An assembly line

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of workpiece production lines, and provides an assembly production line, which comprises a first production line, a first truss, a side-pushing feeding device and a plurality of operation stations, an assembly workpiece flows through the operation stations, a first auxiliary hoisting device can move on the first truss and cooperates with the operation stations to hoist the assembly workpiece to realize reversing, moving and other actions, auxiliary aerial carrying and transferring, the ground space can be released to operators and ground equipment, and the workshop layout is more flexible; meanwhile, the side-pushing feeding device separates feeding operation and main operation of the production line in space, avoids interference of the feeding process on operation of the first-end station, and improves continuity and beat stability of the production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of workpiece production line technology, and more specifically, to an assembly production line. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the assembly of large undercarriage components of high-speed trains, such as brake control units, BP rescue modules, exhaust unit modules, and main air supply modules, largely relies on manual operation. This results in problems such as time-consuming and labor-intensive processes, high worker workload, low work efficiency, insufficient assembly precision, large footprint, and the inability to achieve digital and rhythmic control. To address these pain points, this invention integrates material handling equipment, auxiliary assembly equipment, automated assembly station transfer mechanisms, intelligent visual inspection devices, and automated storage warehouses to achieve digital and rhythmic assembly of large components. This replaces traditional manual and semi-automated processes, effectively reducing worker workload, improving work efficiency and assembly precision, reducing equipment footprint, and adapting to the large-scale and standardized production needs of high-speed train components.

[0003] Currently, the assembly of large components of high-speed trains mostly adopts a semi-automated method of manual labor combined with overhead cranes. The assembly stations are fixed, and there is no dedicated automated transfer, flipping, positioning and testing equipment.

[0004] The specific process involves manual transfer of parts → manual positioning and installation → manual transfer and storage → visual inspection, lacking cycle time control, digital management, and automated storage integration. The transfer and flipping of heavy components rely on manual labor, leading to worker fatigue; the lack of automated workflow results in long assembly cycles, hindering large-scale production; and the absence of intelligent inspection makes manual judgment prone to installation errors.

[0005] The information disclosed in the background section is only intended to enhance the understanding of the background of this application, and therefore may contain information that is not part of the prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides an assembly production line to solve the problems of low efficiency and inability to achieve automated flow in the existing semi-automatic assembly method of large component assembly, which uses fixed workstations and manual labor combined with overhead cranes.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution: An assembly line, comprising a first production line, including: A first truss and a plurality of first work stations arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction of the first truss. The first truss is located above the first work stations and extends along the entire length. The first truss is provided with a first auxiliary hoisting device for assisting in hoisting workpieces to move along the first truss and at each of the work stations. The side-push feeding device is located at the beginning of the first production line along the longitudinal direction and is used to feed the parts to be assembled laterally.

[0008] Optionally, any of the first workstations includes a lifting roller conveyor for transporting assembly fixtures longitudinally and for driving the assembly fixtures to move vertically.

[0009] Optionally, the first production line further includes several first transition stations, with each first transition station located between adjacent first work stations; the first transition station is located at the beginning of the first production line, and the side-push feeding device is connected to the first transition station.

[0010] Optionally, it also includes a second production line, which includes a second truss and a plurality of second work stations arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction of the second truss. The second truss is provided with a second auxiliary hoisting device for assisting in hoisting workpieces to move along the second truss and at each of the second work stations.

[0011] Optionally, any of the second work stations includes a lifting roller conveyor for transporting assembly fixtures longitudinally and for driving the assembly fixtures to move vertically.

[0012] Optionally, the second production line further includes a visual inspection station located at the end of the second production line; the visual inspection station includes: A visual inspection device and a visual inspection roller line, wherein the visual inspection device is located above the visual inspection roller line and is used to perform visual inspection on the assembled workpiece.

[0013] Optionally, the visual inspection station further includes a mounting truss and a moving device, one end of which is connected to the mounting truss and the other end of which is connected to the visual inspection device, for driving the visual inspection device to move within the space.

[0014] Optionally, the second production line further includes several second transition stations, with a second transition station provided between adjacent second work stations, and a second transition station provided at the beginning of the second production line.

[0015] Optionally, the second production line further includes a flipping and feeding device located longitudinally on one side of the second workstation at the first end, the flipping and feeding device being used to flip and feed the workpieces to be assembled.

[0016] Optionally, it also includes: The shelving area includes several sets of shelves and AGV trolleys. At least two sets of shelves correspond to the tail ends of the first production line and the second production line, respectively. The bottom of the shelves is provided with a shelf lower roller line for temporarily storing assembled workpieces. The AGV trolley is used to move the workpieces corresponding to the shelf lower roller line of the first production line to the shelf lower roller line of the second production line, and then move them to the vision inspection station for inspection via the shelf lower roller line.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the assembly production line provided in this application has the following technical advantages: The first production line includes a first truss, a side-push loading device, and several workstations. The assembled workpieces move between these workstations. The first auxiliary hoisting device can move on the first truss and cooperate with each workstation to hoist and move the assembled workpieces, assisting in aerial transport and transfer. Its ground space can be freed up for operators and ground equipment, making the workshop layout more flexible. At the same time, the side-push loading separates the loading operation from the main production line operation in space, avoiding interference between the loading process and the operation at the first workstation, and improving the continuity and cycle stability of the production line. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of an assembly production line according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the composition structure of the first production line provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the composition structure of the second production line provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the visual inspection station structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 A flowchart of an assembly production line provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure label: First production line 100, first truss 11, first working station 12, side-push feeding device 13, first transition station 14; Second production line 200, second truss 21, second work station 22, vision inspection station 23, second transition station 24, and flipping loading device 25; Visual inspection device 231, visual inspection station roller line 232, mounting truss 233, moving device 234; Shelving area 300, shelf 31, lower shelving section 32. Detailed Implementation

[0020] This invention discloses an assembly production line to solve the problems of low efficiency and inability to achieve automated flow in the existing semi-automatic assembly method of large component assembly, which uses fixed workstations and manual labor in conjunction with overhead cranes.

[0021] To make the technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not an exhaustive list of all embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0022] Please see Figure 1-5 In one specific embodiment, the present application provides an assembly production line including several production lines. The first production line 100 includes a first truss 11, a side-push loading device 13, and several first work stations 12 arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction of the first truss 11. The first truss 11 is located above the first work stations 12 and extends along its entire length. The first truss 11 is provided with a first auxiliary hoisting device for assisting in hoisting workpieces along the first truss 11 and moving them on each of the first work stations 12. The side-push loading device 13 is located at the beginning of the first production line 100 along its longitudinal direction and is used to laterally load the workpieces to be assembled.

[0023] The first truss 11 is located above the first work station 12 and runs longitudinally along the first production line 100, from one end to the other, covering all the first work stations 12. The first truss 11 is made of steel or aluminum alloy profiles and has sufficient strength and rigidity to bear the weight of the workpieces and lifting devices. A first auxiliary lifting device is provided on the first truss 11. This device can reciprocate longitudinally along the first truss 11 to suspend the workpieces to be assembled and transport them sequentially to each of the first work stations 12. In this preferred embodiment, the first auxiliary lifting device can be an electric hoist, a pneumatic hoist, or a trolley with a traveling mechanism. Its hook or clamp is connected to the workpiece, allowing operators to assemble the suspended workpieces on the ground at each of the first work stations 12. In this way, the workpieces can move between processes without touching the ground, achieving continuous airborne movement.

[0024] The side-push loading device 13 is located longitudinally at the beginning of the first production line 100, i.e., in front of or to the side of the first working station 12 at the beginning. The side-push loading device 13 is used to push the parts to be assembled from the side of the production line into the first working station. Specifically, the side-push loading device 13 may include a pushing cylinder, a pushing plate, and a feeding platform for carrying the workpiece. The workpiece is placed on the feeding platform by external logistics equipment such as a forklift or AGV. The pushing cylinder drives the pushing plate to push the workpiece from the feeding platform into the position of the first working station 12 in a transverse direction, i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the production line. Subsequently, the workpiece moves on each of the first working stations 12 and enters the normal assembly flow process.

[0025] Through the above structure, this embodiment realizes a complete assembly production mode from side loading and aerial auxiliary hoisting to sequential operation at multiple workstations; the full-length truss setting ensures the continuity and stability of hoisting flow; the side-push loading method effectively avoids interference of loading operations with the main operation of the production line; the overall structure is compact and has high space utilization, making it suitable for assembly production scenarios of various medium and large workpieces.

[0026] In one embodiment, the specific structure of the first work station 12 is further defined. Each of the first work stations 12 includes a lifting roller line. The lifting roller line is located in the ground area of ​​the first work station 12, directly below the first truss 11. It includes a roller conveying assembly and a lifting drive assembly. The roller conveying assembly consists of multiple rollers arranged parallel to each other laterally, each roller extending longitudinally for conveying assembled workpieces longitudinally. The rollers are preferably powered rollers, driven to rotate by a motor. The lifting drive assembly is connected to the bottom of the roller conveying assembly and is used to drive the entire roller conveying assembly to move vertically up and down. In this preferred embodiment, the lifting drive assembly can adopt a scissor lift mechanism, a cylinder lifting column, or an electric screw jack, etc. Taking a scissor lift mechanism as an example, its bottom is fixed to the ground, and its top is connected to the frame of the roller conveying assembly. The scissor mechanism is driven to extend and retract by hydraulic or electric means, thereby achieving smooth vertical lifting and lowering of the entire roller conveying assembly.

[0027] In actual operation, when the first auxiliary hoisting device lifts the workpiece from above to the current workstation, the lifting roller line can be pre-raised to a higher position, bringing the roller surface close to the bottom of the workpiece, facilitating a smooth landing of the workpiece on the roller line. After the workpiece is in place, the lifting roller line can longitudinally transport the workpiece to a precise working position within the workstation. Subsequently, the lifting roller line can descend to a suitable height according to the operator's needs, placing the workpiece in the most convenient position for assembly. After the operation is completed, the lifting roller line can rise again, cooperating with the first auxiliary hoisting device to lift the workpiece and move it to the next workstation. Through the above structure, this embodiment introduces a lifting roller line with both horizontal conveying and vertical lifting functions within the first workstation 12, achieving precise positioning of the workpiece within the workstation and an adjustable working posture, effectively improving the convenience and production efficiency of assembly operations.

[0028] Specifically, the first production line 100 also includes several first transition stations 14, and each adjacent first working station 12 is provided with a first transition station 14; the first end of the first production line 100 is provided with a first transition station 14, and the side push feeding device 13 is connected to the first transition station 14.

[0029] Several first transition stations 14 are sequentially arranged along the longitudinal direction of the first truss 11, with one first transition station 14 between each two adjacent first work stations 12. In other words, the first work stations 12 and the first transition stations 14 are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the production line, forming a chain layout structure of "work station - transition station - work station - transition station...". In addition, a first transition station 14 is also provided at the beginning of the first production line 100 (i.e., the starting end of the workpiece inflow). The structure of the first transition station 14 can be relatively simplified, mainly used to receive and temporarily store workpieces, providing an intermediate stopping position for the flow of workpieces between adjacent work stations. In this preferred embodiment, the first transition station 14 may include a support frame and positioning rollers or simple rollers set on the frame, preferably unpowered rollers, for supporting workpieces and restricting their position. Unlike the lifting roller line in the first work station 12, the first transition station 14 does not need to be equipped with a complex lifting mechanism or power transmission mechanism, and only needs to have basic workpiece receiving and positioning functions.

[0030] The side-push loading device 13 is directly connected to the first transition station 14 at the beginning. Specifically, the discharge end of the side-push loading device 13 is spatially connected to the inlet end of the first transition station 14. After the workpiece is pushed in from the side by the side-push loading device 13, it falls directly onto the first transition station 14 at the beginning. Subsequently, the first auxiliary hoisting device lifts the workpiece from the first transition station 14 and transfers it to the first working station 12 at the beginning for assembly.

[0031] In actual production, while the first workstation 12 at the beginning is assembling the current workpiece, the side-push feeding device 13 can simultaneously push the next workpiece into the first transition workstation 14 at the beginning for temporary storage. The two processes run in parallel without interfering with each other. After the first workstation at the beginning completes its work on the current workpiece, the first auxiliary hoisting device can lift the completed workpiece away and immediately lift the next workpiece from the first transition workstation 14 at the beginning for operation, eliminating the need to wait for the feeding action and thus significantly improving the overall cycle time efficiency of the production line.

[0032] Similarly, between any two adjacent first workstations 12, the first transition workstation 14 also serves a similar buffering and decoupling function. After the first workstation 12 completes its work, the workpiece can be temporarily moved to the intermediate transition workstation for storage, and then hoisted in for the next process when the next workstation becomes available. This design allows each workstation to operate independently according to its own rhythm, effectively avoiding the problem of the entire line stopping due to the long working time of individual workstations. By introducing the first transition workstation 14, this embodiment achieves parallel execution of material loading and operation, as well as flexible decoupling between each workstation, significantly improving the operating efficiency and flexibility of the assembly line.

[0033] In another embodiment, the assembly line further includes a second production line 200, which is arranged parallel to the first production line 100. The second production line 200 includes a second truss 21 and a plurality of second workstations 22 arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction of the second truss 21. The second truss 21 is located above the second workstations 22 and extends continuously along the longitudinal direction of the second production line 200, covering all the second workstations 22. The second truss 21 is made of the same steel structure or aluminum alloy profile as the first truss 11.

[0034] A second auxiliary hoisting device is provided on the second truss 21. The second auxiliary hoisting device can reciprocate along the longitudinal direction of the second truss 21 to hoist the workpieces to be assembled and transport them sequentially to each of the second work stations 22. In this preferred embodiment, the structure of the second auxiliary hoisting device is the same as that of the first auxiliary hoisting device, and it can be an electric hoist, a pneumatic hoist, or a hoisting trolley with a traveling mechanism.

[0035] The first production line 100 and the second production line 200 are arranged side by side in space, forming a dual-channel parallel overall structure. The trusses of the two production lines can share supporting columns or each have its own independent supporting structure. The workstations of the two production lines are arranged horizontally aligned, facilitating flexible allocation of operators between the two lines.

[0036] In actual production, the first production line 100 and the second production line 200 can operate independently and in parallel. Specifically, the two production lines can process the same type of workpiece simultaneously, doubling the production capacity; alternatively, they can be configured with different assembly processes to produce different types of products simultaneously, achieving multi-variety mixed-line production. For example, the first production line 100 can be responsible for assembling product A, and the second production line 200 can be responsible for assembling product B, with the two production lines operating independently.

[0037] The side-push feeding device 13 can be configured to supply materials to two production lines simultaneously. In this preferred embodiment, the discharge end of the side-push feeding device 13 can be equipped with a diversion mechanism to distribute workpieces to the beginning of the first production line 100 or the second production line 200 as needed. Alternatively, the beginning of the second production line 200 can also be equipped with an independent feeding device with the same structure as the side-push feeding device 13, realizing independent feeding for each of the two production lines. This upgrades the original single-line assembly mode to a dual-line parallel mode, achieving a multiple increase in assembly capacity within the same floor space, while enhancing the flexibility and fault tolerance of the production system, making it suitable for large-volume, multi-variety assembly production scenarios.

[0038] In one embodiment, the structure of the lifting roller conveyor is the same as that in the first work station 12; it includes a roller conveying assembly and a lifting drive assembly. The roller conveying assembly consists of multiple rollers arranged parallel to each other in the transverse direction, each roller extending longitudinally for conveying the assembled workpieces longitudinally. The lifting drive assembly is connected to the bottom of the roller conveying assembly and is used to drive the entire roller conveying assembly to move vertically up and down. When assembly is required, the lifting drive assembly drives the roller conveying assembly to move up and down as a whole, thereby moving the assembled workpiece placed on it vertically to the target height. For example, when the workpiece is hoisted to the work station by the second auxiliary hoisting device, the lifting roller conveyor can drive the assembly fixture to rise to a height matching the workpiece mounting interface, so that the positioning structure on the fixture is precisely aligned with the workpiece, facilitating the rapid assembly of the workpiece and the fixture. After assembly, the lifting roller conveyor can descend to a height convenient for the operator to work at for subsequent assembly operations.

[0039] In an alternative embodiment, the second production line 200 further includes a visual inspection station 23, which is located at the end of the second production line 200, that is, at a position after the last second operation station 22 and before the workpiece flows out of the production line. The visual inspection station 23 includes a visual inspection device 231 and a visual inspection roller conveyor line 232. The visual inspection roller conveyor line 232 is arranged in the ground area below the second truss 21 and is used to receive the assembled workpiece lifted by the second auxiliary lifting device from the last second operation station 22. The structure of the visual inspection roller conveyor line 232 can be the same as or simplified compared to the lifting roller conveyor line in the second operation station 22. It at least includes multiple rollers arranged in parallel along the transverse direction and is used to convey the workpiece longitudinally to the inspection position. The visual inspection device 231 is located above the visual inspection roller conveyor line 232 and can be specifically installed at the bottom of the second truss 21 or on an independently provided inspection bracket. The visual inspection device 231 includes an industrial camera, a light source system, and an image processing unit. The industrial camera is arranged downward, and its shooting field of view covers the workpiece inspection area on the visual inspection roller conveyor line 232. The light source system is arranged around the industrial camera and is used to provide uniform lighting conditions for the workpiece to ensure the quality of image acquisition. The image processing unit is electrically connected to the industrial camera and is used to analyze and process the acquired workpiece image and compare it with a preset standard template to automatically determine whether the assembly quality of the workpiece is qualified.

[0040] During the actual working process, when the workpiece completes all the assembly processes on the second production line 200, the second auxiliary lifting device lifts it onto the visual inspection roller conveyor line 232. After the roller conveyor line conveys the workpiece to the visual inspection station 23 and positions and clamps it, the visual inspection device 231 is activated. The industrial camera acquires multi-angle images of the workpiece, and the image processing unit analyzes the images. The inspection contents include but are not limited to: whether components are missing, whether there are deviations in the installation position, whether there are scratches or stains on the appearance, whether the markings are clear and correct, etc. After the inspection is completed, the visual inspection device 231 outputs a judgment result: if it is qualified, the workpiece continues to flow out of the production line to the packaging or offline area; if it is unqualified, the system issues an alarm signal to notify the operator for processing.

[0041] Furthermore, the visual inspection station 23 further includes an installation truss 233 and a moving device 234. One end of the moving device 234 is connected to the installation truss 233, and the other end is connected to the visual inspection device 231 and is used to drive the visual inspection device 231 to move in space.

[0042] The mounting truss 233 is positioned on both sides and above the vision inspection roller line 232, and is assembled from aluminum alloy profiles, providing sufficient rigidity and stability. In this preferred embodiment, the mounting truss 233 is a gantry frame structure, including two vertical columns and a horizontal beam spanning the top of the columns. The horizontal beam spans above the vision inspection roller line 232, providing a mounting base for the moving device 234. Preferably, the moving device 234 adopts a multi-joint robotic arm structure, with its base fixed to the mounting truss 233 and its end flange connected to the vision inspection device 231. The multi-joint robotic arm has higher motion flexibility, enabling the vision inspection device 231 to rotate around multiple degrees of freedom, achieving more complex inspection angle adjustments. In actual operation, after the workpiece is transported to the inspection position of the vision inspection roller line 232 and clamped, the control system drives the moving device 234 to move along a predetermined trajectory according to the workpiece model and the preset inspection program. During movement, the vision inspection device 231 can pause at multiple preset positions and acquire images. For example, the device first moves to a position directly above the workpiece for a top-down view to inspect the installation of components on the top surface. Then, it moves to a position to the side of the workpiece for a side-view view to inspect assembly gaps and appearance defects. For critical areas, it can also move to a close-up position for magnified local imaging. After all images are acquired, the image processing unit performs a comprehensive analysis of all images and outputs the final inspection result. This embodiment, by introducing the mounting truss 233 and the moving device 234, enables the visual inspection device 231 to move flexibly in three-dimensional space, achieving dynamic inspection from multiple perspectives and positions. This effectively eliminates blind spots, significantly improves the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the inspection, and enhances the compatibility and adaptability of the inspection system to different workpiece models.

[0043] Specifically, the second production line 200 also includes several second transition stations 24, which are arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction of the second production line 200. Their layout follows the following rules: a second transition station 24 is provided between each of two adjacent second work stations 22; in addition, a second transition station 24 is also provided at the beginning of the second production line 200 (i.e. before the first second work station 22) for docking with other delivery equipment.

[0044] The structure of the second transition station 24 is relatively simplified. It may include a set of fixed roller lines or a support platform for supporting and temporarily storing workpieces. Unlike the lifting roller line in the second work station 22, the roller line in the second transition station 24 does not need to be equipped with a lifting drive assembly; it is only used for longitudinal conveying and positioning of workpieces. The second transition station 24 is preferably a non-powered roller line. In actual operation, the workpiece flow path is as follows: First, the workpiece is pushed to the second transition station 24 at the beginning of the second production line 200 by the side-push feeding device 13. After the sensor detects that the workpiece is in place, the second auxiliary hoisting device grabs the workpiece from the transition station and hoists it to the first second work station 22 for assembly. After assembly, the hoisting device lifts the workpiece and moves it to the first second transition station 24 for temporary storage. Subsequently, the hoisting device grabs the workpiece from the transition station again and moves it to the second second work station 22 for the next process. This cycle continues until the workpiece has completed the assembly operations of all work stations. By setting up second transition stations 24 between adjacent second workstations 22 and at the beginning of the second production line 200, the second production line 200 forms a modular layout with alternating "transition-work" arrangements. The transition stations serve as buffers and hoisting docking nodes between workstations, effectively balancing the cycle time differences between each workstation, making the hoisting and transfer path of the workpiece clearer and more orderly, and significantly improving the stability and smoothness of the operation of the second production line 200.

[0045] In this embodiment, the second production line 200 also includes a flipping and loading device 25, which is located longitudinally on one side of the second work station 22 at the first end. The flipping and loading device 25 is used to flip and load the workpieces to be assembled.

[0046] The flipping and loading device 25 includes a flipping mechanism and a conveying mechanism. The flipping mechanism is used to clamp the workpiece to be assembled and change its spatial orientation. It may include a flipping fixture and a flipping drive assembly (such as a servo motor with a reducer) to drive the flipping fixture to rotate. The conveying mechanism is used to transport the flipped workpiece to the first end second working station 22. It may include a roller conveyor, a belt conveyor, or a push rod mechanism.

[0047] In this preferred embodiment, the operation of the flipping and loading device 25 is as follows: The workpiece to be assembled is conveyed to the feeding end of the flipping and loading device 25 in the posture output from the previous process (e.g., bottom surface facing up). After the flipping fixture of the flipping mechanism clamps the workpiece, the drive component drives the fixture to rotate 180°, causing the workpiece to flip to the target posture with the bottom surface facing down. Subsequently, the conveying mechanism pushes the flipped workpiece from the side to the lifting roller line of the second working station 22 at the first end. After the workpiece is in place, the flipping fixture is released and returns to the initial position to prepare for the loading of the next workpiece.

[0048] The flipping angle of the flipping loading device 25 can be adjusted according to the workpiece's incoming posture and assembly requirements. For example, when the workpiece needs to be flipped 90° to enter the work station in a vertical posture, the flipping drive component can precisely control the rotation angle to 90°; when the workpiece needs to be flipped 180°, the rotation angle is controlled to 180°. In this embodiment, the flipping loading device 25 is also equipped with a posture detection sensor to detect the actual posture of the workpiece after flipping, ensuring flipping accuracy.

[0049] After the workpiece is fed into the first second work station 22 by the flipping and loading device 25, the second auxiliary hoisting device can grab the workpiece from this station and hoist it to the subsequent second transition station 24 or second work station 22 to begin the assembly flow along the second production line 200. The flipping and loading device 25 realizes automatic posture adjustment and loading of the workpiece before it enters the production line, ensuring that the workpiece enters the assembly process with the correct orientation, reducing auxiliary actions in the second work station 22, and improving the degree of automation and assembly efficiency.

[0050] In this embodiment, the assembly production line also includes a shelf area 300, which is located between the first production line 100 and the second production line 200 to realize workpiece buffering and transfer between the two production lines.

[0051] The shelving area 300 includes several sets of shelves 31 and AGV trolleys. In this preferred embodiment, at least two sets of shelves 31 are provided, namely a first shelf group and a second shelf group. The first shelf group is correspondingly arranged at the end of the first production line 100, that is, the roller line at the end of the first production line 100 is connected to the lower roller line 32 of the first shelf group. After the workpiece is assembled from the first production line 100, it can directly flow along the roller line into the lower roller line 32 of the first shelf group for temporary storage. The second shelf group is correspondingly arranged at the end of the second production line 200, that is, the lower roller line 32 of the second shelf group is connected to the vision inspection station 23 of the second production line 200.

[0052] In one embodiment, the shelving 31 has a multi-layer structure. The lower roller conveyor 32 includes multiple rollers arranged parallel to each other along the depth direction of the shelving. Workpieces can slide into the interior of the shelving 31 along the roller conveyor for storage, and can also slide out from the interior of the shelving 31 along the roller conveyor. An AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) is positioned between the first and second shelving groups to transport workpieces from the lower roller conveyor 32 of the first shelving group to the lower roller conveyor 32 of the second shelving group; and to transport workpieces from the lower roller conveyor 32 of the second shelving group to the planned storage position of the shelving. After the workpiece is transported to the second shelving group by the AGV, the lower roller conveyor 32 transports the workpiece to the vision inspection roller conveyor 232, where the vision inspection device 231 inspects the workpiece. Workpieces that pass the inspection can proceed to the next process, while workpieces that fail the inspection can be transferred to the rework area.

[0053] In actual operation, the complete flow path of the workpiece is as follows: After assembly on the first production line 100, the workpiece flows from the tail end of the first production line 100 into the lower shelf spool 32 of the first shelf group for temporary storage; according to the scheduling instructions, the AGV trolley transports the workpiece from the first shelf group to the second shelf group; the workpiece flows out from the lower shelf spool 32 of the second shelf group and enters the vision inspection station 23 for inspection; after passing the inspection, the AGV trolley stores the workpiece in the preset position of the shelf area 300. By introducing the shelf area 300 and the AGV trolley, automated buffering and transfer between the first production line 100 and the second production line 200 are realized, enabling the two production lines to operate asynchronously and independently, significantly improving the flexibility and capacity utilization of the entire line. Setting the vision inspection station 23 on the second production line 200 makes the equipment of the entire production line more compact and improves space utilization.

[0054] The system adopts a north-south dual-workstation layout. The north side houses the assembly conveyor line and AGV delivery route, while the south side houses the assembly line and inspection stations. The two conveyor lines operate in parallel with automatic flow separation, sharing buffer shelves and AGV warehousing, achieving efficient space utilization and large-scale production. Each workstation is equipped with an emergency stop button, and the PLC control system features linked emergency stop, foreign object interference detection, servo fault detection, and limit protection functions. In an emergency, the system can immediately stop and switch to manual mode, forming a comprehensive safety protection system.

[0055] The controller is responsible for receiving all input signals, executing user-written control logic, and outputting control commands to servo drives and actuators. Simultaneously, it promptly reports the resulting status data to the HMI interface. It interfaces with a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system via an industrial network interface to receive production plans and report real-time data. It controls servo drives through high-speed pulse output or a real-time Ethernet bus; connects sensors and actuators through I / O modules; and interacts with the HMI through a dedicated communication protocol. The main communication uses PROFINET industrial Ethernet, enabling real-time network communication between the PLC, servo motors, HMI, MES, and other equipment.

[0056] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0057] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An assembly production line, characterized in that, Including the first production line, including: A first truss and a plurality of first work stations arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction of the first truss. The first truss is located above the first work stations and extends along the entire length. The first truss is provided with a first auxiliary hoisting device for assisting in hoisting workpieces to move along the first truss and at each of the work stations. The side-push feeding device is located at the beginning of the first production line along the longitudinal direction and is used to feed the parts to be assembled laterally.

2. The assembly production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the first workstations includes a lifting roller conveyor for transporting assembly fixtures longitudinally and for driving the assembly fixtures to move vertically.

3. The assembly production line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first production line also includes several first transition stations, with each first transition station located between adjacent first work stations; the first transition station is located at the beginning of the first production line, and the side-push feeding device is connected to the first transition station.

4. The assembly production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a second production line, which includes a second truss and a plurality of second work stations arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction of the second truss. The second truss is equipped with a second auxiliary hoisting device for assisting in hoisting workpieces to move along the second truss and at each of the second work stations.

5. An assembly production line according to claim 4, characterized in that, Any of the second work stations includes a lifting roller conveyor for transporting assembly fixtures longitudinally and for driving the assembly fixtures to move vertically.

6. An assembly production line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second production line also includes a vision inspection station located at the end of the second production line; the vision inspection station includes: A visual inspection device and a visual inspection roller line, wherein the visual inspection device is located above the visual inspection roller line and is used to perform visual inspection on the assembled workpiece.

7. An assembly production line according to claim 6, characterized in that, The visual inspection station also includes an installation truss and a moving device. One end of the moving device is connected to the installation truss, and the other end is connected to the visual inspection device, which is used to move the visual inspection device in space.

8. An assembly production line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second production line also includes several second transition stations, with a second transition station provided between adjacent second work stations, and a second transition station provided at the beginning of the second production line.

9. An assembly production line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second production line also includes a flipping and loading device, which is located longitudinally on one side of the second work station at the beginning. The flipping and loading device is used to flip and load the workpieces to be assembled.

10. An assembly production line according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: The shelving area includes several sets of shelves and AGV trolleys. At least two sets of shelves correspond to the tail ends of the first production line and the second production line, respectively. The bottom of the shelves is provided with a shelf lower roller line for temporarily storing assembled workpieces. The AGV trolley is used to move the workpieces corresponding to the shelf lower roller line of the first production line to the shelf lower roller line of the second production line, and then move them to the vision inspection station for inspection via the shelf lower roller line.

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