Control method of production equipment and production equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a control method of production equipment and the production equipment. The production equipment comprises a first station, a safety station and a second station, and the control method comprises the steps that when a first manipulator completes operation on the first station and a second manipulator is not located on the second station, the first manipulator is controlled to move to the second station; and when the first manipulator completes operation at the first station and the second manipulator is located at the second station, the first manipulator is controlled to move to the safety position to wait until the second manipulator leaves the second station, and then the first manipulator is controlled to move to the second station from the safety position. According to the control method, when the first manipulator completes operation at the first station and the second manipulator is not located at the second station, the first manipulator is controlled to move to the second station, so that the waiting time of the first manipulator at the safety station can be saved, and the production efficiency can be improved to a certain extent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of production technology, and in particular to a control method for production equipment and production equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the battery manufacturing process, battery materials are typically manufactured and processed on a logistics line. These materials can be transferred using robotic arms at each workstation. Currently, efforts are being made to increase the speed of these robotic arms to improve production efficiency; however, even with this increase, their efficiency still falls short of the required levels. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a control method and production equipment for production equipment to solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0004] This invention provides a control method for production equipment, the production equipment including a first workstation, a safety workstation, and a second workstation, the control method comprising: When the first robotic arm completes its operation at the first workstation and the second robotic arm is not located at the second workstation, control the first robotic arm to move to the second workstation; When the first robotic arm completes its operation at the first workstation and the second robotic arm is at the second workstation, the first robotic arm is controlled to move to the safe position to wait until the second robotic arm leaves the second workstation, and then the first robotic arm is controlled to move from the safe position to the second workstation.

[0005] In the above control method, when the first robot arm completes its operation at the first workstation and the second robot arm is not located at the second workstation, the first robot arm is controlled to move to the second workstation, thereby saving the time that the first robot arm waits in the safe position and improving production efficiency to a certain extent.

[0006] In some embodiments, the operation of the first robotic arm at the first workstation includes one of picking up material and one of unloading material, and the operation of the first robotic arm at the second workstation includes the other of picking up material and unloading material.

[0007] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: When the first robotic arm completes the material feeding operation at the first workstation, and the second robotic arm is not located at the second workstation but there is material at the second workstation, control the first robotic arm to move to the second workstation and perform the material picking operation; When the first robotic arm completes the material feeding operation at the first workstation and the second robotic arm is located at the second workstation, or when the first robotic arm completes the material feeding operation at the first workstation and there is no material at the second workstation, the first robotic arm is controlled to move to a safe position to wait until the second robotic arm leaves the second workstation and there is material at the second workstation, and then the first robotic arm is controlled to move from the safe position to the second workstation and perform the material picking operation.

[0008] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: When the first robotic arm completes the material picking operation at the first workstation, and the second robotic arm is not located at the second workstation and there is no material at the second workstation, the first robotic arm is controlled to move to the second workstation and perform the material unloading operation. When the first robotic arm completes the material picking operation at the first workstation and the second robotic arm is located at the second workstation, or when the first robotic arm completes the material picking operation at the first workstation and there is material at the second workstation, the first robotic arm is controlled to move to a safe position to wait until the second robotic arm leaves the second workstation and there is no material at the second workstation, and then the first robotic arm is controlled to move from the safe position to the second workstation and perform the material unloading operation.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first station or the second station includes a weighing station, and the control method further includes: When the material is being weighed at the weighing station, the scanning device is controlled to scan the material to obtain the material's barcode information. The obtained weight information and barcode information of the material are uploaded to the host computer.

[0010] In some embodiments, the number of weighing stations is multiple, the multiple weighing stations are arranged along a first direction, and each weighing station holds a material; The control method further includes: When the material is weighed, the control drive mechanism drives the scanning device to scan multiple materials sequentially from the initial position corresponding to the first weighing station to obtain the barcode information of multiple materials in sequence. After the material scanning at the last weighing station is completed, the drive mechanism is controlled to drive the scanning device back to the initial position, and the acquired weight information and barcode information of the material are uploaded to the host computer.

[0011] In some embodiments, the production equipment includes a first inspection station, a second inspection station, and a pairing station; The control method further includes: controlling a third robot arm to move a first material group that has passed inspection at the first inspection station to the pairing station, and controlling a fourth robot arm to move a second material group that has passed inspection at the second inspection station to the pairing station, so that the first material group and the second material group are paired to form a third material group and a fourth material group respectively. When a first material group fails to pass inspection at the first inspection station, and both the pairing station and the second inspection station have qualified second material groups, the fourth robot arm is controlled to move the qualified second material group at the second inspection station to the pairing station, so that the two second material groups are paired to form two fifth material groups. When a second material group fails inspection at the second inspection station, and both the pairing station and the first inspection station have qualified first material groups, the third robot arm is controlled to move the qualified first material group at the first inspection station to the pairing station, so that the two first material groups are paired to form two sixth material groups.

[0012] In some embodiments, the production equipment further includes a recycling station and a buffer station, and the control method further includes: When at least one first material in the first material group that is unqualified is qualified and at least one first material is unqualified, the third robot arm is controlled to move the qualified first material to the buffer station and the unqualified first material to the recycling station. When at least one second material in the unqualified second material group is qualified and at least one second material is unqualified, the fourth robotic arm is controlled to move the qualified second material to the buffer station and the unqualified second material to the recycling station.

[0013] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: When the number of qualified first materials stored in the buffer station is equal to the number of first materials contained in the sixth material group, the third robot arm is controlled to move the qualified first materials in the buffer station to the pairing station, so that multiple qualified first materials are paired to form a sixth material group. When the number of qualified second materials stored in the buffer station is equal to the number of second materials contained in the fifth material group, the fourth robot arm is controlled to move the qualified second materials in the buffer station to the pairing station, so that multiple qualified second materials are paired to form a fifth material group.

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention provides a production equipment including a control component, a first workstation, a safety station, a second workstation, a first robotic arm, and a second robotic arm. The control component is electrically connected to both the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm, and is used to control the operation of the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm. The control component includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program that, when executed by the processor, implements the control method of any of the above embodiments.

[0015] In the aforementioned production equipment, when the first robotic arm completes its operation at the first workstation and the second robotic arm is not located at the second workstation, the first robotic arm is controlled to move to the second workstation. This can save the time that the first robotic arm spends waiting in the safe position and improve production efficiency to a certain extent.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the production equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of the production equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 3 to 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use scenario of the robotic arm in the production equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of the weighing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 7 to 10 This is a schematic diagram of another application scenario of the robotic arm of the production equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Explanation of key component reference numerals: Production equipment 100, first station 10, safety station 20, second station 30, first robot arm 40, second robot arm 50, control component 60, processor 61, memory 62, weighing station 70, scanning device 80, thickness measuring station 90, weighing device 110, drive mechanism 120, first detection station 130, second detection station 140, pairing station 150, third robot arm 160, fourth robot arm 170, recycling station 180, buffer station 190; Material 200, logistics line 201, first material group 210, second material group 220, third material group 230, fourth material group 240, fifth material group 250, sixth material group 260. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0021] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. They can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. They can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0023] This disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described herein. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided in this invention, but those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0024] Please refer to Figures 1 to 2 This invention discloses a control method for a production equipment 100, comprising a first workstation 10, a safety workstation 20, and a second workstation 30. The control method includes: When the first robotic arm 40 completes its operation at the first station 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second station 30, control the first robotic arm 40 to move to the second station 30. When the first robotic arm 40 completes its operation at the first workstation 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is at the second workstation 30, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the safety position 20 and wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second workstation 30, and then the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move from the safety position 20 to the second workstation 30.

[0025] In the above control method, when the first robot arm 40 completes its operation at the first station 10 and the second robot arm 50 is not located at the second station 30, the first robot arm 40 is controlled to move to the second station 30, thereby saving the time that the first robot arm 40 waits at the safety position 20 and improving production efficiency to a certain extent.

[0026] Optionally, the first station 10 and the second station 30 may be, but are not limited to, stations in the production equipment 100 used for various processing, measurement, film application, welding, weighing, photography, pairing, and transfer of materials 200. The processing types performed at the first station 10 and the second station 30 may be the same or different. The safety position 20 may be a buffer position set up to prevent the two robotic arms from colliding during their movement between the first station 10 and the second station 30. Optionally, when the movement ranges of the two robotic arms in the production equipment 100 overlap, a safety position 20 may be provided for each robotic arm. The first robotic arm 40 and the second robotic arm 50 mentioned in this invention do not specifically refer to any particular robotic arm. The same robotic arm may be the first robotic arm 40 in one scenario and the second robotic arm 50 in another scenario.

[0027] In one example, production equipment 100 includes workstation W1, safety station S1, workstation W2, safety station S2, and workstation W3, which can be arranged sequentially along the movement direction of material 200. Production equipment 100 includes robotic arms J1 and J2. Robotic arm J1 can move material 200 from workstation W1 to workstation W2, and robotic arm J2 can move material 200 from workstation W2 to workstation W3. In a scenario where robotic arm J1 removes material 200 from workstation W1 and places it at workstation W2, and robotic arm J2 removes material 200 from workstation W2, robotic arm J1 can act as the first robotic arm 40, robotic arm J2 can act as the second robotic arm 50, workstation W1 as the first workstation 10, workstation W2 as the second workstation 30, and safety station S1 as the safety station 20 of robotic arm J1.

[0028] In a scenario where robot arm J2 picks up material 200 from workstation W2, places it into workstation W3, and then retrieves material 200 from workstation W2, robot arm J2 can act as the first robot arm 40, robot arm J1 can act as the second robot arm 50, workstation W3 can act as the first workstation 10, workstation W2 can act as the second workstation 30, and safety position S2 can act as the safety position 20 of robot arm J2.

[0029] In related technologies, a robotic arm can move paired material groups from the pick-up position to the unload position. Specifically, after unloading at the unload position, the robotic arm moves to a safety position to wait for the materials to be paired. Once paired, the robotic arm moves to the pick-up position to pick up the paired material group, then moves back to the safety position to wait for a period of time before moving back to the unload position to complete the unloading. However, in the above process, the robotic arm needs to wait at the safety position, resulting in relatively low production efficiency, even with increased robotic arm operating speed.

[0030] In the embodiments of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 After the first robotic arm 40 completes its operation at the first workstation 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second workstation 30, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the second workstation 30. This allows the first robotic arm 40 to move directly from the first workstation 10 to the second workstation 30. This avoids collisions between the first robotic arm 40 and the second robotic arm 50 and saves the time the first robotic arm 40 spends waiting at the safety position 20, thereby improving production efficiency to a certain extent.

[0031] Please combine Figure 1 and Figure 4When the first robotic arm 40 completes its operation at the first workstation 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is at the second workstation 30, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the safety position 20 and wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second workstation 30. Then, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move from the safety position 20 to the second workstation 30. This can avoid the problem of equipment damage caused by the collision between the first robotic arm 40 and the second robotic arm 50.

[0032] The control method described above can be implemented by the production equipment 100 of this invention. Optionally, please refer to... Figure 2 The production equipment 100 may include a control component 60, which is electrically connected to the first robotic arm 40 and the second robotic arm 50. The control component 60 is used to control the operation of the first robotic arm 40 and the second robotic arm 50, and can also control the overall operation of the production equipment 100.

[0033] After the first robotic arm 40 completes its operation at the first workstation 10, the control component 60 can determine whether the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second workstation 30. When the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second workstation 30, the control component 60 can control the first robotic arm 40 to move to the second workstation 30. When the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second workstation 30, the control component 60 can control the first robotic arm 40 to move to the safety position 20 and wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second workstation 30, and then control the first robotic arm 40 to move from the safety position 20 to the second workstation 30.

[0034] The control component 60 can determine the position of the robot arm by controlling the progress of the program running the robot arm, or by the parameters of the drive mechanism that drives the robot arm (such as the number of pulses, angle, number of gear rotations, etc.). This invention does not limit the position of the robot arm.

[0035] Optionally, the first station 10, the safety station 20, and the second station 30 are arranged sequentially along a straight line, thereby allowing the robot arm to reciprocate along a straight line, shortening the robot arm's travel distance and further improving production efficiency. This invention does not limit the type of material 200; in one example, material 200 may be a bare battery cell.

[0036] In some implementations, please refer to Figures 3 to 5 The operation of the first robotic arm 40 at the first station 10 includes either a material picking operation or a material unloading operation, and the operation of the first robotic arm 40 at the second station 30 includes either a material picking operation or a material unloading operation.

[0037] This saves time between material handling and feeding, further improving production efficiency.

[0038] Specifically, the material handling operation can be the operation of the robotic arm taking material 200 from the workstation. The material releasing operation can be the operation of the robotic arm releasing material 200 back to the workstation. The control component 60 can control the robotic arm to perform the material handling and material releasing operations.

[0039] In the product manufacturing process, utilizing a large number of robotic arms to move materials 200 is the primary method connecting various processes on the production line and logistics line. For example, materials 200 are paired at one station, and after pairing, the robotic arm picks up the materials 200 and moves them to the next station for adhesive application. Similarly, materials 200 are adhesively applied at one station, and after application, the robotic arm picks up the materials 200 and moves them to the next station for adhesive application at another location. Therefore, in this embodiment, controlling the robotic arms between picking up and placing materials can save the waiting time at the safety position 20, thereby significantly reducing the waiting time of the robotic arms and further improving production efficiency.

[0040] In one embodiment, when the first robotic arm 40 completes the unloading operation at the first station 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second station 30, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the second station 30 and perform a material picking operation. When the first robotic arm 40 completes the unloading operation at the first station 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second station 30, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the safety position 20 and wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second station 30, and then the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move from the safety position 20 to the second station 30 and perform a material picking operation.

[0041] In one embodiment, when the first robotic arm 40 completes the material picking operation at the first station 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second station 30, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the second station 30 and perform a material unloading operation. When the first robotic arm 40 completes the material picking operation at the first station 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second station 30, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the safety position 20 and wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second station 30, and then the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move from the safety position 20 to the second station 30 and perform a material unloading operation.

[0042] In some implementations, please refer to Figures 3 to 5 The control methods also include: When the first robotic arm 40 completes the material feeding operation at the first station 10, and the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second station 30 and the second station 30 contains material 200, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the second station 30 and perform the material picking operation. When the first robotic arm 40 completes the material feeding operation at the first station 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second station 30, or when the first robotic arm 40 completes the material feeding operation at the first station 10 and the second station 30 does not contain material 200, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the safety position 20 to wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second station 30 and the second station 30 contains material 200, and then the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move from the safety position 20 to the second station 30 and perform the material picking operation.

[0043] This allows the robotic arm to pick up materials.

[0044] The control method described above can be implemented by the production equipment 100 of this embodiment. Optionally, a sensor is provided at the workstation to detect whether the material 200 is at the workstation. The sensor includes, but is not limited to, proximity sensors, light sensors, microswitches, cameras, etc. The control component 60 can be electrically connected to the sensor to determine whether the material 200 is at the workstation.

[0045] In this embodiment, the first robotic arm 40 completes the material release operation at the first station 10, that is, after the first robotic arm 40 releases the material 200 to the first station 10, the first robotic arm 40 needs to move to the second station 30 to continue gripping the material 200. The control component 60 can determine whether the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second station 30 and whether the second station 30 contains the material 200. When the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second station 30 and the second station 30 contains the material 200, the control component 60 can control the first robotic arm 40 to move to the second station 30 and perform a material removal operation, thereby removing the material 200 from the second station 30.

[0046] When the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second workstation 30, or when the second workstation 30 is not filled with material 200, the control component 60 can control the first robotic arm 40 to move to the safety position 20 and wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second workstation 30 and the second workstation 30 is filled with material 200. Then, the control component 60 can control the first robotic arm 40 to move from the safety position 20 to the second workstation 30 and perform a material picking operation, thereby removing the material 200 from the second workstation 30. This can avoid collisions between the first robotic arm 40 and the second robotic arm 50 and ensure that the robotic arm can pick up the material smoothly.

[0047] In some implementations, please refer to Figures 3 to 5 The control methods also include: When the first robotic arm 40 completes the material picking operation at the first station 10, and the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second station 30 and the second station 30 does not contain material 200, control the first robotic arm 40 to move to the second station 30 and perform the material unloading operation. When the first robotic arm 40 completes the material picking operation at the first station 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second station 30, or when the first robotic arm 40 completes the material picking operation at the first station 10 and the second station 30 contains material 200, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the safety position 20 to wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second station 30 and the second station 30 is no longer containing material 200. Then the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move from the safety position 20 to the second station 30 and perform the material unloading operation.

[0048] This allows the robotic arm to unload materials.

[0049] Specifically, the control method described above can be implemented by the production equipment 100 of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the first robotic arm 40 completes the material picking operation at the first station 10, that is, the first robotic arm 40 grabs the material 200 at the first station 10, and the first robotic arm 40 needs to move to the second station 30 to release the material 200. The control component 60 can determine whether the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second station 30 and whether the second station 30 contains material 200. When the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second station 30 and the second station 30 does not contain material 200, the control component 60 can control the first robotic arm 40 to move to the second station 30 and perform the material release operation, thereby releasing the material 200 to the second station 30.

[0050] When the second robotic arm 50 is located at the second station 30, or when the second station 30 contains material 200, the control component 60 can control the first robotic arm 40 to move to the safety position 20 and wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second station 30 and the second station 30 is free of material 200. Then, the control component 60 can control the first robotic arm 40 to move from the safety position 20 to the second station 30 and perform the material release operation, thereby releasing the material 200 to the second station 30. This can avoid collisions between the first robotic arm 40 and the second robotic arm 50 and ensure smooth material release by the robotic arm.

[0051] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 6 The first station 10 or the second station 30 includes a weighing station 70, and the control method also includes: When material 200 is weighed at weighing station 70, the scanning device 80 is controlled to scan material 200 to obtain the barcode information of material 200. The weight information and barcode information of material 200 are uploaded to the host computer.

[0052] This allows for simultaneous weighing and scanning of material 200, reducing time consumption and further improving production efficiency.

[0053] Specifically, in one embodiment, the first station 10 is a weighing station 70, and the second station 30 is the next station after the weighing station 70, such as the thickness measuring station 90. After weighing, the first robot arm 40 can grab the material 200 at the weighing station 70 and move the material 200 to the thickness measuring station 90, and the second robot arm 50 can move the material 200 at the thickness measuring station 90 to the next station (such as the pairing station).

[0054] In related technologies, the scanning station is located before the loading station on the logistics line. A barcode scanner scans the materials at the scanning station (such as scanning QR codes or barcodes) to obtain the material's barcode information. After scanning, the materials are transported to the loading station via the logistics line. A robotic arm then moves the materials from the loading station to the weighing station. However, before and after scanning, actions such as pallet lifting, clamping, clamp restoration, and pallet release are required, resulting in a long scanning time. Furthermore, after scanning, materials may be manually removed, leading to discrepancies between the subsequent weight information and the barcode information.

[0055] The control method described above can be implemented by the production equipment 100 of this invention. The production equipment 100 may further include a weighing device 110. Specifically, a scanning device 80 may be located inside the weighing device 110, and a control component 60 may be electrically connected to the scanning device 80. When the material 200 is placed on the weighing station 70 for weighing, the control component 60 can control the scanning device 80 to simultaneously scan the material 200 to obtain its barcode information.

[0056] The barcode scanning information acquired by the scanning device 80 and the weight information acquired by the weighing device 110 can be uploaded to the host computer, which can then bind the barcode scanning information and the weight information to form traceability information for the material 200. Since scanning is performed simultaneously with weighing, it saves time and further improves production efficiency. Furthermore, since the object being weighed and the object being scanned are the same material 200, it avoids problems such as discrepancies between weighing and barcode scanning information.

[0057] Optionally, the weighing device 110 may include an electronic scale.

[0058] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 6 There are multiple weighing stations 70, and the multiple weighing stations 70 are arranged along the first direction F1. Each weighing station 70 has a material 200 placed on it. Control methods also include: When weighing material 200, the control drive mechanism 120 drives the scanning device 80 to scan multiple materials 200 sequentially from the initial position corresponding to the first weighing station 70 to obtain the scanning information of multiple materials 200 in sequence. After the material 200 at the last weighing station 70 is scanned, the control drive mechanism 120 drives the scanning device 80 back to the initial position and uploads the obtained weight information and barcode information of the material 200 to the host computer.

[0059] This can improve production efficiency.

[0060] Specifically, the control method described above can be implemented by the production equipment 100 of this embodiment. The control component 60 can run a corresponding program to control the drive mechanism to move the scanning device 80 and to control the scanning device 80 to scan the material 200. After the material 200 at the last weighing station 70 is scanned, the control component 60 can control the drive mechanism 120 to drive the scanning device 80 back to the initial position to complete the weighing and scanning of the current material 200. When the next batch of material 200 is placed in the weighing station 70, the control component 60 can control the scanning device 80 to rescan from the initial position. Each scan starts from the initial position, which helps to reduce the complexity of program control and improve production efficiency. It is understood that the time for the scanning device 80 to return from the position corresponding to the last weighing station 70 to the initial position can overlap with other operation times; therefore, this return time will not occupy the overall production time.

[0061] Each weighing station 70 may be equipped with an electronic scale to weigh the material 200. The drive mechanism 120 may include, but is not limited to, a transverse cylinder, which can drive the scanning device 80 to move back and forth along the first direction F1.

[0062] In some implementations, please refer to Figures 7 to 9 The production equipment 100 includes a first inspection station 130, a second inspection station 140, and a pairing station 150; The control method also includes: controlling the third robot arm 160 to move the first material group 210, which has passed the inspection after the first inspection station 130 is completed, to the pairing station 150; and controlling the fourth robot arm 170 to move the second material group 220, which has passed the inspection after the second inspection station 140 is completed, to the pairing station 150, so that the first material group 210 and the second material group 220 are paired to form the third material group 230 and the fourth material group 240 respectively. When the first inspection station 130 completes the inspection and finds a non-conforming first material group 210, and the pairing station 150 and the second inspection station 140 both have a qualified second material group 220, the fourth robot arm 170 is controlled to move the qualified second material group 220 in the second inspection station 140 to the pairing station 150, so that the two second material groups 220 are paired to form two fifth material groups 250. When the second inspection station 140 completes the inspection and finds a defective second material group 220, and the pairing station 150 and the first inspection station 130 both have a qualified first material group 210, the third robot arm 160 is controlled to move the qualified first material group 210 from the first inspection station 130 to the pairing station 150, so that the two first material groups 210 are paired to form two sixth material groups 260.

[0063] This can improve pairing efficiency.

[0064] Specifically, in some application scenarios, the product includes multiple materials 200 connected together. Before assembly, the materials 200 need to be inspected. To accelerate production efficiency, multiple inspection stations are usually set up. Materials 200 that pass inspection at one station can be paired with materials 200 that pass inspection at another station. For example, a battery cell may include two bare cells connected together. Before the two bare cells are packaged, each bare cell needs to be inspected. The two bare cells that pass inspection at two stations are moved to a pairing station 150 for pairing to form a bare cell assembly.

[0065] In this technology, materials are transported from the logistics line to the loading station, then to the inspection station. After inspection, qualified materials move to the pairing station. At the pairing station, qualified materials from the two inspection stations are paired. The movement of materials between the different stations is achieved by different robotic arms. However, when unqualified materials arrive at one of the inspection stations, they are removed. This results in a discrepancy in the number of materials at the two inspection stations, reducing pairing efficiency.

[0066] In the embodiments of the present invention, please refer to Figure 7 The control component 60 can control the third robot 160 to move the first material group 210, which has passed inspection at the first inspection station 130, to the pairing station 150, and control the fourth robot 170 to move the second material group 220, which has passed inspection at the second inspection station 140, to the pairing station 150, so that the first material group 210 and the second material group 220 are paired to form the third material group 230 and the fourth material group 240 respectively, thereby completing the pairing of qualified materials 200. The paired material groups can be moved to the next station, such as the pre-welding station, via a conveyor belt or another robot. Pre-welding can weld multiple materials 200 of the third material group 230 together, and weld multiple materials 200 of the fourth material group 240 together.

[0067] The number of first materials included in the first material group 210 and the number of second materials included in the second material group 220 are the same. The specific number can be determined according to actual needs, and the present invention does not limit this. The robotic arm can grasp, move, and release all materials 200 of a material group at once, or it can grasp, move, and release one or more materials 200 of a material group individually. The multiple materials 200 of a material group are distributed at the same height in the robotic arm. In one embodiment, the number of first materials included in the first material group 210 and the number of second materials included in the second material group 220 are both two. During pairing, the third robotic arm 160 moves the two qualified first materials of the first material group 210 to the pairing station 150, and the fourth robotic arm 170 moves the qualified second materials of the second material group 220 to the pairing station 150. The robotic arm that moves later can stack the qualified materials 200 on top of the other material 200 located at the pairing station 150, thereby completing the pairing.

[0068] In one embodiment, the orientation of the material 200 placed at the inspection station is different from the orientation of the material 200 placed at the matching station 150. During the process of the robot moving the material 200 from the inspection station to the matching station 150, the orientation of the material 200 can also be adjusted simultaneously to make the orientations of the material 200 at the two stations compatible. For example, please refer to... Figure 7 Material 200 is rectangular. The length direction of material 200 at the inspection station is along the Y direction, and the length direction of material 200 at the pairing station 150 is along the X direction. After the robot grabs material 200 at the inspection station, it can move to the pairing station 150 while rotating the orientation of material 200, so that the length direction of material 200 is adjusted from along the Y direction to along the X direction. Then the robot can release the material 200 after the orientation is adjusted to the pairing station 150.

[0069] Please combine Figure 8 When a first material group 210 fails inspection after the first inspection station 130, and both the pairing station 150 and the second inspection station 140 contain qualified second material groups 220, the control component 60 can control the fourth robot arm 170 to move the qualified second material group 220 from the second inspection station 140 to the pairing station 150, so that the two second material groups 220 are paired to form two fifth material groups 250. Thus, the two second material groups 220 already present at the pairing station 150 and the second inspection station 140 can be paired to form two fifth material groups 250. The materials 200 included in the fifth material group 250 are all second materials from the second material group 220.

[0070] Please combine Figure 9When a second material group 220 fails inspection after the second inspection station 140, and both the pairing station 150 and the first inspection station 130 contain qualified first material groups 210, the control component 60 can control the third robot arm 160 to move the qualified first material group 210 from the first inspection station 130 to the pairing station 150, so that the two first material groups 210 are paired to form two sixth material groups 260. Thus, the pairing station 150 and the two first material groups 210 already present at the first inspection station 130 can be used to pair and form two sixth material groups 260. The materials 200 included in the sixth material group 260 are all the first materials of the first material group 210.

[0071] Therefore, even if the first material group 210 or the second material group 220 fails the inspection at the inspection station, the qualified material groups on the same side at the inspection station and the pairing station 150 can be paired to form another material group, thus avoiding the problem of inconsistent quantities of materials 200 on the same side leading to a decrease in pairing efficiency.

[0072] In one example, please combine Figures 7 to 10 The material group includes two materials 200. The first material is material A and the second material is material B. Therefore, the first material group 210 is AA, the second material group 220 is BB, the third material group 230 and the fourth material group 240 are both AB, the fifth material group 250 is BB, and the sixth material group 260 is AA.

[0073] Optionally, in one embodiment, the inspection station can be used as the first station 10, and the pairing station 150 can be used as the second station 30. In one embodiment, the inspection station can be used as the second station 30, and the station above the inspection station (such as the loading station) can be used as the first station 10. In one embodiment, the pairing station 150 can be used as the first station 10, and the station below the pairing station 150 can be used as the second station 30. A safety position 20 can be provided between the inspection station and the pairing station 150, between the inspection station and the previous station, and between the pairing station 150 and the next station.

[0074] It is understood that the third robotic arm 160 can function as either the first robotic arm 40 or the second robotic arm 50; the fourth robotic arm 170 can function as either the first robotic arm 40 or the second robotic arm 50. When the movement ranges of the third robotic arm 160 and the fourth robotic arm 170 overlap, the third robotic arm 160 can function as the first robotic arm 40 and the fourth robotic arm 170 can function as the second robotic arm 50; or the third robotic arm 160 can function as the second robotic arm 50 and the fourth robotic arm 170 can function as the first robotic arm 40. This invention does not impose any limitations.

[0075] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The production equipment 100 also includes a recycling station 180 and a buffer station 190, and the control methods also include: When at least one first material in the non-conforming first material group 210 is conforming and at least one first material is non-conforming, the third robot arm 160 is controlled to move the conforming first material to the buffer station 190 and the non-conforming first material to the recycling station 180. When at least one second material in the non-conforming second material group 220 is conforming and at least one second material is non-conforming, the fourth robotic arm 170 is controlled to move the conforming second material to the buffer station 190 and the non-conforming second material to the recycling station 180.

[0076] Therefore, unqualified and qualified materials can be classified and stored separately for convenient subsequent use, thereby further improving production efficiency.

[0077] Specifically, the recycling station 180 can be used to store non-conforming materials 200 from the non-conforming material group, while the buffer station 190 can be used to store conforming materials 200 from the non-conforming material group. This allows for the separate storage of conforming and non-conforming materials 200 within the non-conforming material group, facilitating the use of conforming materials 200 and the recycling of non-conforming materials 200 in subsequent production processes.

[0078] A non-conforming material group can include all materials 200 in the group being non-conforming, at least one material 200 in the group being non-conforming, and at least one material 200 being conforming. Please refer to... Figure 8 In one embodiment, if the first material group 210 is found to be unqualified after inspection at the first inspection station 130, and at least one first material in the unqualified first material group 210 is qualified and at least one first material is unqualified, the control component 60 can control the third robot arm 160 to grab all the first materials in the first material group 210 at the first inspection station 130, then move it to the buffer station 190 to release the qualified first materials (represented as OK) to the buffer station 190, and then move it to the recycling station 180 to release the unqualified first materials (represented as NG) to the recycling station 180. In one embodiment, the control component 60 can also control the third robot arm 160 to first move the unqualified first materials to the recycling station 180, and then move the qualified first materials to the buffer station 190.

[0079] Please combine Figure 9In one embodiment, if the second material group 220 is found to be unqualified after inspection at the second inspection station 140, and at least one second material in the unqualified second material group 220 is qualified and at least one second material is unqualified, the control component 60 can control the fourth robot arm 170 to grab all the second materials in the second material group 220 at the second inspection station 140, then move it to the buffer station 190 to release the qualified second materials to the buffer station 190, and then move it to the recycling station 180 to release the unqualified second materials to the recycling station 180. In one embodiment, the control component 60 can also control the fourth robot arm 170 to first move the unqualified second materials to the recycling station 180, and then move the qualified second materials to the buffer station 190.

[0080] Understandably, when all materials 200 in a non-conforming material group are non-conforming, the control component 60 can control the robot to move all materials 200 in that material group to the recycling station 180.

[0081] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The control methods also include: When the number of qualified first materials stored in the buffer station 190 is equal to the number of first materials contained in the sixth material group 260, the third robot arm 160 is controlled to move the qualified first materials in the buffer station 190 to the pairing station 150, so that the multiple qualified first materials are paired to form a sixth material group 260. When the number of qualified second materials stored in the buffer station 190 is equal to the number of second materials contained in the fifth material group 250, the fourth robot arm 170 is controlled to move the qualified second materials in the buffer station 190 to the pairing station 150, so that the multiple qualified second materials are paired to form a fifth material group 250.

[0082] Therefore, the materials 200 at the buffer station 190 can be paired to form material groups, further improving the pairing efficiency.

[0083] Specifically, the buffer station 190 is used to buffer qualified materials 200 in the unqualified material group. These qualified materials 200 can be reused for pairing to improve pairing efficiency.

[0084] In one implementation, when the number of qualified first materials stored in the buffer station 190 is equal to the number of first materials contained in the sixth material group 260, that is, when the number of first materials in the buffer station 190 meets the requirement for pairing into the sixth material group 260, the control component 60 can control the third robot 160 to move the qualified first materials from the buffer station 190 to the pairing station 150, so that the multiple qualified first materials are paired to form a sixth material group 260. For example, when the sixth material group 260 contains two first materials and the number of qualified first materials stored in the buffer station 190 is also two, the control component 60 can control the third robot 160 to move the two first materials from the buffer station 190 to the pairing station 150 for pairing to form a sixth material group 260.

[0085] In one implementation, when the number of qualified second materials stored in the buffer station 190 is equal to the number of second materials contained in the fifth material group 250, that is, when the number of second materials in the buffer station 190 meets the requirement for pairing into the fifth material group 250, the control component 60 can control the fourth robot arm 170 to move the qualified second materials from the buffer station 190 to the pairing station 150, so that the multiple qualified second materials are paired to form a fifth material group 250. For example, when the fifth material group 250 contains two second materials and the number of qualified second materials stored in the buffer station 190 is also two, the control component 60 can control the fourth robot arm 170 to move the two second materials from the buffer station 190 to the pairing station 150 for pairing to form a fifth material group 250.

[0086] Please combine Figure 10 In one embodiment, the production equipment 100 further includes a material flow line 201. The inspection stations include a weighing station 70 and a thickness measuring station 90. The material 200 can first be weighed and scanned at the weighing station 70, and then its thickness can be measured at the thickness measuring station 90. If either the weight or the thickness does not meet the requirements, the material 200 is considered unqualified. Between the loading station and the weighing station 70, between the weighing station 70 and the thickness measuring station 90, and between the thickness measuring station 90 and the mating station 150, the movement of the material 200 is achieved through different robotic arms. The loading station is located on the material flow line 201; optionally, the loading station is located on the material flow line 201. The robotic arm between the loading station and the weighing station 70 can also adjust the orientation of the material 200.

[0087] Logistics line 201 can transfer the first material group 210 and the second material group 220 to the loading station in one go. For the first material group 210, a robot arm moves the first material group 210 from the loading station to the weighing station 70 for weighing and barcode scanning. After weighing and barcode scanning, another robot arm moves the first material from the weighing station 70 to the thickness measuring station 90. After thickness measurement, if the first material group 210 is qualified, a third robot arm 160 moves the qualified first material group 210 to the pairing station 150. If the first material group 210 is unqualified, and at least one of the first materials in the unqualified first material group 210 is qualified, the third robot arm 160 moves the qualified first material to the buffer station 190 and moves the unqualified first material to the recycling station 180.

[0088] For the second material group 220, a robotic arm moves the second material group 220 from the loading station to the weighing station 70 for weighing and barcode scanning. After weighing and barcode scanning, another robotic arm moves the second material from the weighing station 70 to the thickness measuring station 90. After thickness measurement, if the second material group 220 is qualified, a fourth robotic arm 170 moves the qualified second material group 220 to the pairing station 150. If the second material group 220 is unqualified, and at least one of the second materials in the unqualified second material group 220 is qualified, the fourth robotic arm 170 moves the qualified second material to the buffer station 190 and moves the unqualified second material to the recycling station 180.

[0089] Qualified first material group 210 and second material group 220 are paired at pairing station 150 to form third material group 230 and fourth material group 240. Two qualified first material groups 210 are paired at pairing station 150 to form two sixth material groups 260. Two qualified second material groups 220 are paired at pairing station 150 to form two fifth material groups 250. Two first materials at buffer station 190 are paired at pairing station 150 to form one sixth material group 260. Two second materials at buffer station 190 are paired at pairing station 150 to form one fifth material group 250.

[0090] Please combine Figure 1 and Figure 2 The production equipment 100 provided in this embodiment of the invention includes a control component 60, a first workstation 10, a safety station 20, a second workstation 30, a first robot arm 40, and a second robot arm 50. The control component 60 is electrically connected to both the first robot arm 40 and the second robot arm 50, and is used to control the operation of the first robot arm 40 and the second robot arm 50. The control component 60 includes a processor 61 and a memory 62. The memory 62 stores a computer program, which, when executed by the processor 61, implements the control method of any of the above embodiments.

[0091] In the aforementioned production equipment, when the first robotic arm 40 completes its operation at the first station 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second station 30, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the second station 30, thereby saving the time that the first robotic arm 40 waits at the safety position 20 and improving production efficiency to a certain extent.

[0092] In one implementation, the control method implemented by the computer program when executed by the processor 61 includes:

[0093] When the first robotic arm 40 completes its operation at the first station 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is not located at the second station 30, control the first robotic arm 40 to move to the second station 30. When the first robotic arm 40 completes its operation at the first workstation 10 and the second robotic arm 50 is at the second workstation 30, the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move to the safety position 20 and wait until the second robotic arm 50 leaves the second workstation 30, and then the first robotic arm 40 is controlled to move from the safety position 20 to the second workstation 30.

[0094] Specifically, the production equipment 100 can be applied to, but is not limited to, battery production lines. The materials 200 can be materials 200 required for the production of battery cells, such as bare cells, insulating films, casings, adhesives, etc.

[0095] It should be noted that the above explanation of the implementation method and its beneficial effects also applies to the production equipment of this embodiment. To avoid redundancy, it will not be elaborated in detail here.

[0096] It is understood that a computer program includes computer program code. Computer program code can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. Computer-readable storage media can include: any entity or device capable of carrying computer program code, recording media, USB flash drives, external hard drives, magnetic disks, optical disks, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and software distribution media, etc. The processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc.

[0097] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0098] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, combinations, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for controlling production equipment, said production equipment comprising a first workstation, a safety workstation, and a second workstation, characterized in that, The control method includes: When the first robotic arm completes its operation at the first workstation and the second robotic arm is not located at the second workstation, control the first robotic arm to move to the second workstation; When the first robotic arm completes its operation at the first workstation and the second robotic arm is at the second workstation, the first robotic arm is controlled to move to the safe position to wait until the second robotic arm leaves the second workstation, and then the first robotic arm is controlled to move from the safe position to the second workstation.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operation of the first robotic arm at the first workstation includes either a material picking operation or a material unloading operation, and the operation of the first robotic arm at the second workstation includes either a material picking operation or a material unloading operation.

3. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control method further includes: When the first robotic arm completes the material feeding operation at the first workstation, and the second robotic arm is not located at the second workstation but there is material at the second workstation, control the first robotic arm to move to the second workstation and perform the material picking operation; When the first robotic arm completes the material feeding operation at the first workstation and the second robotic arm is located at the second workstation, or when the first robotic arm completes the material feeding operation at the first workstation and there is no material at the second workstation, the first robotic arm is controlled to move to a safe position to wait until the second robotic arm leaves the second workstation and there is material at the second workstation, and then the first robotic arm is controlled to move from the safe position to the second workstation and perform the material picking operation.

4. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control method further includes: When the first robotic arm completes the material picking operation at the first workstation, and the second robotic arm is not located at the second workstation and there is no material at the second workstation, the first robotic arm is controlled to move to the second workstation and perform the material unloading operation. When the first robotic arm completes the material picking operation at the first workstation and the second robotic arm is located at the second workstation, or when the first robotic arm completes the material picking operation at the first workstation and there is material at the second workstation, the first robotic arm is controlled to move to a safe position to wait until the second robotic arm leaves the second workstation and there is no material at the second workstation, and then the first robotic arm is controlled to move from the safe position to the second workstation and perform the material unloading operation.

5. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first or second workstation includes a weighing workstation, and the control method further includes: When the material is being weighed at the weighing station, the scanning device is controlled to scan the material to obtain the material's barcode information. The obtained weight information and barcode information of the material are uploaded to the host computer.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The number of weighing stations is multiple, and the multiple weighing stations are arranged along a first direction, with each weighing station holding a material. The control method further includes: When the material is weighed, the control drive mechanism drives the scanning device to scan multiple materials sequentially from the initial position corresponding to the first weighing station to obtain the barcode information of multiple materials in sequence. After the material scanning at the last weighing station is completed, the drive mechanism is controlled to drive the scanning device back to the initial position, and the acquired weight information and barcode information of the material are uploaded to the host computer.

7. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The production equipment includes a first inspection station, a second inspection station, and a pairing station; The control method further includes: controlling a third robot arm to move a first material group that has passed inspection at the first inspection station to the pairing station, and controlling a fourth robot arm to move a second material group that has passed inspection at the second inspection station to the pairing station, so that the first material group and the second material group are paired to form a third material group and a fourth material group respectively. When a first material group fails to pass inspection at the first inspection station, and both the pairing station and the second inspection station have qualified second material groups, the fourth robot arm is controlled to move the qualified second material group at the second inspection station to the pairing station, so that the two second material groups are paired to form two fifth material groups. When a second material group fails inspection at the second inspection station, and both the pairing station and the first inspection station have qualified first material groups, the third robot arm is controlled to move the qualified first material group at the first inspection station to the pairing station, so that the two first material groups are paired to form two sixth material groups.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The production equipment further includes a recycling station and a buffer station, and the control method further includes: When at least one first material in the first material group that is unqualified is qualified and at least one first material is unqualified, the third robot arm is controlled to move the qualified first material to the buffer station and the unqualified first material to the recycling station. When at least one second material in the unqualified second material group is qualified and at least one second material is unqualified, the fourth robotic arm is controlled to move the qualified second material to the buffer station and the unqualified second material to the recycling station.

9. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control method further includes: When the number of qualified first materials stored in the buffer station is equal to the number of first materials contained in the sixth material group, the third robot arm is controlled to move the qualified first materials in the buffer station to the pairing station, so that multiple qualified first materials are paired to form a sixth material group. When the number of qualified second materials stored in the buffer station is equal to the number of second materials contained in the fifth material group, the fourth robot arm is controlled to move the qualified second materials in the buffer station to the pairing station, so that multiple qualified second materials are paired to form a fifth material group.

10. A production equipment, characterized in that, It includes a control component, a first workstation, a safety position, a second workstation, a first robotic arm, and a second robotic arm. The control component is electrically connected to both the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm, and is used to control the operation of the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm. The control component includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program that, when executed by the processor, implements the control method according to any one of claims 1-9.

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