Production line for machining planar lattice parts to form final parts

Abstract

A production line for machining planar lattice parts (1) to form a final part, said production line comprising: a press (2) comprising a first surface on which each planar lattice part (1) should be placed at a theoretical loading position, said press (2) further comprising a second surface facing said first surface, in use, said second surface being positioned at a theoretical loading position on which each planar lattice part (1) should be placed; the first surface and the second surface cooperate with each other so as to act on the planar lattice part (1); a first conveyor (3) upstream of the press (2) and configured to convey the planar format parts (1) towards the press (2) in a forward movement direction (A); optical measuring means (4) configured to determine the actual position of each planar format part (1) on the first conveyor (3); a first transfer device (5) and a second transfer device (6) configured to grasp at least one planar format part (1) residing in an actual position on the first conveyor (3); and a control unit (7) configured to determine a deviation between an actual position and a theoretical loading position of the planar format part (1), the control unit (7) is configured to use the calculated deviation to command the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) to change the position of the planar format part (1) in order to correct the deviation and to place the planar format part (1) on the press (2) after changing the position of the planar format part (1) and a theoretical loading position on the first surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a production line for forming flat format parts, in particular metal sheets. Background Art

[0002] Production lines with presses for forming flat format parts, such as metal sheets, are known. These parts are usually processed in fields such as the automotive field, where the metal sheets are formed in a press to obtain parts for the car body.

[0003] Flat format parts are obtained in a continuous process from a metal coil which is uncoiled, processed and cut into flat format parts. The flat format parts are then stacked for subsequent processing in a press. Therefore, for the parts to be subsequently processed in a press, they usually need to be unstacked, washed and, in some cases, greased.

[0004] The desired shape of the part is obtained by the pressing stroke. The press comprises a first surface (lower die) on which the part is placed with the help of a transfer device. This first surface cooperates with a second surface (upper die) and the part is pressed between these two surfaces to obtain the desired shape. It is therefore very important for the transfer device to place the part accurately in the press, because if the part is not placed accurately, the shape obtained after pressing may not be the desired shape and this forces the part to be discarded.

[0005] Before the transfer device grabs the part and places it in the press, the part must be arranged in the theoretical position; however, when the parts are transferred towards the press, or during cleaning and greasing operations, the parts may lose their theoretical loading position in the press, and this causes the transfer device to not accurately place the parts in the press. To avoid this problem, before loading the parts into the press, the positions of the parts are corrected and they are brought to their theoretical positions, which are known. In addition to making accurate corrections so that the parts do not have to be discarded after forming, it is important to make corrections quickly in order to avoid degradation of the line performance.

[0006] An alternative solution for correcting the position of the part consists in using mechanical stops that force the part to obtain the theoretical position, which can be fixed, movable or a combination of both. Stops have the disadvantage that they can damage the part during the centering process. In addition, when processing parts with different formats in a production line, the stops must be reoriented for each format. In addition, when processing parts with irregular shapes or when processing multiple parts simultaneously, a large number of stops is required to ensure positioning.

[0007] Another alternative which allows the position to be corrected without damaging the part consists in determining the position of the part with an optical measuring device (e.g. a camera), comparing the actual position of the part with the theoretical position and correcting the position of the part with the aid of a centering device before the transfer device grasps the part and places the part in the press.

[0008] For example, EP2190604A1 shows a device for orienting parts in a flat format, which are subsequently loaded into a press where they are formed. The device allows working with two parts at the same time, thereby improving the production line cycle time. In the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, the device includes: a conveyor for conveying two parts toward the press in a forward moving direction; an optical measuring device for determining the actual position of the two parts on the conveyor; two centering devices arranged on each side of the conveyor, which grab the parts from the conveyor, correct their position, and put them back to the theoretical position on the conveyor. The parts with the corrected position are transferred from the conveyor toward the press, where they are loaded by a single transfer device. The centering of the parts and the loading in the press are thus carried out separately by different devices.

[0009] DE102017121557A1 shows another device for orienting flat format parts, which processes two parts simultaneously in a production line. The device includes: a conveyor for conveying the two parts toward a press; an optical measuring device for measuring the position of the parts; and a centering device for correcting the position of one of the parts relative to the other part, so that the position of one of the parts is modified without modifying the position of the other part of the parts, thereby reducing the number of processing operations for centering the assembly of the two parts. A single transfer device then grabs the two parts from the conveyor and places them on the press so that the two parts are formed simultaneously in the press. Summary of the invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a production line for forming flat format parts as defined in the claims.

[0011] The present invention relates to a production line for processing flat format parts to form final parts, said production line comprising:

[0012] a press comprising a first surface on which each planar format part is to be placed in a theoretical loading position, and a second surface facing the first surface, the first surface and the second surface cooperating with each other in order to act on the planar format part in use;

[0013] a first conveyor located upstream of the press and configured to carry the planar format part in a forward moving direction toward the press;

[0014] an optical measuring device configured to determine the actual position of each planar format part on the first conveyor;

[0015] a first transfer device and a second transfer device configured to grasp at least one flat format part residing in a physical location on the first conveyor; and

[0016] A control unit is configured to determine a deviation between an actual position of the flat format part and a theoretical loading position, the control unit is configured to command the first transfer device and the second transfer device to change the position of the flat format part using the calculated deviation so as to correct the deviation and place the flat format part at the theoretical loading position on the first surface of the press after changing the position of the flat format part.

[0017] In this way, each transfer device is responsible for performing the operations of centering and loading the corresponding part in the press, so two different devices for each operation are not required, thereby reducing the floor space occupied by the production line. In the prior art documents EP2190604A1 and DE102017121557A1, there is a centering device downstream of the optical measuring device to center the part, and there is a loading device downstream of the centering device to load the part into the press, and this centering device configuration increases the length of the production line.

[0018] Furthermore, by using at least two transfer devices instead of just one transfer device, at least two parts can be loaded simultaneously in the press, which improves the cutting line performance. Furthermore, the use of at least two transfer devices enables the cutting line to continue to work when one of the transfer devices fails, which is not possible in a cutting line using a single device for loading parts in the press, as is the case with EP2190604A1 or DE102017121557A1. Likewise, if the part to be loaded in the press is a large-sized part, two transfer devices can cooperate to load the part, thereby preventing the part from bending and no longer being flat.

[0019] These and other advantages and features will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A plan view showing an example of a production line according to the invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 2A and Figure 2B Two transfer devices are shown that grab a single part from a first conveyor and place it in a press.

[0022] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Two transfer devices are shown that grab the respective part from the first conveyor and place it in the press.

[0023] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Three transfer devices are shown that grab the respective part from the first conveyor and place it in the press.

[0024] Figure 5 An enlarged view of an example of one of the transfer devices is shown, wherein the axis of motion of the device is shown.

[0025] Figure 6 An example of a flexible gripping device for gripping a part from one of the transfer devices is shown.

[0026] Figure 7 A plan view showing another example of a production line according to the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 8 Shows Figure 7 The invention relates to a destacking area of ​​a production line, wherein one destacking device is located outside the area for collecting parts so as not to interfere with another destacking device for picking up parts.

[0028] Fig. 9 Shows Figure 7 The unstacking area of ​​the production line, one unstacking device leaves a piece and the other unstacking device takes a piece from the collection area.

[0029] Fig.10 Shown for grabbing Figure 7 A plan view of an example of a flexible gripping device for parts of a destacking device of a production line.

[0030] Fig.11 Shows Figure 7 Side view of the destacking area of ​​the production line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Figure 1 An example of a production line of the invention is shown. The production line comprises a press 2. In the production line, a flat format part 1 is processed to form a final part, for example, the production line processes a metal sheet 1 which is formed in the press 2 to obtain a part for a car body.

[0032] The production line comprises a first conveyor 3 for conveying the parts 1 in a forward moving direction A towards the press 2 and an optical measuring device 4 for determining the actual position of the flat format parts 1 on the first conveyor 3 .

[0033] The first conveyor 3 may be a belt conveyor belt as shown, or it may be a conveyor belt having a plurality of strips, pinch rollers or other conveyor devices that convey the parts 1 in a forward moving direction A toward the press 2 .

[0034] The optical measuring device 4 may be located above the first conveyor 3, as shown in the example of the figure. For example, the optical measuring device 4 may be a camera or a set of optical sensors arranged in a frame located above the first conveyor 3. Alternatively, the optical measuring device 4 may be located below the first conveyor 3. For example, the first conveyor 3 may have a groove, and the optical measuring device 4 may be a camera or a set of optical sensors arranged below the groove of the first conveyor 3. Alternatively, the optical measuring device 4 may be located on one side of the first conveyor 3.

[0035] When the part 1 moves forward on the conveyor 3 toward the press 2, or when the first conveyor 3 stops for a short period of time (during which the operation of the first conveyor 3 is interrupted so that the measuring device 4 can capture the position of the part 1), the optical measuring device 4 can determine the actual position of the part 1. The position of the part 1 can be obtained by processing the image of the part 1 on the first conveyor 3 taken by the camera.

[0036] The production line also comprises at least two transfer devices 5 and 6 for taking the parts 1 from the first conveyor 3 and placing them directly on a first surface of the press 2, which first surface faces a second surface of the press 2 and which cooperates with the first surface in use to form the parts 1. The first surface of the press 2 corresponds to the lower die of the press 2, while the second surface of the press 2 corresponds to the upper die of the press 2.

[0037] The production line also includes a control unit 7, which is configured to receive the actual position of the part 1 determined by the optical measuring device 4, and compare the actual position with the theoretical loading position of the part 1 in the press 2, determine the deviation between these two positions, and command the transfer devices 5 and 6 to correct the deviation and place the part 1 in the theoretical position on the first surface of the press 2.

[0038] Specifically, the control unit 7 is configured to receive an input signal indicating the actual position of the part 1 on the conveyor 3 determined by the optical measuring device 4, and compare the actual position with the theoretical loading position of the part 1 in the press 2. The control unit is configured to determine the deviation between the actual position of the part and the theoretical loading position of the part, and generate an output signal, which is transmitted to one or more motors of each of the transfer devices 5 and 6 to cause the transfer devices 5 and 6 to correct the deviation and place the part 1 at the theoretical position on the first surface of the press 2.

[0039] The control unit 7 may include a CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) or a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller).

[0040] The press 2 may include a plurality of pressing stations to obtain a final part formed into a desired shape (e.g., as a part of a vehicle). For example, a part may be arranged in a first station of the press for a pressing step, and once said step is finished, the part is conveyed to another station for the next pressing step. These steps are repeated as many times as are required in the same press until the entire process is completed and the desired final part is thus obtained from the part. In order to convey the part from one station to another, transfer devices, such as devices 5 and 6 for grabbing the parts 1 from the first conveyor 3 and loading them in the first station of the press 2, may be used therein.

[0041] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, one of the transfer devices 5 is operable to load and center the part 1 in the press 2, while the other transfer device 6 is inoperable. This may be the case if one of the transfer devices has failed, so that the production line can continue to work with the other transfer device, or even if no failure has occurred, only one transfer device is operated due to operational simplicity and because the weight of the part allows this.

[0042] exist Figure 2A and Figure 2B In another example shown, the transfer devices 5 and 6 are configured to simultaneously grab the part 1 from the first conveyor 3 and place it in a theoretical position on the first surface of the press 2. This configuration is suitable for centering and loading heavy parts or large-sized parts 1 in the press 2, which cannot be accurately handled by a single transfer device or require an improved transfer device to handle due to the size or weight of these parts.

[0043] exist Figure 3A and Figure 3BIn another example shown, one of the transfer devices 5 is configured to grab a first part 1 from a first conveyor 3 and place it in its theoretical position on a first surface of a press 2, while another transfer device 6 is configured to grab a second part 1 from the first conveyor 3 and place it in its theoretical position on a first surface of a press 2, wherein the two parts 1 are placed simultaneously in the press 2. "Simultaneously" is to be understood as the parts 1 being placed in the press 2 so that the two parts are processed simultaneously in the press; however, depending on the deviations of the parts, there may be a slight offset between the correction of the position and the loading of one part relative to the other, since one part may deviate more from its theoretical loading position in the press than the other.

[0044] exist Figure 4A and Figure 4B In another example shown, the production line further comprises another transfer device 13 configured to grab a third part 1 from the first conveyor 3 and place it in its theoretical position on the first surface of the press 2, wherein these parts 1 are placed simultaneously in the press 2. In this case, three parts 1 are processed simultaneously, and each part is centered by a corresponding transfer device and loaded in the press 2. Therefore, the optical measuring device 4 determines the actual position of each of the three parts 1 on the first conveyor 3, and the control unit 7 receives the actual position of the three parts, compares the actual position with the theoretical loading position of each part 1, and determines the deviation between these two positions for each part, in order to subsequently command the three transfer devices 5, 6 and 13 to correct the deviation of each part 1 and place the three parts 1 in the theoretical loading position of each part 1 on the first surface of the press 2.

[0045] The transfer devices 5, 6 and 13 are located downstream of the optical measuring device 4, between the first conveyor 3 and the press 2, and are arranged parallel to the forward movement direction A of the part 1, so that the space occupied by these devices is optimized and the production line length is reduced.

[0046] The production line also includes a destacking zone 8 located upstream of the first conveyor 3, which includes a first destacking device 9 and a second destacking device 10 for destacking the parts 1. For simplicity, the destacking zone 8 is only shown in FIG. Figure 1 however, any one of the examples of Figures 2, 3 and 4 may have a destacking zone 8.

[0047] The unpacking area 8 has a second conveyor 14 for conveying the unpacked parts 1 in the forward moving direction A towards the first conveyor 3 where the optical measuring device 4 is located. The conveyors 3 and 14 can be of the same type. The transfer of the parts 1 between the conveyors 3 and 14 can be accomplished by arranging the conveyors 3 and 14 close to each other, such as Figure 1 however, a transfer device may be used to grab the parts 1 from one conveyor 14 and place them on another first conveyor 3.

[0048] The destacking zone 8 can have a single destacking device; however, when two parts are processed simultaneously, for example as shown in FIG. 3 , and therefore when two transfer devices 5 and 6 are used for each part, the destacking zone 8 preferably has two destacking devices 9 and 10 so that the parts can be destacking within the time required for processing by the press 2.

[0049] Preferably, the unpacking area 8 has a first part stack 11 and a second part stack 12, the first unpacking device 9 unpacks parts from the first part stack 11, and the second unpacking device 10 unpacks parts from the second part stack 12. Figure 1 Thus, the two parts can be unstacked one at a time.

[0050] Alternatively, the unpacking zone 8 has a single stack 11 of parts from which the first unpacking device 9 and the second unpacking device 10 unpack parts in an alternating manner. Thus, when one device 9 leaves parts on the second conveyor 14, the other device 10 can grab parts from the stack 11.

[0051] Each transfer device 5, 6 and 13 comprises a flexible gripping device 15 with a support arm 16 having gripping elements 17 to grip the part 1. Preferably, the gripping elements 17 comprise suction cups, however, they may be other gripping elements, such as hooks or magnets. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The flexible gripping device 15 of the transfer device is shown in detail.

[0052] Preferably, the gripping element 17 comprises a vacuum suction cup. The vacuum of the suction cup can be applied to all suction cups together, or the vacuum of each suction cup can be activated separately, so that the gripping function of the gripping device 15 becomes more flexible.

[0053] The gripping elements 17 may be integral with the support arm 16 or may be displaceable on the support arm 16. The displacement may be manual or automatic with the aid of a motor that displaces the gripping elements 17 relative to the support arm 17. For example, the support arm 16 may have a guide rail and each gripping element 17 may have a bracket that may be displaced along the guide rail of the support arm 16. The gripping elements 17 may have a locked position and an unlocked position to fix their position in the support arm 16. The displacement of the gripping elements 17 on the support arm 16 allows the gripping to be adjusted based on the characteristics of the part. Furthermore, the length of the support arm 16 may be selected based on the size of the part 1 to be gripped.

[0054] The flexible gripping device 15 may be coupled to a robot, for example a humanoid robot having 6 degrees of freedom. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The design of the axes shown in FIG. 1 is particularly suitable for a single transfer device which can jointly carry out the centering and loading of the respective parts 1 in the press 2 within the time required to supply the press 2 .

[0055] The flexible gripping device 15 is coupled to a crossbeam 18 displaceable according to a first movement A1 parallel to the forward moving direction A and a second movement A2 perpendicular thereto, and according to a third vertical movement A3 relative to the first conveyor 3 .

[0056] Furthermore, the flexible gripping device 15 is rotatable relative to the crossbar 18 according to a first rotational movement R1 about a first axis 19 perpendicular to the first conveyor 3. This rotational movement R1 is particularly suitable for correcting the actual position of the part 1 and bringing it to a theoretical loading position in the press 2.

[0057] Furthermore, the flexible gripping device 15 can also be tilted relative to the crossbar 18 according to a second rotational movement R2 about a second axis 20 parallel to the first conveyor 3. This movement allows the part 1 to be arranged in an inclined position on the press 2. It also allows the part 1 to be tilted during loading to prevent interference between transfer devices or with other parts of the production line.

[0058] Preferably, the control unit is configured to generate an output signal, which is transmitted to the first motor, the second motor, the third motor, the fourth motor of each of the transfer devices 5 and 6, and additionally to the fifth motor, so that the transfer devices 5 and 6 correct the deviation of the part 1 and place the part 1 in the theoretical position on the first surface of the press 2.

[0059] Preferably, the first motor causes a first movement A1 parallel to the forward movement direction A, the second motor causes a second movement A2 perpendicular to the forward movement direction A, the third motor causes a third vertical movement A3, the fourth motor causes a first rotational movement R1, and the fifth motor causes a second rotational movement R2.

[0060] The flexible gripping device 15 can be displaced according to the third vertical movement A3, so that the gripping element 17 can be raised and lowered and so that the parts 1 can be gripped from the first conveyor 3 and loaded in the press 2. For example, the crossbeam 18 can be displaced relative to the first conveyor 3, or the flexible gripping device 15 can be vertically displaced relative to the crossbeam 18. For example, the second shaft 20 can be vertically displaced on the first shaft 19 in order to raise or lower the support arm 16 together with the gripping element 17.

[0061] The flexible gripping device 15 therefore has three linear displacement movements A1 , A2 and A3 on three main axes forming right angles to each other, a rotation movement R1 and a tilting movement R2 .

[0062] Preferably, each transfer device 5, 6 and 13 has a transfer bracket 21 that can be displaced on the beam 22 according to a second movement A2 perpendicular to the forward moving direction A, and the cross beam 18 of each transfer device 5, 6 and 13 can be displaced on the transfer bracket 21 according to a first movement A1 parallel to the forward moving direction A.

[0063] The transfer carriage 21 is displaceable relative to the beam 22 according to a third vertical movement A3 , so that the gripping element 17 can be raised and lowered and so that the parts 1 can be gripped from the first conveyor 3 and loaded in the press 2 .

[0064] Preferably, the first motor, the second motor, and the third motor causing the first movement A1 , the second movement A2 , and the third vertical movement A3 are located on the transfer bracket 21 .

[0065] More preferably, the fourth motor and the fifth motor causing the first rotational movement R1 and the second rotational movement R2 are located on the flexible gripping device 15 .

[0066] The beam 22 may be a part of the frame arranged above the first conveyor 3 .

[0067] The beam 22 is displaceable relative to the frame according to a third vertical movement A3 , so that the gripping element 17 can be raised and lowered and so that the parts 1 can be gripped from the first conveyor 3 and loaded in the press 2 .

[0068] Preferably, as shown, the transfer carriages 21 of the transfer devices 5, 6 and 13 are displaceable on a single beam 22. The transfer devices 5, 6 and 13 are thus parallel to each other and the floor space occupied is optimized.

[0069] Figure 7 Another example of a production line according to the invention is shown. Figure 7 Shows that different from Figure 1 The unpacking zone 8. Figure 7 The remaining elements in the first conveyor 3, the optical measuring device 4, the transfer devices 5 and 6 and the control unit 7 are the same as described above. In other words, Figure 7 The destacking zone can be Figures 1 to 6 any element described in .

[0070] Figure 7 The unstacking zone 8 of this other example is also arranged upstream of the first conveyor 3 and comprises a first unstacking device 9 and a second unstacking device 10 for unstacking the parts 1. Using two transfer devices 5 and 6 together with two unstacking devices 9 and 10 allows a high rhythm to be obtained in the press 2.

[0071] The destacking area 8 also includes a second conveyor 14 aligned with the first conveyor 3, which is used to transport the destacking parts 1 toward the first conveyor 3 in the forward moving direction A. The first parts collection area 23 is arranged on one side of the second conveyor 14, and has a first workbench 24. The first workbench 24 has a first parts pile 11. The second parts collection area 25 is arranged on the other side of the second conveyor 14, and the second workbench 26 has a second parts pile 12.

[0072] The destacking devices 9 and 10 are configured to transport the parts 1 from the parts collection area 23 or 25 to the second conveyor 14, wherein the parts 1 are located in the same horizontal plane, and the destacking devices 9 and 10 can be moved outside the parts collection area 23 or 25 so as not to interfere with the transportation of the parts 1 from the parts collection area 23 or 25 to the second conveyor 14. "The same horizontal plane" means that the parts 1 are transported at the same height, which substantially corresponds to the height of the second conveyor 14 on which the parts 1 are placed.

[0073] That is, the first unstacking device 9 and the second unstacking device 10 alternately take out the parts 1 from the same parts collection area 23 or 25 to transfer and place them on the second conveyor 14, and when one of the unstacking devices picks up the part 1 to bring it to the second conveyor 14, the other unstacking device 9 or 10 is located outside the parts collection area 23 or 25 so as not to interfere. In order to avoid interference between the devices 9 and 10, the parts 1 can be moved at different heights, however, the greater the protrusion of the unstacking device 9 or 10, the greater the vibration generated in the part 1, which is disadvantageous when transporting large-sized parts (for example, a flat format of 4300 mm×2100 mm). Conveying the parts 1 at the same height without the stacking devices 9 and 10 having to change the height at which the parts 1 are conveyed makes it possible to obtain more rigid unstacking devices 9 and 10.

[0074] As in Figure 8 , Fig. 9 and Fig.11 As can be seen in detail, each workbench 24 and 26 can be moved from a reloading position to a collection position, where the workbench 24 or 26 is arranged outside the part collection area 23 or 25, and at the collection position, the workbench 24 or 26 is arranged in the part collection area 23 or 25, so that the part 1 is collected by the destacking devices 9 and 10.

[0075] The production line has two workstations 24 and 26 and two parts collection areas 23 and 25, so that when the unstacking devices 9 and 10 pick up the parts 1 from the first workstation 24, the operator reloads the parts 1 from the second workstation 26. Therefore, when the unstacking devices 9 and 10 have finished picking up the parts 1 from the first workstation 24, they move from the first area 23 to the second area 25 to start picking up the parts 1 from the second workstation 26, while the operator reloads the first workstation 24. This ensures a continuous supply of parts 1 to the press 2.

[0076] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 A first workbench 24 is shown arranged in the first part collection area 23 , wherein the destacking devices 9 and 10 destacking the parts 1 from said first workbench 24 , while a second workbench 26 is outside the second part collection area 25 to be reloaded with new parts 1 . Figure 8 Also shown are the first unstacking device 9 arranged in the first parts collecting area 23 and the second unstacking device 10 arranged outside the first parts collecting area 23 so as not to interfere with the first unstacking device 10 . Fig. 9 It is shown how the first destacking device 9 has moved from the first part collection area 23 to the second conveyor 14 to place the part 1 , while the second destacking device 10 has moved to the first part collection area 23 to pick up a new part 1 and bring it to the second conveyor 14 .

[0077] like Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown in detail, each unstacking device 9 and 10 comprises a flexible gripping device 34 with a support arm 27 having a gripper 28 for gripping a part 1. The flexible gripping device 34 is coupled to a crossbar 29 movable according to a first translation movement T1 parallel to the forward movement direction A, in order to move the unstacking device 9 or 10 out of the parts collection area 23 or 25, and to a translation carriage 30 movable on a beam 31 according to a second translation movement T2 perpendicular to the forward movement direction A.

[0078] Each unstacking device 9 and 10 can be moved on its own beam 31. Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 and Fig.11 As shown, the unstacking zone 8 has two beams 31 parallel to each other and perpendicular to the forward movement direction A of the parts 1. Alternatively, the two unstacking devices 9 and 10 can move on the same beam 31, in which case each unstacking device 9 and 10 moves on one side of the beam 31, in which case a greater beam width is required.

[0079] The first translation movement T1 can be used to move the crossbar 29 together with the flexible gripping device 34 into and out of the parts collection area, while the second translation movement T2 can be used to move the translation bracket 31 together with the crossbar 29, and the flexible gripping device 34 can be moved toward the second conveyor 14 and can also be moved between the parts collection areas 23 and 25.

[0080] In addition, the flexible gripping device 34 is arranged on a further translatory carriage 32 which can be displaced relative to the crossbar 29 by a third translational movement T3 parallel to the forward movement direction A. In this way, the lateral position of the flexible gripping device 34 on the parts 1 located in the parts collection area can be adjusted. The parts collection areas 23 and 25 can have stops 33 to align the parts 1 on their respective workstations 24 or 26 before the destacking device 9 or 10 picks up the parts 1. The stops 33 can be stationary mechanical stops, or they can be mechanical stops that are moved manually or automatically. See Figure 8 and Fig. 9 .

[0081] like Fig.11 As shown, the first workbench 24 can be moved by a linear displacement L1 parallel to the forward movement direction A to enter and leave the first part collection area 23, and can also be moved by a vertical displacement V1 to bring the part 1 close to the gripping element 28 of the flexible gripping device 34. For example, the workbench 24 can have a scissor mechanism for lifting the part 1. The second workbench 26 can be the same as the first workbench 24.

[0082] In addition, the stacking devices 9 and 10 can be moved in the vertical direction according to a fourth translation movement T4 to bring the part 1 closer to the gripping element 28, which is complementary to the vertical displacement on the table. For example, the carriage 30 can be moved vertically relative to the beam 31.

[0083] As in the transfer devices 4, 5 and 6, the gripping elements 28 of the unstacking devices 9 and 10 can be integral with the support arm 27, or they can be movable on the support arm 27. The displacement can be manual or automatic by means of a motor that moves the gripping elements 28 relative to the support arm 27. For example, the support arm 27 can have a guide rail and each gripping element 28 can have a bracket that moves along the guide rail of the support arm 27. The gripping elements 28 can have a locked position and an unlocked position to fix their position on the support arm 27. The displacement of the gripping elements 28 on the support arm 27 allows the gripping to be adjusted according to the characteristics of the part 1. On the other hand, the length and number of the support arms 27 can be selected according to the size of the part 1 to be gripped. The position of the support arm 27 can also be adjusted relative to the bracket 32 ​​in the same way as the gripping elements 28 can be adjusted relative to the support arm 27. Preferably, the gripping elements 28 include some suction cups, however, other gripping elements are also possible, such as claws or magnets. More preferably, the gripping elements 28 include vacuum suction cups. The vacuum can be applied to all suction cups together, or the vacuum can be activated individually for each suction cup.

Claims

1. A production line for processing a flat format part (1) to form a final part, the production line comprising: a press (2), said press (2) comprising a first surface on which each planar format part (1) is to be placed in a theoretical loading position, said press (2) further comprising a second surface facing said first surface, said first surface and said second surface cooperating with each other in order to act on said planar format part (1) in use; a first conveyor (3) located upstream of the press (2) and configured to carry the flat format part (1) in a forward moving direction (A) towards the press (2); an optical measuring device (4) configured to determine the actual position of each flat format part (1) on the first conveyor (3); a first transfer device (5) and a second transfer device (6) configured to grasp at least one flat format part (1) residing in a physical position on said first conveyor (3); as well as A control unit (7) configured to determine a deviation between the actual position of the flat format part (1) and a theoretical loading position, the control unit (7) configured to use the calculated deviation to command the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) to change the position of the flat format part (1) so as to correct the deviation and to place the flat format part (1) at the theoretical loading position on the first surface of the press (2) after changing the position of the flat format part (1).

2. The production line according to claim 1, wherein: The first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) are each configured to grab a first planar format part (1) residing at a first actual position on the first conveyor (3) and a second planar format part (1) residing at a second actual position on the first conveyor (3), respectively; and The control unit (7) is configured to determine a first deviation between a first actual position of the first planar format part (1) and a theoretical loading position and to determine a second deviation between a second actual position of the second planar format part (1) and a theoretical loading position, the control unit (7) is configured to use the calculated first deviation to command the first transfer device (5) to change the position of the first planar format part (1) so as to correct the first deviation and to place the first planar format part (1) at the theoretical loading position on the first surface of the press (2) after changing the position of the first planar format part (1), the control unit (7) is configured to use the calculated second deviation to command the second transfer device (6) to change the position of the second planar format part (1) so as to correct the second deviation and to place the second planar format part (1) at the theoretical loading position on the first surface of the press (2) after changing the position of the second planar format part (1).

3. The production line according to claim 2, wherein: The control unit (7) is configured to cause the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) to place the first flat format part (1) and the second flat format part (1) respectively on the first surface of the press (2) simultaneously.

4. The production line according to claim 2 or 3 further includes a third transfer device (13), which is configured to grab a third planar format part (1) residing at a third actual position on the first conveyor (3), and the control unit (7) is configured to determine a third deviation between the third actual position of the third planar format part (1) and the theoretical loading position, and the control unit (7) is configured to use the calculated third deviation to command the third transfer device (13) to change the position of the third planar format part (1) so as to correct the third deviation and place the third planar format part (1) at the theoretical loading position on the first surface of the press (2) after changing the position of the third planar format part (1).

5. The production line according to claim 4, wherein: The control unit (7) is configured to enable the first transfer device (5), the second transfer device (6) and the third transfer device (13) to place the first planar format part (1), the second planar format part (1) and the third planar format part (1) on the first surface of the press (2) at the same time respectively.

6. According to the production line described in any one of the preceding claims, the production line also includes a destacking zone (8) located upstream of the first conveyor (3), and located in the destacking zone (8) are a first destacking device (9) and a second destacking device (10), and the first destacking device and the second destacking device are both configured to destacking the flat format parts (1) in one or more piles (11, 12) arranged in the destacking zone (8).

7. The production line according to claim 6, wherein: The one or more stacks (11, 12) include a first part stack (11) and a second part stack (12), wherein the first destacking device (9) destackers the flat format parts (1) from the first part stack, and the second destacking device (10) destackers the flat format parts (1) from the second part stack.

8. According to the production line described in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, the production line also includes a stacking zone (8) located upstream of the first conveyor (3), and located in the stacking zone (8) are a first stacking device (9) and a second stacking device (10), and the first stacking device and the second stacking device are both configured to stack the flat format parts (1) in a single pile (11, 12) arranged in the stacking zone (8).

9. The production line according to claim 8, wherein: The first unstacking device (9) and the second unstacking device (10) are configured to unstacking the flat format parts (1) in the single stack (11, 12) in an alternating manner.

10. The production line according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) are located between the first conveyor (3) and the press (2) and are arranged parallel to each other with respect to the forward movement direction (A).

11. A production line according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each of the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) includes a flexible gripping device (15) having a support arm (16), the support arm having a gripping element (17) connected thereto, the flexible gripping device (15) being connected to a crossbeam (18) which can be displaced according to a first movement (A1) parallel to the forward moving direction (A) and a second movement (A2) perpendicular to the forward moving direction (A), the flexible gripping device (15) being displaced according to a third vertical movement (A3) relative to the first conveyor (3), and the flexible gripping device (15) being rotatable relative to the crossbeam (18) according to a first rotational movement (R1) around a first axis (19) arranged perpendicular to the forward moving direction (A).

12. The production line according to claim 11, wherein: The flexible gripping device (15) is tiltable relative to the crossbeam (18) according to a second rotational movement (R2) about a second axis (20) arranged parallel to the forward movement direction (A).

13. The production line according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: Each of the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) includes a transfer bracket (21) that can be displaced on the beam (22) according to the second movement (A2) perpendicular to the forward moving direction (A), and the cross beam (18) of each of the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (5, 6) can be displaced on the transfer bracket (21) according to the first movement (A1).

14. The production line according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: Each of the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) includes a transfer bracket (21) that can be displaced on a single beam (22) according to the second movement (A2) perpendicular to the forward moving direction (A), and the cross beam (18) of each of the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) can be displaced on the transfer bracket (21) according to the first movement (A1).

15. A production line according to any one of claims 6 to 9, which further includes a second conveyor (14) located in the destacking area (8), the second conveyor (14) being aligned with the first conveyor (3) and configured to convey the destacking planar format parts (1) toward the first conveyor (3) in the forward moving direction (A), the destacking area (8) further including a first part collection area (23) arranged on a first side of the second conveyor (14) and a second part collection area (25) arranged on a second side of the second conveyor (14), the second side being opposite to the first side, the first destacking device (9) and the second destacking device (10) being respectively located in the first part collection area (23) and the second part collection area (25), the first destacking device (9) being configured to transport the destacking planar format parts to the second conveyor (14).

16. The production line according to claim 15, wherein: The first unstacking device (9) and the second unstacking device (10) are configured to transport the unstacking planar format parts (1) to the second conveyor (14) in the same horizontal plane, and the first unstacking device (9) and the second unstacking device (10) can be moved outside the first part collection area (23) and the second part collection area (25) respectively.

17. The production line according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein: Each of the first unstacking device (9) and the second unstacking device (10) comprises a flexible gripping device (34) having a support arm (27), the support arm having a gripping element (28) connected thereto, the flexible gripping device (34) being connected to a cross bar (29) which can move according to a first translation movement (T1) parallel to the forward movement direction (A) to move the first unstacking device (9) and the second unstacking device (10) outside the first parts collection area (23) and the second parts collection area (25), respectively, the cross bar (29) being attached to a translation bracket (30) which can move on a beam (31) according to a second translation movement (T2) perpendicular to the forward movement direction (A).

18. A production line according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each of the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (6) comprises a flexible gripping device (15) having a plurality of support arms (16), each of the plurality of support arms (16) comprising one or more gripping elements (17).

19. The production line according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The first transfer device (5), the second transfer device (6) and the third transfer device (13) are all located between the first conveyor (3) and the press (2), and are arranged parallel to each other with respect to the forward movement direction (A).

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