A product dimension online flexible measurement system and method with infrared tracking

Abstract

The present invention relates to an online flexible measurement system and method for product dimensions with infrared tracking. The system includes a flexible positioning device, on which a plurality of detachable positioning supports are provided; around the flexible positioning device are also provided: an upper and lower parts robot, which is used for dismantling and replacing the upper and lower parts of the product or the positioning supports; a measuring robot, on whose end effector a laser probe is provided, around which a plurality of infrared emitting balls are provided, each infrared emitting ball is provided with a plurality of infrared emitting surfaces; an infrared tracking device, which receives infrared rays emitted by the infrared emitting surfaces; a calibration ball, which is located within the measuring stroke of the laser probe; and a control device, which is electrically connected to the measuring robot, the laser probe, the upper and lower parts robot, the infrared tracking device, and the flexible positioning device, respectively. The online flexible measurement system and method for product dimensions with infrared tracking of the present invention can realize automatic measurement of different products, with high measurement efficiency, low shared cost, and accurate and stable measurement results.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of automobile component product size measurement, and more specifically to an online flexible product size measurement system and method with infrared tracking. Background Art

[0002] In the automobile manufacturing process, automobile parts products need to meet the dimensional specifications. Therefore, the product dimensions need to be measured. The measurement factors include: profile contour, gap face difference, profile parallelism, profile consistency, hole size, hole position, etc., which will affect the final assembly. At present, there are roughly three online measurement methods for the dimensions of automobile parts products, such as automobile plastic tailgate products:

[0003] The first method is to use a fixed displacement sensor plus a customized tooling. The customized tooling cost of this method is high, the structure is complex, and the maintenance cost is also high. If it is necessary to add a measurement element in the middle, there may be insufficient space, and the customized tooling needs to be redesigned and manufactured, further increasing the cost.

[0004] The second is the online measurement method of the body-in-white of the vehicle factory. This method generally uses a robot plus a laser probe. The body-in-white is fixed on a customized tooling, and the laser measures the relative gap and relative surface difference between the parts of the body-in-white. However, this measurement method is a relative measurement and cannot measure the absolute vector deviation of a single point on the product, and cannot meet the measurement requirements.

[0005] The third method is the online measurement method of the vehicle body with tracking system. This method generally uses a robot plus a laser probe and a laser tracker. The body is fixed on a customized tooling, and the absolute vector deviation of a single point of the product can be measured. This is an absolute measurement. However, the tooling needs to be customized in this method, that is, one tooling needs to be customized for each product, which cannot meet the measurement requirements of different products and has a low degree of flexibility. At the same time, there are many interference factors in the single laser beam of the laser tracker. When the probe moves quickly, the laser tracker cannot track in time. Moreover, the laser beam also has certain damage to the human eye. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a product size online flexible measurement system and method with infrared tracking, which can complete the measurement of different products without the need for customized tooling and has a high degree of flexibility.

[0007] The present invention provides, on one hand, a product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking, comprising:

[0008] A flexible positioning device is provided with a plurality of detachable positioning supports; and around the flexible positioning device are also provided:

[0009] Loading and unloading robot, used for loading and unloading products or for replacing positioning supports;

[0010] A measuring robot, wherein a laser probe is disposed on the end effector thereof, a plurality of infrared emitting balls are disposed around the laser probe, and each infrared emitting ball is provided with a plurality of infrared emitting surfaces;

[0011] An infrared tracking device receives infrared rays emitted by the infrared emitting surface and is used to confirm the spatial position of the laser probe in real time;

[0012] A calibration ball, located within the measuring stroke of the laser probe, is used to calibrate the tool coordinate system and perform regular precision calibration on the laser probe;

[0013] The control device is electrically connected to the measuring robot, the laser probe, the loading and unloading robot, the infrared tracking device and the flexible positioning device respectively.

[0014] Furthermore, the flexible positioning device comprises a servo rotating table and a positioning frame fixed on the servo rotating table, the positioning frame is provided with a plurality of standard mounting surfaces, and the positioning support is detachably mounted on the standard mounting surfaces.

[0015] Furthermore, the standard installation surface is provided with standard holes with equal hole spacing, and the positioning support is installed in the standard holes.

[0016] Furthermore, the control device includes a PLC control cabinet and a measurement control cabinet that communicate with each other, wherein the PLC control cabinet is electrically connected to the measurement robot, the loading and unloading robot, and the flexible positioning device, respectively, and the measurement control cabinet is electrically connected to the laser probe and the infrared tracking device, respectively.

[0017] Furthermore, the infrared tracking device is an infrared camera.

[0018] Furthermore, the flexible positioning device is located within the measuring stroke of the laser probe.

[0019] Furthermore, the laser probe emits green laser and adopts the triangular structured light measurement principle.

[0020] Furthermore, a suction cup or a gripper is provided on the end effector of the loading and unloading robot.

[0021] Furthermore, it also includes an intelligent manufacturing system electrically connected to the control device, which is used to collect product size fluctuation information and form big data.

[0022] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for online flexible measurement of product dimensions with infrared tracking, comprising:

[0023] Step S1: providing a product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking as described above;

[0024] Step S2: Calibrate the tool coordinate system and accuracy of the laser probe using a calibration ball;

[0025] Step S3: the control device controls the loading and unloading robots to install the product on the flexible positioning device;

[0026] Step S4: the control device controls the flexible positioning device to rotate 90° counterclockwise, and controls the measuring robot to measure the product size;

[0027] Step S5: the control device controls the flexible positioning device to rotate 90° clockwise, and controls the loading and unloading robots to remove the product from the flexible positioning device;

[0028] Step S6: The control device controls the upper and lower pieces robots to replace the positioning supports on the flexible positioning device, and executes steps S3-S6 for another product until all products are measured.

[0029] The flexible online measurement system and method for product size with infrared tracking provided by the present invention, by arranging a servo rotating table and a detachable positioning support on the flexible positioning device, the flexible positioning device can be installed with different products and rotate freely, thereby realizing simultaneous measurement of different product sizes, greatly improving measurement efficiency and reducing costs; by adopting the triangulation measurement principle of green laser, the measurement is stable, and the size measurement of products of different colors, such as high-gloss transparent products, can be realized, and the equipment is simple, convenient and cost-effective; by adopting an infrared tracking device to capture the spatial position of the laser probe in real time, the tracking range is wider and the speed is faster, and the tracking accuracy, efficiency and stability of the measuring robot when running at high speed can be guaranteed, so that the measurement result is more accurate, and infrared rays are relatively safe for human eyes; by coordinating the operation of each device through a control device, automatic measurement and automatic analysis of different products and generation of measurement results are realized, further improving measurement efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an online flexible measurement system for product dimensions with infrared tracking provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a laser probe and an infrared emitting ball provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible positioning device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a positioning frame of a flexible positioning device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure after the positioning frame is installed with the positioning support;

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of coordinate system conversion provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 A flow chart of an online flexible measurement method of product dimensions with infrared tracking provided by another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and described in detail.

[0038] Embodiment 1

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides an online flexible measurement system for product dimensions with infrared tracking, comprising a measuring robot 1, a loading and unloading robot 2, an infrared tracking device 4, a flexible positioning device 3, a calibration ball 5 and a control device (not shown in the figure), wherein the measuring robot 1 is used to measure the dimensions of the product, and a laser probe 11 is provided on its end effector. Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of infrared emitting balls 111 are arranged around the laser probe 11, and a plurality of infrared emitting surfaces are arranged on each infrared emitting ball 111, and the infrared emitting surface can emit scattered infrared rays 1111 in real time. The infrared tracking device 4, for example, can be an infrared camera, which is used to capture the infrared rays 1111 in real time to confirm the real-time spatial position of the laser probe 11 to correct the deviation of the measuring robot 1 during operation. The infrared tracking device 4 can ensure the tracking accuracy, efficiency and stability of the measuring robot 1 when it is running at high speed, eliminate the absolute accuracy error of the robot, and greatly improve the accuracy of the entire flexible measurement system. At the same time, infrared rays are relatively safe for human eyes. The laser probe 11 needs to be located within the tracking range of the infrared tracking device 4 to ensure that the infrared rays can be received smoothly.

[0040] like Figure 3-Figure 5 As shown, the flexible positioning device 3 is provided with a plurality of detachable positioning supports 311, which are used to fix products. Different products, such as product A and product B, need to be fixed with different positioning supports 311 respectively. By replacing the positioning supports 311, the flexible positioning device 3 can position different products, thereby completing the measurement of different product sizes, and has good adaptability. The flexible positioning device 3 is located within the measurement stroke of the laser probe 11, so that the laser probe 11 can successfully complete the measurement of the product size.

[0041] The flexible positioning device 3 includes a positioning frame 31 and a servo rotating table 32. The positioning frame 31 is fixed on the servo rotating table 32. The servo rotating table 32 is driven by a servo motor (not shown in the figure) to drive the positioning frame 31 to rotate. The positioning frame 31 can be set as a rectangular parallelepiped, which includes six faces. The other five faces except the bottom face are standard installation faces, which are all provided with standard holes 31 with equal hole spacing, and the positioning support 311 is installed in the standard hole 31. The positioning supports 311 of different products can be installed on the five faces of the positioning frame 31 respectively, so that different products can be fixed on each face. For example, product A is fixed on the front of the positioning frame 31, and product B, product C (not shown in the figure), product D and product E are respectively fixed on the right, back, left and top face of the positioning frame 31. It should be noted that only one product or multiple products can be fixed on the five faces of the positioning frame 31. The user can choose according to the needs, and the present invention does not limit this.

[0042] The end effector of the upper and lower parts robot 2 is provided with an upper and lower parts actuator and a positioning support replacement actuator (both not shown in the figure), wherein the upper and lower parts actuator is used to install the product on the positioning support 311 or remove it from the positioning support 311, for example, it can be a suction cup or a gripper, and the product is installed and removed by adsorption force or gripping force. The positioning support replacement actuator is used to replace the positioning support 311 on the flexible positioning device 3 to achieve the fixation of different products, and the positioning support replacement actuator can be a suction cup or a gripper. The conversion of the upper and lower parts actuator and the positioning support replacement actuator can be achieved through the existing end effector switching tool. When the upper and lower parts robot 2 needs to install or remove the product, the end effector switching tool installs the upper and lower parts actuator to the end effector. When the upper and lower parts robot 2 needs to replace the positioning support 311, the end effector switching tool switches the upper and lower parts actuator to the positioning support replacement actuator. For example, when the upper and lower parts actuators and the positioning support replacement actuators are both suction cups, due to the different shapes and sizes of the product and the positioning support, the suction cups used are also different. Therefore, when the upper and lower parts are needed, the suction cup of the product is installed on the end effector of the upper and lower parts robot 2, and when the positioning support 311 needs to be replaced, the suction cup of the positioning support 311 is installed.

[0043] During measurement, the laser probe 11 emits green structured light to adapt to the size measurement of products of different colors, including highly reflective paint spray products and products made of transparent materials, such as automobile glass, lampshades, etc.

[0044] The laser probe 11 uses the triangular structured light measurement principle to measure the product size. The triangular structured light measurement principle is common knowledge in the art and will not be described here. By using the laser probe based on the triangular measurement principle, the measurement can be made more stable, and the equipment is simple, convenient and cost-effective.

[0045] like Figure 6 As shown, a total of three transformations are required from the probe coordinate system Q of the laser probe 11 to the vehicle body coordinate system P, including transformation T from the probe coordinate system Q to the six-axis flange coordinate system R of the measuring robot, transformation U from the six-axis flange coordinate system R of the measuring robot to the base coordinate system S of the measuring robot, and transformation V from the base coordinate system S of the measuring robot to the vehicle body coordinate system P. The transformation formula is: P=Q·T·U·V.

[0046] The calibration ball 5 is located within the measuring range of the laser probe 11, and is used to calibrate the coordinate system of the laser probe 11, so as to associate the probe coordinate system Q with the six-axis flange coordinate system R of the measuring robot, and to regularly calibrate the laser probe 11. The principle of calibration and calibration using the calibration ball is common knowledge in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0047] The control device is electrically connected to the measuring robot 1, the laser probe 11, the loading and unloading robot 2, the infrared tracking device 4, the flexible positioning device 3 and the calibration ball 5, respectively, and is used to control these devices so that they cooperate with each other to complete the automatic measurement of the product size. The control device includes a PLC control cabinet and a measurement control cabinet (not shown in the figure). The PLC control cabinet communicates with the measurement control cabinet and is electrically connected to the servo motors of the measuring robot 1, the upper and lower parts robot 2, and the servo rotary table 32, respectively, to control the operation of the measurement control cabinet, the movement of the measuring robot 1, the upper and lower parts of the upper and lower parts robot 2, the replacement of the positioning support 311, the switching between the upper and lower parts actuators and the positioning support replacement actuators, and the rotation of the servo rotary table 32. The PLC control cabinet can also control the automatic transportation of products on the production line. The measurement control cabinet is electrically connected to the laser probe 11 and the infrared tracking device 4, respectively. The measurement control cabinet has measurement control software and statistical analysis software. The measurement control software is used to control the operation of the laser probe 11 and the infrared tracking device 4, respectively. Through their cooperation, the product size measurement is completed, and the measurement data is sent to the statistical analysis software. The statistical analysis software performs statistical analysis on the measurement data, obtains the measurement results and generates reports or charts. The PLC control cabinet acts as the overall control, coordinating various devices to complete the entire measurement and analysis process. The measurement control cabinet acts as a sub-controller, completing the specific measurement and analysis process through measurement control software and statistical analysis software.

[0048] The product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking of this embodiment may also include an intelligent manufacturing system. The intelligent manufacturing system is electrically connected to the control device. The intelligent manufacturing system can connect all process modules in automobile manufacturing to realize information sharing and form big data, thereby realizing intelligent manufacturing of automobiles. For example, when the product size fluctuation information is transmitted to the intelligent manufacturing system through the control device, the intelligent manufacturing system can analyze it. If it does not meet the requirements, the intelligent manufacturing system can call the information of the previous process flow (such as injection molding process or welding process) for analysis and comparison to determine whether the previous process flow is wrong. If so, the intelligent manufacturing system adjusts the previous process. In this way, automatic correction can be achieved so that the manufactured products meet the requirements.

[0049] The flexible measurement system provided in the embodiment of the present invention can complete the simultaneous measurement of different products. The simultaneous measurement method of the flexible measurement system will be described below by taking product A and product B as examples.

[0050] Continue to refer to Figure 1The flexible measurement system includes two measuring robots 1, two loading and unloading robots 2, two infrared tracking devices 4 and two calibration balls 5, which are all arranged around the flexible positioning device 3. Each measuring robot 1, loading and unloading robot 2, infrared tracking device 4 and calibration ball 5 constitute a set of measuring devices, and the two sets of measuring devices measure the dimensions of product A and product B respectively. The left side of the flexible device 3 is the upper and lower parts position of product A, the bottom of the flexible device 3 is the measurement position of product A, the right side of the flexible device 3 is the upper and lower parts position of product B, and the top of the flexible device 3 is the measurement position of product B. During measurement, the control device first controls the laser probes 11 in the two measuring devices to scan the calibration ball 5 to complete the calibration of the tool coordinate system of the laser probe 11, and then controls the product A to be automatically conveyed on the left production line and the product B to be automatically conveyed on the right production line, and controls the loading and unloading robot 2 of product A to install product A on the left positioning support 311 of the flexible device 3 from the left production line, and the loading and unloading robot 2 of product B to install product B on the right positioning support 311 of the flexible device 3 from the right production line. After installation, the control device controls the flexible device 3 to rotate 90° counterclockwise to rotate product A. To the bottom of the flexible device 3 (i.e. the measurement position of product A), product B rotates to the top of the flexible device 3 (i.e. the measurement position of product B), and then the control device controls the measuring robot 1 of product A and the infrared tracking device 4 of product A to complete the size measurement of product A, and the measuring robot 1 of product B and the infrared tracking device 4 of product B to complete the size measurement of product B. After the measurement is completed, the control device controls the flexible positioning device 3 to rotate 90° clockwise, and then the upper and lower pieces robot 2 removes product A and product B and places them on their respective production lines and transports them to the designated area. At the same time, the control device processes the measurement data and generates reports or charts. This is repeated until the measurement of all products is completed. When it is necessary to measure products C / D / E / F, the control device controls the upper and lower pieces robot 2 to replace the end effector with the positioning support replacement actuator, remove and replace the positioning support 311 on the flexible positioning device 3, and then replace the end effector with the upper and lower pieces actuator after completion, and then repeat the above measurement process to complete the measurement of other types of products. It should be noted that the top, bottom, left and right here are all based on Figure 1 The direction from which the view is based.

[0051] The flexible online measurement system for product dimensions with infrared tracking provided by the embodiment of the present invention, by arranging a servo rotating table and a detachable positioning support on the flexible positioning device, enables the flexible positioning device to install different products and rotate freely, thereby realizing simultaneous measurement of dimensions of different products, greatly improving measurement efficiency and reducing costs; by adopting the triangulation principle of green laser, the measurement is stable, and the dimensions of products of different colors can be measured, such as high-gloss transparent products, and the equipment is simple, convenient and cost-effective; by adopting an infrared tracking device to capture the spatial position of the laser probe in real time, the tracking range is wider and the speed is faster, and the tracking accuracy, efficiency and stability of the measuring robot when running at high speed can be guaranteed, so that the measurement results are more accurate, and infrared rays are relatively safe for human eyes; by coordinating the operation of each device through the control device, automatic measurement, automatic analysis and generation of measurement results of different products are realized, further improving measurement efficiency.

[0052] Embodiment 2

[0053] like Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for online flexible measurement of product dimensions with infrared tracking, comprising:

[0054] Step S1: providing a product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking as described in Example 1;

[0055] Step S2: Calibrate the tool coordinate system and accuracy of the laser probe using the calibration ball 5;

[0056] Step S3: the control device controls the loading and unloading robot 2 to install the product on the flexible positioning device 3;

[0057] Step S4: the control device controls the flexible positioning device 3 to rotate 90° counterclockwise, and controls the measuring robot 1 to measure the product size;

[0058] Step S5: the control device controls the flexible positioning device 3 to rotate 90° clockwise, and controls the loading and unloading robot 2 to remove the product from the flexible positioning device 3;

[0059] Step S6: The control device controls the loading and unloading robot 2 to replace the positioning support 311 on the flexible positioning device 3, and executes steps S3-S6 for another product until the measurement of all products is completed.

[0060] The flexible online measurement method for product dimensions with infrared tracking in this embodiment adopts the measurement system in the first embodiment, and can realize automatic measurement of different products, with high measurement efficiency, low cost, and accurate and stable measurement results.

[0061] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The above embodiment of the present invention can also be modified in various ways. That is, all simple, equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims and the description of the present invention fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention. The contents not described in detail in the present invention are all conventional technical contents.

Claims

1. A flexible online measurement system for product dimensions with infrared tracking. It is characterized in that include: A flexible positioning device is provided with a plurality of detachable positioning supports and fixes a plurality of products; and around the flexible positioning device are also provided: The loading and unloading robot has an loading and unloading actuator and a positioning support replacement actuator on its end effector, wherein the loading and unloading actuator is used for loading and unloading products, and the positioning support replacement actuator is used for positioning support replacement; A measuring robot, wherein a laser probe is disposed on the end effector thereof, a plurality of infrared emitting balls are disposed around the laser probe, and each infrared emitting ball is provided with a plurality of infrared emitting surfaces; An infrared tracking device receives infrared rays emitted by the infrared emitting surface and is used to confirm the spatial position of the laser probe in real time; A calibration ball, located within the measuring stroke of the laser probe, is used to calibrate the tool coordinate system and periodically calibrate the accuracy of the laser probe; The control device is electrically connected to the measuring robot, the laser probe, the upper and lower parts robot, the infrared tracking device, and the flexible positioning device, respectively, wherein the control device includes a PLC control cabinet, and the PLC control cabinet is electrically connected to the measuring robot, the upper and lower parts robot, and the flexible positioning device, respectively, and is used to control the movement of the measuring robot, the replacement of the upper and lower parts and the positioning support of the upper and lower parts robot, and the switching between the upper and lower parts actuators and the positioning support replacement actuators.

2. The product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The flexible positioning device comprises a servo rotating table and a positioning frame fixed on the servo rotating table. The positioning frame is provided with a plurality of standard mounting surfaces, and the positioning support is detachably mounted on the standard mounting surfaces.

3. The product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The standard installation surface is provided with standard holes with equal hole spacing, and the positioning support is installed in the standard holes.

4. The product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The control device comprises a measurement control cabinet which communicates with the PLC control cabinet, and the measurement control cabinet is electrically connected to the laser probe and the infrared tracking device respectively.

5. The product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The infrared tracking device is an infrared camera.

6. The product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The flexible positioning device is located within the measuring stroke of the laser probe.

7. The product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking according to claim 6, It is characterized in that The laser probe emits green laser and adopts the triangular structured light measurement principle.

8. The product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The end effector of the loading and unloading robot is provided with a suction cup or a gripper.

9. The product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking according to claim 1, It is characterized in that It also includes an intelligent manufacturing system electrically connected to the control device, which is used to collect product size fluctuation information and form big data.

10. A flexible online measurement method for product dimensions with infrared tracking. It is characterized in that include: Step S1: providing a product size online flexible measurement system with infrared tracking as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; Step S2: Calibrate the tool coordinate system and accuracy of the laser probe using a calibration ball; Step S3: the control device controls the loading and unloading robots to install the product on the flexible positioning device; Step S4: the control device controls the flexible positioning device to rotate 90° counterclockwise, and controls the measuring robot to measure the product size; Step S5: the control device controls the flexible positioning device to rotate 90° clockwise, and controls the loading and unloading robots to remove the product from the flexible positioning device; Step S6: The control device controls the upper and lower pieces robots to replace the positioning supports on the flexible positioning device, and executes steps S3-S6 for another product until all products are measured.

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