Assembly line and method for vehicle body manufacturing

• US 20040221438A1
• Filed: 05/05/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kuka Systems North America LLC (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Utica Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Carter, Thomas J., Savoy, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,971,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/407.05
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/004 the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/50 Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/20 for indicating or measuring workpiece characteristics, e.g. contour, dimension, hardness
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/24 using optics or electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 33/21 with laser
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49622 Vehicular structural member making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49771 Quantitative measuring or gauging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4978 Assisting assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53022 with means to test work or product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53365 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/534 Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus

Abstract

A vehicle body assembly line (10) and method for assembling vehicle bodies utilizes electromagnetic gauging apparatus (44) to generate production gauge data of an assembly of formed sheet metal components, and an electrical controller (38) compares the production gauge data to design gauge data to detect any production deviation and is electrically connected to the assembly line to adjust the assembly of the formed sheet metal body components to correct any production deviation detected.

Claims

1. A vehicle body assembly line comprising:

electromagnetic beam gauging apparatus for gauging an assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components to generate production gauge data; and

an electrical controller that compares the production gauge data to design data to detect any production deviation and that is electrically connected to the assembly line to adjust the assembling of the formed sheet metal vehicle body components to correct any production deviation detected.

2. A vehicle body assembly line as in claim 1 which includes an assembly station having positioners for locating the formed sheet metal vehicle body components at reference positions for assembly to each other;

and the electrical controller operating the positioners of the assembly station to provide positioning adjustment of the formed sheet metal vehicle body components to correct any production deviation detected.

3. A vehicle body assembly line as in claim 2 which includes a gauging station where the electromagnetic beam gauging apparatus is located downstream from the assembly station, the gauging station having positioners for locating the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components at a reference position where electromagnetic beams generate the production gauge data which the electrical controller compares to the design gauge data to detect any production deviation, the electrical controller operating the positioners of the assembly station to provide the positioning adjustment of the formed sheet metal vehicle body components to correct any production deviation detected, and a conveyor that conveys the assembly of formed sheet metal components from the assembly station to the gauging station.

4. A vehicle body assembly line as in claim 3 which includes a plurality of the assembly stations located upstream from the gauging station, each assembly station including positioners for locating formed sheet metal vehicle body components at reference positions for assembly to each other, and the electrical controller operating the positioners of the assembly stations to provide positioning adjustment of the associated formed sheet metal vehicle body components to correct any production deviation detected.

5. A vehicle body assembly line comprising:

an assembly station having electrically operated positioners for locating formed sheet metal vehicle body components at reference positions for assembly to each other;

a conveyor for conveying the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components from the assembly station;

a gauging station to which the conveyor transfers the assembly of formed sheet metal body components, the gauging station having positioners for locating the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components at a reference position and also having electromagnetic beam gauging apparatus for gauging the located assembly to generate production gauge data; and

an electrical controller that compares the production gauge data to design data to detect any production deviation and that electrically operates the positioners of the assembly station to correct any production deviation detected.

6. A vehicle body assembly line comprising:

a plurality of assembly stations each of which has electrically operated positioners for locating formed sheet metal vehicle body components at reference positions for assembly to each other;

a conveyor for conveying the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components from each assembly station to the next assembly station;

a gauging station to which the conveyor transfers the assembly of formed sheet metal body components, the gauging station having positioners for locating the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components at a reference position and also having electromagnetic beam gauging apparatus for gauging the located assembly to generate production gauge data; and

an electrical controller that compares the production gauge data to design data to detect any production deviation and that electrically operates the positioners of the appropriate assembly station to correct any production deviation detected.

7. A method for manufacturing vehicle bodies in a cyclical manner one after another, comprising:

positioning formed sheet metal vehicle body components to be assembled;

assembling the positioned components to each other;

electrically gauging by electromagnetic beams the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components to generate production gauge data;

electrically comparing the production gauge data to design data to detect any production deviation; and

electrically adjusting the positioning of the formed sheet metal vehicle body components to be assembled during a future cycle to correct any production deviation detected.

8. A method for manufacturing vehicle bodies as in claim 7 wherein the formed sheet metal vehicle body components are assembled to each other at an assembly station and conveyed from the assembly station to a gauging station where the electromagnetic beam gauging is performed to generate the production gauge data that is compared to the design data to detect any production deviation that is then corrected in a future cycle by electrically adjusting the positioning of the formed sheet metal vehicle body components to be assembled.

9. A method for manufacturing vehicle bodies as in claim 8 wherein the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components is conveyed to at least one more assembly station and positioned for assembly of additional formed sheet metal vehicle body components thereto prior to conveyance to the gauging station where the electromagnetic beam gauging is performed to generate the production gauge data that is compared to the design data to detect any production deviation that is then corrected in a future cycle at the appropriate assembly station by electrically adjusting the positioning prior to assembly.

10. A method for manufacturing vehicle bodies in a cyclical manner one after another, comprising:

positioning formed sheet metal vehicle body components to be assembled at an assembly station and assembling the positioned components to each other;

conveying the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components from the assembly station to a gauging station and positioning the assembly at a reference position;

electrically gauging by electromagnetic beams the reference positioned assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components at the gauging station to generate production gauge data;

electrically comparing the production gauge data to design data to detect any production deviation; and

electrically adjusting the positioning of the formed sheet metal vehicle body components to be assembled at the assembly station during a future cycle to correct any production deviation detected.

11. A method for manufacturing vehicle bodies in a cyclical manner one after another, comprising:

positioning formed sheet metal vehicle body components to be assembled at a first assembly station and assembling the positioned components to each other;

conveying the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components from the first assembly station to a second assembly station and positioning thereof for assembly thereto of additional formed sheet metal vehicle body components;

conveying the assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components from the second assembly station to a gauging station and positioning the assembly at a reference position;

electrically gauging by electromagnetic beams the reference positioned assembly of formed sheet metal vehicle body components at the gauging station to generate production gauge data;

electrically comparing the production gauge data to design data to detect any production deviation; and

electrically adjusting the positioning of the formed sheet metal vehicle body components to be assembled at the appropriate assembly station during a future cycle to correct any production deviation detected.