Method and turning device for turning a sub-assembly of a battery during its manufacture

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a turning device (6) for turning a sub-assembly (4) of a battery during its manufacture, wherein a second workpiece carrier (7) is placed on the connected sub-assembly (4) of the battery, which rests on a first workpiece carrier (5), thereby creating a turning assembly (8). The turning assembly (8) is placed in a rotary unit (11) of a turning device (6) and positionally fixed in the rotary unit (11) along a vertical direction (z) of the rotary unit (11) by setting a fixing device (24) of the turning device (11) to a fixing position. The rotary unit (11) of the turning device (6) is rotated 180° about a horizontal direction (x, y), and then the fixing between the turning assembly (8) and the rotary unit (11) is released by setting the fixing device (24) to a release position.The second workpiece carrier (7) with the sub-assembly (4) now resting on it is then unloaded from the rotary unit (11).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for turning a subassembly of a battery and a turning device configured to carry out the method.

[0002] During battery production, it is necessary to turn the partially completed battery, i.e. a sub-assembly of the battery, so that work can be carried out on parts of the sub-assembly that were difficult or inaccessible before turning. However, during conventional turning of the sub-assembly, the production equipment (robots, conveyors or transport equipment, handling equipment, etc.) of a corresponding production plant loses the positional referencing of the sub-assembly in relation to the corresponding workpiece carriers, so that re-referencing is currently necessary after turning in order to be able to carry out work on the sub-assembly that has to be carried out after turning with the required accuracy. This is particularly problematic if the sub-assembly comprises battery cells or battery cell packs that are inserted into a battery housing shell.To electrically contact the battery cells or battery cell packs, high precision work is required to avoid short circuits, for example, but also to ensure consistently high manufacturing quality.

[0003] WO 2006 / 053 353 A2 discloses a method and system for inserting plate packs into compartments for cells in battery boxes. The plate packs are clamped in cassettes that are rotated around a horizontal axis to carry out further production steps. The plate packs are then removed from the cassettes and inserted into battery boxes. A cassette return system returns the now-empty cassettes to the beginning of the system designed to carry out the method. However, this method is not suitable for rotating battery boxes loaded with plate packs.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution for rotating a subassembly around a horizontal spatial axis within a manufacturing process or within a production line or system during the manufacture of a battery, without losing a positional referencing of the subassembly on its workpiece carrier.

[0005] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Further possible embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims, the description, and the figures. Features, advantages, and possible embodiments presented in the description for one of the subject matter of the independent claims are to be regarded, across categories and embodiments, at least analogously as features, advantages, and possible embodiments of the respective subject matter of the other independent claims, as well as any possible combination of the subject matter of the independent claims, optionally in conjunction with one or more of the subclaims.

[0006] According to the invention, a method for turning a subassembly of a battery during its manufacture is proposed, in which a subassembly of the battery is turned at least once around a horizontal spatial axis. Furthermore, the invention proposes a turning device configured to carry out the steps of the method for turning the subassembly. The turning device is, in particular, a component of a production plant or line by means of which the battery is manufactured. The battery is, in particular, a battery intended for use in a motor vehicle, for example, a traction battery.

[0007] The method begins during battery manufacture when a subassembly of the same needs to be turned. The subassembly has, in particular, a housing shell into which a battery cell pack and / or other electronic components of the battery are / are inserted. The term subassembly is understood here to mean an at least spatially connected structural unit of the battery and not separate, unconnected elements of the battery, in particular not battery cell packs that are handled and / or processed separately. Before turning, other / further work may be carried out on the subassembly. If this has not already been done, the said subassembly is placed on a first workpiece carrier so that the subassembly rests on the first workpiece carrier. A second workpiece carrier is then placed on the subassembly, creating a turning assembly.The respective workpiece carrier has, in particular, position-fixing elements, for example, position-fixing pins, which correspond to position-fixing element receptacles, for example, position-fixing pin receptacles, of the subassembly. When the subassembly rests on the first workpiece carrier or when the second workpiece carrier rests on the subassembly, the corresponding position-fixing elements engage in the associated position-fixing element receptacles, thereby preventing horizontal displacement of the workpiece carriers relative to the subassembly.

[0008] The turning assembly is then turned by placing it in a turning unit, i.e., feeding it to the turning unit and inserting it into the turning unit. For example, the production facility has a transport system, such as a roller conveyor, a conveyor belt, a driverless floor-based, in particular railless, trolley system, a ceiling-mounted trolley system, one or more robots, etc., by means of which the turning assembly is transported to the turning station. Once there, the turning assembly is loaded into the turning unit, for example, by means of the transport system or by means of another handling device of the production facility, such as a robot, in particular an articulated-arm robot.

[0009] The turning assembly is then positionally fixed in the turning unit along a vertical direction (z) of the turning unit by placing a fixing device of the turning device into a fixing position. To this extent, the turning device has the fixing device, which can be adjusted between the fixing position and a release position. Once the turning assembly is loaded into the turning unit and the fixing device is moved into its fixing position, the turning assembly is positionally secured in the turning unit by means of the fixing device. The fixing device is, in particular, a mechanical fixing device having an actuator by means of which one or more fixing means can be translationally adjusted. For example, the fixing device has a fixing stamp as fixing means, which can be moved out of an upper leg of the turning unit or into the same leg.When the fixing ram is fully extended, the fixing device is in its fixing position, in which the turning assembly is fixed. The fixing ram then presses on the turning assembly in the vertical direction (z), for example, from above, so that it is clamped between the fixing ram and a counter-bearing of the turning unit, for example, another leg.

[0010] The turning assembly is then turned by rotating the turning unit of the turning device through 180° in a horizontal direction (x or y). The fixation between the turning assembly and the turning unit is then released by moving the fixing device into a release position. The second workpiece carrier, with the subassembly now resting on it, is then unloaded from the turning unit. The first workpiece carrier can either remain in the turning unit or, resting on the subassembly, be unloaded from the turning unit together with the first workpiece carrier. Unloading takes place, for example, using the transport system or - if the transport system is not adjacent to the turning unit or turning device - using an unloading device on the production line or the turning device.The unloading device, for example, is another robot that is designed to transfer the second workpiece carrier, including the subassembly resting on it, from the rotary unit onto / into the transport system.

[0011] Thanks to this process, it is now possible to change the orientation of the subassembly in a cycle-dependent manner in the production or manufacturing facility when the battery's construction progress no longer allows handling, turning or flipping the subassembly offers a tolerance advantage, and / or subsequent process steps require reorientation. Furthermore, the fixing device prevents the subassembly from changing its position during rotation or flipping.

[0012] In a possible further development of the method, the current position of the subassembly on the first workpiece carrier is detected by a position detection unit, and the second workpiece carrier is placed on the subassembly based on the detected position. Detecting the current position of the subassembly on the first workpiece carrier is called indexing. This allows the second workpiece carrier to be placed on the subassembly with particular precision, and the partially completed battery, i.e. the subassembly, is indexed on the corresponding workpiece carrier before and after turning, i.e. in both orientations. This means that the control system of the production system always knows the position of the subassembly on the workpiece carrier, so that work to be carried out on the turned subassembly can be carried out with particular precision.The position detection unit is, in particular, a component of a placement unit designed for placing or supporting the second workpiece carrier. The placement unit comprises, for example, an articulated-arm robot for handling and supporting the second workpiece carrier. Furthermore, the placement unit comprises the position detection unit, i.e., means for detecting the position of the subassembly. For example, the position detection unit comprises a camera as a position detection sensor, which is coupled to a computer unit configured to index the subassembly based on the image captured by the camera. Other types of position detection sensors are equally conceivable, such as laser sensors. The position detection sensor is arranged, for example, on an articulated arm, in particular on a distal end member, of the articulated-arm robot.

[0013] A possible further development provides that while the subassembly resting on the second workpiece carrier is unloaded from the rotating unit, the first workpiece carrier remains in the rotating unit. In other words, the turning connection is dissolved before or during unloading. After the subassembly resting on the second workpiece carrier has been unloaded from the rotating unit, the first workpiece carrier, which is still in the rotating unit, is rotated again by 180° in a horizontal direction (x or y) using the rotating unit and then unloaded from the rotating unit. In this way, another work step can be performed on the subassembly directly after the subassembly has been unloaded from the rotating unit, and no separate rotating unit is required to turn or flip the first workpiece carrier.

[0014] A possible alternative to this is that while the second workpiece carrier is unloaded from the rotary unit together with the subassembly, the first workpiece carrier is unloaded from the rotary unit—for example, at the same time. For this purpose, it can be provided, for example, that when the second workpiece carrier is unloaded, the first workpiece carrier rests on the subassembly, meaning that the second workpiece carrier is also unloaded from the rotary unit. In other words, the entire turning assembly is unloaded from the rotary unit. After unloading, the first workpiece carrier is removed from the subassembly, for example, using the unloading device of the production system or the turning device.It is equally conceivable that the second workpiece carrier, together with the subassembly, is unloaded from the rotating unit, for example by means of a first unloading device, and that before, during, or after this process—but before the rotating unit is returned to its starting position—the first workpiece carrier is unloaded from the rotating unit by means of another unloading device. In any case, the rotating unit can be loaded with another reversible assembly to be turned directly after being returned to its starting position, without having to wait until the first workpiece carrier has been unloaded from the rotating unit. This results in an advantageously short cycle time for battery production.

[0015] According to another possible embodiment, a position securing unit of the turning device is placed in a securing position in the turning device before the turning assembly between the turning unit and the first workpiece carrier is rotated. For example, a turning unit table of the turning unit, which is horizontal in its initial position, has a centering pin unit whose centering pins engage in corresponding centering pin receptacles of the first workpiece carrier in the securing position. In this way, the first workpiece carrier in the turning unit is secured against horizontal displacement during turning. In addition, the first workpiece carrier is positionally aligned with respect to the turning unit table by engaging the centering pins in their centering pin receptacles. For this purpose, the centering pins and the centering pin receptacles can each have a conical or truncated cone shape.As the centering pins engage in the centering pin receptacles, a respective outer circumferential surface of the centering pin slides along the inner circumferential surface of the associated centering pin receptacle, whereby the first workpiece carrier is positionally aligned with respect to the rotary unit table.

[0016] A further possible embodiment provides that, before the turning assembly is rotated between the turning assembly and the rotating unit, a support device of the turning device is placed into a support position in the turning device, in which position the turning assembly is supported on the rotating unit in the direction of rotation via the support device. For example, the support piston unit has a support piston unit whose support pistons can be moved out of the wall element of the rotating unit, which is vertical in the initial position, or retracted into the wall element. The support piston unit is, for example, a mechanical support piston unit that has an actuator to move the support pistons accordingly. In particular, three support pistons are provided, namely one for supporting the first workpiece carrier, one for supporting the second workpiece carrier, and one for supporting the subassembly arranged between the workpiece carriers.In particular, such a support device is only arranged on the side of the rotating unit, which points downwards in a 90° position when the turning assembly is rotated / turned. In contrast, the other side of the rotating unit is open, for example. This makes the rotating unit particularly simple in design.

[0017] In a further possible embodiment, the fixing device is force-controlled in order to always load each sub-assembly with the same force during the turning process, even with larger tolerances of the sub-assembly. For this purpose, the fixing device in the turning unit is set into a pre-tensioning position, whereby a predetermined pre-tensioning force is applied to the turning assembly. This pre-tensioning force can be 0 N, for example, which means that the fixing punch is only extended far enough that it only contacts the second workpiece carrier but does not exert any significant force on the second workpiece carrier. Only when the predetermined pre-tensioning force has been set is the support device set into its support position. This ensures that the turning assembly is not displaced by the fixing process.Once the support device is in its supporting position, the clamping device is moved further into its clamping position, whereby a predetermined final clamping force, specifically 10,000 N, is applied to the turntable assembly. To adjust both the pre-tensioning force and the final clamping force, the force is measured on each turntable assembly to be turned; the same travel path of the clamping punch is not specified for all turntable assemblies to be turned. This is because, for tolerance reasons, a smaller travel path is required to exert the predetermined final clamping force on a turntable assembly that is higher than other turntable assemblies to be turned. This ensures that each of the turntable assemblies produced using the production line is subjected to the same force.

[0018] Further features of the invention may emerge from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features shown below in the description of the figures and / or in the figures alone, can be used not only in the respective combinations specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0019] The drawing shows in the only, with Fig. The figure shown in Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a production facility used to manufacture a battery. In the figures, identical and functionally equivalent elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0020] The production plant 1 has a transport system 2 which is Fig. 1 is only indicated. The transport system 2 is, for example, a conveyor belt, a roller conveyor, etc. The production plant 1 has a turning station 3, at / in which a partially manufactured battery, i.e. a sub-assembly 4 of the battery, is turned during its production. The sub-assembly 4 in this case has a housing shell into which a battery cell pack and / or further electronic components of the battery are / are inserted. During the production of the battery, the sub-assembly 4 initially rests on a first workpiece carrier 5, which is moved or transported in the production plant 1 by means of the transport system 2. By means of the transport system 2, the sub-assembly 4 resting on the first workpiece carrier 5 is transported to / into the turning station 3 of the production plant 1, which has a turning device 6. The turning station 3 or the turning device 6 is configured to carry out a method for turning orRotate the subassembly 4. For this purpose, a second workpiece carrier 7 is placed on the subassembly 4 at / in the turning station 3, thereby creating a turning assembly 8.

[0021] According to the example described here, a current position of the subassembly 4 on the first workpiece carrier 5 is detected by means of a position detection unit, and the second workpiece carrier 7 is placed onto the subassembly 4 based on the detected position. The position detection unit is in this case a component of a placement unit designed to place or place the second workpiece carrier 7 onto the subassembly 4. The placement unit is an articulated-arm robot having a camera on its articulated arm as a position detection sensor, which is coupled to a computer unit configured to index the subassembly 4 based on the image captured by the camera.

[0022] In this example, the respective workpiece carrier 5, 7 has position fixing pins 9 that correspond to position fixing pin receptacles 10 of the subassembly 4. As the subassembly 4 rests on the first workpiece carrier 5 or as the second workpiece carrier 7 rests on the subassembly 4, the corresponding position fixing pins 9 engage in the associated position fixing pin receptacles 10, thereby positively locking any horizontal displacement (along the XY plane) of the workpiece carriers 5, 7, in each case relative to the subassembly 4.

[0023] By means of the transport system 2, the turning assembly 8 is transported to the turning device 6, which has a turning unit 11. Once there, the turning assembly 8 is loaded into the turning unit 11, for example by means of the transport system 2 or by means of another handling device of the production system 1, for example the placement unit or the articulated-arm robot.

[0024] Then, a position securing unit 12 of the turning device 6 is placed in a securing position between the turning unit 11 and the first workpiece carrier 5. For this purpose, a turning unit table 13, which is horizontal in a starting position of the turning unit 11, has a centering pin unit 14, the centering pins 15 of which, in the securing position, engage in corresponding centering pin receptacles 16 of the first workpiece carrier 5 in order to secure the first workpiece carrier 5 in the turning unit 11 against horizontal displacement during turning. In addition, the first workpiece carrier 5 is positionally aligned with respect to the turning unit table 13 by engaging the centering pins 15 in the centering pin receptacles 16. In the present example, the centering pins 15 and the centering pin receptacles 16 each have a conical or truncated cone shape.As the centering pins 15 are engaged in the centering pin receptacles 16, a respective outer circumferential surface of the centering pin 15 slides on the inner circumferential surface of the associated centering pin receptacle 16, whereby the first workpiece carrier 5 is positionally aligned with respect to the rotary unit table 13.

[0025] Between the turning assembly 8 and the rotating unit 11, a support device 17 of the turning device 6 is also placed in a support position, in which the turning assembly 8 is supported in the direction of rotation 18 via the support device 17 on the rotating unit 11. The rotating unit 11 here has a wall element 19 which is vertical in the initial position and a support piston unit 20. In the present case, the support piston unit 20 has three support pistons 21, 22, 23. The first workpiece carrier 5 is supported by means of the support piston 21, the subassembly 4 arranged between the workpiece carriers 5, 7 is supported by means of the support piston 22, and the second workpiece carrier 7 is supported by means of the support piston 23. As in Fig. 1, such a support device 17 is arranged only on the side of the rotating unit 11, which points downward when the turning assembly 8 is rotated / turned. In contrast, the other side of the rotating unit 11 is open, or at least free of a support device 17.

[0026] The turning device 6, in particular its rotating unit 11, has a fixing device 24, by means of which the turning assembly 8 is positionally fixed in the rotating unit 11 along a vertical direction z of the rotating unit 11. In this case, the fixing device 24 is a mechanical fixing device 24 having an actuator by means of which one or more fixing punches 25 can be extended from an upper leg 26 of the rotating unit 11 or retracted into the same leg 26. When the respective fixing punch 25 is fully extended, the fixing device 24 is set in its fixing position, in which the turning assembly 8 is fixed. This is because the fixing punch 25 then presses along the vertical direction z, for example from above, onto the turning assembly 8, so that the latter is clamped between the fixing punch 25 and a counter bearing of the turning unit 11, for example the turning unit table 13 opposite the leg 26.

[0027] According to the present example, when the turning assembly 8 is loaded into the turning unit 11, the fixing device 24 is first placed in a pre-tensioning position, wherein a predetermined pre-tensioning force, for example 0 N, is applied to the turning assembly 8. For this purpose, the fixing punch 25 is initially only partially extended. Then, the support device 17 is placed in its supporting position as described above. Only after the support device 17 has been placed in its supporting position is the fixing device 24 further placed in its fixing position, wherein a predetermined final clamping force, in particular 10,000 N, is applied to the turning assembly 8. To adjust both the pre-tensioning force and the final clamping force, the force is measured on each turning assembly 8 to be turned; the same travel path of the fixing punch 25 is not specified for all turning assemblies 8 to be turned.

[0028] Then, the turning unit 11 is rotated 180° around a horizontal direction, i.e. around the X-axis or the Y-axis, whereby the turning assembly 8 is turned as intended. Fig. 1, the turning device 6, whose turning unit 11 is loaded with the subassembly 4 before turning, is designated by reference numeral 6a, whereas the same turning device 6, which has been rotated and whose turning unit 11 is still loaded with the subassembly 4 after turning, is designated by reference numeral 6b. The fixation between the turning assembly 8 and the turning unit 11 is then released by moving the fixing device 24 into the release position by retracting the fixing punch 25. The second workpiece carrier 7, with the subassembly 4 now resting thereon, is then unloaded from the turning unit 11.

[0029] In a first variant, the turning assembly 8 is released for or before the unloading of the second workpiece carrier 7, so that the first workpiece carrier 5 remains in the rotary unit 11 while the subassembly 4 resting on the second workpiece carrier 7 is unloaded. After the subassembly 4 resting on the second workpiece carrier 7 has been unloaded from the rotary unit 11, the first workpiece carrier 5, which is still in the rotary unit 11, is rotated again by 180° about one of the horizontal directions x, y by the rotary unit 11 and then unloaded from the rotary unit 11, for example by means of the placement unit or the articulated arm robot. The unloaded first workpiece carrier 5 is then transported to a station of the production system 1, where a new subassembly 4 is placed on the unloaded workpiece carrier 5. This first variant is in Fig. 1 shown in area A.

[0030] An alternative to the first variant, a second variant, is in area B of the Fig.1, in which the first workpiece carrier 5 is unloaded from the rotating unit 11 while the second workpiece carrier 7, together with the subassembly 4, is unloaded from the rotating unit 11—for example, simultaneously. For this purpose, it can be provided, for example, that when the second workpiece carrier 7 is unloaded, the first workpiece carrier 5 still rests on the subassembly 4, so that the second workpiece carrier 7 is also unloaded from the rotating unit 11. In other words, the entire turning assembly 8 is unloaded from the rotating unit 11. After unloading, the first workpiece carrier 5 is removed from the subassembly 4, for example, by means of an unloading device of the production system 1 or the turning device 6.It is equally conceivable that, for example by means of a first unloading device, the second workpiece carrier 7 together with the subassembly 4 is unloaded from the rotary unit 11, and before, during or after this - in any case before the rotary unit 11 is rotated back into its starting or loading position - the first workpiece carrier 5 is unloaded from the rotary unit 11 by means of a further unloading device.

[0031] The method and the turning device each provide the possibility of rotating a subassembly around a horizontal spatial axis within a production process or within a production line or system during the manufacture of a battery, without losing a positional referencing of the subassembly on its workpiece carrier. List of reference symbols 1 production facility 2 Transport system 3 turning station 4 subassembly 5 first workpiece carrier 6 Turning device 6a Turning device before turning 6b Turning device after turning 7 second workpiece carrier 8 Turning group 9 position fixing pins 10 Position fixation pin holder 11 Rotating unit 12 Position securing unit 13 Rotary unit table 14 Centering pin unit 15 centering pins 16 Centering pin holder 17 Support device 18 Direction of rotation 19 wall element 20 Support piston unit 21 support pistons 22 support pistons 23 support pistons 24 Fixing device 25 fixing stamps 26 legs A area B area

Claims

[1] Method for turning a subassembly (4) of a battery during its manufacture, wherein - a second workpiece carrier (7) is placed on the connected subassembly (4) of the battery, which rests on a first workpiece carrier (5), thereby creating a turning assembly (8), - the turning assembly (8) is placed in a turning unit (11) of a turning device (6), - the turning assembly (8) is fixed in position in the turning unit (11) along a vertical direction (z) of the turning unit (11) by setting a fixing device (24) of the turning device (11) into a fixing position, - the rotating unit (11) of the turning device (6) is rotated by 180° in a horizontal direction (x, y), - the fixation between the turning assembly (8) and the turning unit (11) is released by placing the fixing device (24) in a release position, - the second workpiece carrier (7) with the subassembly (4) now resting on it is unloaded from the rotating unit (11). [2] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a current position of the subassembly (4) on the first workpiece carrier (5) is detected by means of a position detection unit, and the second workpiece carrier (7) is placed on the subassembly (4) based on the detected position. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that - while the subassembly (7) resting on the second workpiece carrier (7) is unloaded from the rotary unit (11), the first workpiece carrier (5) remains in the rotary unit (11), - the first workpiece carrier (5) is rotated by 180° about a horizontal direction (x, y) by means of the rotating unit (11), - the first workpiece carrier (5) is unloaded from the rotating unit (11). [4] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat while the second workpiece carrier (7) together with the subassembly (4) is unloaded from the rotating unit (11), the first workpiece carrier (5) is unloaded from the rotating unit (11). [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that in the turning device (6) before the turning assembly (8) between the turning unit (11) and the first workpiece carrier (5) is turned, a position securing unit (12) of the turning device (6) is placed in a securing position in which the first workpiece carrier (5) in the turning unit (11) is secured against horizontal displacement. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat in the turning device (6) before the turning assembly (8) is turned between the turning assembly (8) and the turning unit (11), a support device (17) of the turning device (6) is placed in a support position in which the turning assembly (8) is supported in the direction of rotation (18) via the support device (17) on the turning unit (11). [7] Method according to claim 6, characterized by , that - in the rotating unit (11), the fixing device (24) is placed in a pre-tensioning position, whereby a predetermined pre-tensioning force is applied to the turning assembly (8), - then the support device (17) is placed in its support position, - then the fixing device (24) is further placed into its fixing position, wherein a predetermined final clamping force is applied to the turning assembly (8), in particular 10000 N. [8] Turning device (6) configured to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims.

Images