An automatic assembly headlamp support positioning and clamping mechanism and an assembly method thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to an automated assembly headlight bracket positioning and clamping mechanism and its assembly method. The mechanism includes a gripping fixture and an auxiliary non-standard fixture for an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) transport vehicle. The gripping fixture determines the position of the headlight bracket product by positioning the auxiliary non-standard fixture. A six-axis robot is mounted on a servo-controlled four-sided turntable, receiving visual information from the auxiliary non-standard fixture on the AGV transport vehicle and using the gripping fixture to grasp it. This mechanism enables continuous automated assembly production throughout the day. The auxiliary non-standard fixture is closely fitted to the headlight bracket product, avoiding relative displacement and ensuring installation accuracy. The gripping fixture determines the position of the headlight bracket product by positioning the auxiliary non-standard fixture, achieving Y and Z-axis positioning and clamping to ensure product stability. The six-axis robot's trajectory can be adjusted to mimic the force points and trajectory of manual installation, adjusting its posture to complete the installation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of final assembly technology, specifically relating to a positioning and clamping mechanism for headlight brackets based on a six-axis robot for automated assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Final assembly is the traditional automotive manufacturing process with the lowest automation rate, the largest number of workers, and the most diverse range of parts materials and types. Current technologies necessitate targeted analysis of manual final assembly processes to develop automated processes and gradually improve the overall automation rate. This process replaces the original manual loading method with automated robotic loading, shortening cycle time, improving production efficiency, reducing labor load, preventing human error during work, and eliminating manual assembly, enabling automated assembly of parts that would otherwise require manual intervention. Therefore, achieving automation in the final assembly workshop and improving production efficiency and stability is the future development trend of final assembly workshops.

[0003] Currently, headlight brackets are assembled manually. OEMs urgently need to address the issues of low automation levels in final assembly, a large workforce, heavy manual labor, and difficulty in maintaining consistent assembly quality. As labor costs increase annually, this process can no longer meet current market demands, necessitating automated assembly to solve these problems. However, the design challenges lie in the flexible assembly of products made of different materials. Furthermore, headlight bracket product a is made of plastic, and its two insertion points with the outer frame assembly b and the anti-collision beam assembly c, even under compression, still exhibit significant interference during normal installation. Additionally, the product lacks pre-designed positioning points, resulting in an accuracy range of ±1–2 mm. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a positioning and clamping mechanism for the automated assembly of headlight brackets based on a six-axis robot, so as to solve the problem of continuous automated assembly production of headlight brackets throughout the day.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] An automated assembly headlight bracket positioning and clamping mechanism includes a gripping fixture 1 and an auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 for an AGV transport vehicle 5.

[0007] The gripping fixture 1 includes a robot connector 1-8, a gripper cylinder 1-1 mounted on the robot connector 1-8, a mounting bracket for a proximity switch 1-2 fixed on the gripper cylinder 1-1, and auxiliary clamping blocks 1-3 and 1-4 connected to the gripper cylinder 1-1 respectively. A PLC is connected to the auxiliary clamping blocks 1-3 and 1-4 for control, enabling Y and Z direction positioning of the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2. The PLC is also connected to the headlight bracket product positioning block 1-5 and clamping block 1-6 for Z direction positioning and clamping of the headlight bracket product.

[0008] The auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 includes a connecting plate 2-1 and a handle 2-2 and a positioning pin 2-3 mounted on the connecting plate 2-1; the headlight bracket product a is mounted on the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2; the gripping tooling 1 determines the position of the headlight bracket product a by positioning the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2; the six-axis robot 4 is mounted on the servo four-sided turntable 3, which can receive visual information from the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 on the visual positioning AGV transport vehicle 5, and carry the gripping tooling 1 to grip the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 on the AGV transport vehicle 5.

[0009] Furthermore, the cylinder body of the gripper cylinder 1-1 must be greater than or equal to 32.

[0010] Furthermore, the PLC is connected to the auxiliary clamping block 1-3 and the auxiliary positioning block 1-4 via the valve island 1-7, enabling it to position the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 in the Y and Z directions.

[0011] Furthermore, the PLC is connected to the headlight bracket product positioning block 1-5 and the headlight bracket product clamping block 1-6 via the valve island 1-7, enabling it to perform Z-direction positioning and clamping of the headlight bracket product.

[0012] Furthermore, the handle 2-2 and the positioning pin 2-3 are installed on both sides of the connecting plate 2-1, and there are multiple positioning pins 2-3.

[0013] Furthermore, the connecting plate 2-1 is used for rigid connection and BASE surface, the handle 2-2 is for manual hand holding, and the positioning pin 2-3 can accurately position the headlight bracket product in the X, Y, and Z directions, so that the product and non-standard tooling are in an absolutely static state.

[0014] An assembly method based on a six-axis robot for automated assembly of a headlight bracket positioning and clamping mechanism includes the following steps:

[0015] A. The headlight bracket product a is manually installed onto the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 of the AGV transport vehicle 5, and the AGV transport vehicle 5 reaches the position.

[0016] B. Visually locate the position of the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 on the AGV transport vehicle 5, and feed the visual information back to the six-axis robot 4;

[0017] C. The six-axis robot 4, carrying the gripping fixture 1, grips the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 on the AGV transport vehicle 5.

[0018] D. Adjust the six-axis robot's four trajectories to mimic the force points and trajectory of manual installation, and install it at three locations on the servo four-sided turntable to achieve sustainable automated assembly production throughout the day.

[0019] Further, in step B, the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 is detected by proximity switches 1-2.

[0020] Further, in step C, the PLC controls the auxiliary clamping block 1-3 and auxiliary positioning block 1-4 connected to the gripper cylinder 1-1 via the valve island 1-7 to position the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 in the Y and Z directions, and controls the headlight bracket product positioning block 1-5 and headlight bracket product clamping block 1-6 to position and clamp the headlight bracket product in the Z direction. The six-axis robot 4 uses the magnetic switch of the gripper cylinder 1-1 to provide feedback for gripping, positioning and clamping mechanism.

[0021] Further, in step D, the blow nail system draws nails from the 6th vibrating material tray and tightens them at the servo four-sided turntable 3. From the 7th and 8th vibrating material trays, two guns draw two types of nails and tighten them at the servo four-sided turntable 3. The headlight bracket product a is then assembled with the outer frame assembly b and the anti-collision beam assembly c.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0023] This invention relates to a six-axis robot-based automated assembly mechanism for headlight bracket positioning and clamping, enabling continuous automated assembly production around the clock. An auxiliary non-standard fixture is tightly fitted to the headlight bracket product (a) to prevent relative displacement and ensure installation accuracy. The gripping fixture determines the position of the headlight bracket product (a) by positioning the auxiliary non-standard fixture, achieving Y and Z-axis positioning and clamping to ensure product stability. The six-axis robot's trajectory can be adjusted to mimic the force points and trajectory of manual installation, adjusting its posture to complete the installation. This invention uses an automated assembly method with a robot gripping fixture, replacing the original manual assembly method and saving long-term labor costs. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 The images show the headlight bracket products, outer frame assembly products, and anti-collision beam assembly products.

[0026] Figure 2 This is an overall plan view of the invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is an isometric view of the headlight bracket positioning and clamping mechanism of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 A non-standard tooling isometric view for this invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a side view of the gripping tool of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a floor plan view illustrating an application example of the present invention in a project. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.

[0032] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0033] The present invention relates to an automated assembly headlight bracket positioning and clamping mechanism, comprising a gripping fixture 1 and an auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 for an AGV transport vehicle 5.

[0034] The headlight bracket product a is mounted on the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2. The gripping fixture 1 determines the position of the headlight bracket product a by positioning the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2. The six-axis robot 4 is mounted on the servo four-sided turntable 3, which can receive visual information from the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 on the vision positioning AGV transport vehicle 5, and use the gripping fixture 1 to grasp the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 on the AGV transport vehicle 5.

[0035] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the process of automatically assembling the headlight bracket based on the six-axis robot 4 carrying the gripping fixture 1 to grasp the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 is as follows:

[0036] 1. The headlight bracket product a is manually installed onto the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 of the AGV transport trolley 5, and the AGV transport trolley 5 reaches position ②;

[0037] 2. The position of the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 on the AGV transport vehicle 5 is determined by visual positioning, and the visual information is fed back to the six-axis robot 4;

[0038] 3. The six-axis robot 4, carrying the gripping fixture 1, grips the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 on the AGV transport vehicle 5;

[0039] 4. Adjust the six-axis robot's four-track system to mimic the force points and trajectory of manual installation, and place it on the servo four-sided turntable at three locations to achieve continuous automated assembly production throughout the day.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 is used to fit tightly against the headlight bracket product a to avoid relative displacement and ensure installation accuracy. The auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 includes a connecting plate 2-1, a handle 2-2, and positioning pins 2-3. The handle 2-2 and positioning pins 2-3 are installed on both sides of the connecting plate 2-1, and there are multiple positioning pins 2-3, specifically three.

[0041] The connecting plate 2-1 mainly serves as a rigid connection and a base surface. The handle 2-2 is for manual hand-held operation. The positioning pin 2-3 can accurately position the headlight bracket product in the X, Y, and Z directions, ensuring that the product and non-standard tooling are absolutely stationary. This prevents product deformation due to yield stress during installation, which could lead to installation failure and affect the installation effect and production capacity.

[0042] The gripping fixture 1 determines the position of the headlight bracket product a by positioning the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the gripping fixture 1 includes a gripper cylinder 1-1, a proximity switch 1-2, an auxiliary clamping block 1-3, an auxiliary positioning block 1-4, a headlight bracket product positioning block 1-5, a headlight bracket product clamping block 1-6, a valve island 1-7, and a robot connector 1-8.

[0043] The gripper cylinder 1-1 is mounted on the robot connector 1-8, and the mounting bracket of the proximity switch 1-2 is fixed on the gripper cylinder 1-1. The auxiliary clamping block 1-3 and the auxiliary positioning block 1-4 are respectively connected to the gripper cylinder 1-1. The PLC is controlled by the auxiliary clamping block 1-3 and the auxiliary positioning block 1-4 through the valve island 1-7, which can perform Y and Z direction positioning on the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2.

[0044] The PLC is connected to the headlight bracket product positioning block 1-5 and the headlight bracket product clamping block 1-6 via the valve island 1-7, and can control the headlight bracket product positioning block 1-5 and the headlight bracket product clamping block 1-6 to perform Z-direction positioning and clamping of the headlight bracket product.

[0045] The six-axis robot 4 carries the gripping fixture 1 to the AGV transport vehicle 5. The auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 is detected by the proximity switch 1-2. The PLC controls the auxiliary clamping block 1-3 and auxiliary positioning block 1-4 connected to the gripper cylinder 1-1 through the valve island 1-7 to position the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 in the Y and Z directions, and controls the headlight bracket product positioning block 1-5 and headlight bracket product clamping block 1-6 to position and clamp the headlight bracket product in the Z direction to ensure the stability of product gripping. The six-axis robot 4 adjusts the trajectory of the gripping, positioning and clamping mechanism through the magnetic switch of the gripper cylinder 1-1. It adjusts the posture by imitating the force points and trajectory of manual installation. At the servo four-sided turntable 3, it performs two automated plug-in assembly with the outer frame assembly b and the anti-collision beam assembly c.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] An automated assembly headlight bracket positioning and clamping mechanism includes a gripping fixture 1 and an auxiliary non-standard fixture 2.

[0048] The gripping fixture 1 includes a gripper cylinder 1-1, a proximity switch 1-2, an auxiliary clamping block 1-3, an auxiliary positioning block 1-4, a headlight bracket product positioning block 1-5, a headlight bracket product clamping block 1-6, a valve island 1-7, and a robot connector 1-8.

[0049] The cylinder body of the gripper cylinder 1-1 must be greater than or equal to 32 to prevent relative displacement caused by the automatic insertion and interference assembly process between the headlight bracket product and the outer frame assembly product and the anti-collision beam assembly product, thereby realizing the automatic assembly of the headlight bracket.

[0050] Auxiliary clamping blocks 1-3 and auxiliary positioning blocks 1-4 position the auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 in the Y and Z directions.

[0051] The headlight bracket product positioning blocks 1-5 and headlight bracket product clamping blocks 1-6 are used to position and clamp the headlight bracket product in the Z direction to ensure the stability of the product assembly.

[0052] The auxiliary non-standard tooling 2 includes a connecting plate 2-1, a handle 2-2, and three positioning pins 2-3. The handle 2-2 and the positioning pins 2-3 are installed on both sides of the connecting plate 2-1.

[0053] The six-axis robot's four-track system was adjusted to mimic the force points and trajectory of manual installation, ultimately achieving successful installation.

[0054] A manual installer on the AGV transport cart 5 at position ① installs the headlight bracket onto the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2. The AGV transport cart 5 moves from position ① to position ②. The position of the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 on the AGV transport cart 5 is determined by visual positioning, and the visual information is fed back to the six-axis robot 4. The six-axis robot 4 uses the gripping fixture 1 on its gripper to pick up the auxiliary non-standard fixture 2 from the AGV transport cart 5. The trajectory of the six-axis robot 4 is adjusted, mimicking the force points and trajectory of manual installation to adjust its posture. At the servo four-sided turntable 3, two automated insertion and assembly processes are performed with the outer frame assembly b and the anti-collision beam assembly c. The blown nail system picks up nails from the vibrating material tray 6 and tightens them at the servo four-sided turntable 3. Two guns from the vibrating material trays 7 and 8 pick up two types of nails and tighten them at the servo four-sided turntable 3. Thus, the assembly of the headlight bracket a with the outer frame assembly b and the anti-collision beam assembly c is completed.

[0055] This embodiment adopts an automated assembly method using a robot to grasp the tooling, replacing the original manual assembly method, saving long-term labor costs and fully demonstrating the automated assembly features of this invention.

[0056] Note that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, the scope of which is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An assembly method for an automated headlight bracket positioning and clamping mechanism, characterized in that: It includes an automated assembly headlight bracket positioning and clamping mechanism, the clamping mechanism including gripping fixture (1) and auxiliary non-standard fixture (2) of AGV transport trolley (5); The gripping fixture (1) determines the position of the headlight bracket product a by positioning the auxiliary non-standard fixture (2). The gripping fixture (1) includes a gripper cylinder (1-1), a proximity switch (1-2), an auxiliary clamping block (1-3), an auxiliary positioning block (1-4), a headlight bracket product positioning block (1-5), a headlight bracket product clamping block (1-6), a valve island (1-7), and a robot connector (1-8). The gripper cylinder (1-1) is mounted on the robot connector (1-8), and the mounting bracket of the proximity switch (1-2) is fixed on the gripper cylinder (1-1). The auxiliary clamping block (1-3) and the auxiliary positioning block (1-4) are respectively connected to the gripper cylinder (1-1). The auxiliary non-standard tooling (2) includes a connecting plate (2-1) and a handle (2-2) and a positioning pin (2-3) installed on the connecting plate (2-1); the headlight bracket product a is installed on the auxiliary non-standard tooling (2); the six-axis robot (4) is installed on the servo four-sided turntable (3), which can receive visual information from the auxiliary non-standard tooling (2) on the visual positioning AGV transport vehicle (5), and carry the gripping tooling (1) to grip the auxiliary non-standard tooling (2) on the AGV transport vehicle (5); The PLC is connected to the auxiliary clamping block (1-3) and the auxiliary positioning block (1-4) through the valve island (1-7) to position the auxiliary non-standard tooling (2) in the Y and Z directions. The PLC is connected to the headlight bracket product positioning block (1-5) and the headlight bracket product clamping block (1-6) through the valve island (1-7) to perform Z-direction positioning and clamping of the headlight bracket product. The handle (2-2) and the positioning pin (2-3) are installed on both sides of the connecting plate (2-1), and there are multiple positioning pins (2-3); The connecting plate (2-1) is used for rigid connection and BASE surface, the handle (2-2) is for manual hand holding, and the positioning pin (2-3) accurately positions the headlight bracket product in the X, Y and Z directions, so that the product and non-standard tooling are absolutely stationary. The assembly method includes the following steps: A. The headlight bracket product a is manually installed onto the auxiliary non-standard tooling (2) of the AGV transport trolley (5), and the AGV transport trolley (5) arrives at the position; B. Visually locate the position of the auxiliary non-standard tooling (2) on the AGV transport vehicle (5) and feed the visual information back to the six-axis robot (4). C. The six-axis robot (4) carries the gripping tool 1 to grip the auxiliary non-standard tool (2) on the AGV transport vehicle (5); D. Adjust the trajectory of the six-axis robot (4) to mimic the force points and trajectory route of manual installation; Step B: Detect auxiliary non-standard tooling (2) using proximity switches (1-2); In step C, the PLC controls the auxiliary clamping block (1-3) and auxiliary positioning block (1-4) connected to the gripper cylinder (1-1) via the valve island (1-7) to position the auxiliary non-standard tooling (2) in the Y and Z directions, and controls the headlight bracket product positioning block (1-5) and headlight bracket product clamping block (1-6) to position and clamp the headlight bracket product in the Z direction. The six-axis robot (4) uses the magnetic switch of the gripper cylinder (1-1) to feed back the gripping, positioning and clamping mechanism. Step D: The blow nail system picks up nails from the vibrating plate (6) and tightens them at the servo four-sided turntable (3). Two guns pick up two types of nails and tighten them at the servo four-sided turntable (3). The headlight bracket product a and the outer frame assembly b and the anti-collision beam assembly c are assembled.

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