Full-automatic wire harness production line system

Abstract

According to the full-automatic wire harness production line system, the steps of grabbing, cutting, coiling, labeling and unified stacking of cables are achieved through the cable coiling module, the cable specifications can be automatically switched through cooperation of the cable supply module and the cable coiling module, switching and supply of the cables of different specifications are achieved, and the production efficiency is improved. A machined wire harness reel is transferred to a warehouse through an AGV trolley of the wire harness transfer module or placed in the temporary storage module to be prepared to be delivered out of the warehouse, the equipment control module sends a command instruction to the PLC through the upper computer, and the PLC can send corresponding control instructions to the wire winding module, the cable supply module and the wire harness transfer module. And unmanned closed-loop production is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of wire harness automated production technology, specifically relating to a fully automated wire harness production line system. Background Technology

[0002] In manufacturing industries such as automobiles and electronics, wire harnesses are critical connection components, and their production has long relied on manual operation, making automated production difficult. Traditional wire harness production methods suffer from at least the following drawbacks: 1) Inefficient: Manual coiling and bundling of cables is slow, and switching between different cable specifications requires frequent equipment adjustments; 2) Transfer interruption: The warehousing of reels relies on forklifts or manual handling, which leads to the interruption of the automated process and affects processing efficiency; 3) Disorganized storage: Semi-finished products and spare cables are piled up together, which can easily lead to material mismatch.

[0003] Although some automated equipment has emerged in recent years, such as single-unit cable winding machines and AGV transfer systems, there are systemic defects. The modules operate independently and lack central coordination control, resulting in an imbalance between cable supply and winding rhythm, insufficient equipment utilization, and difficulty in achieving automated production.

[0004] To overcome the aforementioned technical problems, this invention proposes a fully integrated, end-to-end, lights-out factory wire harness production system that combines coiling, supply, transfer, temporary storage, and control. Through modular design and centralized control, it achieves unmanned, closed-loop production. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fully automated wire harness production line system. The system utilizes a wire coiling module to handle the grabbing, cutting, coiling, labeling, and uniform stacking of cables. A cable supply module, working in conjunction with the coiling module, can automatically switch cable specifications, enabling the supply and switching of various cable sizes. An AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) in the wire harness transfer module transports the processed wire harness reels to a warehouse or places them in a temporary storage module for shipment. The equipment control module sends commands to a PLC controller via a host computer. The PLC controller can then send corresponding control commands to the coiling module, cable supply module, and wire harness transfer module, achieving unmanned closed-loop production.

[0006] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A fully automated wire harness production line system, comprising: The cable winding module is used to wind cables, allowing multiple cables to be bundled, wound up, and bundled into a cable reel. The cable supply module is used to supply cables of different specifications to the cable reel module; The wire harness transfer module uses AGV carts to transport wire harness reels into the warehouse or to the temporary storage module for outbound preparation. The temporary storage module is used to store wire harness reels and spare cables that are ready to be shipped out. The equipment control module controls the start and stop of the cable reel module, cable supply module, and cable harness transfer module, respectively.

[0007] Preferably, the coil module includes: The cable gripping unit grips the cable and feeds it into the rear cable straightening unit, and can also cut the cable. The cable straightening unit is used to straighten cables and transport them to the cable coiling and bundling unit. The cable coiling and bundling unit fixes one end of the cable and coils it, and coils and bundles multiple cables into a cable bundle reel.

[0008] Preferably, the coiling module includes a labeling unit, which is used to apply labels and attach them to the coil.

[0009] Preferably, the cable winding module includes a cable receiving unit for receiving the cable bundle reel bundled by the cable winding and bundling unit.

[0010] Preferably, a first fork arm unit and a second fork arm unit are respectively provided on both sides of the cable receiving unit. An empty box shelf is provided next to the first fork arm unit for placing empty loading boxes. A transfer shelf is provided next to the second fork arm unit for placing loading boxes containing wire harness reels. The first fork arm unit is used to remove empty loading boxes from the empty box shelf and transfer them to the cable receiving unit. The cable receiving unit transfers the loading boxes to the cable coiling and bundling unit to receive the wire harness reels, and transfers the wire harness reels and loading boxes together to the second fork arm unit. The second fork arm unit transfers the loading boxes to the transfer shelf for stacking.

[0011] Preferably, the cable supply module includes a cable conversion unit and multiple independent cable supply units, all of which are mounted on the cable conversion unit. The cable conversion unit is used to move any one of the cable supply units to the position of the cable gripping unit.

[0012] Preferably, the wire harness transfer module includes at least one AGV trolley, which is used to transfer empty loading boxes from the warehouse to empty box shelves for stacking; the AGV trolley is also used to transfer loading boxes with wire harness reels in the transfer shelf to the warehouse or temporary storage module for storage.

[0013] Preferably, the wire harness transfer module includes an empty box transfer AGV and a wire harness transfer AGV; the empty box transfer AGV is responsible for transferring empty loading boxes from the warehouse to the empty box shelf; the wire harness transfer AGV is used to transfer loading boxes containing wire harness reels from the transfer shelf.

[0014] Preferably, the temporary storage module includes a temporary storage shelf with a support layer and a partition in the middle. One side of the partition is used to place a loading box containing wire harness reels, and the other side of the partition is used to place a spare cable supply unit.

[0015] Preferably, the equipment control module includes a host computer and a PLC controller. The host computer sends commands to the PLC controller, and the PLC controller can send corresponding control commands to the cable reeling module, the cable supply module, and the cable harness transfer module, respectively.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects: 1) In this invention, the cable coiling module realizes the steps of grabbing, cutting, coiling, labeling and uniformly stacking the cable. The cable supply module and the cable coiling module work together to automatically switch the cable specifications, realize the switching and supply of multiple different specifications of cables. The AGV trolley of the wire harness transfer module transfers the processed wire harness reels to the warehouse or places them in the temporary storage module for shipment. The equipment control module sends commands to the PLC controller through the host computer. The PLC controller can send corresponding control commands to the cable coiling module, the cable supply module and the wire harness transfer module respectively to realize unmanned closed-loop production.

[0017] 2) In this invention, the cable reel module integrates a cable gripping unit, a cable straightening unit, a cable coiling and bundling unit, a labeling unit, and a cable receiving unit. The cable gripping unit can grip the cable and put it into the cable straightening unit. After the cable straightening unit straightens the cable, it enters the cable coiling and bundling unit for coiling. Multiple cables are bundled together to form a cable harness reel. The labeling unit prints and affixes labels, and then the cable receiving unit transfers the cable to the transit rack to await transfer. The cable reel module has a high degree of functional integration, and the various processes are closely connected, which significantly improves the processing efficiency of the cable harness reel. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a logic block diagram of the fully automated wire harness production line system in this invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a side view of the production line structure corresponding to the fully automated wire harness production line system in this invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a top view of the production line structure corresponding to the fully automated wire harness production line system in this invention.

[0022] The components are: 1-Cable winding module, 11-Mechanical gripper, 12-Straightening component, 13-Rotating drum, 14-Receiving seat, 15-Slide rail, 16-Empty box shelf, 17-Transfer shelf, 18-First forklift, 19-Second forklift, 2-Cable supply module, 21-Support platform, 22-Rotating platform, 23-Cable supply unit, 3-Wire harness transfer module, 31-Empty box transfer AGV trolley, 32-Wire harness transfer AGV trolley, 4-Temporary storage shelf, 5-Electrical control cabinet. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments.

[0024] Example 1: A fully automated wire harness production line system, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, it includes: Cable winding module 1 is used to wind cables, so that multiple cables are bundled, wound up and bundled into a cable harness reel; Cable supply module 2 is used to supply cables of different specifications to cable reel module 1; The wire harness transfer module 3 uses an AGV to transport wire harness reels into the warehouse or to the temporary storage module for outbound preparation. The temporary storage module is used to store wire harness reels and spare cables that are ready to be shipped out. The equipment control module controls the start and stop of the cable reel module 1, the cable supply module 2, and the cable harness transfer module 3, respectively.

[0025] Module 1 includes: The cable gripping unit has a mechanical gripper 11 that grips the cable and feeds it into the rear cable straightening unit. It can also cut the cable. The cable gripping unit clamps the cable end and feeds the cable into the rear cable straightening unit. Then it releases the cable end, allowing the cable straightening unit to drive the cable to move. Once the length of a cable of a certain specification is sufficient, the cable gripping unit cuts the cable and grips the second section of cable, and so on. A cable reel usually consists of a bundle of 8-10 cables.

[0026] The cable straightening unit is used to straighten the cable and transport it to the cable coiling and bundling unit. The straightening component 12 of the cable straightening unit is equipped with double rows of rotating rollers. The cable passes through the rollers and enters the cable coiling and bundling unit at the rear end. The cable straightening unit eliminates the bending and internal stress generated during the cable production or laying process, ensuring that the cable meets the specified straightness requirements.

[0027] The cable coiling and bundling unit includes clamps, a rotating drum 13, and a bundling device. The clamps in the cable coiling and bundling unit fix the cable ends. Then, the rotating drum 13 rotates with the clamps. As the rotating drum 13 rotates, it moves downward while the cable entry position remains unchanged, causing the cable to be coiled around the side wall of the rotating drum 13. When the coiling is complete, the mechanical claws cut the cable. The fork on the side wall of the rotating drum 13 prevents the cable from falling and allows the cable to be laid around the rotating drum 13. Then, the second cable enters and is coiled in the same way. After coiling 8-10 cables, the fork is retracted, and the cable falls down along the rotating drum 13 to the bottom. It is then bundled by the bundling device to obtain a wire harness coil.

[0028] The wire reel module 1 includes a labeling unit. After the labeling unit applies the label, it affixes the label to the wire harness reel. The label information includes the production date, wire harness type, specifications, and other information.

[0029] The cable reel module 1 includes a cable receiving unit for receiving the cable reel bundled by the cable coiling and bundling unit. The cable receiving unit includes a receiving seat 14 and a slide rail 15. The receiving seat 14 can move left and right on the slide rail 15 by electric drive. The receiving seat 14 is located below the rotating drum 13. After the cable reel is bundled, the fork at the bottom of the rotating drum 13 is retracted, and the cable reel falls into the loading box on the receiving seat 14.

[0030] The cable receiving unit is equipped with a first fork arm unit and a second fork arm unit on both sides. An empty box shelf 16 is provided next to the first fork arm unit for placing empty loading boxes. A transfer shelf 17 is provided next to the second fork arm unit for placing loading boxes containing wire harness reels. The first fork arm 18 in the first fork arm unit is used to remove empty loading boxes from the empty box shelf 16 and transfer them to the cable receiving unit. The cable receiving unit transfers the loading boxes to the cable coiling and bundling unit to receive the wire harness reels, and then transfers the wire harness reels and loading boxes together to the second fork arm 19 of the second fork arm unit. The second fork arm 19 transfers the loading boxes to the transfer shelf 17 for stacking.

[0031] Example 2: This embodiment, based on the above embodiment, further defines the cable supply module 2. The cable supply module 2 includes a cable conversion unit and multiple independent cable supply units 23. The cable conversion unit includes a support platform 21 and a rotating platform 22. Multiple cable supply units 23 are all mounted on the rotating platform 22, which is located on the support platform 21 and connected to it via a central shaft. A reduction motor and gear set are provided at the bottom of the support platform 21. The reduction motor drives the central shaft of the rotating platform 22 to rotate via the gear set, thereby causing the rotating platform 22 to rotate. The cable conversion units are arranged around the rotating platform 22. Rotation of the rotating platform 22 can move any cable supply unit 23 to the position of the mechanical gripper 11 of the cable gripping unit. Each independent cable supply unit 23 is equipped with a cable reel pre-wound with cable. The cable supply unit 23 is connected to the rotating platform 22 via a plug-in locking mechanism. The cable supply unit 23 can be replaced using an AGV trolley. Other parts of this embodiment are the same as those in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0032] Example 3: This embodiment, based on the above embodiment, further defines the wire harness transfer module 3. The wire harness transfer module 3 includes two AGV carts: an empty box transfer AGV cart 31 and a wire harness transfer AGV cart 32. The empty box transfer AGV cart 31 is used to transfer empty boxes from the warehouse to the empty box shelf 16 for stacking. The wire harness transfer AGV cart 32 is used to transfer boxes containing wire harness reels from the transit shelf 17 to the warehouse or temporary storage module for storage. Wire harness reels that need to be shipped out within 24 hours are directly stored in the temporary storage module for quick shipment; wire harness reels that need to be shipped out after 24 hours are directly transferred to the warehouse for stacking via the wire harness transfer AGV cart 32. Other parts of this embodiment are the same as those in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0033] Example 4: Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment further defines a temporary storage module and an equipment control module. The temporary storage module includes a temporary storage shelf 4 with a hollowed-out bottom to allow the wire harness transfer AGV trolley 32 to enter. The temporary storage shelf 4 has a support layer and a partition in the middle. One side of the partition is used to place a loading box containing wire harness reels, and the other side is used to place spare cable supply units 23. When the cable of one of the cable supply units 23 in the cable supply module 2 is exhausted, the wire harness transfer AGV trolley 32 can take a new cable supply unit 23 from the temporary storage shelf 4 to replace it on the cable supply module 2. The removed cable supply unit 23 can be placed back on the temporary storage shelf 4 to wait for secondary winding of the cable.

[0034] The electrical control cabinet 5 of the equipment control module is equipped with a host computer and a PLC controller. The host computer sends commands to the PLC controller, which in turn sends corresponding control commands to the cable reel module 1, cable supply module 2, and wire harness transfer module 3. The PLC controller can control the rotation of the turntable 22 of the cable supply module 2, control the operation of the wire harness transfer AGV trolley 32 and the empty box transfer AGV trolley 31, and control the movement of the mechanical gripper 11, straightening assembly 12, rotating drum 13, clamps, labeling assembly, first fork arm unit, second fork arm unit, and cable receiving unit, enabling the units to connect and cooperate to achieve automated processing of the wire harness reel. Other parts of this embodiment are the same as those in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0035] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the product of this invention is usually placed in during use. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0036] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" 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 connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modifications or equivalent changes made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automated wire harness production line system, characterized in that, include: The cable winding module is used to wind cables, allowing multiple cables to be bundled, wound up, and bundled into a cable reel. The cable supply module is used to supply cables of different specifications to the cable reel module; The wire harness transfer module uses AGV carts to transport wire harness reels into the warehouse or to the temporary storage module for outbound preparation. The temporary storage module is used to store wire harness reels and spare cables that are ready to be shipped out. The equipment control module controls the start and stop of the cable reel module, cable supply module, and cable harness transfer module, respectively.

2. The fully automated wire harness production line system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coil module includes: The cable gripping unit grips the cable and feeds it into the rear cable straightening unit, and can also cut the cable. The cable straightening unit is used to straighten cables and transport them to the cable coiling and bundling unit. The cable coiling and bundling unit fixes one end of the cable and coils it, and coils and bundles multiple cables into a cable bundle reel.

3. The fully automated wire harness production line system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The coiling module includes a labeling unit, which is used to apply labels and attach them to the coil.

4. The fully automated wire harness production line system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The cable reel module includes a cable receiving unit for receiving the cable reel bundled by the cable coiling and bundling unit.

5. The fully automated wire harness production line system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The cable receiving unit is equipped with a first fork arm unit and a second fork arm unit on both sides. An empty box shelf is provided next to the first fork arm unit for placing empty loading boxes. A transfer shelf is provided next to the second fork arm unit for placing loading boxes containing wire harness reels. The first fork arm unit is used to remove empty loading boxes from the empty box shelf and transfer them to the cable receiving unit. The cable receiving unit transfers the loading boxes to the cable coiling and bundling unit to receive the wire harness reels, and then transfers the wire harness reels and loading boxes together to the second fork arm unit. The second fork arm unit transfers the loading boxes to the transfer shelf for stacking.

6. The fully automated wire harness production line system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The cable supply module includes a cable conversion unit and multiple independent cable supply units. The multiple cable supply units are all mounted on the cable conversion unit, which is used to move any one of the cable supply units to the position of the cable gripping unit.

7. The fully automated wire harness production line system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The wire harness transfer module includes at least one AGV trolley, which is used to transfer empty loading boxes from the warehouse to empty box shelves for stacking; the AGV trolley is also used to transfer loading boxes with wire harness reels in the transfer shelf to the warehouse or temporary storage module for storage.

8. The fully automated wire harness production line system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The wire harness transfer module includes an empty box transfer AGV and a wire harness transfer AGV. The empty box transfer AGV is responsible for transferring empty loading boxes from the warehouse to the empty box shelf. The wire harness transfer AGV is used to transfer loading boxes containing wire harness reels from the transfer shelf.

9. The fully automated wire harness production line system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The temporary storage module includes a temporary storage shelf with a support layer. A partition is provided in the middle of the temporary storage shelf. One side of the partition is used to place a loading box containing wire harness reels, and the other side of the partition is used to place spare cable supply units.

10. The fully automated wire harness production line system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The equipment control module includes a host computer and a PLC controller. The host computer sends commands to the PLC controller, and the PLC controller can send corresponding control commands to the cable reeling module, the cable supply module, and the cable harness transfer module, respectively.

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