Apparatus for and method of measurements of components

Abstract

An arrangement for measuring components has a manipulator, at least one measuring system in operative connection with the manipulator, the at least one measuring system including at least one contour measuring device associated with the manipulator and generating an optical sensing surface sweeping a measuring region, an at least one measuring object arranged in the measuring region and at least one reference feature associated with the measuring object; and a method of measurements is performed with the arrangement.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for as well as to a method of measurement of components. [0002] Modern mounting and manufacturing processes increasingly are based on the use of mounting and manufacturing robots, whose actuators are rotatably displaceable in their positions around a plurality of pivot axes for obtaining a high spacial movement flexibility of the robots. The production processes which become more and more complicated pose however high demands for the precision of the movement of the robot actuators. The precision of the movement significantly decreases with an increasing number of pivot axes partially. This relationship can be substantially traced to the number of robot components and their component tolerances, as well as to the increasing number of turning axes bearings and their bearing clearances. For providing high-precision movements in such robot systems, they must be partially post-adjusted in defined time inter...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for and a method of measurements of components, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0006] More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for and a method of measurements of components with a robot-guided measuring system, which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art and provides a great flexibility in the movement of robot systems connected with the measuring accuracy of high-precision measuring processes.

Problems solved by technology

The production processes which become more and more complicated pose however high demands for the precision of the movement of the robot actuators.

For providing high-precision movements in such robot systems, they must be partially post-adjusted in defined time intervals by very expensive calibrating processes.

Based on the complex mathematical relations, such calibration processes are however not suitable to improve the precision of the movement of mounting and manufacturing robots to such a degree that their actuators would be capable for high-precision component measurements.

In addition to a high time expense for the performance of such measuring processes, they possess the disadvantage that they are integratable in the mounting or manufacturing lines only to a limited degree.

In contrast, the robot systems with sensors which can perform high precision measurements are good for the integration in the mounting and manufacturing lines, but such an integration stands in the way of the insufficiently precise movement of the robot segments.

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