Processing station for processing a vehicle component and method for operating such a processing station

Abstract

Processing station (2) for processing a vehicle component (4), comprising at least one robot (6) comprising at least one gripping means (8) by which at least one vehicle component (4) can be gripped, comprising at least one sensor means (10) by which an actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) arranged on the gripping means (8) can be detected, comprising at least one processing means (12) by which the vehicle component (4) arranged on the gripping means (8) can be processed by removing material, and comprising at least one control unit (14) to which the sensor means (10) is functionally assigned, in which control unit a desired outer contour of the vehicle component (4) is stored, by means of which a deviation between the actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) and the desired outer contour of the vehicle component (4) can be detected and by which the robot (6) and processing means (12) can be controlled to adjust the actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) to the desired outer contour of the vehicle component (4).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a processing station for processing a vehicle component and a method for operating such a processing station.

[0002] In the production of vehicle seats, seat cushions are manufactured. These are injected from a liquid into a baking mold and baked there.

[0003] During the baking process, the liquid expands in volume. This can result in excess material that must be removed manually, which is time-consuming.

[0004] If the excess material is not removed, it can become detached during operation in the vehicle and lead to unwanted noises such as squeaking.

[0005] DE 10 2010 015 031 A1 discloses a process robot in which the actual position of a handling point can be determined and stored using a measuring device, and target position data is compared with the actual position data. Corrected control parameters are then generated for the process robot to ensure precise positioning of a handling process when a deviation is detected.

[0006] An object of an embodiment of the invention is to propose a processing station for processing a vehicle component and a method for operating such a processing station, with which a vehicle component can be brought to the desired size in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0007] The object is achieved by a processing station for processing a vehicle component having the features of patent claim 1 and by a method for operating such a processing station having the features of patent claim 9.

[0008] The object is achieved according to claim 1 by a processing station for processing a vehicle component, with at least one robot which comprises at least one gripping means by which at least one vehicle component can be gripped, with at least one sensor means by which an actual outer contour of the vehicle component arranged on the gripping means can be detected, with at least one processing means by which the vehicle component arranged on the gripping means can be processed by material removal, and with at least one control unit to which the sensor means is functionally assigned, in which a desired outer contour of the vehicle component is stored, by means of which a deviation between the actual outer contour of the vehicle component and the desired outer contour of the vehicle component can be detected and by means of which the robot and processing means can be controlled to adjust the actual outer contour of the vehicle component to the desired outer contour of the vehicle component.

[0009] Because a vehicle component can be grasped by a robot at the processing station and adjusted from the actual outer contour to the desired outer contour by a processing tool with the aid of the robot, manual adjustment of the vehicle component by a person can be eliminated.

[0010] The robot can be multi-axis. The vehicle component can, in principle, comprise any vehicle component where an actual outer contour may deviate from a desired outer contour during a manufacturing or assembly process.

[0011] In embodiments of the processing station, it is provided that the vehicle component comprises an injection-molded part or a foam part and / or that the vehicle component comprises an element of a vehicle seat, in particular a seat foam.

[0012] If the vehicle component includes an injection-molded part or a foam part, it is manufactured at high temperatures and under high pressure. It is never entirely possible to prevent protrusions from forming in the molds into which the injection-molded part or foam is poured.

[0013] If the vehicle component includes a vehicle seat element, particularly seat foam, the removal of excess material, i.e., the adjustment of the actual outer contour to the desired outer contour, is possible with minimal effort. A simple technical solution can be used for this purpose with the processing tool.

[0014] The gripping means can be designed in any way, provided that it corresponds to the technical function of gripping the vehicle component and holding it during processing of the vehicle component by the processing means, in particular holding it in positions relative to the processing means against the processing force.

[0015] In embodiments of the processing station, it is provided that the gripping means comprises a gripping means that engages behind the vehicle component at least in regions by means of positive locking, a gripping means that clamps the vehicle component at least in regions by means of force or friction locking and / or a gripping means that holds the vehicle component by means of negative pressure, such as a vacuum gripper.

[0016] If the gripping device comprises a gripping device that holds the vehicle component using negative pressure, such as a vacuum gripper, vehicle components made of foam, in particular seat foam, can be easily and simply gripped and held at any location. This eliminates the need for special geometries that, for example, require gripping behind or where the vehicle component can be gripped by clamping, and allows the vehicle component to be gripped at virtually any essentially flat surface area.

[0017] The processing means can, in principle, be designed in any desired way. To bring the vehicle component from the actual outer contour to the desired outer contour, it is advantageous if at least one of the at least one processing means comprises a grinding unit, by which material from the vehicle component can be ground away.

[0018] This allows the excess material to be easily sanded off.

[0019] The quality of the finished machined vehicle component, in particular the conformity of the machined actual outer contour with the desired outer contour, can be improved if the robot comprises at least one force or pressure sensor assigned to the control unit, by means of which a force acting on the vehicle component can be detected.

[0020] This also makes it possible to reduce waste.

[0021] Because the robot includes at least one force or pressure sensor assigned to the control unit, any errors during the material removal processing of the vehicle component can be detected.

[0022] Furthermore, it proves to be advantageous if the processing station comprises at least one storage device and / or a transport device in or on which at least one unprocessed vehicle component can be removably arranged, from or from which an unprocessed vehicle component can be grasped and removed by the gripping means of the robot and in or on which the processed vehicle component can be arranged.

[0023] If the processing station includes at least one storage station, the robot can remove the vehicle components one after the other, process them and return them to the storage device.

[0024] If the processing station comprises at least one transport device, the robot can remove the vehicle components from the transport device, process them and return them to the transport device.

[0025] The processing quality of the vehicle component can be further increased if the processing station comprises a substantially flat work platform forming a common coordinate system on which the robot, processing means, storage device, transport device and / or sensor means are fixed.

[0026] By providing a common work platform, all machines involved in processing the vehicle component can be stored in a single coordinate system. This can reduce deviations or errors caused by transformation problems from one coordinate system to the next.

[0027] It proves to be advantageous if the processing means, in particular the grinding unit, is fixed in place and if the vehicle component is moved by the robot relative to the processing means.

[0028] This allows the vehicle component to be held by the robot and moved relative to the grinding unit. This allows the processing tool, in particular the grinding unit, to be fixed in place, and the vehicle component to be moved relative to the processing tool by the robot.

[0029] Furthermore, the object is achieved according to claim 9 by a method for operating a processing station with at least one of the aforementioned features with the steps: a. Gripping a vehicle component by the robot's gripping device; b. Detecting the actual outer contour of the vehicle component by the sensor means; c. Detection by the control unit of a deviation of the actual outer contour of the vehicle component from a target outer contour of the vehicle component stored in the control unit; and d. Adapting the actual outer contour of the vehicle component to the desired outer contour of the vehicle component by controlling the robot and machining equipment for removing the actual outer contour of the vehicle component by the control unit.

[0030] Further features, details and advantages of the invention emerge from the appended patent claims, from the drawings and the following description of a preferred embodiment of the processing station and the method.

[0031] The drawing shows: Fig. 1 A front view of an embodiment of the processing station; Fig. 2 A schematic flow diagram of a method according to the invention.

[0032] Fig. 1 shows a processing station, designated overall by the reference numeral 2, for processing a vehicle component 4. The processing station 2 comprises a robot 6 having a gripping means 8. The vehicle component 4 can be gripped by the gripping means 8. In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the gripping means 8 comprises a gripping means 8 that maintains negative pressure on the vehicle component 4, in particular a vacuum gripper.

[0033] In addition, the processing station 2 comprises a sensor means 10 by which an actual outer contour of the vehicle component 4 arranged on the gripping means 8 can be detected.

[0034] Furthermore, the processing station 2 comprises a processing means 12 by means of which the vehicle component 4 arranged on the gripping means 8 can be processed by removing material.

[0035] Finally, the processing station 2 comprises a control unit 14, to which the sensor means 10 is functionally assigned, in which a nominal outer contour of the vehicle component 4 is stored, by means of which a deviation between the actual outer contour of the vehicle component 4 and the nominal outer contour of the vehicle component 4 can be detected and by means of which the robot 6 and processing means 12 can be controlled to adjust the actual outer contour of the vehicle component 4 to the nominal outer contour of the vehicle component 4. In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the robot 6 comprises a multi-axis robot.

[0036] The processing means 12 comprises a grinding unit by means of which the vehicle component 4 can be adapted from the actual outer contour to the desired outer contour by means of grinding material removal.

[0037] Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method according to the invention. With the aid of the illustration according to Fig.1 the procedure is described below: In a first step 100, the robot 6 grips a vehicle component 4 with the gripping means 8.

[0038] In a subsequent step 101, an actual outer contour of the vehicle component 4 is detected by the sensor means 10.

[0039] In a subsequent step 102, a deviation of the actual outer contour of the vehicle component 4 from a desired outer contour of the vehicle component 4 stored in the control unit 14 is detected, if applicable.

[0040] In a subsequent step 103, the actual outer contour of the vehicle component 4 is adapted to the desired outer contour of the vehicle component 4 by controlling the robot 6 and the processing means 12 for removing the actual outer contour of the vehicle component 4 by the control unit 14.

[0041] The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, in the claims and in the drawings can be essential both individually and in any combination in the realization of the invention in its various embodiments within the scope of the following claims. List of reference symbols 2 processing stations 4 Vehicle components 6 robots 8 gripping devices 10 sensor devices 12 processing tools 14 Control unit 100-103 Procedural steps

Claims

[1] A processing station (2) for processing a vehicle component (4), comprising at least one robot (6) comprising at least one gripping means (8) by which at least one vehicle component (4) can be gripped, comprising at least one sensor means (10) by which an actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) arranged on the gripping means (8) can be detected, comprising at least one processing means (12) by which the vehicle component (4) arranged on the gripping means (8) can be processed by material removal, and comprising at least one control unit (14) to which the sensor means (10) is functionally assigned, in which a desired outer contour of the vehicle component (4) is stored, by which a deviation between the actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) and the desired outer contour of the vehicle component (4) can be detected and by which the robot (6) and processing means (12) can be controlled to adjust the actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) to the desired outer contour of the vehicle component (4). are.. [2] Processing station (2) according to claim 1, characterized by that the vehicle component (4) comprises an injection-molded part or a foam part and / or that the vehicle component (4) comprises an element of a vehicle seat. [3] Processing station (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the gripping means (8) comprises a gripping means (8) which engages behind the vehicle component (4) at least in regions by means of a positive connection, a gripping means (8) which clamps the vehicle component (4) at least in regions by means of a force or friction connection and / or a gripping means (8) which holds the vehicle component (4) by means of a negative pressure, such as a vacuum gripper. [4] Processing station (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one of the at least one processing means (12) comprises a grinding unit by means of which material of the vehicle component (4) can be ground off. [5] Processing station (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the robot (6) comprises at least one force or pressure sensor assigned to the control unit (14), by means of which a force acting on the vehicle component (4) can be detected. [6] Processing station (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by at least one storage device and / or a transport device, in or on which at least one unprocessed vehicle component (4) can be removably arranged, from or by which an unprocessed vehicle component (4) can be grasped and removed by the gripping means (8) of the robot (6) and in or on which the processed vehicle component (4) can be arranged. [7] Processing station (2) according to one of the preceding claims characterized bya substantially flat work platform forming a common coordinate system, on which robots (6), processing means (12), storage device, transport device and / or sensor means (10) are fixed. [8] Processing station (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the processing means (12) is fixed in place and that the vehicle components (4) are moved by the robot (6) relative to the processing means (12). [9] Method for operating a processing station (2) according to one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the steps: a. Gripping a vehicle component (4) by the gripping means (8) of the robot (6); b. Detecting the actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) by the sensor means (10); c. Detection of a deviation of the actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) from a desired outer contour of the vehicle component (4) stored in the control unit (14) by the control unit (14); and d. Adapting the actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) to the desired outer contour of the vehicle component (4) by controlling the robot (6) and the processing means (12) for removing the actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) by the control unit (14). [10] Method according to claim 9, characterized by that the adaptation of the actual outer contour of the vehicle component (4) to the desired outer contour of the vehicle component (4) comprises the following steps: a. Calculating the removal position on the vehicle component (4), the amount of material removed and the actuating movement of the robot (6) by the control unit (14); b. detecting the removal position and / or the material removal on the vehicle component (4) by the sensor means (10);

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