Multi-station assembly robot collaborative operation method

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-station assembly robot and a collaborative operation method.The multi-station assembly robot comprises a base and a center column installed on the base, a plurality of driving lantern rings are arranged on the center column from top to bottom, and a multi-joint mechanical arm is installed outside each driving lantern ring; different assembly tools are installed at the tail ends of the mechanical arms, at least one part conveying line is arranged on the side face of each assembly tool, an annular support is arranged outside the center column, an annular track is installed on the annular support, and a self-moving lifting rack is installed on the annular track. A plurality of cameras are arranged above the multi-station assembly robot around the central column in the circumferential direction. According to the multi-station assembly robot and the collaborative operation method, through collaborative operation of the multiple mechanical arms, a multi-part assembly task is assembled and completed in an annular path, and the operation efficiency is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to, in particular, a multi-station assembly robot collaborative work method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of automated assembly manufacturing, with the continuous improvement of the requirements of industrial production on efficiency, precision and scale, the single mechanical arm operation mode has been difficult to meet the multi-process assembly demand of complex parts. Especially in the combined operation scene involving multi-type parts installation, welding, polishing, fastening and the like, the traditional operation mode generally has problems such as low efficiency, insufficient collaborative precision, high risk of operation interference, and the like, which seriously restricts the further improvement of the production automation level.

[0003] At present, the existing multi-robot collaborative work technology mostly adopts a decentralized layout, and each robot is independently responsible for a specific process. Although multi-process parallel operation is achieved to some extent, the following core defects exist: first, the decentralized layout leads to large operation space occupation, and the motion trajectory planning of each robot is complex, which is prone to operation interference. In order to avoid interference, the operation speed often needs to be reduced, which sacrifices the production efficiency; second, the tooling table is mostly designed with fixed stations. When the workpiece needs to switch processes between different robots, an additional conveying device is needed for transfer, which not only increases the equipment cost, but also prolongs the process connection time. Meanwhile, the workpiece posture is prone to deviation during the transfer process, which affects the subsequent assembly precision; third, there is a lack of precise global visual monitoring and collaborative scheduling mechanism. Each robot, conveying line and tooling table and the like are independently controlled, the information interaction is lagging, and it is difficult to realize dynamic linkage. When abnormal situations such as material shortage, grabbing deviation and tooling positioning deviation occur, the operation process cannot be adjusted in time, which leads to a decrease in product qualification rate, and even causes equipment failure.

[0004] Therefore, how to design a multi-robot collaborative work scheme based on coaxial layout, through precise station switching of a movable tooling table, dynamic feedback of global visual monitoring and unified scheduling of a central control system, to realize efficient linkage of each module, avoid operation interference, and improve assembly precision and production efficiency, has become a technical problem to be solved in the current field of automated assembly. SUMMARY

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide a multi-station assembly robot collaborative work method. The multi-station assembly robot and the collaborative work method complete the assembly of multiple parts in one ring path through multi-robot collaborative work, improving the operation efficiency.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the application provides a multi-station assembly robot, which comprises a base and a central column mounted on the base, a plurality of driving collars arranged on the central column from top to bottom, one multi-joint mechanical arm mounted on each of the driving collars, different assembly tools mounted at the ends of each of the mechanical arms, at least one part conveying line arranged on the side of each of the assembly tools, a ring-shaped support arranged outside the central column, a ring-shaped track mounted on the ring-shaped support, and a self-moving lifting platform mounted on the ring-shaped track, and a plurality of cameras arranged around the central column in the circumferential direction above the multi-station assembly robot.

[0007] Preferably, a ring-shaped sawtooth is arranged outside the driving collar, and a driving mechanism is mounted outside the central column, and a transmission gear engaged with the ring-shaped sawtooth is arranged on the driving mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, a rotating joint is arranged at the joint of the multi-joint mechanical arm, and a telescopic rod is arranged at the mechanical arm.

[0009] Preferably, the assembly tools comprise a vacuum suction tool, a grabbing tool, a welding tool, a bolt screwing tool and a polishing tool.

[0010] Preferably, the self-moving lifting platform comprises a self-driving vehicle matched with the ring-shaped track and a lifting platform mounted on the self-driving vehicle, and a hydraulic lifting frame is mounted at the bottom of the lifting platform.

[0011] The application further provides a multi-station assembly robot cooperative working method using the multi-station assembly robot, which comprises the following steps: S1, starting an assembly instruction, moving the self-moving lifting platform to an initial position, and sucking a part A to the self-moving lifting platform by the vacuum suction tool at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm A, and fixing the part A by a clamp arranged on the self-moving lifting platform; S2, rotating the driving collar A to drive the multi-joint mechanical arm A to rotate to a position, sucking other parts B corresponding to the part A to corresponding assembly positions on the part A; S3, moving the self-moving lifting platform to a position, and carrying the part A and the plurality of parts B to the multi-joint mechanical arm B, welding some of the parts B to the part A by the welding tool at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm B, and then moving to the multi-joint mechanical arm C; S4, polishing the welding position by the polishing tool at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm C, moving to the multi-joint mechanical arm D, grabbing a bolt by the grabbing tool at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm D and inserting the bolt into a bolt hole of the part B, and then moving to the multi-joint mechanical arm E; S5, the bolt is screwed in the tool at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm E, the bolt is tightened, the remaining part B is fastened on part A, and then the multi-joint mechanical arm is moved to the initial position, the workpiece is adsorbed by the vacuum adsorption tool, and then the workpiece is transported to the product conveying line.

[0012] Preferably, the corresponding multi-joint mechanical arm is driven to rotate around the central column at the multi-joint mechanical arm A and the multi-joint mechanical arm D, different grasping positions are adjusted, and different specifications of parts on the corresponding part conveying line are grasped.

[0013] Preferably, in steps S1-S5, the central control system sends instructions to the multi-joint mechanical arms A-E based on the visual data fed back by the camera, and cooperates to complete the corresponding motion posture or grasping posture, and after each step operation is completed, the corresponding multi-joint mechanical arm returns to the initial state.

[0014] Preferably, a plurality of self-moving lifting platforms are installed on the annular track, and assembly operations are sequentially performed.

[0015] Preferably, during the operation, if the conveying line is short of materials, the mechanical arm malfunctions, the self-moving lifting platform moves abnormally, or the camera collects abnormally, the corresponding module immediately sends an alarm signal to the control system.

[0016] According to the above technical scheme, the application provides a multi-station assembly robot, which comprises a base and a central column installed on the base, a plurality of driving collars are arranged on the central column from top to bottom, one multi-joint mechanical arm is installed outside each driving collar, different assembly tools are installed at the end of each mechanical arm, at least one part conveying line is arranged on the side of each assembly tool, an annular support is arranged outside the central column, an annular track is installed on the annular support, a self-moving lifting platform is installed on the annular track, and a plurality of cameras are arranged around the central column above the multi-station assembly robot in a circumferential direction.

[0017] The multi-station assembly robot and the cooperative operation method can complete the assembly of multiple parts in one annular path through the cooperative operation of multiple mechanical arms, thereby improving the operation efficiency.

[0018] Other features and advantages of the application will be described in detail in the following specific embodiment part. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the application, and constitute a part of the specification, and are used to explain the application together with the following specific embodiment, but do not constitute a limitation to the application. In the drawings: Figure 1is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a preferred embodiment of a multi-station assembly robot; Figure 2 is a flow chart of a multi-station assembly robot cooperative work method.

[0020] Explanation of reference signs 1 - center column; 2 - annular support; 3 - base; 4 - self-driving vehicle; 5 - lifting platform; 6 - hydraulic lifting frame; 7 - annular track; 8 - multi-joint robot arm; 9 - rotating joint; 10 - vacuum suction tooling; 11 - grabbing tooling; 12 - part conveying line; 13 - telescopic rod; 14 - driving mechanism; 15 - annular sawtooth; 16 - camera. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely intended to illustrate and explain the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0022] In the present application, unless otherwise specified, the orientation words such as "up, down, left, right, front, back, inside, outside" contained in the terms only represent the orientation of the terms in the conventional use state or the common name understood by those skilled in the art, and should not be considered as a limitation of the terms.

[0023] Referring to Figure 1 The multi-station assembly robot shown comprises a base 3 and a center column 1 mounted on the base 3, a plurality of driving collars are arranged on the center column 1 from top to bottom, one multi-joint robot arm 8 is mounted on each of the driving collars, different assembly toolings are mounted at the ends of each of the robot arms, at least one part conveying line 12 is arranged on the side of each of the assembly toolings, an annular support 2 is arranged outside the center column 1, an annular track 7 is mounted on the annular support 2, a self-moving lifting platform is mounted on the annular track 7, and a plurality of cameras 16 are circumferentially arranged above the multi-station assembly robot around the center column 1.

[0024] Through implementation of the technical scheme, the multi-station assembly robot and the collaborative operation method complete the assembly of multiple parts in one annular path through collaborative operation of multiple mechanical arms, thereby improving operation efficiency. Assembly, welding, polishing and bolt installation are all completed in one annular path, and through such a centralized assembly environment, multiple cameras 16 arranged in the circumferential direction can better complete identification of operation steps and improve identification accuracy. In the system coordinate system, the central column 1 axis can be taken as the coordinate Z axis, and the annular support 2 can be taken as the plane in which the X and Y axes are located, so that the operation of the parts and the mechanical arms can be more accurately grasped and controlled. The driving sleeve ring that can drive rotation is used to drive the rotation angle of the mechanical arm, and can be adaptively adjusted according to different sampling of the conveying line, so that the operation is more convenient.

[0025] In this embodiment, in order to further provide a driving mode of the driving sleeve, an annular sawtooth 15 is arranged outside the driving sleeve ring, a driving mechanism 14 is installed outside the central column 1, and a transmission gear meshing with the annular sawtooth 15 is arranged on the driving mechanism 14. The transmission gear can be replaced by a worm driven to rotate by a motor, which meshes with the annular sawtooth 15 to drive the driving sleeve to rotate.

[0026] In this embodiment, the multi-joint mechanical arm 8 is provided with a rotating joint 9 at the joint and a telescopic rod 13 at the mechanical arm. The rotating joint 9 is controlled by an angle cylinder, which drives the joints to rotate by rotating at an angle, adjusts the operation pose, and the telescopic rod 13 is used to adjust the extension distance of the mechanical arm.

[0027] In this embodiment, in order to further provide the type of assembly tooling, the assembly tooling includes a vacuum suction tooling 10, a grabbing tooling 11, a welding tooling, a bolt screwing tooling and a polishing tooling. Of course, other assembly toolings can also be added according to the operation needs. The types of the vacuum suction tooling 10, the grabbing tooling 11, the welding tooling, the bolt screwing tooling and the polishing tooling can be selected as needed.

[0028] In this embodiment, the self-moving lifting platform includes a self-driving vehicle 4 matched with the annular track 7 and a lifting platform 5 installed on the self-driving vehicle 4, and a hydraulic lifting frame 6 is installed at the bottom of the lifting platform 5. The self-driving vehicle 4 and the annular track 7 can adopt a hug type wheel, the wheel is connected with a driving motor to provide driving force, and the position of the self-driving vehicle 4 can be controlled by vision.

[0029] The application also provides a multi-station assembly robot collaborative operation method using the multi-station assembly robot, which comprises the following steps: S1, start the assembly instruction, move the mobile lifting platform to the initial position, and use the vacuum suction tool 10 at the end of the multi-joint robot arm A to suction the part A to the mobile lifting platform, and fix it through the clamp arranged on the mobile lifting platform; S2, rotate the driving sleeve ring A to drive the multi-joint robot arm A to rotate to the position, suction the other part B corresponding to the part A to the corresponding assembly position of the part A; S3, move the mobile lifting platform to the position, and carry the part A and the plurality of parts B to the multi-joint robot arm B, weld part of the part B to the part A through the welding tool at the end of the multi-joint robot arm B, and then move to the multi-joint robot arm C; S4, polish the welding position through the polishing tool at the end of the multi-joint robot arm C, move to the multi-joint robot arm D, and use the grabbing tool 11 at the end of the multi-joint robot arm D to grab the bolt and insert it into the bolt hole of the part B, and then move to the multi-joint robot arm E; S5, tighten the bolt through the bolt screwing tool at the end of the multi-joint robot arm E, so that the remaining part B is fastened on the part A, and then move to the initial position, suction the assembled workpiece through the vacuum suction tool 10, and then move to the product conveying line.

[0030] In this embodiment, the multi-joint robot arm A and the multi-joint robot arm D are driven to rotate around the central column 1 by the driving sleeve ring to adjust different grabbing positions and grab different specifications of parts on the different part conveying lines 12.

[0031] In this embodiment, in steps S1-S5, the central control system sends instructions to the multi-joint robot arms A-E based on the visual data fed back by the camera 16, and cooperates to complete the corresponding motion posture or grabbing posture. After each step operation is completed, the corresponding multi-joint robot arm 8 returns to the initial state. Through such a setting, the images or videos collected by the vision are transmitted to the central control system for overall control, and the initial state is restored after each step is completed, and the next assembly is waited.

[0032] In this embodiment, a plurality of mobile lifting platforms are installed on the annular track 7, and assembly operations are sequentially performed. In this way, the assembly operation efficiency is further improved, and the plurality of mobile lifting platforms form a closed loop in the circumferential direction, and only the corresponding conveying lines need to continuously convey parts.

[0033] In this embodiment, in order to further improve the operation safety, if the conveying line is short of materials, the robot arm malfunctions, the mobile lifting platform moves abnormally, or the camera 16 collects abnormally during the operation, the corresponding module immediately sends an alarm signal to the control system.

[0034] The preferred embodiments of the present application are described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the present application is not limited to the specific details of the above-described embodiments. Various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present application within the technical concept of the present application, and these simple modifications all belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0035] In addition, it should be noted that each specific technical feature described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any appropriate manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, various possible combinations are not described again by the present application.

[0036] In addition, various different embodiments of the present application can also be combined in any manner, as long as they do not deviate from the idea of the present application, and they should also be considered as disclosed by the present application.

Claims

1. A multi-station assembly robot, characterized in that, The multi-station assembly robot comprises a base (3) and a central column (1) mounted on the base (3), a plurality of drive collars are arranged on the central column (1) from top to bottom, one multi-joint mechanical arm (8) is mounted outside each drive collar, different assembly tools are mounted at the ends of each mechanical arm, at least one part conveying line (12) is arranged on the side of each assembly tool, a ring-shaped support (2) is arranged outside the central column (1), a ring-shaped track (7) is mounted on the ring-shaped support (2), a self-moving lifting platform is mounted on the ring-shaped track (7), and a plurality of cameras (16) are arranged around the central column (1) in the circumferential direction above the multi-station assembly robot.

2. The multi-station assembly robot of claim 1, wherein, A ring-shaped sawtooth (15) is arranged outside the drive collar, a driving mechanism (14) is mounted outside the central column (1), and a transmission gear meshing with the ring-shaped sawtooth (15) is arranged on the driving mechanism (14).

3. The multi-station assembly robot of claim 1, wherein, The multi-joint mechanical arm (8) is provided with a rotating joint (9) at the joint. And a telescopic rod (13) is arranged at the mechanical arm.

4. The multi-station assembly robot of claim 1, wherein, The assembly tool comprises a vacuum suction tool (10), a grabbing tool (11), a welding tool, a bolt screwing tool and a polishing tool.

5. The multi-station assembly robot of claim 1, wherein, The self-moving lifting platform comprises a self-driving vehicle (4) cooperating with the ring-shaped track (7); And a lifting platform (5) mounted on the self-driving vehicle (4), wherein a hydraulic lifting frame (6) is mounted at the bottom of the lifting platform (5).

6. A multi-station assembly robot cooperative work method characterized by, The multi-station assembly robot of any one of claims 1-5 comprises the following steps: S1, starting the assembly instruction, moving the self-moving lifting platform to the initial position, and sucking the part A to the self-moving lifting platform by the vacuum suction tool (10) at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm A, and fixing it by the clamp arranged on the self-moving lifting platform; S2, rotating the drive collar A to drive the multi-joint mechanical arm A to rotate to the position, and sucking the other parts B corresponding to the part A to the corresponding assembly position of the part A; S3, moving the self-moving lifting platform and carrying the part A and the plurality of parts B to the multi-joint mechanical arm B, welding part of the parts B to the part A by the welding tool at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm B, and then moving to the multi-joint mechanical arm C; S4, polishing the welding part by the polishing tool at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm C, moving to the multi-joint mechanical arm D, grabbing the bolt by the grabbing tool (11) at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm D and inserting it into the bolt hole of the part B, and then moving to the multi-joint mechanical arm E; S5, tightening the bolt by the bolt screwing tool at the end of the multi-joint mechanical arm E, so that the remaining parts B are tightly fixed on the part A, and then moving to the initial position, sucking the completed workpiece to the product conveying line by the vacuum suction tool (10).

7. The multi-station assembly robot collaborative work method according to claim 6, characterized in that, At the multi-joint robot arm A and the multi-joint robot arm D, the corresponding multi-joint robot arm (8) is driven to rotate around the center column (1) by the driving ring to adjust different grabbing positions and grab different specifications of parts on the different part conveying lines (12).

8. The multi-station assembly robot collaborative work method according to claim 6, wherein, In steps S1-S5, the central control system sends instructions to the multi-joint robot arms A-E based on the visual data fed back by the camera (16), and cooperates to complete the corresponding motion posture or grabbing posture. After each step operation is completed, the corresponding multi-joint robot arm (8) returns to the initial state.

9. The multi-station assembly robot collaborative work method according to claim 6, wherein, A plurality of self-moving lifting platforms are installed on the annular track (7), and assembly work is sequentially performed.

10. The multi-station assembly robot collaborative work method according to claim 6, wherein, During the work process: If the conveying line is short of materials, the robot arm malfunctions, the self-moving lifting platform moves abnormally, or the camera (16) collects abnormally, the corresponding module immediately sends an alarm signal to the control system.

Images