A full-automatic three-car-type mixed-line rear cover automatic assembling system and assembling method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of vehicle assembly, and specifically provides a full-automatic three-vehicle-type mixed-line rear cover automatic assembly system and an assembly method. The assembly system comprises three feeding ports, a robot R01, a robot R02, a fine positioning transfer table and a standard assembly station. The feeding port can be connected with an AGV with a material rack trolley. Each feeding port is used to receive the trunk rear cover of one vehicle type. The three feeding ports are arranged in the same row. A robot rail is horizontally installed on the pickup side of the three feeding ports. The robot R01 is slidably connected to the robot rail. The fine positioning transfer table is installed beside one end of the robot rail. The standard assembly station and the robot R02 are arranged beside the fine positioning transfer table. The present application uses visual guidance to realize the pickup of three vehicle types under the premise of non-fine positioning material racks. The pickup problem of non-fine positioning devices is solved by the repositioning of the transfer table. The AGV full-automatic feeding scheme under 60JPH is realized. The matching state is adjusted online during the automatic assembly process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle assembly technology, specifically to a fully automated three-model mixed-line automatic assembly system and method for rear cover. Background Technology

[0002] The assembly and adjustment of the hatchback's rear cover requires a significant investment of personnel and time. Currently, the automated assembly of the rear cover on the vehicle assembly line is insufficient to meet the requirements of a mixed production line for three different car models and a production cycle of 60 JPH.

[0003] In view of the above problems, the inventors of this invention have finally obtained this invention after a long period of research and practice. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a fully automatic three-model mixed-line automatic assembly system and method for rear cover, which is low in cost, fully automatic to realize three-model mixed-line assembly, and achieves a production cycle of 60 JPH.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0006] On the one hand, a fully automated three-vehicle mixed-line automatic assembly system for rear covers is provided, including: three loading ports, robot R01, robot R02, precision positioning transfer table and standard assembly station;

[0007] The loading port can connect with the AGV material rack trolley. Each loading port corresponds to the rear cover of a type of vehicle. The three loading ports are arranged adjacent to each other in the same row. Robot rails are installed laterally on the picking side of the three loading ports. Robot R01 is slidably fitted on the robot rails. A precision positioning transfer station is installed next to one end of the robot rails. A standard assembly station and robot R02 are set next to the precision positioning transfer station.

[0008] Furthermore, a storage platform is provided above each of the three loading ports for storing trunk lid parts for the corresponding vehicle models.

[0009] Furthermore, the feeding port includes an inclined guide mechanism and a positioning cylinder mechanism. The inclined guide mechanism is used to guide the AGV material rack trolley into the clamping range of the positioning cylinder; the positioning cylinder mechanism is used to perform double-sided clamping and coarse positioning of the material rack.

[0010] Furthermore, the robot R01 has a gripping part and a guiding part, and the guiding part is equipped with a camera; the gripping part has a claw and a suction cup, the claw is used to engage the window on the luggage compartment lid component, and the suction cup is used to adhere to the outer panel surface of the luggage compartment lid component.

[0011] On the other hand, a fully automated method for assembling rear covers on a mixed-model production line is provided, employing the aforementioned automated assembly system, and including the following steps:

[0012] Step 1: The AGV material rack trolley travels to the corresponding loading port according to the vehicle model corresponding to the luggage compartment lid parts being loaded, and sends the fully loaded material rack in.

[0013] Step 2: Robot R01 moves on the robot track to the loading port corresponding to the luggage lid component to be assembled, performs coarse positioning and gripping of the luggage lid component and transfers it to the fine positioning transfer platform.

[0014] Step 3: The precision positioning transfer platform accurately positions the trunk lid component, and robot R02 precisely grasps the trunk lid component from the precision positioning transfer platform;

[0015] Step 4: Robot R02 moves the grabbed trunk lid component to the standard assembly station for assembly with the vehicle body frame.

[0016] Furthermore, in step two, robot R01 guides the gripping unit to the luggage lid component to be gripped by the visual guidance of the guide unit. The gripper engages with the window of the luggage lid to fix the upper end of the luggage lid, and the suction cup adheres to the outer panel of the luggage lid below the window to fix the lower end of the luggage lid.

[0017] Furthermore, in step three, after robot R01 places the trunk lid component on the precision positioning transfer platform, the positioning mechanism on the precision positioning transfer platform automatically centers and precisely positions the trunk lid component. Then, the adjustment mechanism on the precision positioning transfer platform calibrates the angle of the hinge on the trunk lid component to ensure that the hinge can be aligned with the mounting hole when the trunk lid is assembled with the vehicle frame.

[0018] Furthermore, in step four, during assembly, the robot vision system detects the positions of pre-selected key matching points on the trunk lid component and the vehicle frame, calculates the offset by comparing it with the pre-set standard positions of the key matching points, thereby enabling the robot to compensate for the assembly position.

[0019] Furthermore, in step four, the standard position of the key matching point is determined by scanning and measuring the position of the key matching point during the assembly process of the standard vehicle body frame and trunk lid through manual robot teaching assembly, with the robot vision system serving as the standard position.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0021] The fully automatic three-model mixed-line automatic rear cover assembly system and assembly method of the present invention occupies a small area along the line and ensures controllable cycle time when picking up parts for all models; it has low cost, with only one loading port for each model, and the gripper is universal when picking up parts, reducing investment costs; it has high quality stability, with real-time calculation and compensation through visual recognition to ensure assembly stability and consistency. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the layout of the three-model mixed-line automatic assembly system for rear covers according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of assembly offset measurement according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The above-mentioned and other technical features and advantages of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] refer to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the layout scheme of the three-model mixed-line automatic assembly system for the trunk lid is as follows: the trunk lid size of a typical Class A car is about 1500mm, and the operating accuracy of a regular AGV is about ±30mm. Considering the size of the equipment frame and the necessary cylinder coarse positioning or guide rail installation inside the loading port, the loading port size needs to be set at about 2000mm. The assembly station for the whole vehicle is generally 6000mm, so we need to occupy at least 2 standard stations for the corresponding process equipment layout. Considering auxiliary equipment such as safety doors, robot cabinets, and PLC screens, 3 loading ports can be arranged. A second-level transfer and storage area is set up above the loading port. The replenishment of parts (trunk lid components) in the transfer and storage area is completed during the time when the white body is running and positioned and clamped in the station. When the loading port performs empty-full exchange (the AGV with material rack trolley pulls away the empty material rack after the full material rack is left), the parts in the second-level transfer and storage area are used to ensure the normal production cycle.

[0027] Specifically, the fully automated three-model mixed-line trunk lid assembly system includes three loading ports, robot R01, robot R02, a precision positioning transfer station, and a standard assembly station. The loading ports can connect to AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) material rack carts. Each loading port corresponds to one model of trunk lid. The three loading ports are arranged adjacent to each other in a row. Robot rails (seven-axis slide rails) are horizontally installed on the picking side of each loading port. Robot R01 slides on the robot rails. A precision positioning transfer station is installed next to one end of the robot rails. A standard assembly station and robot R02 are located next to the precision positioning transfer station.

[0028] During operation, when there are no parts (such as trunk lid components) in the loading rack at the feed port, for example, when the loading rack for model A is empty, upon receiving a signal from the production line, the AGV trolley fully loaded with trunk lid components for model A travels to the corresponding loading port, pulls out the empty rack, and feeds in the full rack. The loading port is equipped with a tilting guide mechanism and a positioning cylinder mechanism. The tilting guide mechanism includes a guide rail with an outer width and an inner narrow inclination. After the AGV trolley enters the loading port, the rack is guided by the guide rail to the clamping range of the positioning cylinder. The positioning cylinder mechanism performs coarse positioning by clamping the rack on both sides. When there is an empty rack in the loading port, the AGV trolley reaches its position, the positioning cylinder mechanism first releases the empty rack, the AGV trolley pulls out the empty rack, and then turns to enter the loading port to feed in the full rack. This solution allows for fully automated AGV feeding at a cycle time of 60 JPH.

[0029] Based on the assembly information sent from the production line, robot R01 moves on the robot rail to the loading port corresponding to the luggage lid component that needs to be assembled, performs coarse positioning and gripping of the luggage lid component and transfers it to the fine positioning transfer platform.

[0030] For the problem of non-precision positioning device gripping: Robot R01 has a gripping unit and a guiding unit, with a camera mounted on the guiding unit; the gripping unit has a claw and a suction cup. The claw is used to engage with the window on the trunk lid component, and the suction cup is used to adhere to the outer surface of the trunk lid component. Robot R01 guides the gripping unit to the trunk lid component to be gripped using visual guidance from the guiding unit. The claw engages with the window of the trunk lid to fix the upper part of the trunk lid, and the suction cup adheres to the outer surface of the trunk lid below the window to fix the lower part of the trunk lid. Due to the need to ensure the versatility of the gripping unit, the claw gripper only uses the rear cover window for support and fixation of the upper part of the rear cover, and the suction cup fixes the lower part of the rear cover to grip the rear cover. This method only guarantees part gripping; the part's position on the gripping unit may have lateral deviations. The precision positioning transfer table accurately positions the trunk lid component. For the precision positioning mechanism on the transfer table, those skilled in the art can design it according to actual conditions. In this solution, an exemplary linkage sliding mechanism is used for precise centering and positioning of the part. This linkage sliding mechanism includes a linkage mechanism and a sliding push plate structure. The sliding push plate structure surrounds the part. Robot R01 places the part in the middle of the sliding push plate structure, and the linkage mechanism drives the push plate to slide, thus pushing the part to the precisely positioned centering position. Finally, assembly robot R02 precisely grasps the trunk lid on the transfer table. This transfer table repositioning method solves the problem of grasping parts with non-precision positioning tools and improves the tolerance for part positioning. Simultaneously, a mechanical structure on the precision positioning transfer table calibrates the hinge angle to ensure that the hinge aligns with the mounting holes when the trunk lid is assembled with the vehicle body frame. Exemplarily, this mechanical structure can be a guide plate. While the trunk lid is precisely positioned, the hinge angle is automatically calibrated under the guidance of the guide plate. Specific structural designs can be made by those skilled in the art according to actual conditions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0031] Robot R02 moves the grasped trunk lid component to the standard assembly station for automatic assembly with the vehicle body frame. During assembly, robot R03 works in conjunction with robot R02. Understandably, other assembly robots may be positioned next to the assembly station as needed. The automatic assembly process allows for online adjustment of the matching status, avoiding repetitive adjustments by personnel. During automatic adjustment, the matching of the trunk lid and vehicle body frame typically focuses on only a few key matching points to ensure that the overall gap between the taillights is uniform and symmetrical after installation. For these key matching points, monitoring standards are usually established to select them. The automatic adjustment and matching process involves finding a relatively standard vehicle body frame and trunk lid, manually teaching the robot to the standard assembly position, and then scanning and measuring with a vision system, marking these as the origin or reference point. Figure 2As shown, at this point, we determine the position coordinates of the car body frame as O1 and the trunk lid as O2 using the 3-2-1 rigid body positioning principle. During the batch assembly process, the vision system calculates the actual position of the car body frame as O1` and the position of the trunk lid as O2`. The following three offsets can be obtained through calculation, usually in the form of a 3×2 matrix in the robot coordinate system: A0 = O2 – O1; A1 = O1` – O1; A2 = O2` – O2.

[0032] This allows us to calculate the robot offset A = A1 + A2 + A0, enabling the robot to compensate for the assembly position. Here, A0 is 0 in the calibrated standard position (where the rear cover and body match). A0 can be understood as the quality assurance requirement set for the standard match between the rear cover and body, such as a required gap of 0.5mm between the rear cover and body. During debugging, we can set this initial value to 0, and subsequently assign different values ​​based on requirements in dynamic quality management, thereby achieving the assembly of bodies with different matching requirements according to actual production needs.

[0033] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are illustrative rather than restrictive. The structure and connection methods of the components in the present invention can be varied, and any equivalent transformations and improvements made based on the technical solution of the present invention should not be excluded from the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automated three-vehicle mixed-model rear cover assembly system, characterized in that, include: Three loading ports, robot R01, robot R02, precision positioning transfer table and standard assembly station; The loading port can connect with the AGV material rack trolley. Each loading port corresponds to the rear cover of a type of vehicle. The three loading ports are arranged adjacent to each other in the same row. Robot rails are installed laterally on the picking side of the three loading ports. Robot R01 is slidably fitted on the robot rails. A precision positioning transfer station is installed next to one end of the robot rails. A standard assembly station and robot R02 are set next to the precision positioning transfer station.

2. The fully automated three-vehicle mixed-line automatic assembly system for rear covers as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Above the three loading ports, there are storage platforms for storing trunk lid parts for the corresponding vehicle models.

3. The fully automated three-vehicle mixed-line automatic assembly system for rear covers as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The loading port includes an inclined guide mechanism and a positioning cylinder mechanism. The inclined guide mechanism is used to guide the AGV material rack trolley into the clamping range of the positioning cylinder; the positioning cylinder mechanism is used to perform double-sided clamping and coarse positioning of the material rack.

4. The fully automated three-vehicle mixed-line automatic assembly system for rear covers as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The robot R01 has a gripping part and a guiding part, and the guiding part is equipped with a camera; the gripping part has a claw and a suction cup, the claw is used to engage the window on the luggage compartment lid component, and the suction cup is used to adhere to the outer panel of the luggage compartment lid component.

5. A fully automated method for automatic assembly of rear covers on a mixed-model production line for three different vehicle types, characterized in that, The method using the automated assembly system as described in claim 4 includes the following steps: Step 1: The AGV material rack trolley travels to the corresponding loading port according to the vehicle model corresponding to the luggage compartment lid parts being loaded, and sends the fully loaded material rack in. Step 2: Robot R01 moves on the robot track to the loading port corresponding to the luggage lid component to be assembled, performs coarse positioning and gripping of the luggage lid component and transfers it to the fine positioning transfer platform. Step 3: The precision positioning transfer platform accurately positions the trunk lid component, and robot R02 precisely grasps the trunk lid component from the precision positioning transfer platform; Step 4: Robot R02 moves the grabbed trunk lid component to the standard assembly station for assembly with the vehicle body frame.

6. The fully automated three-vehicle mixed-model rear cover assembly method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, In step two, robot R01 guides the gripper to move to the luggage lid component to be gripped by the visual guidance of the guide unit. The gripper engages with the window of the luggage lid to fix the upper end of the luggage lid, and the suction cup adheres to the outer panel of the luggage lid below the window to fix the lower end of the luggage lid.

7. The fully automated three-vehicle mixed-model rear cover assembly method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, In step three, after robot R01 places the trunk lid component on the precision positioning transfer platform, the positioning mechanism on the precision positioning transfer platform automatically centers and precisely positions the trunk lid component. Then, the adjustment mechanism on the precision positioning transfer platform calibrates the angle of the hinge on the trunk lid component to ensure that the hinge can be aligned with the mounting hole when the trunk lid is assembled with the vehicle frame.

8. The fully automated three-vehicle mixed-model rear cover assembly method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, In step four, during assembly, the robot vision system detects the positions of pre-selected key matching points on the trunk lid component and the vehicle frame, and calculates the offset by comparing it with the pre-set standard positions of the key matching points, thereby enabling the robot to compensate for the assembly position.

9. The fully automated three-vehicle mixed-model rear cover assembly method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, In step four, the standard position of the key matching point is determined by scanning and measuring the position of the key matching point during the assembly of the standard vehicle body frame and trunk lid using a robot vision system through manual robot teaching assembly.

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