Tracking and conveying device

Abstract

A tracking and handling device (10) capable of effectively handling workpieces (W), at low cost, even when a motion path of a robot (16,18,20) or a conveying interval of the workpieces (W) is varied. A first controller (22) for a first robot (16) on the most upstream side judges whether each workpiece (W) supplied from a source should be handled by the first robot (16). Data of the workpiece (W) not to be handled by the first robot (16) is sent to a second controller (24) for a second robot (18) next to the first robot (16). The second controller (24) judges whether each workpiece (W) should be handled by the second robot (18) based on data from the first controller (22). Data of the workpiece (W) not to be handled by the second robot (18) is sent to a third controller (26) for a third robot (20) on the most downstream side. The third controller (26) judges whether a remaining workpiece (W) should be handled by the third robot (20) based on data from the second controller (24).

Description

Technical field [0001] The invention relates to a tracking and conveying device that uses a robot to transfer workpieces from a conveying belt to other positions. Background technique [0002] As an existing workpiece processing system that combines industrial robots and vision sensors, it is known that a plurality of robots arranged along a conveying path grip a workpiece conveyed by a conveying belt and transfer the gripped workpiece from On the conveyor belt, it is transferred to other locations or processes. In such a system, how to control the tracking actions of multiple robots is very important. [0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-131683 discloses a robot system including a plurality of robots arranged along the path of the conveyor belt and a camera that photographs the workpiece on the conveyor belt. The system has a unit for the robot control device to make a robot action reservation for each workpiece according to the detection result of t...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, since this system reserves the robot's hold operation based on the possible time from the start of the robot's tracking operation to the completion of one cycle of operation, if the robot's motion path or waiting time for a confirmation signal changes, then It is difficult to predict the robot's action time

[0006] In addition, since the workpiece processing device described in Japanese Patent No. 3077564 is preset with the number of workpieces that pass without being held on the upstream robot, it is possible to efficiently hold workpieces when the conveyance interval of workpieces is substantially constant. When the transfer interval becomes irregular, there is a possibility that the robot on the upstream side will be in a waiting state even if it is in a state where it can hold a workpiece, and there is a possibility that efficiency will decrease

Images