An AGV and visual guidance combined automobile door cover piece intelligent manufacturing method and system

Abstract

The application provides an AGV and visual guidance combined automobile door cover intelligent manufacturing method and system. The manufacturing method takes AGV and visual guidance as the core. First, AGV is used to feed materials to the production line, and the materials are fed to the automatic line by robots or manually for production. Then, the door cover is taken offline and framed by robots or manually. Finally, the AGV intelligently transports the door cover to the storage area. When the adjustment line needs to install the door cover, the AGV system automatically calls the material according to the queue, and transports the door cover in the storage area to the adjustment line. The adjustment line robot combines visual guidance to grab the door cover and visually guide the vehicle body to complete automatic grabbing and automatic installation of the door cover, realizing unmanned production, storage, transportation and installation of the automobile door cover. Through intelligent scheduling, high-precision positioning, visual identification and RFID technology, the problems of traditional production lines, such as dependence on manual work, low efficiency and poor flexibility, are solved, and full-process automation and flexible production are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent automotive manufacturing, specifically to an intelligent manufacturing method and system for automotive door panels that combines AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) with visual guidance. Background Technology

[0002] The current international environment is severe and complex, with increasing risks and challenges in both domestic and international economic environments. The automotive industry is undergoing tremendous transformation and change: emerging car manufacturers are rising strongly, the marketization of new energy vehicles is accelerating, and the pace of intelligentization and digitalization is speeding up, further weakening the profitability of car companies. Improving product competitiveness, reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and increasing profitability are the main guarantees for enterprises to withstand internal and external pressures, smoothly navigate the transition period, and achieve long-term sustainable development. Currently, in the traditional automotive door manufacturing sector, manual handling, loading, and installation lead to problems such as high project investment, low production efficiency, and unstable quality. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an intelligent manufacturing method to achieve unmanned intelligent handling, intelligent material supply, and intelligent installation of automotive door panels. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent manufacturing method and system for automotive door and hood components that combines AGVs with visual guidance. With AGVs and visual guidance as the core, it enables unmanned production, storage, transfer, and installation of automotive door and hood components. Through intelligent scheduling, high-precision positioning, visual recognition, and RFID technology, it solves the problems of traditional production lines that rely on manual labor, have low efficiency, and lack flexibility, and achieves full-process automation and flexible production.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned technical effects, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a smart manufacturing method for automotive door cover components combining AGV and vision guidance is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0006] Step S1: Divide the production line into multiple independent "production islands" responsible for the production of different components. Each production island area is equipped with an off-line area. There are door and cover storage areas between different production islands. At the same time, 126 AGV storage locations and 1024 landmarks are deployed in the production workshop to cover the production line, storage area and adjustment line. The central control system monitors the empty or full status of different AGV storage locations in real time.

[0007] Step S2: The production line sends a material loading request to the central control system according to the production queue. The central control system allocates the nearest available AGV, retrieves a full-frame material rack from the storage location, and the AGV stops at the material loading port of the production line through the ground positioning mechanism. The robot grabs the material loaded on the full-frame material rack.

[0008] Step S3. Materials are brought onto the production island by robots or manually to complete the processing and production;

[0009] Step S4. The robot loads the processed door cover parts into a frame. After receiving the full frame signal, the AGV transfers the door cover parts to the storage area and stores them according to vehicle type through RFID identification.

[0010] Step S5. When a vehicle arriving on the adjustment line needs to have a door cover installed, the MES (Manufacturing Execution System) analyzes the production queue on the adjustment line, generates a material requisition instruction, and displays the production queue, vehicle model, and quantity of the door cover to be installed on the EP screen, thus realizing advance material requisition; if the system detects that the vehicle body and door cover do not match, the queue can be manually corrected through the EP interface.

[0011] Step S6. The AGV transfers the door cover parts from the storage area to the adjustment line according to the material call instruction. The adjustment line robot combines vision-guided gripping and vision-guided vehicle body to complete the automatic gripping and automatic installation of the door cover parts.

[0012] Optionally, the production island includes a right front door production line, a right rear door production line, a left rear door production line, a left front door production line, a tailgate production line, and a hatch production line.

[0013] Optionally, the positioning accuracy of the ground positioning mechanism is ±0.5mm.

[0014] Optionally, the rack can carry 10 door covers when full, and is equipped with push-pull cylinders to extend the robot's arm reach.

[0015] Optionally, the matching accuracy between the vision guide gripper and the door cover component is matched with the vision guide system. The vision guide gripper is equipped with a material rack stop push arm, which can realize the automatic opening of the material rack stop and complete the automatic gripping and transfer of the door cover component on the material rack.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an intelligent manufacturing system for automotive door cover parts combining AGV and vision guidance is provided, for implementing the above-described intelligent manufacturing method for automotive door cover parts combining AGV and vision guidance.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The intelligent manufacturing method and system for automotive door panels, combining AGVs and vision guidance, provided by this invention, achieves unmanned intelligent transfer, intelligent material supply, and intelligent installation of automotive door panels. This solves the problems of high investment, low production efficiency, and unstable quality caused by manual transfer, manual loading, and manual installation in traditional automotive door production, and shortens the introduction cycle for new models. The vision-guided gripper can flexibly grasp panels in the material frame, reducing the investment in personnel and equipment for loading, while simultaneously increasing line capacity. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a simplified schematic diagram of an intelligent manufacturing workshop for automotive door cover parts that combines AGVs with vision guidance, as described in the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the steps in the intelligent manufacturing method for automotive door cover parts that combines AGV and vision guidance as described in the first embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0023] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] 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, all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, bottom, etc.) in this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movements between components in a specific orientation (as shown in the figures). If the specific orientation changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. Furthermore, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated.

[0025] Example 1

[0026] like Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, this embodiment provides an intelligent manufacturing method for automotive door panels that combines AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) with visual guidance. This method uses AGVs and visual guidance as its core to achieve unmanned production, storage, transfer, and installation of automotive door panels (right front door, left front door, tailgate, etc.). Through intelligent scheduling, high-precision positioning, visual recognition, and RFID technology, it solves the problems of traditional production lines that rely on manual labor, have low efficiency, and poor flexibility, achieving full-process automation and flexible production. Specifically, it includes the following steps:

[0027] Step S1. Production Line Layout and AGV Logistics Planning

[0028] Step 1.1: Production line zoning design; such as... Figure 1 The simplified workshop diagram shown divides the production line into multiple independent "production islands" (such as the right front door production line, left rear door production line, and tail door production line), each responsible for producing a specific component. Materials are intelligently transferred between these production islands via AGVs, forming a distributed production network. Figure 1 As shown, the production island includes a right front door production line 1, a right rear door production line 3, a left rear door production line 4, a left front door production line 5, a tailgate production line 6, and a hatch production line 7. Each of the above production lines is equipped with a door hatch storage area 2, and each production island area is equipped with an unloading area.

[0029] Step 1.2: AGV Location and Landmark Deployment; 126 AGV locations and 1024 landmarks are deployed in the production workshop, covering the production area, storage area, off-line area, and adjustment and installation area. The central control system monitors the empty or full status of different AGV locations in real time and supports dynamic scheduling.

[0030] Step S2. Material delivery and line coordination

[0031] Step 2.1: AGV responds to loading request

[0032] The production line (such as the "Right Front Door Production Line" on Production Island 1) sends a material loading request to the central control system according to the production queue. The central control system allocates the nearest available AGV and retrieves a full-frame rack for the corresponding model from the storage location (a single rack can carry 10 door cover parts). The AGV stops at the material loading port of the line through a ground positioning mechanism (±0.5mm accuracy).

[0033] The central control system can display the real-time status of all storage locations (empty / full / occupied) and automatically allocate AGV tasks according to production needs. This means the central control system can intelligently schedule AGVs to enter and exit material racks at any storage location within the work area. Traditional AGV applications typically use a point-to-point, non-detached approach to complete logistics operations, resulting in limited application scenarios. Multi-scenario applications are achieved by increasing the number of AGVs. This solution, through intelligent scheduling and allocation by the central control system, supports entry and exit from any storage location, reducing the number of AGVs and lowering hardware costs. AGVs request entry and exit from the production line's loading / unloading ports, and are positioned using a ground positioning mechanism with an accuracy of ±0.5mm. This enables automatic calling and loading of materials from different vehicle models according to production needs, achieving seamless integration between the production line and AGV logistics. Furthermore, AGVs can automatically match storage locations based on vehicle model codes (e.g., SUV, sedan), ensuring independent storage of materials from different vehicle models and preventing material mixing.

[0034] Step 2.2: Robot grabs and loads materials

[0035] Robots on the production line grab door panels loaded onto full-frame racks. The racks are equipped with push-pull cylinders to extend the robot's reach.

[0036] Step S3. Production Island Processing and Visual Quality Control

[0037] Step 3.1: Multi-process integrated production

[0038] Robots or workers bring materials onto the production island to complete production processes such as stamping, welding, and gluing.

[0039] Step 3.2: Real-time visual guidance and correction

[0040] The vision system captures key dimensions of the door cover (such as holes and edges) in real time and compares them with the CAD model. When deviations exceed limits, the central control system adjusts subsequent processing parameters or marks the workpiece as needing rework. The vision data is fed back to the MES (Manufacturing Execution System) to optimize the production queue (e.g., prioritizing models with low pass rates).

[0041] Step S4. Finished Product Offline and Intelligent Storage

[0042] The finished door cover parts are framed by robots. After receiving the signal, the AGV transfers the door cover parts to the door cover parts storage area 2, and stores them according to vehicle type (such as the left front door of SUV and the tail door of sedan) through RFID identification. The AGV writes and reads the vehicle type on the carrier through RFID to realize the storage and transfer of materials between 126 storage locations, and prevents the mixing of materials after the material racks are moved by humans.

[0043] Step S5. Visually Guided Installation and Closed-Loop Feedback

[0044] Step 5.1: Visually Guided Installation

[0045] When a vehicle arriving at line 18 requires the installation of a door / cover component, the MES (Manufacturing Execution System) analyzes the production queue. The AGV interacts with the MES to read the production queue and, according to the vehicle model code rules, parses out the door / cover model and quantity that match the vehicle body. The production queue and the model and quantity of the door / cover to be installed are then visually displayed on the EP screen, enabling advance material requisition. If the system detects a mismatch between the vehicle body and the door / cover (e.g., RFID information error), the queue is manually corrected via the EP interface.

[0046] The AGV automatically calls materials according to the queue, transferring the door cover parts from the door cover storage area 2 to the adjustment line 18. The robot uses vision to position and adjust the installation points 8 of each door cover part on the line. A vision-guided gripper (±0.1mm accuracy) is used to grasp the door cover parts, and the installation is completed by combining the 3D scanning data of the vehicle body.

[0047] Among them, the visual guidance gripper is matched with the panel with the visual guidance system. The gripper is designed with a material rack stop push arm, which can realize the automatic opening of the material rack stop and complete the automatic gripping and transfer of the door cover panel on the material rack.

[0048] Throughout the entire production process of the door cover, the transfer and loading processes both utilize a combination of AGVs and vision guidance to achieve unmanned loading and transfer on the automated line, as well as seamless automatic interaction between logistics and the line. This approach also shortens the implementation cycle of new vehicle models, eliminates the need for additional turntables, fixtures, robots, etc., resulting in low secondary investment costs and reduced loading personnel.

[0049] Example 2

[0050] This embodiment provides an intelligent manufacturing system for automotive door covers that combines AGVs and vision guidance, used to implement the intelligent manufacturing method for automotive door covers that combines AGVs and vision guidance described in the first embodiment.

[0051] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for intelligent manufacturing of automotive door cover parts combining AGV and vision guidance, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: Divide the production line into multiple independent "production islands" responsible for the production of different components. Each production island has an off-line area. There are door and cover storage areas between different production islands. At the same time, deploy 126 AGV storage locations and 1024 landmarks in the production workshop to cover the production line, storage area and adjustment line. The central control system monitors the empty or full status of different AGV storage locations in real time. Step S2: The production line sends a material loading request to the central control system according to the production queue. The central control system allocates the nearest available AGV, retrieves a full-frame material rack from the storage location, and the AGV stops at the material loading port of the production line through the ground positioning mechanism. The robot grabs the material loaded on the full-frame material rack. Step S3. Materials are brought onto the production island by robots or manually to complete the processing and production; Step S4. The robot loads the processed door cover parts into a frame. After receiving the full frame signal, the AGV transfers the door cover parts to the storage area and stores them according to vehicle type through RFID identification. Step S5. When a vehicle arriving on the adjustment line needs to have a door cover installed, the MES (Manufacturing Execution System) analyzes the production queue on the adjustment line, generates a material requisition instruction, and displays the production queue, vehicle model, and quantity of the door cover to be installed on the EP screen, thus realizing advance material requisition; if the system detects that the vehicle body and door cover do not match, the queue can be manually corrected through the EP interface. Step S6. The AGV transfers the door cover parts from the storage area to the adjustment line according to the material call instruction. The robot on the adjustment line combines vision-guided part grabbing and vision-guided body to complete the automatic grabbing and automatic installation of the door cover parts. The positioning accuracy of the ground positioning mechanism is ±0.5mm; The rack can carry 10 door cover pieces when the frame is full, and is also equipped with a push-pull cylinder to extend the robot's arm reach. The matching accuracy between the vision-guided gripper and the door cover is matched with the vision guidance system. The vision-guided gripper is equipped with a material rack stop push arm, which can realize the automatic opening of the material rack stop and complete the automatic gripping and transfer of the door cover on the material rack.

2. The intelligent manufacturing method for automotive door cover parts combining AGV and vision guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The production island includes the right front door production line, the right rear door production line, the left rear door production line, the left front door production line, the tailgate production line, and the hatch production line.

3. A smart manufacturing system for automotive door cover parts combining AGV and vision guidance, characterized in that, This is for implementing the intelligent manufacturing method for automotive door panels that combines AGV with vision guidance as described in any one of claims 1 to 2.

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