Tire automatic assembly production line flow control system

Abstract

The invention discloses a flow control system for an automatic tire assembly production line. The flow control system comprises a visual recognition unit, a conveying and transferring unit, a posture adjusting unit, a robot assembly unit and a central control unit. The visual recognition unit recognizes the position, number and posture information of tires, and the conveying and transferring unit transfers the tires among different work areas. The posture adjusting unit is used for turning over a tire by 180 degrees according to the tire assembling requirement, and the robot assembling unit is used for grabbing the tire and installing the tire to a hub; the central control unit obtains feedback information of all the units and controls the AGV to conduct tire feeding and empty tray returning. Compared with the prior art, the flow control system for the automatic tire assembly production line has the advantage that the full-flow automation of tires from material storage, transfer, posture adjustment to final assembly is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tire automated assembly technology, specifically to a tire automated assembly production line process control system. Background Technology

[0002] Tire assembly is one of the core processes in the production and manufacturing of commercial vehicles and engineering vehicles. Traditional tire assembly mainly adopts two modes: manual assembly and semi-automated assembly, both of which have significant technical shortcomings.

[0003] The core problems with manual assembly are low assembly efficiency, poor product quality stability, high labor intensity and safety hazards, as well as high labor and management costs due to long-term human investment.

[0004] While semi-automated assembly reduces human intervention to some extent, it suffers from high initial investment, insufficient production line flexibility, complex and costly equipment maintenance, significant bottlenecks in human-machine collaboration, strong dependence on technology and integration processes, and difficulty in adapting to diverse tire assembly needs.

[0005] Currently, the few existing automated tire assembly lines in the industry are mostly designed for small vehicles, with low levels of intelligence. The insufficient precision of the supporting sensors leads to low equipment control accuracy. Their structural design and control methods are not compatible with the heavy-duty tire assembly scenarios of commercial vehicles and engineering vehicles, and cannot achieve automated and precise control of the entire tire assembly process. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned technical defects and provide a tire automated assembly line process control system that realizes full automation of the tire assembly process from material storage, transfer, posture adjustment to final assembly.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution provided by the present invention is: a process control system for an automated tire assembly production line, including a vision recognition unit, a conveying and transfer unit, a posture adjustment unit, a robot assembly unit, and a central control unit;

[0008] The visual recognition unit identifies the tire's position, quantity, and posture information, and the transport unit transfers the tires between different work areas.

[0009] The attitude adjustment unit rotates the tire 180° according to the tire assembly requirements, and the robot assembly unit is used to grab the tire and install it onto the wheel hub.

[0010] The central control unit obtains feedback information from each unit and controls the AGV to replenish tires and return empty pallets.

[0011] Preferably, the conveying and transfer unit includes a gantry robot, a transport unit, and an elevator unit;

[0012] The gantry robot grabs a tire from the tire storage area and places it at the feed end of the first transport unit.

[0013] The material discharge end of the transport unit is unloaded to the left or right workstation of the final assembly line via an elevator unit.

[0014] Preferably, the attitude adjustment unit includes a tilting unit configured to work with the transport unit;

[0015] When a flipping command is received, the flipping unit clamps the tire and rotates it 180°.

[0016] Preferably, the visual recognition unit includes a robotic arm camera, a tire clamp camera, and a robot camera;

[0017] The robotic arm camera is installed on the gantry robotic arm of the conveying and transfer unit to identify the number and location coordinates of tires in the tire material area;

[0018] The tire clamp camera is installed at the end clamp of the robot assembly unit to identify the clamping center point of the tire.

[0019] The robot camera is installed on the body or end of the robot assembly unit to identify the mounting holes of the wheel hub and the final assembly posture of the tire.

[0020] Preferably, the central control unit is communicatively connected to the vision recognition unit and receives real-time image data of the tire material position area from the robot arm's camera.

[0021] When the number of tires is detected to be lower than the preset threshold for the amount used per vehicle, a replenishment instruction is generated and sent to the AGV.

[0022] Control the AGV to transport the fully loaded tires to the material storage area, and after unloading, control the AGV to return to the warehouse with the empty pallet;

[0023] When the number of tires meets the demand, control the AGV to stay in the waiting area.

[0024] Preferably, the robot assembly unit includes a robot body that moves along a track, a quick-change device and a tire clamp located at the end of the robot body.

[0025] Preferably, the elevator unit includes a first elevator, a second elevator, and a third elevator, and the transport unit includes a first transport unit and a second transport unit;

[0026] The first elevator is located between the first group of transport units and the second group of transport units to lift and transfer the tires;

[0027] The second and third elevators are respectively located on both sides of the output end of the second group of transport units, and unload the tires to the left and right workstations of the final assembly line respectively;

[0028] The central control unit controls the second and third lifts to release tires alternately or synchronously according to the vehicle assembly sequence.

[0029] The tipping machine is located between the first group of transport units and the first elevator. When tipping is required, the tipping machine clamps the tire and rotates it 180° before releasing it to the first elevator.

[0030] When no flipping is required, the tires are transported to the first elevator via the first set of transport units.

[0031] Another aspect of this invention discloses a process control method for an automated tire assembly line, comprising the following steps:

[0032] S1: The number of tires in the tire material area is identified by the robotic arm camera. If it is lower than the preset threshold, the AGV trolley is controlled to replenish the material and recycle the empty pallet.

[0033] S2: Control the gantry robot to grab the tire to the first transport unit, and determine whether to start the tilting unit for 180° attitude adjustment according to the assembly requirements;

[0034] S3: The tires, after being adjusted in attitude, are transferred via a lifting unit and assigned to the grabbing positions on the left or right side of the final assembly line;

[0035] S4: Using the tire clamp camera and robot camera for collaborative positioning, the robot assembly unit is controlled to grab the tire and install it onto the wheel hub, and finally complete the tightening operation.

[0036] The advantages of this invention compared with the prior art are: in this invention, a PLC is used as the control center, combined with multiple vision cameras for accurate identification, and gantry and robot are used to complete the transfer and assembly, reducing human intervention throughout the process and improving assembly efficiency;

[0037] This invention allows for flexible control of tire rotation and transfer rhythm, adapting to the assembly needs of different vehicle models. It also provides a highly flexible production line, solving the problems of low intelligence and control accuracy in traditional production lines.

[0038] In this invention, the lifting mechanism is used for side unloading, which supports simultaneous operation on both sides of the assembly line. It can also optimize the structure of the material storage area to increase storage capacity, adapt to large-scale production, and is easy to promote and apply. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure and layout of an automated tire assembly line.

[0040] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of the automated assembly line control process.

[0041] As shown in the figure: 1: Truss robot, 2: Robot camera, 3: Tilting machine, 4: Elevator 1, 5: Transporter, 6: Elevator 2, 7: Elevator 3, 8: Tire clamp camera, 9: Robot, 10: Robot camera. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] Combined with appendix Figure 1-2 As shown, a process control system for an automated tire assembly line includes a vision recognition unit, a conveying and transfer unit, a posture adjustment unit, a robot assembly unit, and a central control unit; the vision recognition unit identifies the tire position, quantity, and posture information, and the conveying and transfer unit transfers the tires between different work areas.

[0044] The posture adjustment unit rotates the tire 180° according to the tire assembly requirements, and the robot assembly unit is used to grab the tire and install it onto the wheel hub; the central control unit obtains feedback information from each unit and controls the AGV to replenish tires and return empty pallets.

[0045] The conveying and transfer unit includes a gantry robot, a transport unit, and an elevator unit; the gantry robot grabs tires from the tire material area and places them at the inlet end of the first transport unit; the outlet end of the transport unit discharges the tires to the left or right workstation of the final assembly line via the elevator unit;

[0046] The visual recognition unit includes a robotic arm camera, a tire clamp camera, and a robot camera. The robotic arm camera is installed on the gantry robotic arm of the conveying and transfer unit to identify the number and position coordinates of tires in the tire material area. The tire clamp camera is installed at the end clamp of the robot assembly unit to identify the clamping center point of the tire. The robot camera is installed on the body or end of the robot assembly unit to identify the mounting hole position of the wheel hub and the final assembly posture of the tire. The posture adjustment unit includes a tilting unit that works in conjunction with the transport unit. When a tilting command is received, the tilting unit clamps the tire and rotates it 180°.

[0047] The central control unit communicates with the vision recognition unit to receive real-time image data of the tire material area from the robot arm's camera. When the number of tires is detected to be lower than the preset threshold for a single vehicle, a replenishment command is generated and sent to the AGV. The AGV is controlled to transport the fully loaded tires to the material area, and after unloading, it is controlled to return to the warehouse with an empty pallet. When the number of tires meets the demand, the AGV is controlled to stay in the waiting area.

[0048] More specifically:

[0049] The lifting unit includes a first lifting platform, a second lifting platform, and a third lifting platform, and the transport unit includes a first transport unit and a second transport unit. The first lifting platform is located between the first and second transport units to lift and transfer tires. The second and third lifting platforms are respectively located on both sides of the output end of the second transport unit to unload tires to the left and right workstations of the final assembly line, respectively. The central control unit controls the second and third lifting platforms to release tires alternately or synchronously according to the vehicle assembly sequence. The tilting machine is located between the first transport unit and the first lifting platform. When tilting is required, the tilting machine clamps the tire, rotates it 180°, and then releases it to the first lifting platform.

[0050] When no flipping is required, the tires are transported to the first elevator via the first set of transport units.

[0051] In specific implementation of the present invention,

[0052] The robotic arm camera 2 identifies the number and location of tires in the tire storage area in real time and feeds the data back to the central control unit. If the number of empty tires in the storage area is less than the assembly quantity of a single vehicle, the central control unit will immediately send a replenishment command to control the AGV to transport tires to the storage area to complete the replenishment. After the replenishment is completed, the AGV will automatically return the empty pallet to the warehouse. If the number of tires in the storage area meets the assembly requirements, the AGV will be in a waiting state.

[0053] Simultaneously, the central control unit controls the gantry robot 1 to grab tires from the material area and transfer them to the turning machine 3. The turning machine 3 adaptively turns the tires according to their assembly posture requirements. After the posture adjustment is completed, the tires are lifted and transferred via elevator 4 to the conveyor 5, which then transports them to the corresponding positions in the final assembly area. Elevators 6 and 7 receive instructions from the central control unit and release the tires sequentially to the tire clamps according to the vehicle assembly sequence. Of the 10 tires required for the assembly of a single vehicle, elevators 6 and 7 each precisely release 5 tires, corresponding to the assembly stations on the left and right sides of the final assembly line, respectively.

[0054] After the tire is delivered to the tire clamp, the tire clamp camera 8 identifies the tire clamping position to ensure that the tire is clamped stably and accurately. The robot 9 moves to the tire clamp via the track, and the robot camera 10 identifies the alignment position between the tire and the rim. The robot 9 accurately clamps the tire based on the identification data and installs the tire into the preset position on the rim one by one. After installation, the robot 9 automatically switches to the tightening machine to tighten the tire bolts in a standardized manner, completing all assembly processes for a single tire.

[0055] Control process such as Figure 2As shown:

[0056] First, the gantry robot's camera identifies the tire at the material location and transmits the signal to the PLC controller. If replenishment is needed, the PLC controller instructs the AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) to transport the tire; otherwise, the AGV will remain in the waiting area. Simultaneously, the gantry robot grabs the tire and places it on the conveyor. Then, a tilting machine flips the tire as needed. Next, elevator one transports the tire to the secondary conveyor, then to elevators two and three. Based on algorithm recognition, elevators two and three ensure the tire is released into the tire clamp. Based on posture recognition camera identification, the system controls whether the conveyor rotates to the assembly position to adjust the posture. Finally, the robot, using its camera and algorithm, grabs the tire, aligns it with the wheel hub, and tightens the tire lug nuts.

[0057] The working principle of this invention is as follows: A gantry robot arm picks up tires, places them on a primary conveyor, and then transports them to the elevator feeding position. A portion of the tires are then transported via the elevator to a secondary conveyor and conveyed to the final assembly area; the remaining tires are transported backward to a turning station, where a turning device rotates the tires 180° before they are transported to the final assembly area. Afterward, they are transported via left and right elevators to the left and right sides of the final assembly line, respectively, supplying the robots on the left and right sides of the assembly line for tire picking and assembly. Tires under the gantry are picked up by a vision system and a clamping robot arm. The gantry system communicates with AGVs, calling them to deliver tires and returning empty pallets to the warehouse.

[0058] The contents not described in detail in this specification are existing technologies known to those skilled in the art.

[0059] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0060] The present invention and its embodiments have been described above. This description is not restrictive, and the accompanying drawings are only one embodiment of the present invention; the actual structure is not limited thereto. In conclusion, if those skilled in the art are inspired by this description and design similar structures and embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention, such designs should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A process control system for an automated tire assembly line, characterized in that: It includes a vision recognition unit, a conveying and transfer unit, a posture adjustment unit, a robot assembly unit, and a central control unit; The visual recognition unit identifies the tire's position, quantity, and posture information, and the transport unit transfers the tires between different work areas. The attitude adjustment unit rotates the tire 180° according to the tire assembly requirements, and the robot assembly unit is used to grab the tire and install it onto the wheel hub. The central control unit obtains feedback information from each unit and controls the AGV to replenish tires and return empty pallets.

2. The process control system for an automated tire assembly line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying and transfer unit includes a gantry robot, a transport unit, and an elevator unit; The gantry robot grabs a tire from the tire storage area and places it at the feed end of the first transport unit. The material discharge end of the transport unit is unloaded to the left or right workstation of the final assembly line via an elevator unit.

3. The process control system for an automated tire assembly line according to claim 2, characterized in that: The attitude adjustment unit includes a tilting unit that is configured to work with the transport unit; When a flipping command is received, the flipping unit clamps the tire and rotates it 180°.

4. The process control system for an automated tire assembly line according to claim 2, characterized in that: The visual recognition unit includes a robotic arm camera, a tire clamp camera, and a robot camera; The robotic arm camera is installed on the gantry robotic arm of the conveying and transfer unit to identify the number and location coordinates of tires in the tire material area; The tire clamp camera is installed at the end clamp of the robot assembly unit to identify the clamping center point of the tire. The robot camera is installed on the body or end of the robot assembly unit to identify the mounting holes of the wheel hub and the final assembly posture of the tire.

5. The automated tire assembly line process control system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The central control unit is communicatively connected to the vision recognition unit and receives real-time image data of the tire material level area from the robot arm's camera. When the number of tires is detected to be lower than the preset threshold for the amount used per vehicle, a replenishment instruction is generated and sent to the AGV. Control the AGV to transport the fully loaded tires to the material storage area, and after unloading, control the AGV to return to the warehouse with the empty pallet; When the number of tires meets the demand, control the AGV to stay in the waiting area.

6. The process control system for an automated tire assembly line according to claim 4, characterized in that: The robot assembly unit includes a robot body that moves along a track, a quick-change device located at the end of the robot body, and a tire clamp.

7. The automated tire assembly line process control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elevator unit includes a first elevator, a second elevator, and a third elevator, and the transport unit includes a first transport unit and a second transport unit; The first elevator is located between the first group of transport units and the second group of transport units to lift and transfer the tires; The second and third elevators are respectively located on both sides of the output end of the second group of transport units, and unload the tires to the left and right workstations of the final assembly line respectively; The central control unit controls the second and third lifts to release tires alternately or synchronously according to the vehicle assembly sequence. The tipping machine is located between the first group of transport units and the first elevator. When tipping is required, the tipping machine clamps the tire and rotates it 180° before releasing it to the first elevator. When no flipping is required, the tires are transported to the first elevator via the first set of transport units.

8. A process control method for an automated tire assembly line, based on the system according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1: The number of tires in the tire material area is identified by the robotic arm camera. If it is lower than the preset threshold, the AGV trolley is controlled to replenish the material and recycle the empty pallet. S2: Control the gantry robot to grab the tire to the first transport unit, and determine whether to start the tilting unit for 180° attitude adjustment according to the assembly requirements; S3: The tires, after being adjusted in attitude, are transferred via a lifting unit and assigned to the grabbing positions on the left or right side of the final assembly line; S4: Using the tire clamp camera and robot camera for collaborative positioning, the robot assembly unit is controlled to grab the tire and install it onto the wheel hub, and finally complete the tightening operation.

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