Cutting and machining arrangement for machining a sheet metal part and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a cutting and machining arrangement (2) for machining a sheet metal part (4) comprising a holding arrangement (6) for the sheet metal part (4) and a cutting tool arrangement (10) with two cutting tools (20, 22) that engage a front and back side (30, 32) of the sheet metal part (4) and define a cutting contour (28), wherein the cutting tool arrangement (10) includes at least one robot (12, 14) with a control unit (24, 26), and wherein two robot arms (16, 18) are provided, each of which holds a cutting tool (20, 22). The invention further relates to a method for controlling a cutting and machining arrangement (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cutting-machine assembly for machining a sheet metal part, comprising a holding assembly for the sheet metal part and a cutting-tool assembly with two cutting tools, each of which engages a front and rear side of the sheet metal part and defines a cutting contour. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for controlling a cutting-machine assembly.

[0002] In automobile body construction, the production of derivatives is increasingly taking place. Derivatives are vehicles that have only minor modifications to the standard body. These modifications can relate to country-specific requirements, such as the position of the vehicle's steering wheel, or even customer-specific changes. Currently, special cutting tool assemblies are required for any machining of sheet metal parts in the body, and thus also for any modification to the standard sheet metal part. In connection with the clearance of a cutting blade, the basic structure of a cutting assembly in body construction is known from DE 10 2018 127 466 A1. Furthermore, the international patent application WO 2015 / 092 065 A1 proposes a cutting assembly with a cutting tool on a robot.Furthermore, a machining device with a machining head is known from German patent application DE 10 2018 200 551 A1. It should be clear that providing modified cutting tool arrangements requires considerable effort and is therefore costly.

[0003] The object of the invention is therefore to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantage in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0004] The object is achieved according to the invention in that the cutting tool assembly comprises at least one robot with a control device, wherein two robot arms are provided, each of which holds a cutting tool. This makes it possible to create different cutting contours at different positions on the sheet metal part using one cutting tool assembly.

[0005] In an advantageous embodiment, the holding arrangement is designed as a vacuum gripper arrangement. With such a vacuum gripper arrangement, the sheet metal parts can be quickly and securely secured for cutting.

[0006] Particularly advantageously, the cutting tools are designed as cutting rollers. During processing, the robot arms can exert a force on the cutting rollers in the direction of the sheet metal part, ensuring a clean shear cut.

[0007] Because two robots are provided, each with a robot arm and a control device, the cutting processing arrangement can be used particularly flexibly.

[0008] Advantageously, an optical measuring unit is provided for scanning the front and back sides. This makes it possible to scan the area of ​​the sheet metal part to be trimmed before creating a sequence program, thus taking vehicle-specific position and dimensional tolerances into account.

[0009] The robot arms can be equipped with a tool-changing system for different cutting tools, further increasing the flexibility of the cutting setup. This allows for a wide variety of cutting rollers for different radii and cutting contours, or even other cutting tools.

[0010] The object is also achieved by a method for controlling such a cutting processing arrangement, wherein in a first step the sheet metal part is fixed by means of the holding arrangement, in a second step CAD data of the cutting contour are transmitted to at least one control device of the robot of the cutting tool arrangement and a sequence program is created, in a third step the cutting contour is generated by the cutting tools based on the sequence program, and in a fourth step the sheet metal part is released from the holding arrangement.

[0011] A particularly advantageous method is characterized by the fact that in the second step, before the process program is created, the front and back of the sheet metal part are scanned by the optical measuring unit and this surface data is taken into account when creating the process program.

[0012] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a cutting processing arrangement according to the invention, and Fig. 2 a schematic plan view of the cutting machining arrangement of Fig. 1.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a cutting processing arrangement 2 according to the invention for a sheet metal part 4. The cutting processing arrangement 2 has a holding arrangement 6, which in the present embodiment is designed as a vacuum gripper arrangement and has four vacuum suction cups 8. In addition, the cutting processing arrangement 2 has a cutting tool arrangement 10, which consists of two robots 12, 14, each of which has a robot arm 16, 18 with a corresponding cutting tool 20, 22 (see also Fig. 2). Each robot 12, 14 has its own control device 24, 26 as a communication interface. Reference numeral 24 denotes the first control device of the first robot 12, and reference numeral 26 denotes the second control device of the second robot 14, which can each be provided, for example, in a base of a robot. To ensure a clean cutting contour 28, the cutting tools 20, 22 each engage a front side 30, 32 of the sheet metal part 4. To easily use different cutting tools 20, 22, each robot arm 16, 18 also has a tool changing system 34, 36. Furthermore, the cutting processing arrangement 2 has an optical measuring unit 38 that can scan the front side 30 and the back side 32 of the sheet metal part 4. For this purpose, the optical measuring device 38 is movably connected to a measuring device holding arrangement 40.

[0014] Fig.2 shows the cutting processing arrangement 2 in a plan view in which the cutting rollers 20, 22 and the orientation of the optical measuring unit 38 can be seen particularly well.

[0015] A particularly advantageous method for controlling the cutting arrangement 2 is characterized in that, in a first step, the sheet metal part 4 is fixed by means of the holding arrangement 6. The holding arrangement 6, which is designed as a vacuum gripper arrangement, engages the front side 30 of the sheet metal part 4 via the suction cups 8. In a second step, the front and back sides 30, 32 of the sheet metal part 4 are scanned by the optical measuring unit 38, and CAD data of the cutting contour 28 are transmitted to the control devices 24, 26, and a sequence program is created so that, in a third step, the cutting contour 28 can be generated by the cutting tools 20, 22 based on the sequence program. In a fourth step, the finished sheet metal part is then released from the holding arrangement 6.

Claims

[1] Cutting processing arrangement (2) for processing a sheet metal part (4) with a holding arrangement (6) for the sheet metal part (4) and a cutting tool arrangement (10) with two cutting tools (20, 22), which each act on a front and rear side (30, 32) of the sheet metal part (4) and define a cutting contour (28), characterized by that the cutting tool arrangement (10) has at least one robot (12, 14) with a control device (24, 26), wherein two robot arms (16, 18) are provided, on each of which a cutting tool (20, 22) is clamped. [2] Cutting processing arrangement (2) according to claim 1, characterized by that the holding arrangement (6) is designed as a vacuum gripper arrangement. [3] Cutting processing arrangement (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the cutting tools (20, 22) are designed as cutting rollers. [4] Cutting processing arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat two robots (12, 14) are provided, each with a robot arm (16, 18) and a control device (24, 26). [5] Cutting processing arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an optical measuring unit (38) is provided for scanning the front and back (30, 32). [6] Cutting processing arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the robot arms (16, 18) have a tool changing system (34, 36) for different cutting tools (20, 22). [7] Method for controlling a cutting processing arrangement (2) according to one of claims 1-6, characterized by that in a first step the sheet metal part (4) is fixed by means of the holding arrangement (6), in a second step, CAD data of the cutting contour (28) are transmitted to the at least one control device (24, 26) of the robot of the cutting tool arrangement (10) and a sequence program is created, in a third step, the cutting contour is generated by the cutting tools (20, 22) based on the sequence program, and in a fourth step the sheet metal part (4) is released from the holding arrangement (6). [8] Method for controlling a cutting processing arrangement (2) according to claim 7, characterized by that in the second step, before the creation of the sequence program, the front and back (30, 32) of the sheet metal part (4) are scanned by the optical measuring unit (38) and these surface data are taken into account when creating the sequence program.

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