Production line

• US 10,532,437 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Misaki, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Rick K
• Application Number:
  US15/759,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20190047098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/00 Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some deformation connecting metal parts or objects by metal-working procedures B21J, B23K; Tools or devices therefor so far as not provided for in other classes hand tools in general B25
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/04 for assembling or disassembling parts
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/004 the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41805 characterised by assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2621 Conveyor, transfert line
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32023 Print label, instructions for operator and job code for machining parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36371 Barcode reader
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37304 Combined position measurement, encoder and separate laser, two different sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37563 Ccd, tv camera
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37572 Camera, tv, vision
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Provided is a production line that includes a conveying section (2) for conveying a plurality of pallets (8 and 8) along a loop-shaped circulation route, a workpiece setting section (3) for setting workpieces on the pallets (8 and 8), a setting-position measuring section (4) for measuring setting position of the workpiece on the pallets (8 and 8), a production process performing section (5) for performing one or multiple production processes at each of a plurality of locations on the circulation route for the workpieces on the pallets (8 and 8), and a workpiece extracting section (6) for extracting workpieces for which the production processes have been performed from the pallets (8 and 8). At least two of the production processes in the production process performing section (5) are performed while taking into account the setting positions of the workpieces on the pallets (8) measured by the setting-position measuring section (4).

Claims

1. A production line comprising:

a conveyor that conveys a plurality of pallets along a predetermined route while the pallets are placed on the conveyor, a bracket being mounted on each of the plurality of pallets;

a workpiece setting section, provided at a part of the route, where a workpiece is set with respect to the bracket on the pallet manually or automatically;

a setting-position measuring section provided at a part of the route and that measures a position error of the workpiece in horizontal and vertical directions while the pallet is placed on the conveyer, the position error including a mounting error of the bracket relevant to the pallet and corresponding to a deviation from a proper position of the workpiece relevant to the pallet;

a production process performing section provided at a part of the route and that performs a plurality of production processes on the workpiece on the pallet while the pallet is placed on the conveyer; and

a workpiece extracting section, provided at a part of the route, where the workpiece, on which each of the production processes is performed, is extracted from each of the pallets manually or automatically,

wherein at least two of the production processes for the workpiece on the pallet in the production process performing section are performed while taking into account the position error relevant to the pallet which is measured by the setting-position measuring section and without measuring again the position error relevant to the pallet.

2. The production line according to claim 1, further comprising a controller,

wherein each of the pallets has an own identifier attached thereto,

the setting-position measuring section reads the identifier of each of the pallets, measures the position error relevant to each of the pallets, and transmits information about the read identifier and the measured position error to the controller as production information about each of the pallets,

the controller transmits at least the information about the position error among the production information about each of the pallets received from the setting-position measuring section to the production process performing section, and

the production process performing section reads the identifier of the pallet when performing each of the at least two of the production processes, receives the information about the position error corresponding to the read identifier from the controller, and performs each of the production processes on the workpiece on the pallet in consideration of the received position error.

3. The production line according to claim 1, wherein the production process performing section performs the plurality of production processes on the workpiece on the pallet placed on the conveyor in a state in which the pallet is stopped by abutting against a stopper to position the workpiece.

4. A production line comprising:

a conveyer that conveys pallets along a predetermined route, a bracket being mounted on each of the pallets;

a first section, provided at a part of the route, where a workpiece is set with respect to the bracket on the pallet manually or automatically;

a second section provided at a part of the route and that acquires position information about the pallet for the workpiece set on the pallet, the position information including a position error of the workpiece in horizontal and vertical directions that is acquired by the second section while the pallet is placed on the conveyer, the position error including a mounting error of the bracket relevant to the pallet and corresponding to a deviation from a proper position of the workpiece relevant to the pallet;

a third section provided at a part of the route and that has a plurality of process units and to perform a production process on the workpiece set on the pallet in each of the plurality of process units on the basis of the position information while the pallet is placed on the conveyer; and

a fourth section provided at a part of the route, where the workpiece is extracted from the pallet manually or automatically,

wherein the plurality of processes for the workpiece on the pallet in the third section are performed while taking into account the position error relevant to the pallet which is acquired by the second section and without measuring again the position error relevant to the pallet.

5. The production line according to claim 4, wherein:

the second section has a first positioning mechanism that positions the pallet in the second section; and

each of the plurality of process units in the third section has a second positioning mechanism that positions the pallet in each of the plurality of process units.

6. The production line according to claim 5, wherein positioning precision of the first positioning mechanism and positioning precision of the second positioning mechanism are higher than positioning precision of the workpiece for the pallet in the first section.

7. The production line according to claim 5, wherein each of the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism has a stopper against which the pallet abuts.