Manufacturing plant for parts, particularly vehicle body parts

• US 7,331,439 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Kuka Schweissanlagen GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Long, Robert, Degain, Michael, Moser, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Deuble; Mark A
• Application Number:
  US10/548,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20060226197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 198/575, 198/339.1, 198/346.2, 228/4.1, 228/47.1, 228/6.1, 294/30, 294/31, 29/33.P, 297/91
• US Class Current: 198/339.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/006 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/047 moving work to adjust its position between soldering, welding or cutting steps B23K37/053 takes precedence
• 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 65/02 Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5196 Multiple station with conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/534 Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus

Abstract

A manufacturing plant (1) is provided for vehicle body parts (2, 3). The manufacturing plant includes a number of processing stations (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), which are situated one behind the other along a transfer line (22), and of a number of multiaxial robots (18, 19). In at least one processing station (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), one or more handling robots (18) for transporting parts is/are arranged on at least one axis of travel (20, 21). Next to the handling robot (18), one or more processing robots (19) is/are displaceably arranged on the same axis of travel (20). Working locations (11, 12) are arranged on both sides of a common axis of travel (20), whereby another common axis of travel can be provided on the rear side of the working locations.

Claims

1. A manufacturing plant for body part components, the manufacturing plant comprising:

a plurality of processing stations, which are arranged one after another along a transfer line, and

a plurality of multiaxial robots, wherein one or more handling robots for transporting the parts are arranged in at least one processing station on at least one travel axis, which extends through a plurality of adjacent processing stations and connects same, and at least one of the processing stations has a plurality of, type-specific work stations for different types of parts of the same kind and one or more additional travel axes for one or more robots, wherein the additional travel axis is arranged on the other side of the work stations and the type-specific work stations are arranged next to one another along the travel axes and can be operated by the robots.

2. A manufacturing plant in accordance with claim 1, wherein said one or more handling robots and one or more processing robots are arranged movably next to one another on one or more common travel axes.

3. A manufacturing plant in accordance with claim 1, wherein the work stations are arranged both sides of a common travel axis.

4. A manufacturing plant in accordance with claim 1, wherein the work stations can be operated jointly by the handling robots and the processing robots.

5. A manufacturing plant in accordance with claim 1, wherein transfer points with intermediate storage units, which are located in the working range of the handling robots, are arranged between the processing stations.

6. A manufacturing plant in accordance with claim 1, wherein a handling robot each is arranged on a common travel axis of adjacent processing stations at ends thereof.

7. A manufacturing plant in accordance with claim 1, wherein one or more processing robots are arranged on the common travel axis between the end-side handling robots.

8. A manufacturing plant in accordance with claim 1, wherein the robots are designed as multiaxial articulated arm robots.

9. A manufacturing plant in accordance claim 1, wherein the robots have a dual function as a handling robot and as a processing robots.