System and method for hemming vehicle closures

• US 20060053613A1
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Utica Enterprises Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Utica Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Savoy, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US10/943,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053613A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/430
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 39/021 for panels, e.g. vehicle doors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49622 Vehicular structural member making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49828 Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49915 Overedge assembling of seated part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53422 by deforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53435 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53709 Overedge assembling means

Abstract

A system (20) and method for hemming a vehicle body closure (32) includes a corner joining station (24) where formed sheet metal outer and inner members (36, 38) are initially joined to each other at their corners, a hemming station (26) where roll prehemming and roll final hemming of the peripheries of the outer and inner members is performed by roll robot hemming apparatus (68), and a delivery station (28) to which the hemmed closure (32) is delivered. At the hemming station (26), a plurality of fixtures (82) of different constructions selectively receive the particular closure member being processed during each cycle so as to have manufacturing flexibility. The fixtures (82) are located between a floor mounted conveyor (74) of robot transfer apparatus (30) and a floor mounted conveyor (84) of roll hemming robot apparatus (68) so that there is no interference between the transfer and hemming manipulations.

Claims

1. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure comprising:

a joining station for receiving a formed sheet metal outer member of the closure and a formed sheet metal inner member of the closure with associated corners of the outer and inner members located adjacent each other and with peripheries of the outer and inner members extending alongside each other between their corners, and the joining station including corner forming apparatus for forming the corners of the outer member around the adjacent corners of the inner member to initially join the outer and inner members of the closure to each other;

robot transfer apparatus for removing the joined outer and inner members of the closure from the joining station; and

a hemming station to which the robot transfer apparatus moves along an axis of conveyance to transfer the joined outer and inner members from the joining station, and the hemming station including roll hemming apparatus for initial roll prehemming and subsequent roll final hemming the periphery of the outer member around the periphery of the inner member between the corners of the members.

2. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 1 wherein the hemming station includes window edge hemming apparatus for hemming inner edges of a window opening of the outer member.

3. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 1 wherein the joining station includes a turntable and loading apparatus that loads the outer member and the inner member onto the turntable in a cyclical manner.

4. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 3 wherein the loading apparatus includes a loading robot that loads the outer member and the inner member onto the turntable in a cyclical manner.

5. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 1 wherein the joining station includes pre prehemming apparatus for pre prehemming a bottom portion of the periphery of the outer member alongside a bottom portion of the periphery of the inner member.

6. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 5 wherein the corner forming apparatus of the joining station includes corner formers for providing the forming of the corners of the outer member around the adjacent corners of the inner member to perform the initially joining of the outer and inner members of the closure to each other, and the pre prehemming apparatus including a robot for performing the pre prehemming of the bottom portion of the periphery of the outer member alongside the bottom portion of the periphery of the inner member.

7. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 1 wherein the joining station includes a turntable and loading apparatus including a loading robot that loads the outer member and the inner member onto the turntable in a cyclical manner, the joining station including pre prehemming apparatus for pre prehemming a bottom portion of the periphery of the outer member alongside a bottom portion of the periphery of the inner member, and the corner forming apparatus of the joining station including corner formers that provide the forming of the corners of the outer member around the adjacent corners of the inner member to perform the initially joining of the outer and inner members of the closure to each other.

8. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 1 further including a delivery station to which the robot transfer apparatus is moved to transfer the hemmed closure from the hemming station.

9. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 8 further including a floor mounted conveyor that moves the robot transfer apparatus between the joining station, the hemming station and the delivery station, the robot transfer apparatus including a rotatable transfer head assembly having a first head that removes the joined outer and inner members of the closure from the joining station, and the rotatable transfer head assembly having a second head that upon movement of the robot transfer apparatus to the hemming station initial receives the previously hemmed closure therefrom whereupon the transfer head assembly is rotated to transfer the joined outer and inner members on the first head thereof to the hemming station prior to movement of the robot transfer apparatus to the delivery station to deliver the hemmed closure on the second head thereof to the delivery station for further processing.

10. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 1 wherein the hemming station includes an inclined fixture that receives the joined outer and inner members of the closure for the initial roll prehemming and subsequent roll final hemming, the roll hemming apparatus including at least one robot for performing the roll prehemming and the roll final hemming, and the inclined fixture being located laterally with respect to the axis of conveyance between the location of the robot transfer apparatus when it deposits the joined outer and inner members on the inclined fixture and the location of the robot of the roll hemming apparatus upon performing the roll prehemming and the roll final hemming.

11. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 10 wherein the inclined fixture is constructed to receive the joined outer and inner members in an upside-down position with a upper window opening thereof at a lower position, and window edge hemming apparatus located in horizontal alignment with the upper window opening at the lower position on the fixture and operable to hem window inner edges of the outer member.

12. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 1 further including a floor mounted transfer conveyor that moves the robot transfer apparatus along an axis of conveyance between the joining station, the hemming station and the delivery station, the hemming station including a plurality of fixtures located along the axis of conveyance to selectively receive joined outer and inner members of different constructions for different vehicles and thereby provide manufacturing flexibility.

13. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 12 wherein the roll hemming apparatus includes a pair of roll hemming robots for performing the initial roll prehemming and the subsequent roll final hemming, a floor mounted hemming robot conveyor that moves the pair of hemming robots along the axis of conveyance for selective use with the fixtures spaced therealong, and the fixtures being located between the transfer conveyor and the hemming robot conveyor.

14. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 1 further including a floor mounted transfer conveyor that moves the robot transfer apparatus along the axis of conveyance between the joining station, the hemming station and the delivery station, the hemming station including a pair of turntables located along the axis of conveyance, each turntable including a pair of fixtures for selectively receiving joined outer and inner members of different constructions for different vehicles to thereby provide manufacturing flexibility.

15. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 14 wherein the roll hemming apparatus includes a pair of hemming robots for performing the initial roll prehemming and the subsequent roll final hemming, a floor mounted hemming robot conveyor that moves the pair of hemming robots along the direction of conveyance for selective use with the fixtures on the pair of turntables spaced therealong, and the pair of turntables being located between the transfer conveyor and the hemming robot conveyor.

16. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 1 wherein the delivery station includes a turntable having receptors for receiving each hemmed closure during cyclical operation of the system.

17. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure comprising:

a joining station including a turntable and a robot loading apparatus for depositing a formed sheet metal outer member of the closure and a formed sheet metal inner member of the closure on the turntable with associated corners of the outer and inner members located adjacent each other, with peripheries of the outer and inner members extending alongside each other between their corners and with window opening inner edges of the inner and outer members extending alongside each other to define a window opening at an upper portion of the closure, and the joining station including corner forming apparatus for forming the corners of the outer member around the adjacent corners of the inner member to initially join the outer and inner members of the closure to each other;

robot transfer apparatus for removing the joined outer and inner members of the closure from the joining station;

a floor mounted transfer conveyor for moving the robot transfer apparatus along a direction of conveyance from the joining station;

a hemming station to which the transfer conveyor moves the robot transfer apparatus to transfer the joined outer and inner members to the hemming station from the joining station, the hemming station including roll hemming apparatus including a pair of roll hemming robots for roll prehemming and roll final hemming the periphery of the outer member around the periphery of the inner member between the corners of the members, and the hemming station including window edge hemming apparatus for hemming at least certain of the window opening inner edges of the outer member; and

a delivery station to which the robot transfer apparatus transfers the hemmed closure along the axis of conveyance from the hemming station.

18. A system for hemming a vehicle body closure comprising:

a joining station including a turntable and a robot loading apparatus for depositing a formed sheet metal outer member of the closure and a formed sheet metal inner member of the closure on the turntable with associated corners of the outer and inner members located adjacent each other, with peripheries of the outer and inner members extending alongside each other between their corners and with window opening inner edges of the inner and outer members extending alongside each other at front, top, rear and bottom positions to define a window opening at an upper portion of the closure, and the joining station including corner forming apparatus for forming the corners of the outer member around the adjacent corners of the inner member to initially join the outer and inner members of the closure to each other;

robot transfer apparatus including a rotatable transfer head assembly having first and second heads, and the first head receiving and removing the joined outer and inner members of the closure from the joining station;

a floor mounted transfer conveyor for moving the robot transfer apparatus along a direction of conveyance from the joining station;

a hemming station having a plurality of fixtures along the axis of conveyance, the floor mounted transfer conveyor moving the robot transfer apparatus to the hemming station so the second head of the rotatable transfer head assembly initially receives a previously hemmed closure and the first head thereof transfers the joined outer and inner members to one of the fixtures of the hemming station from the joining station, the hemming station including roll hemming apparatus including a pair of roll hemming robots for roll prehemming and roll final hemming of the members, a floor mounted hemming robot conveyor for moving the pair of roll hemming robots along the axis of conveyance to the fixture being used during each cycle, each fixture including window edge hemming apparatus for hemming at least inner edges of the window opening of the outer member, and the fixtures being located between the transfer conveyor and the hemming robot conveyor; and

a delivery station to which the robot transfer apparatus moves along the axis of conveyance to transfer the hemmed closure on the first head of the rotatable transfer head assembly thereof from the hemming station.

19. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure comprising:

positioning a formed sheet metal outer member of the closure and a formed sheet metal inner member of the closure at a joining station with associated corners of the outer and inner members located adjacent each other and with peripheries of the outer and inner members extending alongside each other between their corners,

forming the corners of the outer member around the adjacent corners of the inner member to initially join the outer and inner members of the closure to each other;

operating a robot transfer apparatus to transfer the joined outer and inner members of the closure from the joining station along a conveying axis to a hemming station; and

operating a robot roll hemming apparatus to initially roll prehem and subsequently roll final hem the periphery of the outer member around the periphery of the inner member between the corners of the members.

20. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 19 wherein a window edge hemming apparatus is operated to hem inner edges of a window opening of the outer member.

21. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 19 wherein the outer member and the inner member are loaded on at turntable of the joining station for positioning with respect to each other in preparation for the corner forming.

22. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 21 wherein the outer member and the inner member are loaded onto the turntable by a loading robot.

23. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 19 wherein a bottom portion of the periphery of the outer member is pre prehemmed alongside a bottom portion of the periphery of the inner member.

24. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 23 wherein the corners of the outer member are formed around the adjacent corners of the inner member by corner formers to perform the initially joining of the outer and inner members of the closure to each other, and wherein a robot performs the pre prehemming of the bottom portion of the periphery of the outer member alongside the bottom portion of the periphery of the inner member.

25. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 19 wherein a loading robot loads the outer member and the inner member onto a turntable at the joining station for the corner forming that joins the outer and inner members to each other and for robot actuated roll pre prehemming of a bottom portion of the periphery of the outer member alongside a bottom portion of the periphery of the inner member.

26. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 19 wherein the robot transfer apparatus transfers the hemmed closure from the hemming station to a delivery station.

27. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 26 wherein the robot transfer apparatus is conveyed along a conveying axis between the joining station, the hemming station and the delivery station, a rotatable transfer head assembly of the robot transfer apparatus being position so a first head thereof removes the joined outer and inner members of the closure from the joining station and subsequent conveyance of the robot transfer apparatus positioning a second head of the of the robot transfer head assembly at the hemming station to initial receive the previously hemmed closure therefrom whereupon the transfer head assembly is rotated to transfer the joined outer and inner members on the first head thereof to the hemming station prior to movement of the robot transfer apparatus to the delivery station to deliver the hemmed closure on the second head thereof to the delivery station for further processing.

28. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 19 wherein the joined outer and inner members of the closure are received from the robot transfer apparatus by an inclined fixture at the hemming station for the roll prehemming and roll final hemming which is performed by at least one roll hemming robot with the inclined fixture located laterally with respect to the axis of conveyance between the location of the robot transfer apparatus when it deposits the joined outer and inner members on the inclined fixture and the location of the robot roll hemming apparatus upon performing the initial roll prehemming and the subsequent roll final hemming.

29. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 28 wherein the joined outer and inner members are received by the inclined fixture in an upside-down position with a upper window opening thereof at a lower position, and window edge hemming apparatus preforming window inner edge hemming of the outer member from a location in horizontal alignment with the upper window opening at the lower position on the fixture.

30. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 19 wherein the robot transfer apparatus is conveyed by a floor mounted transfer conveyor along the axis of conveyance between the joining station, the hemming station and the delivery station, the joined outer and inner members being received at the hemming station by one of a plurality of fixtures of different constructions for different vehicles along the axis of conveyance to thereby provide manufacturing flexibility.

31. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 30 wherein a pair of roll hemming robots perform the initial roll prehemming and the subsequent roll final hemming, and the pair of roll hemming robots being moved on a hemming robot conveyor along the axis of conveyance for selective use with the fixtures which are spaced therealong between the transfer conveyor and the hemming robot conveyor.

32. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 19 wherein the robot transfer apparatus is conveyed by a floor mounted transfer conveyor along the axis of conveyance between the joining station, the hemming station and the delivery station, the robot transfer apparatus depositing the joined outer and inner members at the hemming station on one of a pair of turntables located along the axis of conveyance with each turntable including a pair of fixtures for selectively receiving joined outer and inner members of different constructions for different vehicles to thereby provide manufacturing flexibility.

33. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 32 wherein a pair of roll hemming robots perform the initial roll prehemming and the subsequent roll final hemming and a floor mounted hemming robot conveyor moving the pair of hemming robots on a hemming robot conveyor along the axis of conveyance for selective use with the fixtures on the turntables which are spaced therealong between the transfer conveyor and the hemming robot conveyor.

34. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure as in claim 19 wherein each hemmed closure is received by a turntable at the delivery station during cyclical operation of the system.

35. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure comprising:

operating a loading robot to position a formed sheet metal outer member of the closure and a formed sheet metal inner member of the closure on a turntable at a joining station with associated corners of the outer and inner members located adjacent each other and with peripheries of the outer and inner members extending alongside each other between their corners;

forming the corners of the outer member around the adjacent corners of the inner member to initially join the outer and inner members of the closure to each other;

conveying a robot transfer apparatus on a floor mounted robot transfer conveyor to transfer the joined outer and inner members of the closure from the joining station along a conveying axis to a fixture of a hemming station;

operating a robot roll hemming apparatus located on the opposite side of the fixture from the floor mounted robot transfer conveyor to initially roll prehem and subsequently roll final hem the periphery of the outer member around the periphery of the inner member between the corners of the members; and

conveying the robot transfer apparatus on the floor mounted transfer conveyor to transfer the hemmed closure member along the axis of conveyance from the hemming station to a delivery station.

36. A method for hemming a vehicle body closure comprising:

operating a loading robot to position a formed sheet metal outer member of the closure and a formed sheet metal inner member of the closure on a turntable at a joining station with associated corners of the outer and inner members located adjacent each other, with peripheries of the outer and inner members extending alongside each other between their corners and with window inner edges of the outer and inner members extending alongside each other to define a window opening;

forming the corners of the outer member around the adjacent corners of the inner member to initially join the outer and inner members of the closure to each other;

conveying a robot transfer apparatus on a floor mounted robot transfer conveyor to transfer the joined outer and inner members of the closure from the joining station along a conveying axis to one of a plurality of fixtures of a hemming station;

conveying robot roll hemming apparatus on a floor mounted robot conveyor located on the opposite side of said one fixture from the floor mounted hemming robot transfer conveyor to initially roll prehem and subsequently roll final hem the periphery of the outer member around the periphery of the inner member between the corners of the members;

operating window hemming apparatus at the hemming station to hem at least some of the inner window edges of the outer member; and

conveying the robot transfer apparatus on the floor mounted transfer conveyor to transfer the hemmed closure member along the axis of conveyance from the hemming station to a delivery station.