System and method for the automated production of munition, and conveyor device

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for the automated production of munition which consists of a plurality of munition parts, in particular a casing, an ignition element, a projectile, and a propellant charge, comprising a plurality of production stations and a conveyor device which conveys the plurality of munition parts to and / or from each production station, wherein the conveyor device is made of a rail / slide assembly in which the rail defines a conveyor path of the system, and multiple slides for holding the plurality of munition parts are guided by the rail.

Description

[0001] Plant and process for the automated production of ammunition and conveyor system

[0002] The invention relates to a plant and a method for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a casing, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, as well as a conveying device for such a plant.

[0003] Systems with a closed, circulating conveyor track for the automated production of ammunition are known from US 2019 094 000 A1. The system described in US 2019 094 000 A1 comprises a conveyor system for ammunition parts with several stations at which ammunition parts are processed, assembled, manipulated, and / or picked up, and which are ultimately assembled to form the finished ammunition. The conveyor system for the individual ammunition parts is implemented by means of a continuous conveyor chain, which generally moves the individual ammunition parts between the stations at a constant and uniform conveying speed, coming to a stop once per cycle. Positioning with respect to the individual production stations is achieved by arranging the holding device for the ammunition parts in the conveyor chain. The continuous conveyor chain requires only one positioning per cycle.However, this means that only a single cyclical movement profile can be processed, which means that all production stations must be approached at the same time.

[0004] The proposed system must be aligned and calibrated with great precision, making its operation prone to failure. Furthermore, the fixed and clearly defined arrangement of the processing stations increases the space requirements and flexibility of the machine. This ultimately has a negative impact on the machine-dependent overhead costs. Furthermore, there is a need to process more ammunition parts in a shorter time (increase production capacity). To this end, the speed of the conveyor chain can be increased in the known system. However, due to the faster starting and stopping of the conveyor chain, the loads on the individual bearings increase disproportionately, which leads to increased wear on the machine, especially its moving parts. In addition, the faster movement of the conveyor chain increases the susceptibility of the entire system to errors with regard to feeding, which leads to increased scrap.This reduces overall plant effectiveness despite higher production capacity.

[0005] Another challenge in ammunition production is the adaptability of the machine to produce different calibers. A purely mechanically fixed and fixed movement of the conveyor chain can only inadequately accommodate the varying, caliber-specific diameters of the case. Furthermore, it is important for production quality that the individual production stations are approached according to their own, appropriate movement profile and that the overall size of the ammunition to be produced is taken into account.

[0006] It is an object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to provide a plant which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular has an increased production capacity and / or enables a more reliable production of the ammunition, in particular without increasing the space requirement.

[0007] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0008] Accordingly, a plant for the automated production of ammunition is provided, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile, and a propellant charge. The plant for automated production can comprise all joining and assembly steps necessary to generate a complete ammunition unit consisting of a case, an ignition element, a projectile, and the propellant powder. Therefore, a plant can also be called a laboratorying plant. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream production steps and / or upstream production stations and finally added to the laboratorying plant, where they are generally assembled using proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge, which is then ready for sale after passing through the plant.The system is preferably implemented as a rotary indexing or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged sequentially along the rotary indexing or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveyor cycle of the production line. The system can also be referred to as a linear transport system, which, for example, is used in ammunition assembly and automation technology to transport ammunition parts with precise positioning to processing and / or assembly stations positioned along the conveyor track.

[0009] The system according to the invention comprises a plurality of manufacturing or processing stations at which the various assembly or manufacturing steps can be carried out. The manufacturing stations can be configured to handle at least one ammunition part, in particular to manipulate it, handle it, interact with it, or influence it in another way. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations comprise an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and / or a projectile insertion station, for introducing at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, a plurality of quality inspection stations, at least one ammunition part processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station, and / or an ejection station for transporting the manufactured ammunition from the manufacturing process of the system.The discharge station can also be used to remove rejects from the production process. The multiple production stations are arranged in relation to the production process so that the ammunition parts can be fed to the production stations one after the other to allow the successive production steps to be carried out.

[0010] The system according to the invention further comprises a conveyor device, which can also be referred to as a workpiece carrier or can have one, for holding the multiple ammunition parts and for transporting the multiple ammunition parts to or from the multiple production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfils at least two functions. Firstly, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts required for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable the ammunition parts to be processed at the individual production stations. Secondly, the conveyor device is responsible for the, in particular, automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts along the production process defined by the multiple production stations.The conveyor system defines a closed, circumferential conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed, at least in sections, depending on their influence on the production process, and which defines an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an exterior space demarcated therefrom. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system comprises a plurality of, in particular identically designed, conveyor devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The plurality of conveyor devices can be individually controlled and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be reached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The production process is therefore considerably more flexible than if the conveyor devices were fixed to one another along the conveyor track.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the conveyor device is formed by a rail / slide arrangement in which the rail defines a conveyor track of the system and a plurality of slides, in particular each for holding the plurality of ammunition parts, are guided through and / or along the rail. The conveyor track can be designed to be closed and circumferential and to define an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an exterior space delimited therefrom. The individual ammunition parts can be conveyed along the conveyor track, at least in sections, depending on their influence on the production process. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system comprises a plurality of slides distributed along the conveyor track, in particular of identical design.

[0012] The rail / slide arrangement is based on the basic principle of a linear guide, according to which the multiple slides are translationally movable relative to the, in particular, stationary rail. Each slide can be configured to accommodate and fix multiple ammunition parts so that they can be processed at the production stations, and, if necessary, to displace ammunition parts relative to the slide in order to set a desired positioning or orientation. For example, the slide can have a so-called workpiece carrier, which can hold the ammunition parts required for the ammunition, enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts, or enable the ammunition parts to be processed at the individual processing stations. On the other hand, the workpiece carrier can be manufactured as a separate component from the slide and be individually designed for the respective ammunition part.Predefined interfaces can be provided for coupling the workpiece carrier and slide.

[0013] The workpiece carrier has a carrier base, such as a carriage, which is designed to be conveyed along the production line. The carrier base can therefore be designed, in particular, to be detachably coupled to the automated production line in order to be automatically conveyed by it from one processing station to the next. The carrier base can, for example, be configured to form a tongue and groove system with a connecting component of the automated production line. The workpiece carrier further comprises at least one receptacle arranged on the carrier base, in particular preferably detachably fastened thereto, for holding at least two ammunition parts of the same type, such as two ammunition cases, two ammunition projectiles, two ammunition cartridges, or two ammunition primers.An essential aspect of the workpiece carrier according to the invention is that it is designed to accommodate a plurality of ammunition parts, which are held in such a way that they can be processed simultaneously or in parallel. For example, the holder is designed such that it can hold at least 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 15 ammunition parts of the same type. For example, the plurality of ammunition parts are held in a predetermined, in particular unchangeable, arrangement by the holder. For example, in rows and / or parallel arrangement, such as in an array field.

[0014] According to an exemplary development, the at least one ammunition part holder is mounted so that it can move relative to the carrier base. It has been discovered that when loading ammunition, the individual ammunition parts must be held in a different orientation depending on the processing station. While in the prior art this was solved by complex and individually constructed processing stations that could access the rigid holding devices for the ammunition parts, the present invention breaks away from this concept in that these requirements can be met at the expense of a more complex workpiece carrier. According to the invention, a high level of flexibility is achieved in a simple manner by means of the movable mounting of the ammunition part holder relative to the carrier base. The movable nature of the material holder makes it possible to move it during the various processing steps orto orientate the individual processing stations in the optimal way. This significantly simplifies the design, handling, and control of the individual processing stations, and significantly reduces their installation space. The processing stations no longer require complex systems to access and process the rigidly arranged ammunition parts.

[0015] According to a further exemplary development, at least one of the ammunition part holders can be moved from a receiving position, in which the at least two ammunition parts can be fed in, in particular simultaneously, to a processing position, in which the at least two ammunition parts can be processed in, in particular simultaneously. Because not all different ammunition part types necessarily have to be fed to the same number of different processing stations and / or have to be machined in different orientations or positions, a cost-effective and yet significantly more flexible workpiece carrier can be provided compared to the prior art. By combining the holders of the different types of ammunition required for the production of ammunition in one and the same workpiece carrier, considerable advantages can be generated, in particular with regard to the cycle rate.Thus, the ammunition parts to be joined can, for example, be provided in close proximity to one another, but in any case can be held by one and the same workpiece carrier, so that they are held locally concentrated on the workpiece carrier for easy handling and accessibility. The mobility of the at least one ammunition part holder relative to the carrier holder can be designed so that a multitude of different positions can be reached. For example, the at least one ammunition part holder can be locked when assuming the receiving position and / or when assuming the processing position, so that mobility of the ammunition part holder is temporarily prevented. It is clear that the position of the at least two ammunition parts in the receiving position orwhose orientation can furthermore be such that processing of the at least two ammunition parts can also take place in the receiving position. The different positions that the ammunition part holder can assume relative to the carrier base can differ by a different orientation and / or position in relation to the distance from the carrier base.

[0016] According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece carrier further comprises a coupling interface for connecting to a motor of the production line, in particular a motor-side coupling interface, in order to move the holder from the receiving position to the processing position, and in particular vice versa. The workpiece carrier itself can therefore be designed without a drive and / or motor. The necessary activation or kinetic energy required to move the at least one ammunition part holder can in particular be supplied entirely from outside, for example by a motor or drive of the production line.

[0017] According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface is designed, in particular, so shaped and / or aligned with a motor-side coupling interface that the workpiece carrier can be inserted into the motor-side coupling interface for connection to the motor. This enables a particularly simple coupling of the workpiece carrier and the energy source, without the workpiece carrier requiring its own energy supply to move the at least one holder.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment, the rail / slide arrangement includes a drive system that allows the multiple slides to be driven individually, allowing them to experience different movement characteristics along the conveyor track independently of one another. This allows individual production stations to be approached with a unique movement profile for each slide. This makes the production process considerably more flexible than if the slides were fixed to one another along the conveyor track.

[0019] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drive system comprises at least one linear motor. The linear motor can have an arrangement of coils and permanent magnets. The carriage can be equipped with at least one permanent magnet. In principle, the magnetic fields of the permanent magnet assigned to the carriage can be combined or coordinated with one another in such a way that the carriage is, in particular, alternately pulled or repelled in order to move along the conveyor track. One advantage of the linear motor is its direct power transmission property, whereby high accelerations and speeds as well as a high degree of precision can be achieved.

[0020] According to an exemplary development of the system according to the invention, the drive system comprises at least one linear spindle mounted on the conveyor device, which drives and / or positions the carriage in particular without play.

[0021] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the carriage is positively coupled to the rail and / or guided for movement. For example, the rail and carriage can have coordinated, in particular shape-matched, coupling interfaces designed for coupling to one another and / or for guiding the rail and carriage along one another, in particular for sliding along one another. For example, the positive coupling ensures that the rail and carriage are secured to one another, in particular against moving away from one another, wherein, for example, a predetermined disassembly orientation and / or direction is predetermined by the coupling.

[0022] In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the carriage is guided in a rolling and / or sliding manner along the rail. For example, the carriage and rail can have coordinated rolling and / or sliding surfaces which can be oriented with respect to the conveyor track along which the carriage is guided by the rail. According to a further exemplary development of the system according to the invention, the carriage is designed to at least partially encompass the rail. For example, the carriage can have a substantially C-shape in cross-section and accommodate the rail between its C-legs. For example, the carriage has two guide devices for, in particular, sliding or rolling movement along the rail.For example, the guide devices can be arranged on mutually facing surfaces of the C-leg and designed for simultaneous, in particular sliding or rolling, contact with corresponding guide surfaces of the rail. For example, a dimension of the carriage, in particular the distance between the two C-guide legs, is matched to a dimension, in particular a vertical dimension, of the rail. Furthermore, it is possible for the distance between the guide legs of the carriage to be adjustable.

[0023] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drive system is configured to move the carriages along the system to a rest position with different movement characteristics or profiles. It has been found that, depending on the processing status of the ammunition, particularly the individual ammunition parts, different movement profiles, particularly speeds and / or accelerations, are more advantageous in making the system significantly more flexible and reliable.

[0024] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rest position can be approached with an absolute speed and / or a repeatability of at most 1 mm, in particular at most 0.5 mm or at most 0.1 mm.

[0025] In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, a travel path between two manufacturing stations designed as processing stations for manipulating the ammunition parts is between 80 and 1200 mm, in particular between 100 and 1000 mm or in the range from 120 to 800 mm.

[0026] In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, a travel path between two production stations designed as inspection positions lies in the range of 10 mm to 60 mm. In general, the inventors of the present invention have found that a travel path between two production stations designed as processing stations for manipulating the ammunition parts should be designed to be longer than a travel path between two production stations designed as inspection positions, in particular at which manipulation, processing, production processes or the like are checked, recorded by sensors or otherwise subjected to quality control and / or assurance.

[0027] In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the drive system is configured to move to a rest position before filling an ammunition part designed as a casing with a propellant charge with a different movement characteristic than after filling with the propellant charge. In other words, the drive system can be designed such that it varies the movement characteristics, in particular the travel speed and / or acceleration, depending on the processing progress of the ammunition to be manufactured, the weight of the ammunition parts held by the slides and / or the characteristics of the ammunition parts held by the slides, and in particular adjusts them in this regard. For example, the drive system can be coupled to a sensor system.The sensor system can, for example, be set up to detect a state of the production process, such as a production progress, a movement characteristic, such as a movement speed and / or acceleration, the number and / or weight of the ammunition parts held by the slides, etc. By means of such measures according to the invention, it can be ensured in a particularly efficient manner that the slides move as precisely as possible and / or at a high cycle rate between the individual production stations, without the production process and / or the quality of the ammunition to be produced being impaired.

[0028] In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the conveyor track is designed such that a time interval for feeding and / or removing at least one carriage to a production station, particularly designed as a rest position, is less than 8 seconds, in particular less than 3 seconds or less than 2 seconds. The high cycle rate is an essential means of increasing production capacity.

[0029] According to an exemplary development of the system according to the invention, a downtime for a production station designed as a processing station for manipulating the ammunition parts is between 500 ms and 3000 ms. Furthermore, the system can be designed in such a way, or the drive system can be capable of carrying out manipulation processes on the ammunition parts held by the slides without the slides coming to a standstill. For example, when applying a coating, such as a sealing varnish, it can be provided that the slide holding the components to be coated moves past the corresponding production station designed as a coating station, in particular at a constant speed. In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, a downtime for a production station designed as a testing station is in the range of 30 ms to 80 ms.Because the system according to the invention allows different movement characteristics to be set or the carriages can be moved with a different movement profile and the carriages can be moved independently of one another, it is also possible to significantly increase production capacity, since a machining operation only has to last as long as the machining operation takes, without the carriage having to wait for a longer machining operation.

[0030] According to an exemplary development of the system according to the invention, this comprises a control section which moves the carriages at a speed of up to 2 m / s, in particular up to 1.5 m / s, preferably up to 1 m / s and / or with an acceleration of up to 40 m / s 2 , especially up to 20 m / s 2 , preferably up to 15 m / s 2 , can be actuated.

[0031] In another exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the carriages are held to the rail by a horizontally oriented magnetic holding force. For example, no additional fastening mechanisms acting in the horizontal direction are used. The horizontal, magnetic holding force can be supported by a vertically oriented support for a bearing interface on the conveyor system side, which slides and / or rolls along the support as the conveyor system moves relative to the support.

[0032] In a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the rail has at least one bearing and / or guide surface for the carriages. The bearing and / or guide surfaces support the movements of the conveyor devices for transporting and / or delivering the multiple ammunition parts from, to and / or between the multiple production stations. For example, a horizontally oriented guide surface provides the magnetic holding force. The magnetic holding force can be achieved by surface contact or by two bearing surfaces of the rail and conveyor device arranged at a slight distance from one another. According to a further exemplary development, the rail / carriage arrangement is designed as a magnetic levitation system.

[0033] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, the conveyor device, in particular the carriage, is mounted on the rail in a removable manner. For example, disassembly can be achieved by overcoming the magnetic holding force between the carriage and the rail. The conveyor device can be disassembled away from the rail in a horizontal direction.

[0034] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a conveyor device is provided for a system, in particular according to the invention, for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a casing, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge. The conveyor device can also be referred to as a workpiece carrier or can have one, for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to or from, to and / or between the plurality of production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfils at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable or prevent access to the ammunition parts by the individual production stations.On the one hand, the conveyor system enables the processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations, and on the other hand, the conveyor system is responsible for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts along the production process defined by the multiple production stations. The conveyor system according to the invention comprises a rail / slide arrangement in which the rail defines a conveyor system and a slide is guided, which receives at least some of the ammunition parts.

[0035] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the conveyor device has a rail / sled arrangement in which the rail defines a conveyor track of the system and a carriage, in particular a plurality of carriages, is guided, which receives at least some of the ammunition parts. The carriage can be designed to hold the plurality of ammunition parts and can be guided through and / or along the rail. The conveyor track can be designed to run continuously and define an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an exterior space delimited therefrom. The individual ammunition parts can be conveyed along the conveyor track, at least in sections, depending on their influence on the production process. The conveyor track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the system comprises a plurality of carriages, in particular of identical design, distributed along the conveyor track.

[0036] The rail / slide arrangement is based on the basic principle of a linear guide, according to which the slide, in particular the multiple slides, can be moved translationally relative to the stationary rail. Each slide can be configured to receive and fix multiple ammunition parts so that they can be processed at the production stations, and, if necessary, to move ammunition parts relative to the slide in order to set a desired positioning or orientation. For example, the slide can have a so-called workpiece carrier, which receives the ammunition parts required for the ammunition, enables the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts, orThis allows for processing of the ammunition parts at the individual processing stations. On the other hand, the workpiece carrier can be manufactured as a separate component from the carriage and customized for the respective ammunition part. Predefined interfaces can be provided for coupling the workpiece carrier and carriage.

[0037] According to an exemplary development of the conveyor device according to the invention, the rail / carriage arrangement comprises a drive system which is designed to drive a plurality of carriages individually, in particular to communicate different movement characteristics, such as speed and / or acceleration profiles, along the conveyor track to the carriages independently of one another.

[0038] In a further exemplary embodiment of the conveyor device according to the invention, the drive system is designed to move the carriage, in particular into a rest position, based on a jerk-limited movement characteristic after the carriage has been filled with a propellant charge. Because the drive system is able to communicate an individual movement profile to the carriage depending on the production progress, the type and / or size and / or weight of the ammunition parts held, it can be ensured that in sensitive phases, such as when propellant charge is filled into an ammunition case, movement is carried out accordingly cautiously, i.e. with reduced speed and / or reduced acceleration. In a further exemplary embodiment of the conveyor device according to the invention, the drive system is designed to apply a force of up to 1000 N / carriage.

[0039] In a further exemplary development of the conveyor device according to the invention, the carriage is designed in such a way that it can be guided magnetically levitating on the rail. In this case, a gap can be formed between two mutually facing bearing / guide surfaces of the carriage and the rail, in particular for the carriage to be moved relative to the rail with as little friction as possible.

[0040] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a use of a rail / slide arrangement for a system for the automated manufacture of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, namely a casing, an ignition element, a projectile, and a propellant charge, is provided, wherein the system comprises several production stations and a conveyor device designed in particular according to the invention.

[0041] In an exemplary embodiment, the system is used for an ammunition caliber range in the range of 4.5 to 13 mm.

[0042] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a method is provided for the automated production of ammunition consisting of several ammunition parts, in particular a casing, an ignition element, a projectile, and a propellant charge. According to the method according to the invention, the ammunition can be produced according to a system configured according to one of the previously described aspects or exemplary embodiments, and / or the method can be designed such that the system according to the invention can carry out the method steps.

[0043] Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0044] Further advantages, features and characteristics of the invention are explained by the following description of preferred embodiments of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0045] Figures 1, 2 are schematic diagrams of exemplary embodiments of a system according to the invention;

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram in greater detail of another exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention;

[0047] Figures 4-6 are perspective partial views of the system from Figure 3. Figure 7 is a diagram of a route profile of an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention;

[0048] Figure 8 is a diagram of a speed profile of an exemplary

[0049] Implementation of the system according to the invention;

[0050] Figure 9 is a diagram of an acceleration profile of an exemplary

[0051] Implementation of the system according to the invention; and

[0052] Figures 10-13 show further schematic diagrams of further sections of the system from Figure 3.

[0053] In the present description of exemplary embodiments of the present inventions, a system 1 according to the invention, also called a laboratory system 1, is generally provided with the reference numeral 1. The conveyor device 100 or the workpiece carrier 63 for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to or from the plurality of production stations is generally designated by the reference numeral 100. The finished ammunition 101 is designated by the reference numeral 101.

[0054] According to the exemplary embodiments of the laboratory system 1 according to the invention in Figures 1-3, the laboratory system 1 comprises the following production stations: a case insertion station 11, which is designed to insert cases 3 into the conveyor device 100; a projectile insertion station 13, which is designed to insert projectiles 5, also called projectiles 5, into the conveyor device 100; a propellant charge filling station 15, which is designed to fill cases 3 with propellant charge powder 9; an ignition element feed station 49 for feeding ignition elements 7 and an ignition element insertion station 47, in which the ignition elements 7 are inserted into the conveyor devices 100; several quality monitoring stations 59 and quality inspection stations 69 for optical and / or tactile assessment of the quality of the ammunition 101 and an ejection station 25 for the final ejection of the finished ammunition 101.

[0055] The conveyor device 100 for holding the multiple ammunition parts and for transporting the multiple ammunition parts to and / or from the multiple production stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 defines a closed, circumferential conveyor track 29 that defines an interior space 33 enclosed by the conveyor track 29 and an exterior space 31 delimited therefrom. According to the exemplary embodiment in Figures 1-3, the conveyor track 29 is constructed from two parallel linear sections 27 that are connected by curved sections 43 to form a racetrack-shaped conveyor track. The production stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 are arranged laterally to the conveyor track 29 in the interior space 33 (Figure 1) or in the exterior space 31 (Figure 2) of the conveyor track 29.

[0056] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, schematic diagrams of exemplary embodiments of a system 1 according to the invention can be seen. Figure 1 shows a system arrangement, wherein the ammunition components are introduced into the system 1 from the outside. Figure 2 shows the rotated approach, wherein the ammunition components are brought from the interior 33 into the conveyor devices 100. The basic production sequence is the same for both system arrangements according to Figures 1 and 2. Both system principles have the following production sequence: A conveyor device 100 located in a buffer zone 45 is fed to the case insertion station 11 via a curved section 43. This is followed by a projectile insertion station 13, in which the projectiles 5 are fed to the conveyor device 100.The entire conveyor system 100, with the projectiles 5 and cases 3 located thereon, is then subjected to a visual inspection in a quality control station 59. At the subsequent stations, an ignition element 7 is first introduced into the system 1 via an ignition element feed station 49, then transferred by a slide 51 to an ignition element insertion station 47, before finally being inserted into the rear of the case 3. After insertion, the fired cases 3 are calibrated at a case forming station 17 and then sealed at the annular joint 55 with an annular joint sealant at a fluid application station 53. The conveyor systems 100 are then guided over a second curved section 43, followed by a linear section 27 with several production stations.Before the cases 3 are filled with propellant powder 9 at the propellant charge filling station 15, a quality monitoring station 59 checks whether the ignition elements 7 have been properly inserted into the cases 3. After filling, the fill level is checked, particularly tactilely, at a quality inspection station 69. The actual assembly of projectile 5 and case 3 takes place in two stages: first, the projectile 5 is lightly applied to the case 3 at the projectile insertion station 19, and finally, in the subsequent step, is pressed into the case 3 at the projectile assembly station 21. The thus finalized ammunition 101 is subsequently checked at a quality monitoring station 59 and / or a quality inspection station 69 and subsequently discharged via an ejection station 25.

[0057] Figure 3 shows a detailed representation of system 1, wherein a special feature of system 1 is apparent. To increase production capacity or production reliability, system 1 can have at least two propellant charge filling stations 15 arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. This special arrangement allows two conveyor devices 100 to be filled with propellant powder 9 in one cycle. This has the effect that the propellant powder 9 has more time per cycle to trickle into the casing 3, which leads to increased dosing accuracy. Labor-intensive stations can generally be implemented in duplicate in the system 1 according to the invention so that the workload of one station is halved accordingly. An example of a labor-intensive step is the feeding and insertion of ignition elements 7 into the rear of the casing 3.For this purpose, Figure 3 shows an exemplary development of the system 1 according to the invention, which has two ignition element feed stations 49 for loading the ignition element insertion station 47 with ignition elements 7 and which are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. In Figure 3, the ignition element insertion station 47 is arranged between the ignition element feed stations 49 in the conveying direction F. This has the advantage that production capacity can be significantly increased, since processes can be carried out in parallel.

[0058] Figures 4 and 5 show schematic principle sketches in perspective view of sections of the system according to Figure 3, the focus being on the rail / slide arrangement 37, which has a plurality of slides 39 that hold the plurality of ammunition parts and are guided along a rail 41 through the system 1. In other words, the slides 39 are mounted so as to be movable relative to the rail 41 in order to be able to move the slides 39 between the various movement stations of the system 1, so that the various manipulation or processing operations on the ammunition parts can be carried out. The slide 39 is in each case connected or combined with a workpiece carrier 63, which ultimately receives the ammunition parts and fixes them in the desired orientation and position during the processing and manipulation operations.The carriage 39 further comprises a coupling interface 65 for connecting to a system-side motor and for resting on and sliding along a guide section 71 of the system 1. As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the carriage 39 is substantially C-shaped in cross-section and comprises two guide arms 73, 75 extending parallel to one another, forming the legs of the C-shape, which are designed, in particular, for sliding or rolling guidance along the rail 41 and are coordinated with respect to the rail 41.

[0059] Figure 4 shows a detailed view of the carriages 39 mounted one behind the other in the conveying direction F. The section shows how the conveying device 100 is formed by a rail / carriage arrangement 37, in which the rail 41 defines a conveyor track 29 of the laboratory system 1 according to the invention and several carriages 39 are guided by the rail 41. In addition to guiding the carriage 39 using the two guide arms 73 and 75, the carriage 39 is additionally guided by a guide section 71. In this case, in particular, the coupling interface 65 is held in the desired position, thereby enabling precise position fixing of the working state of the workpiece carrier 63.To enable optimal positioning of the carriage 39, a guide system with as little play as possible is required. The entire guide system consists, on the one hand, of the stationary structures, the rail 41 and the guide section 71, and, on the other hand, of the movable structures, the guide arms 73 and 75 and the coupling interface 65.

[0060] Figure 5 shows a further detailed view of the conveyor device 100. The entire conveyor track 29 has drive systems implemented by linear motors and / or linear spindles. The carriages 39 are driven and / or positioned on the rail 41 without play. The carriage 39 is positively coupled to the rail 41 by means of at least one guide arm 73 or 75 and / or is guided for movement. Figure 5 shows a curved section 43 of the conveyor device 100; the carriages 39 are preferably guided without play even on the curved sections of the conveyor track 29. In addition to being guided on the rail 41, the upper part of the carriage 39, in particular, is guided at the guide section 71 via the coupling interface 65.This second guide is also ensured by the guide section 71, which ensures that the workpiece carrier 63 is fixed in a specific position, is in contact with the coupling interface 65 over the entire curved section 43 and ensures reliable production of the ammunition 101. In addition to the guide function and the deflection function, the curved section 43 of the racetrack-shaped conveyor device 100 also ensures the function of a buffer zone 45, whereby the slides 39 can be retrieved individually, but one after the other, from this buffer zone 45.

[0061] Referring to Figure 6, which shows a greatly enlarged and perspective detail of Figure 3, an optical quality monitoring station 59 is shown. According to Figure 6, the quality monitoring station 59 is equipped with three cameras 61. The cameras 61 are directed at both the casing 3 and the projectile 5. This makes it possible to take multiple images of each casing 3 and each projectile 5 in order to subsequently evaluate them mechanically, manually, or using artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning, or machine learning. The cameras 61 can, for example, be combined with a handling system or robotics 35, or moved and controlled by it. For example, the cameras 61 are held by a support structure 77, which comprises a base 79 connected to a substrate and an angled support arm 81.

[0062] Figures 7 - 9 show diagrams of various physical quantities for the same motion sequence. In principle, it is possible for the drive system to drive each carriage 39 individually. Accordingly, the motion sequences can be individual, resulting in different motion characteristics. Figures 7 - 9 show representative diagrams for a typical motion sequence of a carriage 39 between the individual production stations. In the diagrams, the X-axis describes time, and the Y-axis represents a physical unit for describing a motion process. The area of ​​the diagrams marked S in Figures 7 - 9 refers to a typical motion sequence, wherein all ammunition components stored on the carriage 39 and to be processed are processed, in particular simultaneously, in one process step.The area marked P refers to a typical movement sequence that occurs, for example, at a fluid application station 53; a similar sequence is also conceivable at an inspection station. The area marked C refers to a typical movement sequence at a quality monitoring station 59. With a sufficiently high resolution of the camera 61, such a process can also occur continuously.

[0063] Figure 7 shows a diagram of a route profile 110 of an exemplary embodiment of the system 1 according to the invention. This route profile 110 is used to define the travel path 118 of the carriage 39 and to describe the distance as a function of time between the processing stations. The Y-axis of the diagram shown indicates the distance s traveled in meters. The starting point has been set to 0 to increase readability. However, this does not mean that no upstream or downstream processing steps take place. Due to the play-free design of the rail / carriage arrangement 37, the predefined process positions of the diagram shown in Figure 7 can be approached with an absolute accuracy of no more than 1 mm. The X-axis shows the time elapsed between the individual process steps and the time elapsed between the movements within the process itself.This is particularly evident in the test area P, where several intermediate stages, also called inter-process downtimes 120, are described. These intermediate stages each mean a short downtime, where, for example, a pair of identical ammunition components are processed simultaneously. The diagram according to Figure 7 shows the travel path 118 between two production stations designed as processing stations. According to Figure 7, this is approximately 0.27 m. The inter-process distance between the rest stations is approximately 30 mm. The travel area in Figure 7 mainly shows an area in which the carriage 39 is at rest, which is only left for moving to the next processing station. The travel area P has a wave-shaped section. Here, the carriage 39 remains in the same position for a short time during the process.In this example, the process only takes place in one direction, meaning the ammunition components are processed one after the other. This does not result in actual maxima, but rather in small, continuously sequentially building sections. However, the drive system would allow such forward and backward positioning. Section C shows a continuous movement pattern with a steadily rising S-shaped line. The S-shaped positioning pattern is due to the approach path of the carriage 39.

[0064] Figure 8 shows a diagram of a speed profile 112 of an exemplary embodiment of the system 1 according to the invention. This speed profile 112 is used to define speed sections and to describe the speed as a function of time between the processing stations. The Y-axis of the diagram shown shows a simulated course of the speed profile 112 and indicates the speed v in meters per second (m / s). The X-axis shows the time elapsed between the individual process steps and the time the carriage 39 is at rest. The speed profile allows the process-related downtimes 120 to be read particularly precisely; according to Figure 8, these downtimes amount to approximately 50 milliseconds. Referring to the downtime 120 shown in Figure 8, it becomes apparent that the conveyor track 29 is designed such that the time interval for feeding and removing the carriage 39 is approximately 1.2 seconds. With regard to area S, it is clear that after a rest phase during which the ammunition components are processed, the travel path 118 is characterized by a particularly high travel speed, with a maximum of approximately 1.3 m / s being reached. The speed profile 112 in area P is characterized by short sections, with the speed returning to 0; during these short downtimes 120, short processing steps can generally take place. Area C in Figure 8 has a constant speed lasting more than 1 second. During this continuous speed phase 116 of the carriage 39, images can be taken, for example, to check the quality of the ammunition.

[0065] Figure 9 shows a diagram of an acceleration profile 114 of an exemplary embodiment of the system 1 according to the invention. This acceleration profile 114 is used to define acceleration sections and to describe the accelerations occurring as a function of time between the processing stations. The acceleration profile 114 represents the derivative of the speed profile 112 shown in Figure 8 and the second derivative of the route profile 110 shown in Figure 7. Due to the steep flanks, this is a simulated acceleration profile 114, which also represents the main characteristics of a real acceleration profile 114 of the conveyor device 100. The Y-axis of the diagram shown in Figure 9 shows a maximum acceleration value 122 of approximately 12 m / s in area S. 2This acceleration value represents the greatest stress for the slide 39 and the ammunition components stored thereon. At such accelerations, the process with cases 3 provided with propellant powder 9 is particularly challenging, as this could be spilled or inaccurately tested. In principle, it is conceivable that the rest positions before checking the propellant powder level could be approached with different acceleration characteristics than after the test. To prevent this, the acceleration profile 114 should preferably be designed to be jerk-free. Region P has short, consecutive acceleration flanks. Designing an acceleration profile 114 according to region C represents an intrinsic challenge for the system in terms of control and vibration resistance, as the slide 39 must be accelerated and decelerated within a short period of time.During processing in continuous processing stations (area C), no significant accelerations occur.

[0066] Figure 10 shows a further section in a perspective view of a system 1 according to the invention, with a focus on a conveyor device 100 with a carriage 39 arranged on the rail 41. The embodiment according to Figure 10 differs from the preceding embodiments with regard to the coupling of conveyor device 100 and rail 41. As schematically indicated by the arrow with the reference symbol M, a magnetic holding force oriented in the horizontal direction H prevails between conveyor device 100 and rail 41, which holds conveyor device 100 to rail 41. According to the embodiment in Figure 13, conveyor device 100 is free of any form-fitting or locking engagement with rail 41. The coupling is achieved by means of mutually assigned pairs of bearing and / or guide surfaces 83, 87 and 85, 89, respectively.The guide surface 85 of the rail 41 is formed by a support 91 for the conveyor device 100, namely for a bearing projection 93, which projects from the flat, magnetic bearing and / or guide surface 87 and rests with its bearing and / or guide surface 89 on the support 91.

[0067] Figure 11 shows the printout from Figure 10 in a top view. This shows a particularly preferred embodiment of the system 1 according to the invention. The rail 41 and the guide device 100 together form a magnetic levitation system, which is evident from the narrow gap a between the mutually facing magnetic bearing and / or guide surfaces 83, 87. Thus, the conveyor device 100 is supported vertically by the support 91 at least via the bearing projection 93 and can otherwise float past the mutually facing bearing and / or guide surfaces 87, 89 without contact and friction during a relative movement of the conveyor device 100 relative to the rail 41.

[0068] Figures 12 and 13 relate to the same embodiment as Figures 10 and 11, wherein the conveyor device 100 is partially disassembled from the rail 41. According to the preferred embodiment of Figures 13-16, disassembly can be carried out simply by overcoming the magnetic holding force (arrow M) between the conveyor device 100 and the rail 41. For subsequent reassembly of the conveyor device 100 onto the rail 41, the conveyor device 100 is to be fed back onto the rail essentially in the opposite direction, in particular until the magnetic holding force M begins to pull the conveyor device 100 toward the rail 41.

[0069] The features disclosed in the above description, the figures and the claims may be important both individually and in any combination for the realization of the invention in various embodiments.

[0070] Reference symbol list

[0071] 1 laboratory facility

[0072] 3 sleeve

[0073] 5 floors

[0074] 7 Ignition element

[0075] 9 propellant powder

[0076] 11 Sleeve insertion station

[0077] 13 floors in br in gst at ion

[0078] 15 propellant filling station

[0079] 17 Sleeve forming station

[0080] 19 Projectile insertion station

[0081] 21 Projectile assembly station

[0082] 23 Projectile marking station

[0083] 25 discharge station

[0084] 27 Li near section

[0085] 29 Conveyor track

[0086] 31 Outdoor space

[0087] 33 Interior

[0088] 35 Robotics

[0089] 37 skis / sleds arrangement

[0090] 39 sleds

[0091] 41 Rail

[0092] 43 curve section

[0093] 45 buffer zone

[0094] 47 Ignition el em en t a set zst at i on

[0095] 49 Ignition element feed station

[0096] 51 sliders

[0097] 53 Fluid application station

[0098] 55 ring joint

[0099] 57 Fluid applicator

[0100] 59 Quality monitoring and surveillance

[0101] 61 Camera

[0102] 63 workpiece carriers

[0103] 65 Coupling interface

[0104] 69 Quality inspection station

[0105] 71 Guide Section

[0106] 73, 75 guide arm

[0107] 77 Supporting structure 79 Base

[0108] 81 Angle arm

[0109] 83,85,87,89 Guide and / or bearing surface

[0110] 91st edition

[0111] 93 bearing projection

[0112] 100 conveyor system

[0113] 101 ammunition

[0114] 110 Route profile

[0115] 112 Speed ​​profile

[0116] 114 Acceleration profile

[0117] 116 continuous speed phase

[0118] 118 travel

[0119] 120 internal process downtime

[0120] 122 maximum acceleration value

[0121] F Conveying direction

[0122] A Discharge direction

[0123] S Process area

[0124] P test area

[0125] C continuous range

[0126] X X-axis

[0127] Y Y-axis

[0128] M magnetic force

[0129] V, H Vertical direction or horizontal direction a Distance

Claims

SwissP Defence AG R31125WO PATENT CLAIMS 1. System (1) for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a casing (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile (5) and a propellant charge (9), comprising several production stations and a conveyor device (100), in particular designed according to one of claims 21 to 25, which conveys the several ammunition parts to and / or from the respective production station, characterized in that the conveyor device (100) is formed by a rail / slide arrangement (37), in which the rail (41) defines a conveyor track (29) of the system (1) and several slides (39) for holding the several ammunition parts are guided by the rail (41).

2. Plant (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the Rail / slide arrangement (37) comprises a drive system by means of which the plurality of slides (39) can be driven individually in order, in particular, to be able to experience different movement characteristics along the conveyor track (29) independently of one another.

3. System (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the drive system comprises at least one linear motor, wherein in particular the linear motor comprises an arrangement of coils and permanent magnets, wherein in particular the carriage (39) is equipped with at least one permanent magnet.

4. Installation (1) according to one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the drive system comprises at least one linear spindle mounted on the conveyor device (100), which drives and / or positions the carriage (39) in particular without play.

5. System (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the carriage (39) is positively coupled to the rail (41) and / or is guided so as to be movable.

6. System (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the carriage (39) is guided in a rolling and / or sliding and / or floating manner on the rail (41). System (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the carriage (39) is designed to at least partially encompass the rail (41), wherein in particular the carriage (39) has two guide devices for, in particular, sliding or rolling movement along the rail (41). System (1) according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the drive system is designed to move the carriages (39) into a rest position with different movement characteristics. System (1) according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the rest position can be approached with an absolute accuracy and / or repeatability of at most 1 mm, in particular at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.1 mm.System (1) according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that a travel path (118) between two production stations designed as processing stations for manipulating the ammunition parts lies between 80 mm and 1200 mm, in particular between 100 and 1000 mm or between 120 and 800 mm. System (1) according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that a travel path between two production stations designed as testing positions lies between 10 mm and 60 mm. System (1) according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the drive system is designed to move to a rest position with different movement characteristics before filling an ammunition part designed as a casing (3) with a propellant charge (9) than after filling with the propellant charge (9).System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveyor track (29) is designed such that a time interval for feeding and / or removing at least one carriage (39) to a production station, particularly designed as a rest position, is less than 5 seconds, in particular less than 3 seconds or less than 2 seconds. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a downtime at a production station designed as a processing station for manipulating the ammunition parts is between 500 and 3000 milliseconds. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a downtime (120) in a production station designed as a test station is in the range of 30 to 80 milliseconds. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a control system that moves the carriages (39) at a speed of up to 2 m / s, in particular up to 1.5 m / s, preferably up to 1 m / s, and / or with an acceleration (122) of up to 40 m / s. 2 , especially up to 20 m / s 2 , preferably up to 15 m / s 2, can actuate. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carriages (39) are held on the rail (41) by a magnetic holding force oriented in the horizontal direction. System (1) according to claim 17, wherein the rail (41) has at least one bearing and / or guide surface (83, 85) for the carriages (39), wherein a guide surface (83, 85) oriented in particular in the horizontal direction provides the magnetic holding force. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rail / carriage arrangement (37) is designed as a magnetic levitation system. System (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor device (100), in particular the carriage (39), is mounted on the rail (41) in a removable manner, in particular by overcoming the magnetic holding force between the carriage (39) and the rail (41).Conveyor device (100) for a system (1) for the automated production of ammunition (101), in particular designed according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized by a rail / slide arrangement (37), in which the rail (41) defines a conveyor track (29) of the system (1) and a slide (39) is guided, which receives at least some of the ammunition parts. Conveyor device (100) according to claim 21, characterized in that the rail / slide arrangement (37) comprises a drive system that is configured to drive a plurality of slides (39) individually, in particular to impart different movement characteristics along the conveyor track (29) to the slides (39) independently of one another. Conveyor device (100) according to claim 22, characterized in that the movement characteristic is freely programmable and the carriages (39) are movable in synchronous and / or asynchronous operation, in particular by means of a linear motor or spindle drive. Conveyor device (100) according to one of claims 22 to 23, characterized in that the drive system is configured to move the carriage (39) through a jerk-limited movement characteristic, in particular into a rest position, after the carriage (39) has been filled with a propellant charge (9). Conveyor device (100) according to one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the drive system is configured to apply a force of up to 1000 N per carriage (39). Conveying device (100) according to one of claims 22 to 25, characterized in that the carriage (39) is designed such that it can be guided magnetically suspended on the rail (41).Use of a rail / slide arrangement (37) for a system (1) for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, namely a casing (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile (5), and a propellant charge (9), wherein the system comprises several production stations and a conveyor device (100) designed in particular according to one of claims 21 to 26. Use according to claim 27 for an ammunition caliber range from 4.5 to 13 mm. Method for the automated production of ammunition (101), which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a casing (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile (5), and a propellant charge (9), in particular by means of a system (1) designed according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 19, wherein the method is designed such that the system (1) carries out the method steps according to one of claims 1 to 19.

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