Automated assembly method for a motor vehicle

• US 8,378,261 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Raje, Sachin K., Sinha, Ravi K., Elliott, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): FOX, BRANDON C
• Application Number:
  US12/557,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20110062132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 219/137.R, 700/96
• US Class Current: 219/137.R
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/115 by means of two electrodes placed opposite one another on both sides of the welded parts
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/006 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/18 Sheet panels
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/02 relating to soldering or welding dip or wave soldering in the manufacture of printed circuits H05K3/34
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41805 characterised by assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35216 Program, generate nc program, code from cad data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45104 Lasrobot, welding robot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/23 using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method of automated assembly for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The method includes a step of automatically determining weld characteristics according to weld location information. The method further includes a step of generating an automated weld program according to the weld characteristics and a step of controlling a welding robot according to the automated weld program.

Claims

1. A method of making a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving a vehicle assembly within a network of computers;

receiving weld location information associated with the vehicle assembly;

receiving a weld location for a first assembly part of the vehicle assembly and determining a second assembly part of the vehicle assembly to be connected to the first assembly part according to the weld location;

determining a spherical surface about the weld location and determining a set of connected assembly parts that are disposed within a predetermined distance of the spherical surface;

generating a set of weld characteristics based on the weld location information using at least one computer of the network of computers; and

determining an automated weld program according to the weld location information and set of weld characteristics using at least one computer of the network of computers.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a welding robot is controlled according to the automated weld program.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the weld location information is the location of a weld on a surface of an assembly part of the vehicle assembly.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating the set of weld characteristics based on the weld location information includes determining a weld geometry.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the set of weld characteristics further include a weld thickness.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance varies in a range between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the second assembly part to be connected to the first assembly part is followed by a step of storing the first assembly part and the second assembly part as a set of connected assembly parts.

8. A method of making a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving a vehicle assembly including a plurality of assembly parts;

receiving a weld location for a first assembly part of the plurality of assembly parts;

determining a second assembly part to be connected to the first assembly part according to the weld location information;

determining a spherical surface about the weld location, the spherical surface being associated with a predefined size; and

calculating an automated weld program, the automated weld program including information related to welding the first assembly part to the second assembly part.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a welding robot is controlled according to the automated weld program.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the weld location is associated with a surface of the first assembly part.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the predefined size is associated with a radius in a range between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of determining the spherical surface about the weld location is followed by a step of determining all connected parts within a predetermined distance from the spherical surface.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of determining all connected parts within the predetermined distance from the spherical surface further includes a step of storing all parts close to the spherical surface.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of storing all parts close to the spherical surface is followed by a step of determining if the number of stored parts is greater than four.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of determining if the number of stored parts is greater than four is followed by the step of choosing the four closest parts when the number of stored parts is greater than four.

16. A method of making a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving a vehicle assembly including a plurality of assembly parts;

receiving a weld location for a first assembly part of the plurality of assembly parts;

retrieving a predefined sphere size;

determining a spherical surface about the weld location, the spherical surface being associated with the predefined sphere size;

retrieving a predetermined distance;

determining a set of connected assembly parts, the set of connected assembly parts including all the assembly parts within the predetermined distance from the spherical surface; and

calculating an automated weld program according to the weld location information and set of connected assembly parts.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein a welding robot is controlled according to the automated weld program.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the predefined sphere size is the in range between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the predefined sphere size is in the range between 0.3 mm and 0.8 mm.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the predefined sphere size is approximately 0.5 mm.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined distance is in the range between 1 mm and 20 mm.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the predetermined distance is in the range between 5 mm and 15 mm.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the predetermined distance is approximately 8 mm.

24. A method of making a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving a vehicle assembly including a plurality of assembly parts;

receiving a weld location for a first assembly part of the plurality of assembly parts;

creating a cylinder about the weld location;

determining a set of connected parts, the set of connected parts including all the assembly parts that intersect the cylinder; and

calculating an automated weld program according to the weld location information and set of connected assembly parts.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein a welding robot is controlled according to the automated weld program.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the cylinder has a radius in the range between 1 mm and 4 mm.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the cylinder has a radius of approximately 2 mm.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the cylinder has a height in the range between 5 mm and 15 mm.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cylinder has a height of approximately 10 mm.