Flexible automotive assembly workstation and method

• US 6,564,440 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comau LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Progressive Tool & Industries, Co. (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Kilibarda, Velibor, Dugas, Michael R., Kaufman, Alan S., Oldford, Keith A., Johnson, Karl G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vidovich, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omgba, Essama
• Application Number:
  US09/768,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 294/070.1, 294/69, 295/59, 297/00, 297/84, 297/99, 298/22, 298/23, 298/24, 294/30
• US Class Current: 29/407.01
• 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: B62D 65/18 Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines conveyors and haulage in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49764 with testing or indicating
• 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 29/49998 Work holding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 Means to assemble or disassemble
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53048 Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53313 Means to interrelatedly feed plural work parts from plural sources without manual intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5337 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53539 including work conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53543 including transporting track

Abstract

An apparatus for assembling multiple automotive body styles on a single assembly line. The apparatus includes a workstation with multiple geometry fixtures, at least one geometry fixture for each automotive body style to be processed at the work station. One geometry fixture is at a ready position of the work station to support an automotive component during a processing operation. The geometry fixtures can be exchanged at the ready position so that a production rate of the assembly line can be maintained. The apparatus also includes a lowerator for transferring an automotive component from an overhead transport system to the geometry fixture at the ready position.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assembling different automotive body styles on a single assembly line comprising:

means for transporting automotive components along a predetermined path for delivery through at least one workstation, each of the components corresponding to one of a plurality of different automotive body styles to be processed on the assembly line;

means for selectively positioning one of a plurality of geometry fixtures at a ready position of the at least one workstation to receive the automotive component from the transporting means, the ready position located along a positioning path of travel extending transversely to the predetermined path for delivery of the transported automotive components, each of the plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a different body style of the plurality of automotive components to be transported along the path;

means for transferring the automotive component between the geometry fixture at the ready position and the transporting means; and

means for preventing the transporting means from moving with respect to the at least one workstation if movement of the transferring means has failed to transfer the automotive component from the geometry fixture to the transporting means, wherein the preventing means includes at least one sensor mounted to the transporting means for generating a vertical position signal corresponding to a vertical position of the transferring means with respect to the transporting means, and drive means, responsive to the vertical position signal from the sensor based on a control program stored in memory, for controlling movement of the transporting means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

position control means for moving a selected geometry fixture to the ready position within a time period cycle corresponding to moving a first component out of the at least one workstation and delivering a second component to the at least one workstation while different automotive body styles are being assembled in sequence concurrently on the assembly line.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the position control means further comprises:

means for generating a configuration signal corresponding to an automotive component to be delivered to the at least one workstation next; and

drive means, responsive to the configuration signal based on a control program stored in memory, for moving a geometry fixture corresponding to the particular automotive body style to be delivered to the at least one workstation next to the ready position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

means for stopping the transporting means when the transporting means reaches the workstation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

means for guiding the transporting means into the at least one workstation to align the transporting means with respect to the geometry fixture at the ready position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transporting means further comprises:

a trolley movable along the path; and

a carriage movable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the trolley.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one robot at the workstation for performing a processing operation on the automotive component delivered to the geometry fixture at the ready position of the workstation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transferring means are located separate from the transporting means at each workstation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one elevated robot located at said workstation along the predetermined path for performing work on the transported automotive components; and

the geometry fixtures moveable along the positioning path located at an elevation below the at least one elevated robot.

10. An apparatus for assembling different automotive body styles on a single assembly line comprising:

means for transporting automotive components along a predetermined path for delivery through at least one workstation, each of the components corresponding to one of a plurality of different automotive body styles to be processed on the assembly line, wherein the transporting means includes a trolley movable along the path, and a carriage movable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the trolley;

means for selectively positioning one of a plurality of geometry fixtures at a ready position of the at least one workstation to receive the automotive component from the transporting means, each of the plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a different body style of the plurality of automotive components to be transported along the path; and

means for transferring the automotive component between the geometry fixture at the ready position and the transporting means, wherein the transferring means includes a lowerator having a rotatable lifter arm with a roller disposed adjacent an outer end of the lifter arm, the lifter arm rotatable from a first angular position through a second angular position to a third angular position, such that as the lifter arm rotates from the first position to the second position the roller engages the carriage, releases a latch maintaining the carriage in the raised position, and as the lifter arm rotates from the second position to the third position lowers the carriage to transfer the automotive component to the geometry fixture at the ready position when the carriage is in the lowered position.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

means for preventing the transporting means from moving with respect to the at least one workstation if movement of the transferring means has failed to transfer the automotive component from the geometry fixture to the transporting means.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

lowerator drive means for rotating the lifter arm from the first position to the third position when the carriage is at the ready position, and to rotate the lifter arm from the third position to the first position in response to a signal indicating that a processing operation has been completed at the workstation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the lowerator drive means further comprises:

a sensor operable to emit a trolley-present signal when the trolley reaches the workstation above the geometry fixture in the ready position; and

means for operating the lowerator in response to the trolley-present signal based on a control program stored in memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the lowerator drive means further comprises:

a sensor to emit a carriage-lock signal and a carriage-unlock signal; and

control means, responsive to the carriage-lock signal and the carriage-unlock signal based on a control program stored in memory, for rotating the lifter arm from the first position to the second position if the carriage-lock signal is initially present, and to continue rotating the lifter arm from the second position to the third position if the carriage-lock signal changes to the carriage-unlock signal.

15. A method of assembling different automotive body styles on a single assembly line comprising the steps of:

transporting automotive components along a predetermined path through at least one workstation with transporting means, each of the components corresponding to one of a plurality of different automotive body styles to be processed on the assembly line;

selectively positioning with positioning means one of a plurality of geometry fixtures at a ready position of the at least one workstation to receive the automotive component from the transporting means, the ready position located along a positioning path of travel extending transversely to the predetermined path for delivery of the transported automotive components, each of the plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a different body style of the plurality of automotive components to be transported along the path;

transferring the automotive component between the geometry fixture and the transporting means with transferring means; and

controlling the positioning means to move a selected geometry fixture to the ready position within a time period cycle defined between a first component being transported away from the workstation and a second component arriving at the workstation while different automotive body styles are being assembled in sequence concurrently on the assembly line, wherein the controlling step further includes the steps of receiving a configuration signal corresponding to the automotive body style to be delivered to the workstation next with electronic control means, and controlling the positioning means to move a geometry fixture to the ready position corresponding to the automotive body style to be delivered next to the workstation based on the configuration signal with the electronic control means and a control program stored in memory.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

controlling the transporting means to prevent the transporting means from moving with respect to the workstation if movement of the transferring means has failed to transfer the automotive component from the geometry fixture to the transporting means.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

controlling the transferring step to prevent transfer of the automotive component from the transporting means to the geometry fixture until the geometry fixture is located at the ready position.

18. A method of assembling different automotive body styles on a single assembly line comprising the steps of:

transporting automotive components along a predetermined path through at least one workstation with transporting means, each of the components corresponding to one of a plurality of different automotive body styles to be processed on the assembly line;

selectively positioning with positioning means one of a plurality of geometry fixtures at a ready position of the at least one workstation to receive the automotive component from the transporting means, each of the plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a different body style of the plurality of automotive components to be transported along the path;

transferring the automotive component between the geometry fixture and the transporting means with transferring means; and

controlling the transporting means to prevent the transporting means from moving with respect to the workstation if movement of the transferring means has failed to transfer the automotive component from the geometry fixture to the transporting means, wherein the step of controlling the transporting means includes the steps of receiving a vertical position signal corresponding to the vertical position of the transferring means relative to the transporting means with an electronic control means, and controlling the transporting means to stop with the electronic control means if the transferring means has failed to transfer the automotive component from the geometry fixture to the transporting means based on the vertical position signal in accordance with a control program stored in memory.

19. A method of assembling different automotive body styles on a single assembly line comprising the steps of:

transporting automotive components along a predetermined path through at least one workstation with transporting means, each of the components corresponding to one of a plurality of different automotive body styles to be processed on the assembly line;

selectively positioning with positioning means one of a plurality of geometry fixtures at a ready position of the at least one workstation to receive the automotive component from the transporting means, the ready position located along a positioning path of travel extending transversely to the predetermined path for delivery of the transported automotive components, each of the plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a different body style of the plurality of automotive components to be transported along the path;

transferring the automotive component between the geometry fixture and the transporting means with transferring means; and

controlling the transferring step to prevent transfer of the automotive component from the transporting means to the geometry fixture until the geometry fixture is located at the ready position, wherein the step of controlling the transferring step further includes the step of receiving a transporting-means-present signal corresponding to the transporting means being positioned at the workstation above the geometry fixture positioned at the ready position with an electronic control means, receiving a fixture-present signal corresponding to the geometry fixture positioned at the ready position with the electronic control means, and controlling the transferring means with the electronic control means based on the transporting-means-present signal, the fixture-present signal in accordance with a control program stored in memory.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

controlling the positioning means to move a selected geometry fixture to the ready position within a time period cycle defined between a first component being transported away from the workstation and a second component arriving at the workstation while different automotive body styles are being assembled in sequence concurrently on the assembly line.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

controlling the transferring step in response to a signal indicating if the transferring means is locked in a raised position relative to the transporting means.

22. A method of assembling different automotive body styles on a single assembly line comprising the steps of:

transporting automotive components along a predetermined path through at least one workstation with transporting means, each of the components corresponding to one of a plurality of different automotive body styles to be processed on the assembly line;

selectively positioning with positioning means one of a plurality of geometry fixtures at a ready position of the at least one workstation to receive the automotive component from the transporting means, each of the plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a different body style of the plurality of automotive components to be transported along the path;

transferring the automotive component between the geometry fixture and the transporting means with transferring means; and

controlling the transferring step in response to a signal indicating if the transferring means is locked in a raised position relative to the transporting means, wherein the controlling step includes the steps of receiving the signal indicating the transferring means is locked in the raised position with electronic control means, engaging the transferring means to rotate a lifter arm from a first position to an intermediate position with the electronic control means, determining if the signal is interrupted when the lifter arm is rotated to the intermediate position with the electronic control means, continuing engagement of the transferring means to rotate the lifter arm from the intermediate position to a second position with the electronic control means if the signal has been interrupted when the lifter arm is rotated to the intermediate position from the first position with the electronic control means, receiving a signal corresponding to a completion of work at the workstation with the electronic control means, engaging of the transferring means to rotate the lifter arm from the second position to the first position with the electronic control means, and determining if the signal is receivable after the lifter arm has been rotated from the second position to the first position with the electronic control means.

23. An apparatus for assembling different automotive body styles on a single assembly line comprising:

overhead means for transporting automotive components along a predetermined path for delivery through at least one workstation, each of the components corresponding to one of a plurality of different automotive body styles to be processed on the assembly line;

means for selectively positioning one of a plurality of geometry fixtures at a ready position of the at least one workstation to receive the automotive component from the overhead transporting means, each of the plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a different body style of the plurality of automotive components to be transported along the path; and

means, located separate from the overhead transporting means at each workstation, for transferring the automotive component between the geometry fixture at the ready position and the transporting means, wherein the transferring means further includes a lowerator having a rotatable lifter arm with a roller disposed adjacent an outer end of the lifter arm, the lifter arm rotatable from a first angular position through a second angular position to a third angular position, such that as the lifter arm rotates from the first position to the second position the roller engages the overhead transporting means, releases a latch maintaining the overhead transporting means in a raised position, and as the lifter arm rotates from the second position to the third position lowers the overhead transporting means to transfer the automotive component to the geometry fixture at the ready position when the overhead transporting means is in a lowered position.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising:

the ready position located along a positioning path of travel extending transversely to the predetermined path for delivery of the transported automotive components.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising:

at least one elevated robot located at said workstation along the predetermined path for performing work on the transported automotive components; and

the geometry fixtures moveable along a positioning path located at an elevation below the at least one elevated robot.