Method for manufacturing armatures

• US 6,353,986 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1998
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Axis Usa, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Axis Usa, Inc.
• Inventors: Domenichini, Carlo, Becherucci, Raffaele
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omgba, Essama
• Application Number:
  US09/179,527
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 297/32, 294/070.4, 294/070.9, 294/30, 295/96, 294/011, 297/11, 297/83, 297/84, 297/91, 297/99, 198/340
• US Class Current: 29/401.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53048 Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53365 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/534 Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus and method for manufacturing armatures according to a first and a second configuration is provided. An information storage device associated with one of the components is provided to store information corresponding to one of the first and second configurations. A processing station is provided which is capable of performing a first processing step corresponding to the first configuration and a second processing step corresponding to the second configuration. The processing station is arranged to perform one of the processing steps according to the information stored in the information storage device. Changeover from a batch of first configuration components to a batch of second configuration components is achieved by delaying departure of processed second batch components from the processing station until all first batch components have been processed and have departed.

Claims

1. A method of converting a manufacturing line for dynamo-electric machine components from manufacturing a first batch of components having a first configuration to manufacturing a second batch of components having a second configuration, the line comprising a plurality of processing stations, at least one of which performs a first processing step on first batch components and a second processing step on second batch components, means for conveying the components a synchronously from station to station in a predetermined sequence of stations, and means for identifying at least a leading component of the second batch of components being conveyed, the method comprising:

conveying the second batch components to said one station while said first batch components are present at said one station; and

conveying the second batch components upon which the second processing step has been performed from said one station only when all first batch components have been conveyed away from said station.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising performing the first processing step at a first machine of said one station while directing the second batch components to a further machine of said one station.

3. The method defined in claim 2 further comprising storing the second batch components by locally circulating the second batch components around the said one station.

4. The method defined in claim 2, further comprising converting said further machine of said one station to perform the second processing step upon an approach to said one station of the leading second batch component.

5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising locally circulating unprocessed first batch components around the said one station until the first processing step has been performed on all of the unprocessed first batch components.

6. The method defined in claim 5 further comprising monitoring a ratio of first batch components to second batch components in said local circulation, and conveying processed second batch components from said one station only when the ratio is zero.

7. The method defined in claim 6 wherein the said one station comprises two machines, the method further comprising adjusting a first machine to perform the second processing step when the ratio is zero, and then directing second batch components to both said machines.

8. The method defined in claim 6 wherein the said one station comprises at least two of said first machines, the method further comprising successively adjusting said first machines to perform the second processing step as the said ratio falls below successive threshold values, the lowest of which is zero.

9. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising storing second batch components on which the second processing step has been performed until all the first batch components have been conveyed from the said one station.

10. The method defined in claim 9 further comprising storing the processed second batch components in a store located downstream of the said one processing station but before a next processing station.

11. The method defined in claim 9 further comprising Storing the processed second batch components at the said one station.

12. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the conveying means comprises a conveyor having pallets on which the components are carried, wherein the conveying the second batch components comprises conveying said components on said pallets.

13. The method defined in claim 12 wherein the means for identifying at least a leading component of the second batch of components being conveyed comprises an information storage device on at least the pallet carrying the leading second batch component, wherein the conveying the second batch components further comprises conveying said information storage device with said second batch components.

14. The method defined in claim 12 wherein a component is removed from its pallet at one of the stations for a processing step to be performed, and is thereafter returned to a different pallet, the method further comprising conveying to said station at least one empty pallet in advance of the pallet conveying the leading component of the second batch of returning a processed first batch component to the empty pallet and conveying the processed first batch component away from the said station.

15. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising converting each station which requires conversion to perform its respective second processing step on second batch components, the converting of each station being effected in response to the approach of the leading second batch component to said station.

16. The method defined in claim 15 wherein the conveying means comprises a conveyor having pallets on which the components are carried and the line comprises an automatic pallet adjustment station, the method further comprising converting the line to process second batch components being initiated by a command to the pallet adjustment station to convert pallets arriving at said station to convey second batch components.

17. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising storing the second batch components adjacent an approach to the said one station while performing the first processing step on the first batch components.

18. A method of converting a manufacturing line for dynamo-electric machine components from manufacturing a first batch of components having a first configuration to manufacturing a second batch of components having a second configuration, the line comprising a plurality of processing stations, wherein one of the processing stations includes a plurality of machines configured to perform a first processing step on the first batch components and a second processing step on the second batch components, the method comprising:

conveying the second batch components to the one station while the first batch components are undergoing the first processing step at the one station;

identifying at least a leading component of the second batch of components being conveyed; and

conveying the second batch components upon which the second processing step has been performed away from the one station only when all first batch components have been conveyed away from the one station.

19. The method defined in claim 18 further comprising performing the first processing step at a first machine of the one station while directing the second batch components to a further machine of the one station.

20. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising converting the further machine of the one station to perform the second processing step upon an approach to the one station of the leading second batch component.

21. The method defined in claim 18 further comprising locally circulating unprocessed first batch components around the one station until the first processing step has been performed on all of the unprocessed first batch components.

22. The method defined in claim 21 further comprising monitoring a ratio of first batch components to second batch components in the local circulation, and conveying processed second batch components from the one station only when the ratio is zero.

23. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the one station comprises two machines, the method further comprising adjusting a first machine to perform the second processing step when the ratio is zero, and then directing second batch components to both the machines.

24. The method defined in claim 23 wherein the one station comprises at least two of the first machines, the method further comprising successively adjusting the first machines to perform the second processing step as the ratio falls below successive threshold values, the lowest of which is zero.

25. The method defined in claim 18 further comprising storing second batch components on which the second processing step has been performed until all the first batch components have been conveyed away from the one station.

26. The method defined in claim 25 further comprising storing the processed second batch components in a store located downstream of the one processing station but before a next processing station.

27. The method defined in claim 25 further comprising storing the processed second batch components at the one station.

28. The method defined in claim 25 further comprising storing the second batch components by locally circulating the second batch components around the one station.

29. The method defined in claim 18 wherein the components are conveyed on pallets using a conveyor.

30. The method defined in claim 29 wherein the leading component of the second batch is identified with an information storage device on the pallet carrying the leading batch component.

31. The method defined in claim 29 wherein a component is removed from its pallet at a given station for a processing step to be performed, and is thereafter returned to a different pallet, the method further comprising conveying to the given station an empty pallet in advance of the pallet conveying the leading component of the second batch, returning a processed first batch component to the empty pallet, and conveying the processed first batch component away from the given station.

32. The method defined in claim 18, further comprising converting each station which requires conversion to perform its respective second processing step on second batch components, wherein the converting of each station which requires conversion occurs in response to the approach of the leading second batch component to that station.

33. The method defined in claim 32 wherein the components are conveyed on pallets using a conveyor and wherein the line comprises an automatic pallet adjustment station, the method further comprising converting the line to process second batch components being initiated by a command to the pallet adjustment station to convert pallets arriving at that station to convey second batch components.