JOINT GUARANTEE SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE ASSEMBLY AND CONTROL METHOD OF THE SAME

• US 20150045929A1
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Jaehyun, Ryu, Sung Phil
• Granted Patent: US 9,651,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/114
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/06 Screw or nut setting or loosening machines
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/00 Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with or without preceding or subsequent working of such parts, e.g. with programme control
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/50 Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/402 characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2609 Process control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49202 For point to point positioning

Abstract

A fastening guarantee system for vehicle assembly is used in a vehicle assembly line for assembling a fastening object to a vehicle body conveyed on a conveyer line with fastening members. The system may include i) a vehicle body sensing unit that senses a vehicle body entering the conveyer line and the distance to the vehicle body, ii) a plurality of tool sensing units at predetermined intervals along the conveyer line that senses the position of a fastening tool, iii) an inertia sensor module that senses the angle and the displacement of the fastening tool, iv) a tool controller, and v) the fastening tool.

Claims

1. A fastening history guarantee system for a vehicle assembly line which assembles a fastening object to a vehicle body conveyed on a conveyer line with fastening members, the system comprising:

a vehicle body sensing unit disposed on the assembly line sensing a vehicle body entering the conveyer line, and sensing the distance to the vehicle body by radiating and receiving a laser at entry and exit sides of the conveyer line;

a plurality of tool sensing units disposed at predetermined intervals along the conveyer line and sensing the position of a fastening tool;

an inertia sensor module disposed on the fastening tool and senses the angle and the displacement of the fastening tool at fastening points for the vehicle body and the fastening object;

a tool controller that supplies control signals corresponding to the fastening points and the fastening object, the types of fastening members, and fastening torque of the fastening tool; and

a main controller that obtains the position information of the vehicle body and the fastening tool, and the angle and displacement of the fastening tool through the vehicle body sensing unit, the tool sensing unit, and the inertia sensor module, wherein the main controller sets the fastening points, the types of the fastening members, and the fastening torque of the fastening tool, transmits the set values to the tool controller, and receives and stores an identification number of the vehicle body, the types of the fastening members, and the fastening torque resultant value of the fastening tool from the tool controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the vehicle body sensing unit includes

a barcode scanner disposed at the vehicle entry side of the conveyer lien and recognizing a barcode on the vehicle body and

a laser sensor disposed at the vehicle body entry and exit sides of the conveyer line, radiating a laser to the vehicle body, receiving the laser reflecting from the vehicle body, and sensing the distance to the vehicle body.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the barcode scanner generates an identification number of the vehicle body entering the conveyer line, generates order information of the vehicle body, using the identification number, and transmits the order information of the vehicle body to the main controller.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the main controller obtains the identification number of the vehicle body between the entry and exit sides of the conveyer line.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the main controller extracts the outline of the vehicle body in response to a sensing signal from the laser sensor and calculates the position of the vehicle body between the entry and exit sides of the conveyer line by analyzing the outline.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the main controller calculates the position of a vehicle body between the entry and exit sides on the basis of the gap between vehicle bodies conveyed on the conveyer line and the positions of the vehicles at the entry and exit sides of the conveyer line.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein an RFID tag periodically transmitting a signal in the range of UWB (Ultra Wide Band) is attached to the fastening tool.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the tool sensing unit includes an RFID sensor that calculates the position of the fastening tool in real time in response to the signal from the RFID tag.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the inertia sensor module senses the angle, the acceleration, and the angular velocity of the fastening tool.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the main controller recognizes a vehicle body close to the fastening tool as a fastening object, on the basis of the real-time position information of a vehicle body obtained by the vehicle body sensing unit and the real-time position information of a fastening tool obtained by the tool sensing unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the main controller determines the types of fastening members on the basis of the angle of the fastening tool obtained by the inertia sensor module and sets fastening torque of the fastening tool.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the main controller sets fastening points for a vehicle body and a fastening object on the basis of the displacement of a fastening tool obtained by the inertia sensor module.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the main controller when there are several fastening points for the vehicle body and the fastening object, determines a fastening pattern of the fastening tool at the fastening points on the basis of the displacement of the fastening tool obtained from the inertia sensor module.

14. A method of controlling a fastening history guarantee system for a vehicle assembly system, the method comprising:

providing the fastening guarantee system for vehicle assembly of claim 1;

generating an identification number of a vehicle body by sensing a vehicle body entering a conveyer line with the vehicle sensing unit, and generating order information of vehicle bodies from the identification numbers;

obtaining the position information of a vehicle at the entry and exit sides of the conveyer line, by extracting and analyzing the outline of the vehicle body in response to a sensing signal from the vehicle body sensing unit;

obtaining the position information of a vehicle between the entry and exit sides on the basis of the predetermined gaps between vehicle bodies conveyed along the conveyer line and of the position of the vehicle body at the entry and exit sides of the conveyer line;

sensing the position of a fastening tool on the conveyer line through the tool sensing unit and sensing the displacement and angle of the fastening tool through the inertia sensor module;

recognizing the vehicle body close to a fastening tool on the basis of the position information of a vehicle body obtained by the vehicle body sensing unit and the position information of the fastening tool obtained by the tool sensing unit;

obtaining the position information of the vehicle body and the fastening too and the angle and the displacement of the fastening tool, setting fastening points for the vehicle body and the fastening object, the types of fastening members, and the fastening torque of the fastening tool, and transmitting the set values to the tool controller;

fastening the fastening members to the fastening points for the vehicle body and the fastening object by supplying a fastening signal to the fastening tool through the tool controller; and

receiving and storing the identification number of the vehicle body, the types of the fastening members, and the fastening torque result of the fastening tool from the tool controller.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the identification number of the vehicle between the entry and exit sides of the conveyer line is obtained by the vehicle body sensing unit.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein when there are several fastening points for the vehicle body and the fastening object, a fastening pattern of the fastening tool at the fastening points is determined on the basis of the displacement of the fastening tool obtained by the inertia sensor module.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the movement distance of the fastening tool is calculated by double integrating the acceleration of the fastening tool obtained by the inertia sensor module, and the movement path of the fastening tool is estimated by integrating the acceleration of the fastening tool obtained by the inertia sensor module.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the identification number of the vehicle body, the types of the fastening members, and the fastening resultant value of the fastening tool are transmitted to a following repair process, and whether there is poor fastening of the fastening members at the fastening points is determined in the following repair process.