Palletizing system and appearance inspection apparatus

Abstract

A first robot (104) is arranged in association with the belt conveyor (101) and performs a first transfer operation of picking up products such as blanks conveyed by the belt conveyor (101) and stacking them on a relay table (102). A second robot (108) performs a second transfer operation of transferring a load of a plurality of blanks stacked on the relay table (102) to a pallet table (103).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a stacking system for loading steel billets onto pallets, and an appearance inspection device for inspecting billets, etc. Background Technology

[0002] For example, in the manufacture of transmission components, disc-shaped blanks are produced by stamping rolled steel sheets, and the produced blanks are pressed into shapes, thereby producing components (products). In this type of manufacturing step, the produced products are loaded onto containers such as pallets, and the pallets containing the loaded products are transferred to the next manufacturing step.

[0003] In the product loading (palletizing) described above, products that have been pressed and unloaded are typically loaded onto pallets manually. Additionally, visual inspections are performed during loading. Since the stamped products are produced at a rate of approximately 1.3 seconds per piece, the manual handling speed is limited, leading to several problems, such as the need for a large workforce. Therefore, mechanized palletizing, or mechanized palletizing, has been investigated.

[0004] In this mechanization, during the step of conveying the produced products by a conveying device such as a belt conveyor, a camera is used to capture the appearance, and the captured images are processed, thereby performing an appearance inspection. It is believed that thereafter, the products conveyed by the belt conveyor are picked up by a robotic arm and loaded onto a pallet. For example, products conveyed by the belt conveyor shown can be picked up by conveyor tracking using known vision tracking (see Patent Document 1).

[0005] Literature in related fields

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-141935 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention

[0009] However, in the same mechanized technology described above, because robots load products one by one onto containers, the loading speed sometimes cannot keep up with the processing speed of product production. It is believed that in order to make the robot's loading speed keep up with the product processing speed, the number of robots has been increased. However, the width of belt conveyors is limited, and the number of robots that can be manipulated is also limited.

[0010] As described above, in conventional technologies, the loading speed cannot keep up with the processing speed of the product.

[0011] The present invention was made to solve the problems described above, and the object of the present invention is to easily load products according to the processing speed of the products.

[0012] Problem Solving

[0013] According to the present invention, a palletizing system is provided, comprising: a belt conveyor configured to transport sheet-shaped blanks from a first area to a second area; a relay station arranged in the second area, adjacent to the belt conveyor; a pallet table arranged in the second area with the relay station sandwiched between the pallet table and the arrangement area of ​​the belt conveyor; a first robot arranged in association with the belt conveyor and configured to perform a first transfer operation of picking up the blanks transported by the belt conveyor and stacking the blanks on the relay station; a camera configured to capture the blanks transported by the belt conveyor; and an image processing unit. The system includes: an image processing device configured to perform image measurements on images captured by the camera; a first controller configured to instruct a first robot to perform a first transfer operation based on the image measurement results from the image processing device; a second robot configured to perform a second transfer operation to transfer a carrier of a plurality of blanks stacked on the relay platform to the pallet platform; a measuring device configured to measure the loading amount of the plurality of blanks stacked on the relay platform; and a second controller configured to instruct the second robot to perform the second transfer operation if the loading amount measured by the measuring device reaches a set value.

[0014] According to the present invention, a palletizing system is also provided, comprising: a conveying device configured to convey products from a first area to a second area; a relay station disposed in the second area adjacent to the conveying device; a container disposed in the second area with the relay station sandwiched between the container and the arrangement area of ​​the conveying device; a first robot disposed in association with the conveying device and configured to perform a first transfer operation of picking up the products being conveyed by the conveying device and stacking the products on the relay station; a camera configured to capture the products being conveyed by the conveying device; an image processing device configured to perform image measurements on the images captured by the camera; a first controller configured to instruct the first robot to perform the first transfer operation based on the image measurement results of the image processing device; and a second robot configured to perform a second transfer operation of transferring a carrier of a plurality of products stacked on the relay station to the container.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a visual inspection device is provided, the visual inspection device being configured to perform image recognition on a visual image acquired by capturing a sheet-like billet, thereby performing an inspection of the appearance of the billet. The visual inspection device includes: a first belt conveyor configured to convey the billet; a second belt conveyor arranged to continue from the first belt conveyor while inserting a gap between the first and second belt conveyors, and configured to convey the billet conveyed by the first belt conveyor; and a first camera arranged above the first and second belt conveyors, and configured to capture the front view of the billet conveyed by the first and second belt conveyors, thereby acquiring an image of the billet. The image captures the front view of the billet; a first irradiation element, disposed on the upper side of the first and second belt conveyors, and configured to capture the front view of the billet via the first camera; a second camera, disposed on the lower side of the first and second belt conveyors, and configured to capture the back view of the billet conveyed by the first and second belt conveyors from the gap, thereby acquiring an image of the back view of the billet; and a second irradiation element, disposed on the lower side of the first and second belt conveyors, and configured to capture the back view of the billet via the second camera, wherein the image capture point of the first camera is disposed at a point offset from above the gap along the conveying direction.

[0016] Furthermore, the palletizing system according to the invention may include a visual inspection device configured to inspect the appearance of the blank conveyed by the belt conveyor between the first area and the second area.

[0017] Effects of the present invention

[0018] As described herein, according to the present invention, billets can be loaded on pallets in a manner corresponding to the production speed of the billets. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a view illustrating the configuration of a palletizing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the configuration of a suction head 141 disposed on a first robot 104 of a palletizing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing a detailed example of the configuration of the second robot 108:

[0022] Figure 4 Here is a plan view showing an example configuration of the third robot 111:

[0023] Figure 5 This is a view illustrating the configuration of a palletizing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6A This is a photograph showing an example of a transmission component;

[0025] Figure 6B This is a photograph showing an example of a transmission component;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the suction head 241 disposed on a first robot 204 of a palletizing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing a detailed example of the configuration of the second robot 208:

[0028] Figure 9 Here is a plan view showing an example configuration of the third robot 211:

[0029] Figure 10A Here is a plan view showing another example of the configuration of the second robot 208:

[0030] Figure 10B Here is a side view showing another example of the configuration of the second robot 208:

[0031] Figure 11 This is a view illustrating the configuration of an appearance inspection device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and

[0032] Figure 12 This is a view showing the hardware configuration of an appearance inspection device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will now be described.

[0034] [First Embodiment]

[0035] Will first refer to Figure 1 A palletizing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention is described. The palletizing system includes a belt conveyor 101, a relay station 102, a pallet station 103, a first robot 104, a camera 105, an image processing device 106, a first controller 107, and a second robot 108.

[0036] The belt conveyor 101 transports sheet-shaped blanks from a first region 151 to a second region 152. For example, a press 131 is arranged in the first region 151, and the blanks pressed and unloaded by the press 131 are discharged into the first region 151 of the belt conveyor 101. The blanks have, for example, a sheet thickness of about 2.3 mm to 6 mm and a circular or polygonal external shape. There is also a blank that has an annular shape in a plan view and has a hole at the center.

[0037] The relay station 102 is arranged on one side of the second region 152 of the belt conveyor 101. With the relay station 102 sandwiched between the pallet platform 103 and the arrangement area of ​​the belt conveyor 101, the pallet platform 103 is arranged in the second region 152.

[0038] The first robot 104 is arranged in association with the belt conveyor 101 and performs a first transfer operation of picking up the blanks conveyed by the belt conveyor 101 and stacking the blanks on the relay station 102. The first robot 104 is, for example, a parallel linkage robot. Furthermore, as... Figure 2 As shown, the first robot 104 includes a vacuum suction type suction head 141 for picking up blanks, for example, by suction. The suction head 141 includes a plurality of suction pads 142.

[0039] Camera 105 captures the billet being conveyed by the belt conveyor 101. Image processing device 106 performs image measurement on the image captured by camera 105. Based on the image measurement results of image processing device 106, first controller 107 instructs first robot 104 to perform the first transfer operation.

[0040] Furthermore, as image planning, for blanks with polygonal external shapes, the image processing device 106 can rotate the blank picked up by the first robot 104 in a plane such that, in a stacked state, the positions of multiple sides on the side portions match (overlap). For example, based on an image captured by the camera 105, the blank is rotated such that the position of each side of the identified external shape is set to a set state. Through a first transfer operation of the first robot 104 operating based on the result of the image planning, the positions of the multiple sides of the blanks are substantially matched in the carrier of multiple polygonal blanks stacked on the relay station 102. Note that for circular blanks, the operation described above is unnecessary.

[0041] If camera 105 is formed by a region image sensor comprising 1,280 × 1,024 pixels, the image processing device 106 can identify the external shape of the billet. The larger the number of pixels in the region image sensor, the higher the accuracy of identifying the external shape of the billet, and the higher the accuracy of identifying the external shape.

[0042] The second robot 108 performs a second transfer operation, transferring a carrier of multiple blanks stacked on the relay table 102 to the pallet table 103. For example, as Figure 3 As shown, the second robot 108 is a horizontally articulated robotic arm and includes a lifting mechanism 108a located at the distal end of the arm. The range of motion of the distal end of the arm of the second robot 108 is approximately 1,200 mm in the rotational direction and approximately 2,400 mm in the expansion / contraction direction.

[0043] Additionally, the lifting mechanism 108a includes a robotic arm 108b formed by three jaw members 108c, which are configured to grip the loading carrier from multiple sides. Each jaw member 108c includes an L-shaped jaw portion 108d at its distal end. The jaw members 108c extend downward from the robotic arm 108b. The jaw portion 108d extends toward the center of the robotic arm 108b in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extending direction of the jaw members 108c. The robotic arm 108b grips the loading carrier from multiple side surfaces via the jaw members 108c and hooks the jaw portion 108d onto the end portion of the lowest surface of the loading carrier, thereby gripping and transferring the loading carrier. The length of the jaw portion 108d is, for example, 2 mm. Furthermore, the robotic arm 108b can grip / transfer loading carriers of blanks having an outer diameter of 1100 mm to 3440 mm.

[0044] Here, before the robotic arm grasps the carrier from the side surface, the second robot 108 performs a correction operation to correct for overlapping disturbances in the carrier by clamping the carrier from multiple side surfaces by the three gripper members 108c of the robotic arm 108b, and then begins the grasping operation on the carrier.

[0045] Measuring device 109 measures the loading amount of multiple blanks stacked on relay station 102. If the loading amount measured by measuring device 109 reaches a set value, second controller 110 instructs second robot 108 to perform the second transfer operation. For example, the loading amount can be the number of multiple blanks loaded on relay station 102. Alternatively, the loading amount can be the weight (total weight) of the multiple blanks stacked on relay station 102. For example, if the number of loaded blanks counted by measuring device 109 reaches a set value of 11 to 13, second controller 110 instructs second robot 108 to perform the second transfer operation. For these numbers of blanks, the second transfer operation can be sufficiently performed by second robot 108.

[0046] The palletizing system also includes a third robot 111 and a third controller 112 mounted on the relay station 102. If a new billet is stacked on a carrier already stacked on the relay station 102, the third controller 112 instructs the third robot 111 to perform a correction operation to correct overlapping disturbances in the carrier. The third controller 112 grips the stack of new billets based on, for example, the number of loaded billets counted by the measuring device 109.

[0047] For example, such as Figure 4As shown, the third robot 111 includes multiple pressure plates 111a and 111b that move in a direction for clamping multiple blanks stacked on the relay station 102 from multiple side surfaces of the carrier 114. The multiple pressure plates 111a and 111b are moved by actuators 111c and 111d in the direction for clamping the carrier 114 from the multiple side surfaces, thereby performing the correction operation described above. The actuators 111c and 111d have a maximum carryable mass capacity of approximately 40 kg in the horizontal direction.

[0048] Furthermore, as described above, if the positions of the sides of the billets in the carrier of the plurality of polygonal billets stacked on the relay station 102 are substantially matched, then the overlapping disturbances in the carrier can be eliminated even in the case of polygonal billets through the correction operation described above by the third robot 111, thereby obtaining a state in which the corresponding sides of the billets are matched. In this state, the problem of billets falling off during the second transfer operation of the second robot 108 described above will not occur.

[0049] Furthermore, the palletizing system includes a visual inspection device 113 that inspects the appearance of billets conveyed by the belt conveyor 101 between a first zone 151 and a second zone 152. The visual inspection device 113 performs image recognition by capturing visual images of the billets conveyed by the belt conveyor 101, thereby performing an inspection of the billet's appearance.

[0050] For example, the appearance inspection device 113 includes a linear image sensor and a determination device that determines the appearance by processing the image captured by the linear image sensor. For example, the appearance of the conveyed billet is captured by the linear image sensor, and pattern recognition is performed on the appearance image obtained from the image capture using machine learning (deep machine learning), thereby determining the appearance and performing an inspection of the billet's appearance. The linear image sensor described above can improve its detection sensitivity for minute defects, etc., by setting the pixel count to, for example, 6,000 or more.

[0051] In the palletizing system described above, firstly, if the billet, punched and unloaded by press 131, is discharged into the first zone 151 of belt conveyor 101, the billet is then transported by belt conveyor 101 in the direction of the second zone 152. During this process, the appearance inspection device 113 inspects the appearance of the billet. Billets determined to be faulty, i.e., unsuccessful, during this inspection are removed from belt conveyor 101.

[0052] Next, the billet transported by the belt conveyor 101 is captured by the camera 105. The image (motion image) of the transported billet captured by the camera 105 is subjected to image measurement by the image processing device 106. Based on the image measurement results obtained by the image processing device 106, the first controller 107 determines the position of the transported billet and instructs the first robot 104 to perform a first transfer operation of the target billet. In response to the instruction, the first robot 104 picks up the billet transported by the belt conveyor 101 and stacks the billet on the relay station 102.

[0053] The blanks are stacked on the relay table 102 to form a loading carrier, as described above. The measuring device 109 counts the number of blanks loaded on the relay table 102. If the count (number of loaded blanks) reaches a set value, the second controller 110 instructs the second robot 108 to perform the second transfer operation. In response to this instruction, the second robot 108 transfers the loading carrier of the plurality of blanks stacked on the relay table 102 to the pallet table 103. The second robot 108 loads the loading carrier onto a pallet placed on the pallet table 103. The pallet is, for example, a box having dimensions of approximately 1,475 mm × 1,120 mm and a height (depth) of approximately 520 mm in plan view. The size of the pallet can be appropriately set based on the mobility of the second robot 108.

[0054] The second robot 108 first moves the distal end of its arm above the loading carrier, lowers the robotic arm 108b via the lifting mechanism 108a, and grasps the loading carrier using the robotic arm 108b. While the robotic arm 108b is grasping the loading carrier, the lifting mechanism 108a raises the robotic arm 108b. Next, the second robot 108 moves the distal end of its arm to a predetermined position above the tray 103, lowers the robotic arm 108b via the lifting mechanism 108, and places the grasped loading carrier onto the tray 103. Afterward, the second robot 108 cancels the grasping operation of the robotic arm 108b on the loading carrier and returns to the initial state.

[0055] Here, because in the first transfer operation, a large number or batch of blanks sequentially conveyed by the belt conveyor 101 are rapidly transferred by the first robot 104 to the relay station 102, the overlap in the loading carrier is disturbed / perturbed. If the loading carrier is transferred to the pallet station 103 in this state, the loading carrier with the disturbance to overlap is loaded onto the pallet station 103. The loading carrier is conveyed to the next step and used. In the next step, blanks are picked up one by one from the loading carrier. If the loading carrier has the disturbance to overlap, the picking position changes. For example, in this state, problems such as picking failure occur.

[0056] Therefore, it is important to correct overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier before proceeding to the next step. Before the loading carrier is gripped from multiple side surfaces by the manipulator 108b, the second robot 108 performs the correction operation to correct overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier by clamping the loading carrier from multiple side surfaces by the three gripper members 108c of the manipulator 108b, and then begins the gripping operation on the loading carrier.

[0057] Since the robotic arm 108b described above cannot apply large forces in the clamping direction, it may not be able to completely correct overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier. Therefore, whenever a new blank is stacked on the loading carrier that has already been stacked on the relay station 102, the third robot 111 corrects the overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier. The third robot 111 can be dedicated to correcting the overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier as described above and does not need to have the function of picking up the loading carrier upwards.

[0058] For example, the third robot 111, driven by actuators 111c and 111d, moves multiple pressure plates 111a and 111b along the direction of a carrier 114 placed between them, and the pressure plates 111a and 111b clamp the carrier 114 from multiple sides, thereby correcting overlapping disturbances in the carrier 114. The actuators 111c and 111d can be arranged, for example, while being fixed to the repeater 102, and the pressure plates 111a and 111b can perform the clamping operation of the carrier 114 from multiple sides with stronger force. Therefore, the correction of overlapping disturbances caused by large deviations can be performed by using the third robot 111.

[0059] Therefore, if the third robot 111 corrects the overlapping disturbance in the carrier caused by the large deviation, the overlapping disturbance in the carrier can be completely corrected by the gripping operation of the manipulator 108b of the second robot 108.

[0060] The palletizing system can be configured to include a plurality of first robots 104. In this case, the first controller 107 instructs each of the plurality of first robots 104 to perform the first transfer operation. Furthermore, the palletizing system may include a plurality of relay stations 102. In this case, a plurality of pallet tables 103 are provided corresponding to the provided relay stations 102. Additionally, a second robot 108 is provided corresponding to each of the provided relay stations 102, and the second controller 110 instructs each of the plurality of second robots 108 to perform the second transfer operation. Note that, according to the palletizing system of the first embodiment described above, since the relay stations 102 are configured to palletize quickly, palletizing corresponding to the production speed of the blank can be performed in a small space without increasing the number of first robots 104.

[0061] Additionally, in the palletizing system, a reversing device can be provided, for example, before the location of the camera 105, to reverse the blank conveyed by the belt conveyor 101. For example, the reversing device can be positioned between the visual inspection device 113 and the camera 105. For example, the belt conveyor 101 is formed by a first belt conveyor located on the press side and a second belt conveyor located on the side where the camera 105 is located, and the reversing device is positioned between the first belt conveyor and the second belt conveyor.

[0062] The reversing device can be formed of a rotating body comprising a plurality of radially arranged radial storage sections configured to receive blanks loaded from the first belt conveyor one after another, reverse the blanks, and arrange the blanks on the second belt conveyor. If a blank is supplied from the transmission end of the first belt conveyor to a predetermined radial storage section of the rotating body, the rotating body rotates intermittently in a predetermined direction (one blank or one piece) according to a blank detection signal from a sensor. When the radial storage section rotates approximately 180° from the blank receiving position, the blank conveyed by the radial storage section is arranged on the second belt conveyor.

[0063] For example, the cut surface of the blank, stamped and unloaded by the press 131, is sometimes not vertical, but inclined relative to the plane of the blank. If the next step is performed while the blank is inclined in the stamping direction, defects may occur. Therefore, in the next step, the state of the cut surface of the blank is checked, and the blank is reversed as needed, resulting in loading during operation. However, if the blank is reversed by the reversing device described above to form the loading carrier, a reduction in the load during operation or a solution to the problem in the next step can be implemented.

[0064] As described above, according to the first embodiment, since the relay station is provided, and the carrier of multiple blanks stacked on the relay station by the first robot is transferred to the pallet station by the second robot, the blanks can be stacked on the pallet in accordance with the production speed of the blanks.

[0065] According to the first embodiment, as described above, due to the use of the relay station and the second robot, control can be performed in the first robot by allowing interference / disturbance to occur in the carrier formed by stacking the blanks, wherein blanks being conveyed by the belt conveyor can be picked up more quickly. In the first robot, due to the limited range of movement of the blanks, it may not be possible to store more carriers on a wider pallet platform. However, according to the invention, due to the use of the relay station and the second robot, the blanks (carriers) can be moved to a range that cannot be reached by the first robot alone, and therefore, more carriers can be stored on a wider pallet platform.

[0066] [Second Embodiment]

[0067] Will refer again Figure 5 A palletizing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention is described. The palletizing system includes a conveying device 201, a relay station 202, a container 203, a first robot 204, a camera 205, an image processing device 206, a first controller 207, and a second robot 208.

[0068] The conveying device 201 transports products, including drive components, cutlery, and food trays, from a first area 251 to a second area 252. The conveying device 201 may be, for example, a conveyor such as a chain conveyor, roller conveyor, screw conveyor, or air-floating conveyor. The conveying device 201 may also be a belt conveyor. For example, a product processing device 231 is arranged in the first area 251, and products formed and unloaded by the processing device 231 are discharged into the first area 251 of the conveying device 201.

[0069] The product, for example, is a transmission component manufactured by pressing a sheet of steel into shape. Figure 6A and Figure 6BThe transmission component is a part used in automobiles. In this case, the processing equipment 231 can be a pressing and forming machine. Alternatively, the product is a transmission component washed and dried by a washing machine. In this case, the processing equipment 231 is a washing machine. Alternatively, the product is tableware (plates) washed and dried by a dishwashing machine. In this case, the processing equipment 231 is a dishwashing machine. Alternatively, the product is a food plate made of resin, produced by a resin molding machine. In this case, the processing equipment 231 is a resin molding machine. Furthermore, the product can be a disc-shaped blank produced by stamping rolled steel sheet using a press. In this case, the processing equipment 231 is a press.

[0070] A relay station 202 is arranged on one side of the conveyor 201 in the second area 252. With the relay station 202 sandwiched between the container 203 and the arrangement area of ​​the conveyor 201, the container 203 is arranged in the second area 252. The container 203 may be, for example, a pallet table. Alternatively, the container 203 may be, for example, a cardboard box.

[0071] The first robot 204 is arranged in association with the conveyor 201 and performs a first transfer operation by picking up products being conveyed by the conveyor 201 and stacking the products on the relay station 202. The first robot 204 is, for example, a parallel linkage robot. Furthermore, as... Figure 7 As shown, the first robot 204 includes a vacuum suction head 241 for picking up the product, for example, by suction. The suction head 241 includes a plurality of suction pads 242.

[0072] The camera 205 captures images of the product being transported by the conveyor 201. The image processing device 206 performs image measurements on the images captured by the camera 205. Based on the image measurement results obtained by the image processing device 206, the first controller 207 instructs the first robot 204 to perform the first transfer operation.

[0073] Additionally, as image planning, for products with polygonal external shapes, the image processing device 206 can rotate the product picked up by the first robot 204 in a plane such that, in a stacked state, the positions of multiple sides on the side portions match (overlap). For example, based on an image captured by the camera 205, the product is rotated such that the position of each side of the identified external shape is set to a set state. Through a first transfer operation of the first robot 204 operating based on the result of the image planning, the positions of multiple sides of the products are substantially matched in a carrier of multiple polygonal products stacked on the relay station 202. Note that the operation described above is unnecessary for products with a circular (cylindrical) shape in a planar view.

[0074] If the camera 205 is formed by a region image sensor comprising 1,280 × 2,024 pixels, the image processing device 206 can identify the external shape of the product. The larger the number of pixels in the region image sensor, the higher the accuracy of identifying the external shape of the product, and the greater the improvement in the accuracy of identifying the external shape.

[0075] The second robot 208 performs a second transfer operation, transferring the containers of the plurality of products stacked on the relay station 202 to the container 203. The second robot 208 may be a robot including a robotic arm for gripping the containers. For example, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the second robot 208 is a horizontally articulated robotic arm and includes a lifting mechanism 208a located at the distal end of the arm.

[0076] Additionally, the lifting mechanism 208a includes a robotic arm 208b formed by three gripper members 208c, which are configured to grip the carrier from multiple sides. Each gripper member 208c includes an L-shaped gripper portion 208d at its distal end. The gripper members 208c extend downward from the robotic arm 208b. The gripper portion 208d extends toward the center of the robotic arm 208b in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extending direction of the gripper members 208c. The robotic arm 208b grips the carrier from multiple side surfaces via the gripper members 208c and hooks the gripper portion 208d onto the end portion of the lowest surface of the carrier, thereby gripping and transferring the carrier. The materials and shapes of the gripper members 208c, the gripper portions 208d, etc., can be appropriately designed based on the state of the product to be transferred. For example, the gripper members 208c and the gripper portions 208d can be made of plastic or elastomer. This configuration can prevent the product from being damaged.

[0077] Here, before the robotic arm grasps the carrier from multiple side surfaces, the second robot 208 performs a correction operation to correct overlapping disturbances in the carrier by clamping the carrier from multiple side surfaces by the three gripper members 208c of the robotic arm 208b, and then begins the grasping operation on the carrier.

[0078] Similarly, the palletizing system may include a measuring device 209 and a second controller 210. The measuring device 209 measures the load of the plurality of products stacked on the relay station 202. If the load measured by the measuring device 209 reaches a set value, the second controller 210 instructs the second robot 208 to perform the second transfer operation. For example, the load may be the number of plurality of products stacked on the relay station 202. Furthermore, the load may be the weight (total weight) of the plurality of products stacked on the relay station 202.

[0079] For example, the product is Figure 6A In the case of the transmission components shown, if the number of loaded products counted by the measuring device 209 reaches a set value of 10 to 12, the second controller 210 instructs the second robot 208 to perform the second transfer operation. If the loading carrier is formed by these numbers of transmission components, the second transfer operation of the second robot 208 can be sufficiently performed.

[0080] For example, the product is Figure 6B In the case of the transmission components shown, if the number of loaded products counted by the measuring device 209 reaches a set value of 3 to 5, the second controller 210 instructs the second robot 208 to perform the second transfer operation. If the loading carrier is formed by these numbers of transmission components, the second transfer operation of the second robot 208 can be sufficiently performed.

[0081] When the product is tableware (plates), if the number of loaded products counted by the measuring device 209 reaches a set value of 10 to 15, the second controller 210 instructs the second robot 208 to perform the second transfer operation. If the carrier is formed by these numbers of plates, the second transfer operation of the second robot 208 can be performed sufficiently.

[0082] When the product is a food tray made of resin, if the number of loaded products counted by the measuring device 209 reaches a set value of 30 to 35, the second controller 210 instructs the second robot 208 to perform the second transfer operation. If the carrier is formed from these numbers of food trays made of resin, the second transfer operation of the second robot 208 can be sufficiently performed.

[0083] The palletizing system also includes a third robot 211 and a third controller 212 mounted on the relay station 202. If a new product is stacked on a carrier already stacked on the relay station 202, the third controller 212 instructs the third robot 211 to perform a correction operation to correct for overlapping disturbances in the carrier. The third controller 212 monitors the stacking of new products based on, for example, the number of loaded products counted by the measuring device 209.

[0084] For example, such as Figure 9 As shown, the third robot 211 includes a plurality of pressure plates 211a and 211b that are movable in a direction for clamping a plurality of products stacked on the relay station 202 from the plurality of side surfaces of the carrier 214. The plurality of pressure plates 211a and 211b are moved by actuators 211c and 211d in the direction for clamping the carrier 214 from the plurality of side surfaces, thereby performing the correction operation described above. The actuators 211c and 211d have a maximum carryable mass capacity of approximately 40 kg in the horizontal direction.

[0085] Furthermore, as described above, if the positions of the sides of the products in the carrier of the plurality of polygonal products stacked on the relay station 202 are substantially matched, then the correction operation described above by the third robot 211 can eliminate overlapping disturbances in the carrier, even in the case of polygonal products, to achieve a state in which the corresponding sides of the products are matched. In this state, the problem of products falling off during the second transfer operation of the second robot 208 described above will not occur.

[0086] like Figure 10A and Figure 10BThe manipulator 218 shown, including a holding portion 218a and a gripper portion 218b, can be used as the second robot 208. For example, the holding portion 218a can be formed of two plate members parallel to the direction of lifting the load during the second transfer operation and connected at an angle of approximately 45° in plan view. Using the manipulator 218, the holding portion 218a grips the plurality of side surfaces of the load from two directions, and the gripper portion 218b supports the bottom portion of the load, thereby grasping the load and performing the second transfer operation.

[0087] Furthermore, the palletizing system includes a visual inspection device 213 that inspects the appearance of the products being conveyed by the conveyor 201 between the first area 251 and the second area 252. The visual inspection device 213 performs image recognition by capturing visual images of the products being conveyed by the conveyor 201, thereby performing an inspection of the product's appearance, such as the presence of defects or dirt.

[0088] For example, the appearance inspection device 213 includes a linear image sensor and a determination device that determines the appearance by processing the image captured by the linear image sensor. For example, the appearance of a delivered product is captured by the linear image sensor, and pattern recognition is performed on the appearance image obtained from the image capture using machine learning (deep machine learning), thereby performing an inspection of the appearance of the product. The linear image sensor described above can improve its sensitivity to detecting minute defects or dirt by, for example, setting the number of pixels to 6,000 or more.

[0089] In the palletizing system described above, firstly, if the product, after being stamped and unloaded by the processing device 231, is discharged into the first area 251 of the conveyor 201, then the product is transported by the conveyor 201 in the direction of the second area 252. During this process, the appearance inspection device 213 inspects the appearance of the product. Products determined to be defective in this inspection are removed from the conveyor 201.

[0090] Next, the product transported by the conveyor 201 is captured by the camera 205. The image (moving image) of the product in transit captured by the camera 205 undergoes image measurement by the image processing device 206. Based on the image measurement results obtained by the image processing device 206, the first controller 207 determines the position of the transported product and instructs the first robot 204 to perform the first transfer operation of the target product. In response to this instruction, the first robot 204 picks up the product being transported by the conveyor 201 and stacks the product on the relay station 202.

[0091] The products are stacked on the relay station 202 to form a carrier, as described above. The measuring device 209 counts the number of products loaded on the relay station 202. If the count (number of loaded products) reaches a set value, the second controller 210 instructs the second robot 208 to perform the second transfer operation. In response to this instruction, the second robot 208 transfers the carrier of the plurality of products stacked on the relay station 202 to the container 203. The second robot 208 loads the carrier onto the container placed on the container 203. The container is, for example, a box having dimensions of approximately 1,475 mm × 2,120 mm and a height (depth) of approximately 520 mm in a plan view. The size of the container can be appropriately set based on the mobility of the second robot 208.

[0092] The second robot 208 first moves the distal end of its arm above the loading carrier, lowers the robotic arm 208b via the lifting mechanism 208a, and grasps the loading carrier using the robotic arm 208b. While the robotic arm 208b is grasping the loading carrier, the lifting mechanism 208a raises the robotic arm 208b. Next, the second robot 208 moves the distal end of its arm to a predetermined position above the container 203, lowers the robotic arm 208b via the lifting mechanism 208a, and places the grasped loading carrier onto the container 203. Afterward, the second robot 208 cancels the grasping operation of the robotic arm 208b on the loading carrier and returns to its initial state.

[0093] Here, because in the first transfer operation, a large number or batch of products sequentially conveyed by the conveyor 201 are rapidly transferred by the first robot 204 to the relay station 202, the overlap in the carrier is disturbed / perturbed. If the carrier is transferred to the container 203 in this state, the carrier with the disturbance to overlap is loaded onto the container 203. The carrier is conveyed to the next step and used. In the next step, the products are picked up one by one from the carrier. In the case of the carrier having the disturbance to overlap, the picking position changes. For example, in this state, problems such as picking failure occur.

[0094] Therefore, it is important to correct overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier before proceeding to the next step. Before the loading carrier is gripped from the plurality of side surfaces by the manipulator 208b, the second robot 208 performs the correction operation to correct overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier by clamping the loading carrier from the plurality of side surfaces by the three gripper members 208c of the manipulator 208b, and then begins the gripping operation on the loading carrier.

[0095] Since the robotic arm 208b described above cannot apply large forces in the clamping direction, it may not be able to fully correct overlapping disturbances in the carrier. Therefore, whenever a new product is stacked on the carrier that has already been stacked on the relay station 202, the third robot 211 corrects the overlapping disturbances in the carrier. The third robot 211 can be specifically used for the correction of overlapping disturbances in the carrier as described above, and does not need to have the function of picking up the carrier upwards.

[0096] For example, the third robot 211 moves multiple pressure plates 211a and 211b along the direction of the carrier 214 placed between them via actuators 211c and 211d, and the carrier 214 is clamped from the multiple sides by the pressure plates 211a and 211b, thereby correcting overlapping disturbances in the carrier 214. The actuators 211c and 211d can be arranged, for example, while being fixed to the repeater 202, and the clamping of the carrier 214 from the multiple sides can be performed with greater force by the pressure plates 211a and 211b. Therefore, the correction of overlapping disturbances caused by large deviations can be performed by using the third robot 211.

[0097] Therefore, if the disturbance of overlap in the carrier caused by the large deviation is corrected by the third robot 211, the disturbance of overlap in the carrier can be completely corrected by the gripping operation of the manipulator 208b of the second robot 208.

[0098] The palletizing system can be configured to include a plurality of first robots 204. In this case, the first controller 207 instructs each of the plurality of first robots 204 to perform the first transfer operation. Furthermore, the palletizing system may include a plurality of relay stations 202. In this case, a plurality of containers 203 are arranged corresponding to the plurality of relay stations 202. Additionally, a second robot 208 is arranged corresponding to each of the plurality of relay stations 202. In this configuration, the second controller 210 instructs each of the plurality of second robots 208 to perform the second transfer operation. Note that, according to the palletizing system of the second embodiment described above, since the relay stations 202 are configured to palletize quickly, palletizing corresponding to the product processing speed (e.g., production speed) can be performed in a small space without increasing the number of first robots 204.

[0099] Additionally, in the palletizing system, a reversing device may be provided, for example, before the location of the camera 205, to reverse the product being conveyed by the conveyor 201. For example, the reversing device may be positioned between the visual inspection device 213 and the camera 205. For example, the conveyor 201 may consist of a first conveyor located on the processing device side and a second conveyor located on the side where the camera 205 is located, and the reversing device may be positioned between the first and second conveyors.

[0100] The reversing device can be formed of a rotating body comprising a plurality of radially arranged radial storage sections configured to receive products loaded from the first conveying device one after another, reverse the products, and arrange the products on the second conveying device. If a product is supplied from the transmission end of the first conveying device to a predetermined radial storage section of the rotating body, the rotating body rotates intermittently in a predetermined direction (one product or piece) according to a product detection signal from a sensor. When the radial storage section rotates approximately 180° from the product receiving position, the product conveyed by the radial storage section is arranged on the second conveying device.

[0101] As described above, according to the second embodiment, since a relay station is provided and the carriers of multiple products stacked on the relay station by the first robot are transferred to the container by the second robot, products can be stacked on the container in accordance with the product processing speed.

[0102] According to the second embodiment, as described above, due to the use of the relay station and the second robot, control can be performed in the first robot by allowing disturbances to the overlap in the carrier formed by stacking the blanks, allowing for faster pickup of products being conveyed by the belt conveyor. In the first robot, due to the limited range of movement of the products, it may not be possible to store a large number of carriers in a wider container. However, according to the second embodiment, due to the use of the relay station and the second robot, the products (carriers) can be moved to areas inaccessible only by the first robot, and therefore, a larger number of carriers can be stored in a wider container.

[0103] [Third Embodiment]

[0104] Next, we will refer to Figure 11 A visual inspection apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention is described. The visual inspection apparatus is an apparatus that performs image recognition on a visual image acquired by capturing a sheet-like blank 331 and thus performs an inspection of the appearance of the blank 331, and includes a first belt conveyor 301, a second belt conveyor 302, a first camera 303, a first irradiation element 304, a second camera 305, and a second irradiation element 306.

[0105] The first belt conveyor 301 conveys the blank 331. For example, the first belt conveyor 301 conveys a blank that has been stamped by a press (not shown) and then unloaded. The blank 331 has, for example, a plate thickness of about 2.3 mm to 6 mm and a circular or polygonal external shape. A blank 331 with an annular shape having a hole at the center is also present in a plan view.

[0106] The second belt conveyor 302 is arranged to continue from the first belt conveyor 301, with a gap 321 inserted between them, and conveys the blank 331 conveyed by the first belt conveyor 301. The gap 321 is a slit-shaped portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The gap 321 may have a size approximately 1 / 4 the diameter of the blank 331. The second belt conveyor 302 conveys the blank 331 to, for example, an area where a robot configured to pick up the blank 331 and stack it on a pallet is arranged. The first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302 are arranged, for example, in a straight line.

[0107] The first camera 303 captures an image of the front side of the billet 331 conveyed by the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302, thereby obtaining an appearance image of the front side of the billet 331. The first camera 303 is positioned above the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302. The image capture point of the first camera 303 is positioned at a point offset from above the gap 321 along the conveying direction. For example, the first camera 303 may be positioned above the first belt conveyor 301 at a position offset from the gap 321 along the conveying direction, and the image capture point may be set in the area directly below the first camera 303. Alternatively, the first camera 303 may be positioned above the second belt conveyor 302 at a position offset from the gap 321 along the conveying direction.

[0108] The first camera 303 can be formed, for example, by a linear image sensor. In this linear image sensor, the pixel array direction is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302. The linear image sensor can improve its sensitivity to detect minute defects, etc., by setting the number of pixels to, for example, 4,000 or more.

[0109] A first irradiation element 304 is disposed on the upper side of the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302. The first irradiation element 304 is a light source for capturing the front side of the billet 331 by the first camera 303. The first irradiation element 304 illuminates the front side of the billet 331 from above the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302 using a first irradiation light 304a. The first irradiation element 304 is irradiated at the image capture point of the first camera 303, and the area of ​​gap 321 is not illuminated by the first irradiation light 304a. Therefore, since the first irradiation light 304a does not interfere with the image capture performed by the second camera 305, the second camera 305 can obtain a clear image of the reverse side of the billet 331.

[0110] The second camera 305 captures the reverse side of the billet 331 conveyed by the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302 through the gap 321, thereby acquiring an appearance image of the reverse side of the billet 331. The second camera 305 is positioned below the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302. The second camera 305 is positioned directly below the gap 321. Furthermore, the image capture point of the second camera 305 is the area directly above it.

[0111] The second camera 305 can be formed, for example, by a linear image sensor. In this linear image sensor, the pixel array direction is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302. The linear image sensor can improve its sensitivity to detect minute defects, etc., by setting the number of pixels to, for example, 4,000 or more.

[0112] The second irradiation element 306 is disposed on the underside of the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302. The second irradiation element 306 is a light source for capturing the reverse side of the billet 331 by the second camera 305. The second irradiation element 306 illuminates the reverse side of the billet 331 from below the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302 via the gap 321 using the second irradiation light 306a. The second irradiation element 306 alters the optical path by 90°, for example, by reflecting the emitted second irradiation light 306a through a semi-reflecting mirror 307, and illuminates the reverse side of the billet 331 from below the gap 321 via the gap 321. In this case, the second camera 305 captures the reverse side of the billet 331 via the semi-reflecting mirror 307. Note that the irradiation element for the second camera 305 can have the same configuration as the first irradiation element 304 for the first camera 303. In this case, the semi-reflective mirror 307 is unnecessary.

[0113] Therefore, in the regions on the upper sides of the first belt conveyor 301 and the second belt conveyor 302, the regions that deviate from the regions on the upper sides of the gap 321 are not illuminated by the second irradiation light 306a. Therefore, since the second irradiation light 306a does not interfere with the image capture performed by the first camera 303, which is positioned at a point deviating from above the gap 321 along the conveying direction, the first camera 303 can obtain a clear image of the front side of the billet 331.

[0114] Note that, similarly, for the first illumination light 304a of the first illumination element 304, the light path can be changed by 90° by reflecting the light through a semi-reflective mirror, and for the image capture area of ​​the first camera 303, the front surface of the blank 331 can be illuminated from directly above using the first illumination light 304a, as described above.

[0115] Furthermore, the appearance inspection device includes an inspection unit 308 that detects defects in the blank 331 based on a first appearance image captured by the first camera 303 and a second appearance image captured by the second camera 305. The inspection unit 308 detects defects on the front side of the blank 331 based on the degree of pattern recognition matching between the first appearance image captured by the first camera 303 and a first reference image. Furthermore, the inspection unit 308 detects defects on the reverse side of the blank 331 based on the degree of pattern recognition matching between the second appearance image captured by the second camera 305 and a second reference image. Additionally, the inspection unit 308 can perform an appearance inspection of the blank 331 by using machine learning (deep machine learning) to perform pattern recognition in each of the first and second appearance images and thus determine the appearance (detecting defects).

[0116] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the first camera 303 can obtain a clear first appearance image of the front side of the billet 331, and the second camera 305 can obtain a clear second appearance image of the back side of the billet 331. Therefore, the inspection unit 308 can perform, for example, correct pattern recognition or machine learning, and perform correct defect detection.

[0117] The following describes a palletizing system using the visual inspection equipment according to a third embodiment of the present invention. (See reference...) Figure 5 As described, the palletizing system includes a conveying device 201, a relay station 202, a container 203, a first robot 204, a camera 205, an image processing device 206, a first controller 207, a second robot 208, a measuring device 209, and a second controller 210.

[0118] The conveying device 201 is, for example, a belt conveyor, and conveys the sheet-shaped blanks, which are products from the first region 251, to the second region 252. For example, a product processing device 231 is arranged in the first region 251, and the products formed and unloaded by the processing device 231 are discharged into the first region 251 of the conveying device 201.1.

[0119] The product is a disc-shaped billet produced by stamping rolled steel sheet using a press. For example, the billet has a sheet thickness of approximately 2.3 mm to 6 mm and an external shape that is circular or polygonal. In a plan view, there are also billets with an annular shape and a hole at the center. In this case, the processing equipment 231 is a press.

[0120] Similarly, the product can be a transmission component manufactured by pressing a sheet of steel into shape. In this case, the processing equipment 231 can be a pressing machine. Alternatively, the product can be a transmission component washed and dried by a washing machine. In this case, the processing equipment 231 is a washing machine. Alternatively, the product can be tableware (plates) washed and dried by a dishwashing machine. In this case, the processing equipment 231 is a dishwashing machine. Alternatively, the product can be a food plate made of resin, produced by a resin molding machine. In this case, the processing equipment 231 is a resin molding machine.

[0121] The relay station 202 is arranged on one side of the conveying device 201 in the second area 252. The relay station 202 is sandwiched between the container 203 and the arrangement area of ​​the conveying device 201, the container 203 being, for example, a pallet table and arranged in the second area 252.

[0122] The first robot 204 is arranged in association with the conveyor 201 and performs a first transfer operation by picking up products (blanks) being conveyed by the conveyor 201 and stacking the products on the relay station 202. The first robot 204 is, for example, a parallel linkage robot. Furthermore, as... Figure 7 As shown, the first robot 204 includes a vacuum suction head 241 for picking up the blank, for example, by suction. The suction head 241 includes a plurality of suction pads 242.

[0123] The camera 205 captures images of the product (blank) being conveyed by the conveying device 201. The image processing device 206 performs image measurements on the images captured by the camera 205. Based on the image measurement results obtained by the image processing device 206, the first controller 207 instructs the first robot 204 to perform the first transfer operation.

[0124] Additionally, as image planning, for products with polygonal external shapes, the image processing device 206 can rotate the product picked up by the first robot 204 in a plane such that, in a stacked state, the positions of multiple sides on the side portion match (overlap). For example, based on the image captured by the camera 205, the product is rotated such that the position of each side of the identified external shape is set to a set state. Through the first transfer operation of the first robot 204, which operates based on the result of the image planning, the positions of multiple sides of the blanks are substantially matched in the carrier of multiple polygonal blanks stacked on the relay station 202. Note that for products (blanks) with circular shapes, the operation described above is unnecessary.

[0125] If camera 205 is formed by a region image sensor comprising 1,280 × 3,024 pixels, the image processing device 206 can identify the external shape of the billet. The larger the number of pixels in the region image sensor, the higher the accuracy of identifying the external shape of the billet is, and the higher the accuracy of identifying the external shape is.

[0126] The second robot 208 performs a second transfer operation, transferring the carrier of the plurality of blanks stacked on the relay station 202 to the container 203. For example, as referenced Figure 8 As described, the second robot 208 is a horizontally articulated robotic arm and includes a lifting mechanism 208a located at the distal end of the arm. The range of motion of the distal end of the arm of the second robot 208 is approximately 1,200 mm in the rotational direction and approximately 2,400 mm in the expansion / contraction direction.

[0127] Additionally, the lifting mechanism 208a includes a robotic arm 208b formed by three jaw members 208c, which are configured to grip the loading carrier from multiple sides. Each jaw member 208c includes an L-shaped jaw portion 208d at its distal end. The jaw members 208c extend downward from the robotic arm 208b. The jaw portion 208d extends toward the center of the robotic arm 208b in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extending direction of the jaw members 208c. The robotic arm 208b grips the loading carrier from multiple side surfaces via the jaw members 208c and hooks the jaw portion 208d onto the end portion of the lowest surface of the loading carrier, thereby gripping and transferring the loading carrier. The length of the jaw portion 208d is, for example, 2 mm. Furthermore, the robotic arm 208b can grip / transfer loading carriers of blanks having an outer diameter of 1100 mm to 3440 mm.

[0128] Here, before the robotic arm grasps the carrier from the plurality of side surfaces, the second robot 208 performs a correction operation to correct overlapping disturbances in the carrier by clamping the carrier from the plurality of side surfaces by the three gripper members 208c of the robotic arm 208b, and then begins the grasping operation on the carrier.

[0129] The measuring device 209 measures the loading amount of the plurality of blanks stacked on the relay station 202. If the loading amount measured by the measuring device 209 reaches a set value, the second controller 210 instructs the second robot 208 to perform the second transfer operation. For example, the loading amount can be the number of the plurality of blanks stacked on the relay station 202. Alternatively, the loading amount can be the weight (total weight) of the plurality of blanks stacked on the relay station 202. For example, if the number of loaded blanks counted by the measuring device 209 reaches a set value of 11 to 13, the second controller 210 instructs the second robot 208 to perform the second transfer operation. For these numbers of blanks, the second transfer operation can be sufficiently performed by the second robot 208.

[0130] The palletizing system also includes a third robot 211 and a third controller 212 mounted on the relay station 202. If a new billet is stacked on the loading carrier already stacked on the relay station 202, the third controller 212 instructs the third robot 211 to perform a correction operation to correct overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier. The third controller 212 monitors the stacking of new billets based on, for example, the number of loaded billets counted by the measuring device 209.

[0131] For example, as referenced Figure 9 As described, the third robot 211 includes a plurality of pressure plates 211a and 211b that are movable in a direction for clamping a plurality of blanks stacked on the relay station 202 from the plurality of side surfaces of the loading carrier 214. The plurality of pressure plates 211a and 211b are moved by actuators 211c and 211d in the direction for clamping the loading carrier 214 from the plurality of side surfaces, thereby performing the correction operation described above. The actuators 211c and 211d have a maximum carryable mass capacity of approximately 40 kg in the horizontal direction.

[0132] Furthermore, as described above, if the positions of each side of the blank are substantially matched in the implementation carrier of the plurality of polygonal blanks stacked on the relay station 202, then through the correction operation described above by the third robot 211, even in the case of polygonal blanks, the overlapping disturbances in the carrier can be eliminated to obtain a state in which the positions of the corresponding sides of the blank are matched. In this state, the problem of the blank falling during the second transfer operation of the second robot 208 described above will not occur.

[0133] Furthermore, the palletizing system includes a visual inspection device 213 that inspects the appearance of the blanks being conveyed by the conveying device 201 between the first region 251 and the second region 252. The visual inspection device 213 is the visual inspection device according to the third embodiment described above, and its detailed description will be omitted. When the visual inspection device 213 is used, the conveying device 201 is formed by a first belt conveyor and a second belt conveyor, and the second belt conveyor is arranged to continue from the first belt conveyor while inserting a gap between them.

[0134] In the palletizing system described above, firstly, if the blank, stamped and unloaded by the processing device 231, is discharged into the first region 251 of the conveying device 201, the blank is then transported by the conveying device 201 in the direction of the second region 252. During this process, the appearance inspection device 213 inspects the appearance of the blank. Blanks determined to be defective in this inspection are removed from the conveying device 201.

[0135] Next, the billet transported by the conveyor 201 is captured by the camera 205. The image (motion image) of the billet in transit captured by the camera 205 undergoes image measurement by the image processing device 206. Based on the image measurement results obtained by the image processing device 206, the first controller 207 determines the position of the transported billet and instructs the first robot 204 to perform the first transfer operation on the target billet. In response to this instruction, the first robot 204 picks up the billet transported by the conveyor 201 and stacks the product on the relay station 202.

[0136] The blanks are stacked on the relay station 202 to form a carrier, as described above. The measuring device 209 counts the number of blanks loaded on the relay station 202. If the count (number of loaded blanks) reaches a set value, the second controller 210 instructs the second robot 208 to perform the second transfer operation. In response to this instruction, the second robot 208 transfers the carrier of the plurality of blanks stacked on the relay station 202 to the container 203. The second robot 208 loads the carrier onto a pallet placed on the container 203. The pallet is, for example, a box having dimensions of approximately 1,475 mm × 1,120 mm and a height (depth) of approximately 520 mm in plan view. The size of the pallet can be appropriately set based on the mobility of the second robot 208.

[0137] The second robot 208 first moves the distal end of its arm above the loading carrier, lowers the robotic arm 208b via the lifting mechanism 208a, and grasps the loading carrier using the robotic arm 208b. While the robotic arm 208b is grasping the loading carrier, the lifting mechanism 208a raises the robotic arm 208b. Next, the second robot 208 moves the distal end of its arm to a predetermined position above the container 203, lowers the robotic arm 208b via the lifting mechanism 208a, and places the grasped loading carrier onto the container 203. Afterward, the second robot 208 cancels the grasping operation of the robotic arm 208b on the loading carrier and returns to its initial state.

[0138] Here, because in the first transfer operation, a large quantity or batch of blanks sequentially conveyed by the conveying device 201 is rapidly transferred by the first robot 204 to the relay station 202, the overlap in the loading carrier is disturbed / perturbed. If the loading carrier is transferred to the container 203 in this state, the loading carrier with the disturbance to overlap is loaded onto the container 203. The loading carrier is conveyed to the next step and used. In the next step, the blanks are picked up one by one from the loading carrier. In the case of the disturbance to overlap in the loading carrier, the picking position changes. For example, in this state, problems such as picking failure occur.

[0139] Therefore, it is important to correct overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier before proceeding to the next step. Before the loading carrier is gripped from the plurality of side surfaces by the manipulator 208b, the second robot 208 performs the correction operation for overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier by clamping the loading carrier from the plurality of side surfaces by the three gripper members 208c of the manipulator 208b, and then begins the gripping operation on the loading carrier.

[0140] Since the robotic arm 208b described above cannot apply large forces in the clamping direction, it may not be able to fully correct overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier. Therefore, whenever a new blank is stacked on the loading carrier that has already been stacked on the relay station 202, the third robot 211 corrects the overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier. The third robot 211 can be dedicated to correcting overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier as described above and does not need to have the function of picking up the loading carrier upwards.

[0141] For example, the third robot 211 moves multiple pressure plates 211a and 211b along the direction of the carrier 214 placed between them via actuators 211c and 211d, and the carrier 214 is clamped from the multiple sides by the pressure plates 211a and 211b, thereby correcting overlapping disturbances in the carrier 214. The actuators 211c and 211d can be arranged, for example, while being fixed to the repeater 202, and the clamping of the carrier 214 from the multiple sides can be performed with greater force by the pressure plates 211a and 211b. Therefore, the correction of overlapping disturbances caused by large deviations can be performed by using the third robot 211.

[0142] Therefore, if the disturbance of overlap in the carrier caused by the large deviation is corrected by the third robot 211, the disturbance of overlap in the carrier can be completely corrected by the gripping operation of the manipulator 208b of the second robot 208.

[0143] The palletizing system can be configured to include a plurality of first robots 204. In this case, the first controller 207 instructs each of the plurality of first robots 204 to perform the first transfer operation. Furthermore, the palletizing system may include a plurality of relay stations 202. In this case, a plurality of containers 203 are provided corresponding to the provided relay stations 202. Additionally, a second robot 208 is provided corresponding to each of the provided relay stations 202, and the second controller 210 instructs each of the plurality of second robots 208 to perform the second transfer operation. Note that, according to the palletizing system of the third embodiment described above, since the relay stations 202 are configured to palletize quickly, palletizing corresponding to the production speed of the blank can be performed in a small space without increasing the number of first robots 204.

[0144] Additionally, in a palletizing system, a reversing device can be provided, for example, before the location of the camera 205, to reverse the blank conveyed by the conveyor 201. For example, the reversing device can be positioned between the visual inspection device 213 and the camera 205. For example, the conveyor 201 is formed by a front-stage belt conveyor located on the press side and a rear-stage belt conveyor located on the side where the camera 205 is located, and the reversing device is positioned between the front-stage and rear-stage belt conveyors. The reversing device can, for example, be positioned on the side of the processing device 231 relative to the visual inspection device 213.

[0145] The reversing device can be formed of a rotating body comprising a plurality of radially arranged radial storage sections configured to receive, one after another, billets loaded from the first belt conveyor, reverse the billets, and arrange the billets on a subsequent belt conveyor. If a billet is supplied from the transmission end of the first conveyor to a predetermined radial storage section of the rotating body, the rotating body rotates intermittently in a predetermined direction (one piece or sheet) according to a billet detection signal from a sensor. When the radial storage section rotates approximately 180° from the billet receiving position, the billet conveyed by the radial storage section is arranged on the subsequent belt conveyor.

[0146] For example, the cut surface of the blank, stamped and unloaded by the processing equipment 231, is sometimes not vertical, but inclined relative to the plane of the blank. If the next step is performed while the blank is inclined in the stamping direction, defects may occur. Therefore, in the next step, the state of the cut surface of the blank is checked, and the blank is reversed as needed, resulting in loading during operation. However, if the blank is reversed by the reversing device described above to form the loading carrier, a reduction in loading during operation or a solution to the problem in the next step can be implemented.

[0147] As described above, in the palletizing system according to the third embodiment, since the relay station is provided and the carrier of multiple blanks stacked on the relay station by the first robot is transferred to the pallet station by the second robot, the blanks can be stacked on the pallet in accordance with the production speed of the blanks.

[0148] According to the palletizing system described above (as in the first and second embodiments), due to the use of the relay station and the second robot, control can be performed in the first robot by allowing interference / disturbance to occur in the carrier formed by stacking the blanks, wherein products being conveyed as blanks by the belt conveyor can be picked up more quickly. In the first robot, due to the limited range of movement of the products, it may not be possible to store more carriers on a wider pallet platform. However, according to the invention, due to the use of the relay station and the second robot, the blanks (carriers) can be moved to a range that cannot be reached by the first robot alone, and therefore, more carriers can be stored on a wider pallet platform.

[0149] Note that the inspection unit described in the third embodiment above can be a computer device, which includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 401, a main storage device 402, an external storage device 403, and a network connection device 404, such as... Figure 12The functions of the checking unit shown and described above can be implemented by the CPU 401 according to a program deployed on the main storage device 402 (executing a program). This program is configured to cause the computer to perform the functions of the checking unit. The network connection device 404 is connected to the network 405. These functions can also be distributed among multiple computer devices.

[0150] As described above, according to the third embodiment, since the image capture point of the first camera used for inspecting the front side of the billet is arranged at a point offset from above the gap along the conveying direction, the appearance inspection of both surfaces of the billet can be performed more accurately.

[0151] Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it is obvious that those skilled in the art can make many modifications and combinations within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0152] Explanation of reference numerals and symbols in the accompanying drawings

[0153] 101...Belt conveyor, 102...Relay station, 103...Pallet platform, 104...First robot, 105...Camera, 106...Image processing equipment, 107...First controller, 108...Second robot, 108a...Lifting mechanism, 108b...Manipulator, 108c...Claw component, 108d...Claw part, 109...Measuring equipment, 110...Second controller, 111...Third robot, 112...Third controller, 113...Visual inspection equipment, 131...Press, 151...First area, 152...Second area, 201...Conveying equipment, 202...Relay station, 203...Container, 204...First robot, 205...Camera, 206...Image processing equipment, 207...Second... 1. Controller, 208...Second robot, 208a...Lifting mechanism, 208b...Manipulator, 208c...Claw component, 208d...Claw part, 209...Measuring equipment, 210...Second controller, 211...Third robot, 212...Third controller, 213...Appearance inspection equipment, 231...Processing equipment, 251...First area, 252...Second area, 301...First belt conveyor, 302...Second belt conveyor, 303...First camera, 304...First irradiation element, 304a...First irradiation light, 305...Second camera, 306...Second irradiation element, 306a...Second irradiation light, 307...Semi-reflective mirror, 308...Inspection unit, 321...Gap, 331...Burnt material.

Claims

1. A palletizing system, comprising: A conveying device configured to convey products from a first area to a second area; A relay station is arranged in the second area, next to the conveying equipment; The container is arranged in the second area with the relay station sandwiched between the container and the arrangement area of ​​the conveying equipment; A first robot is arranged in association with the conveying equipment and configured to perform a first transfer operation of picking up the products being conveyed by the conveying equipment one after another and stacking the products on the relay table to form a carrier of multiple products. A camera configured to capture the product being conveyed by the conveying equipment; An image processing device configured to perform image measurements on images captured by the camera; A first controller is configured to instruct the first robot to perform the first transfer operation based on image measurement results from the image processing device. as well as A second robot is configured to perform a second transfer operation, which transfers the carrier of the plurality of products stacked on the relay table to the container by performing a correction operation to correct overlapping disturbances in the carrier.

2. The palletizing system according to claim 1, further comprising: A measuring device configured to measure the load of the plurality of products stacked on the relay table; and A second controller is configured to instruct the second robot to perform the second transfer operation when the load measured by the measuring device reaches a set value.

3. The palletizing system according to claim 2, wherein, The loading capacity is the number of products loaded and stacked on the relay platform.

4. The palletizing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The second robot includes a manipulator formed by three gripper members configured to grasp the carrier from multiple side surfaces, and each gripper member includes an L-shaped gripper portion at its distal end.

5. The palletizing system according to claim 4, wherein, Before the robotic arm grasps the carrier from the plurality of side surfaces, the second robot performs the correction operation to correct the overlapping disturbances in the carrier by having the robotic arm clamp the carrier from the plurality of side surfaces, and then begins the grasping operation on the carrier.

6. The palletizing system according to claim 4, wherein, The palletizing system also includes: A third robot, which is mounted on the relay station; and A third controller is configured to instruct a third robot to perform a correction operation to correct overlapping disturbances in the loading carrier when a new product is stacked on the loading carrier already stacked on the relay table. The third robot includes a plurality of pressure plates configured to move in multiple directions for clamping the plurality of products stacked on the relay table from the plurality of side surfaces of the load, and the third robot performs the correction operation by moving the plurality of pressure plates in the multiple directions for clamping the load from the plurality of side surfaces.

7. The palletizing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: An appearance inspection device configured to inspect the appearance of the product being conveyed by the conveying device between the first area and the second area.

8. The palletizing system according to claim 7, wherein, The appearance inspection device performs image recognition by capturing appearance images of the product being transported by the conveying device, thereby performing an inspection of the product's appearance.

9. The palletizing system according to claim 8, wherein, The appearance inspection device performs the appearance inspection of the product based on the degree of matching of pattern recognition between the appearance image and the reference image.

10. The palletizing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first robot includes a suction head configured to pick up the product by suction.

11. The palletizing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first robot includes multiple first robots, and The first controller instructs each of the plurality of first robots to perform the first transfer operation.

12. The palletizing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The repeater station includes multiple repeater stations. The container includes multiple containers corresponding to the multiple relay stations that are set up, and The second robot is configured corresponding to each of the multiple relay stations.

13. The palletizing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The conveying equipment is a conveyor.

14. The palletizing system according to claim 13, wherein, The conveying equipment is at least one of chain conveyors, roller conveyors, screw conveyors, and air-floating conveyors.

15. The palletizing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The product is at least one of transmission components, tableware, food trays, and sheet blanks.

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