells are coupled to one another via a connecting axle (102) having at least one connecting robot (104).

Claims

1. A production station for workpieces, the production station (4, 6) being configured in a modular manner and comprises at least two production cells (8, 10; 12, 14), each of the production cells having a separate work area (16, 18; 20, 22), the work areas (16, 18; 20, 22) comprise a plurality of respectively uniformly disposed robots (64, 66, 68, 70) and receiving arrangements (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) that interact with the robots, wherein at least one transport arrangement (56) for required components (58, 60, 62) and workpieces (44, 46) is provided for at least both production cells (8, 10; 12, 14), wherein a receiving arrangement store (24, 26; 28, 30; 110) comprising all of the receiving arrangements (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) is assigned to at least each of the production cells (8, 10; 12, 14) and a receiving transport arrangement (48, 50; 52, 54; 111) is provided for at least one production cell (8, 10; 12, 14), wherein the at least two production cells (8, 10; 12, 14) are coupled to one another via a connecting axle (102) having at least one connecting robot (104).

2. The production station of claim 1, wherein each of the production cells (8, 10; 12, 14) is assigned exactly one of the receiving arrangement stores (24, 26; 28, 30).

3. The production station of claim 1, wherein at least two of the production cells (8, 10; 12, 14) are assigned a common receiving arrangement store (110).

4. The production station claim 1, wherein the transport arrangement (56) is configured as an AGV (automated guided vehicle) transport system or floor conveyor technology.

5. The production station of claim 1, wherein the receiving transport arrangement (48, 50, 52, 54; 111) is configured as an AGV (automated guided vehicle) transport system.

6. The production station of claim 1, wherein each of the production cells comprises four robots (64, 66, 68, 70), all of which are suitable for carrying out joining processes and handling processes and at least one of the robots (64, 66) of each of the production cells is in operative connection with the transport arrangement (56).

7. The production station of claim 6, wherein two of the robots (64, 66) are in operative connection with the transport arrangement (56) and are disposed spatially separated from the remaining robots (68, 70) by the receiving transport arrangement (48, 50, 52, 54).

8. The production station of claim 1, wherein process or operating equipment connection arrangements (98, 100) are provided in identical positions in each of the production cells (4, 6, 8, 10).

9. The production station of claim 1, wherein tool change locations (92, 94, 96) fitted with tools (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90) are provided at identical positions in each of the production cells.

10. The production station of claim 1, wherein at least one parts store (65) for providing components (58, 60, 62) and/or workpieces (44, 46) is provided on a side of the transport arrangement (56) opposite to the production cells (8, 10, 12, 14).

11. The production station of claim 1, wherein at least one of the robots (68, 70) comprises control means for a geometric measurement of the receiving arrangements (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) and the workpieces (46, 48).

12. The production station of claim 1, wherein the connecting robot (104) at least comprises means for carrying out material-locking joining processes.

13. A production system comprising at least two of the production stations of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate space (106) provided between each of two adjacent production stations (4, 6) and used for possible temporary storage or for the loading and unloading of workpieces.

14. The production system of claim 13, wherein at least one transport device (108) is provided in the intermediate space for communication with adjacent production cells (10, 12).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of two production stations which together form a production system.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a production station of FIG. 1 with an alternative embodiment of the receiving arrangement store.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) The schematic drawing of FIG. 1 shows a production system 2 according to the invention which for the sake of clarity in the present design example is composed of two production stations 4, 6. Both production stations 4, 6 are configured in a modular manner. The production station 4 comprises two production cells 8, 10, and the production station 6 comprises two production cells 12, 14. The production cells 8, 10 of the production station 4 each have their own work area 16, 18 respectively that are constructed as a mirror images of one another, and the production cells 12, 14 of the production station 6 similarly have work areas 20, 22 respectively that are mirror images of one another. Each production cell 8, 10, 12, 14 is assigned its own receiving arrangement store 24, 26, 28, 30. Different receiving arrangements 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 are provided in each of these receiving arrangement stores 24, 26, 28, 30 to receive different workpieces for different processing operations. The receiving arrangement stores 24, 26, 28, 30 are connected to the respective work area 16, 18, 20, 22 of the production cell 8, 10, 12, 14 via a receiving transport arrangement 48, 50, 52, 54. The respective receiving transport arrangement 48, 50, 52, 54 is configured here as an AGV transport system. A transport arrangement 56 for the workpieces 44, 46 and for components 58, 60, 62 required for the processing of the workpieces 44, 46 is provided on a side of the production stations 4, 6 opposite to the receiving arrangement stores 24, 26, 28, 30. This transport arrangement 56 is configured as an AGV transport system or as floor conveyor technology (e.g. skid roller conveyor). The AGV transport system 56 is used to provide the workpieces 44, 46 or the components 58, 60, 62 to the respective production stations 4, 6, and thus to the respective production cells 8, 10, 12, 14, at the required positions. A parts store 65 for providing the components 58, 60, 62 is disposed on the side of the transport arrangement 56 opposite to the production stations 4, 6 and thus also to the production cells 8, 10, 12, 14.

(4) The processing of workpieces 44, 46 will be explained in more detail with reference to the production station 4 and its production cells 8, 10 together with the associated work areas 16, 18. The reference signs used here also apply to the production station 6 with the production cells 12, 14 which have the same configuration. Four robots 64, 66, 68, 70 are provided in the work area 16 of the production cell 8 which, in the present design example, are all basically suitable only for carrying out joining processes and handling operations. In the shown embodiment, two of the robots 64, 66 are in operative connection with the transport arrangement 56 and are spatially separated from the remaining two robots 68, 70 by the receiving transport arrangement 48. A receiving arrangement 36 brought close by the receiving transport arrangement 48 is fixed in place and is positioned here on a type of podium 72 (with or without an excavation for a receiving arrangement 36) and is thus ready, for example to receive the workpiece 46. The reference signs 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90 refer to tools that can be used by the respective robots 66, 68, 70 to process a workpiece 46, 48. The tools, too, are provided at a same position in each production cell 8, 10, 12, 14. Thus, the production cells 8, 10 and 12, 14 in the respective production station 4, 6 are constructed as mirror images of one another. The tools 74, 76, 78 are provided at a tool change location 92, the tools 80, 82, 84 are provided at a tool change location 94 and the tools 86, 88, 90 are provided at a tool change location 96. Process connection arrangements 98, for example for adhesives, etc., and operating equipment connection arrangements 100, for example for power and water, are configured in each production cell as well. To also be able to transfer workpieces from one production cell 8 to the adjacent production cell 10 in a production station 4, a connecting axle 102 having at least one connecting robot 104 is provided. This connecting robot 104 can also carry out joining operations on a workpiece to be processed.

(5) To optimally align receiving arrangements 36, 38, 40, 42 and workpieces 46, 48 for processing, the robots 68, 70 comprise control means, which are not shown further here, for geometric measurement of the receiving arrangements 36, 38, 40, 42 and the workpieces 46, 48. An intermediate space 106 for temporary storage of processed or not yet processed workpieces 44, 46 is provided between the production stations 4, 6. This intermediate space 106 thus serves as a so-called buffer zone for temporary storage of workpieces 44, 46 that do not have to go through the entire production process. A further transport device 108, which is configured here as a rotary table, can be provided in this intermediate space 106 to enable communication between the adjacent production cells 10, 12. The intermediate space 106 can also be used for loading and unloading and can provide ample space for floor conveyors.

(6) FIG. 2 shows the production station 4 with two production cells 8, 10 that are constructed in exactly the same way as the production cells 8, 10 in FIG. 1, with an alternative embodiment of a receiving arrangement store 110, which in this design example is assigned to the two production cells 8, 10 and can supply each production cell 8, 10 with each available receiving arrangement 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42. An AGV transport system 111 as the receiving transport arrangement also is connected here to a storage control system 112 and, in this case, assigned to both production cells 8, 10. The storage control system 112 accesses a shelf arrangement 114 in which, in the present design example, receiving arrangements 32, 34, 36 are provided. The storage control system 112 here is designed such that the receiving arrangements 32, 34, 36 are moved from the shelf arrangement 114 to the production cells 8, 10 in a correct position and are moved back out of these production cells 8, 10 to the shelf arrangement 114. In addition, further receiving arrangements can be moved to or removed from the shelf arrangement via a transfer port 115. Six transport devices 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 of the AGV transport system 111 are shown in the present design example to provide a more detailed description. A receiving table 128 (symbol rectangle) has just been unloaded here from the transport device 116. The transport device 118 currently is loaded with a gripper element 34 (symbol triangle) and the transport device 120 is currently loaded with two gripper elements 36 (symbol double triangle). The transport devices 124, 126 are empty and will be loaded in the first production cell 8 with two gripper elements 36 and a receiving table 32; meanwhile the transport device 122 is moved to the second production cell 10 and will be loaded there with a gripper element 32.

(7) It should be clear that this creates a production system 2 that is not only flexible and compact in design, but which also makes it possible to produce workpieces of the most varied lot sizes and the most varied processing with reduced set-up times. It is thus possible, for example, to carry out material-locking joining processes, such as gluing or welding, in one production cell in a production station and at the same time carry out forming processes, such as folding or clinching, in the other production cell.