Product separation system, transfer robot, and transport device

Abstract

To provide a product separation system which enables improvement of operation accuracy for separating a product connected by a connection part from a workpiece.SOLUTION: A product separation system includes: a transport part 11 which transports a workpiece 1; a workpiece positioning part 15 which is disposed above the transport part 11; a reference pin moving part 20 which is disposed at one longitudinal side part of the transport part 11, includes a plurality of pin units 21 which are inserted into a plurality of positioning holes formed at the workpiece 1, and moves the workpiece 1 while synchronizing the workpiece 1 with the transport part 11 in a state that the workpiece 1 is positioned at a predetermined position of the transport part 11 with the pin units 21; a punch press part 40 which cuts a connection part of the transported workpiece 1; a transfer robot 60 which conducts a first operation in which the workpiece 1 is transferred from a predetermined supply position to the workpiece positioning part 15, a second operation in which the workpiece 1 is transferred from the workpiece positioning part 15 to the predetermined position of the transport part 11, and a third operation in which a product is transferred from the transport part 11 to a predetermined product recovery position; and a control unit 70 which controls these operations.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a product separation system for separating products connected to a workpiece by a connection part such as a micro joint, and a transfer robot and a conveying device used in the product separation system. [Background technology]

[0002] When cutting out one or more products of a given shape from a sheet material such as metal, punching is performed using a turret punch press, etc. In order to increase the efficiency of the punching process, a method is often adopted in which the product and the frame are connected with a connecting part such as a micro joint, and the products are separated by cutting the connecting part in a later process. The applicant has previously proposed a product separation system described in Patent Document 1 below as a device for separating the product from a workpiece composed of the frame portion of the plate material and the product connected by the connection portion.

[0003] The product separation system described in Patent Document 1 is an apparatus for separating a product connected to a workpiece by a connection part, and includes, in order, a work feeding section on which the workpiece is placed and into which the placed workpiece is fed, a punching unit which cuts the connection part, and a product removal section which removes the product from the workpiece including the product from which the connection part has been cut. Furthermore, the product separation system includes a travel direction alignment robot that grips one end side of the work in the width direction, and a width direction alignment robot. The movement of the workpiece from the workpiece feeding section to the product removal section and the alignment of the workpiece to the connection section to be cut in the traveling direction are controlled by the traveling direction alignment robot, and the movement and alignment of the punching unit to the connection section to be cut in the width direction of the workpiece and the width direction alignment robot are controlled.

[0004] [Problem to be solved by the invention] In the product separation system described in Patent Document 1 above, a work supply section is arranged near the side of the work feeding section, and one of the works stacked in the work supply section is placed on the work feeding section by a pick-up robot. In the work supply section, the workpieces are often stacked with some deviation in the stacking direction, so that the position of the workpiece placed on the work feed section by the pick-up robot may be slightly misaligned. Furthermore, if the workpiece is moved by the travel direction alignment robot while there is some misalignment in its position, there is a problem that the punching unit cannot be accurately aligned with the connection part to be cut, and there is a risk that the connection part cannot be cut accurately.

[0005] In addition, in the product separation system described in Patent Document 1 above, after all of the connections of the work are cut by the punching unit, the product is removed by the pickup robot at the product removal section, and the remaining part of the work is ejected from the product removal section, after which the next work is placed on the work feed section. Therefore, in the product separation system described in Patent Document 1 above, the operation of cutting the connection part of the next workpiece cannot be performed until the pickup robot has completed the operation of removing the product from the workpiece and the operation of discharging the remaining part, and there was a problem that there was room for improvement in terms of the efficiency of the operation of the entire device.

[0006] In addition, in the product separation system described in Patent Document 1 above, a work holding section is provided at the tip of the arm of the pick-up robot, and the work and the product separated from the work are configured to be held by a suction pad provided on the work holding section. In the product separation system described in Patent Document 1 above, it is preferable to select, replace, and use the appropriate work holding part as appropriate, taking into consideration the shape and size of the work, and the position, shape, size, number, etc. of the products within the work. Therefore, the pickup robot described in Patent Document 1 above had the problem that a single work holding unit was not suitable for holding and transferring various types of workpieces or products with different shapes, sizes, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7144851 Summary of the Invention Means for solving the problem and their effects

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and one of its objects is to provide a product separation system that can improve the operational accuracy of separating products connected by connecting parts such as micro joints from workpieces. Another object is to provide a product separation system that can efficiently perform a series of operations from supplying workpieces to separating and recovering products. Another object is to provide a highly versatile transfer robot that can supply workpieces of different sizes and recover products of various sizes and shapes. Still another object is to provide a transport device that can transport workpieces with high accuracy.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the product separation system (1) according to the present invention comprises: A product separation system for separating a product connected by a connection portion from a workpiece, comprising: A transport unit that transports the workpiece; a work positioning unit that is disposed above the conveying unit and that positions the work in order to transfer the work to a predetermined position on the conveying unit; a reference pin moving section that is provided on one side of the transport section in the longitudinal direction and includes a plurality of pin units that are inserted into a plurality of positioning holes that are formed in advance on one side of the workpiece, and that moves the workpiece in synchronization with the transport section while positioning the workpiece at a predetermined position on the transport section using the pin units; a punch press unit that cuts off the connection portion of the workpiece being conveyed; a transfer robot that performs a first operation of transferring the work from a predetermined supply position to the work positioning section, a second operation of transferring the work positioned by the work positioning section from the work positioning section to a predetermined position in the transport section, and a third operation of transferring the product separated from the work from the transport section to a predetermined product recovery position; and a control unit that controls these operations.

[0010] According to the above product separation system (1), the first operation of the transfer robot transfers the workpiece from a predetermined supply position to the workpiece positioning section, where the workpiece is positioned to increase the accuracy of the second operation that is performed next. Then, the second operation transfers the workpiece from the workpiece positioning section to the transport section, and during the transfer, the workpiece is positioned at a predetermined position in the transport section by the multiple pin units of the reference pin moving section. Then, from the positioned state, the workpiece is transported while synchronizing the operations of the reference pin moving section and the transport section, and the connection section of the workpiece is cut by the punch press section. Then, the product separated from the workpiece is transferred from the transport section to a predetermined product recovery position by the third operation. That is, the workpiece can be placed at a predetermined position in the transport section with high precision by the workpiece positioning unit and the reference pin moving unit, and then the transport operation of the workpiece can be performed with high precision by synchronizing the operation of the reference pin moving unit and the transport section. Therefore, the workpiece can be transported without applying an external force to the workpiece, and the workpiece can be prevented from being displaced on the transport surface (XY plane), and the workpiece can be transported with high precision. In addition, the punch press unit can also perform the operation of cutting the connection portion of the workpiece with high precision. The operation of each of these units can increase the precision of the operation of separating the product connected by the connection portion from the workpiece.

[0011] The product separation system (2) according to the present invention is the above-mentioned product separation system (1), The reference pin moving unit is a linear motion unit disposed on one side of the transport unit in a longitudinal direction, the linear motion unit having the plurality of pin units attached thereto at predetermined intervals; a drive unit that moves the plurality of pin units along the linear motion unit in synchronization with the transport unit, The plurality of pin units include A placement piece on which the one side portion of the workpiece is placed; A pin portion is disposed below the mounting piece and configured to be movable up and down to a position facing the mounting piece; A pressing part is arranged above the mounting piece, is movable up and down so as to fit into the pin part facing the mounting piece, and is configured to be movable forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the one side of the workpiece; The workpiece is characterized by having an advancing and retreating moving portion that moves the mounting frame, to which the mounting piece, the pin portion, and the pressing portion are attached, back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the one side portion of the workpiece.

[0012] According to the above-mentioned product separation system (2), when the workpiece is transferred from the workpiece positioning section to the transport section by the second operation of the transfer robot, the workpiece can be reliably and accurately placed at a predetermined position on the transport section while the one side of the workpiece is held by the pin portions and the pressing portions of the multiple pin units. In addition, since the plurality of pin units each include the placement piece, the pin portion, the holding portion, and the forward / backward moving portion, it is possible to appropriately select or switch between two or more pin units that hold the one side portion of the work from the plurality of pin units depending on the size of the work, the shape of the product, or the position of the connection portion within the work, etc. Therefore, various types of work can be transported with high precision.

[0013] The product separation system (3) according to the present invention is the product separation system (1) or (2), The control unit: The present invention is characterized in that, in parallel with controlling the transfer robot to perform the second operation, the reference pin moving unit is controlled so that the multiple pin units can receive the work at a predetermined position in the transport unit.

[0014] According to the above-mentioned product separation system (3), in parallel with the control for performing the second operation, the reference pin moving unit is controlled so that the plurality of pin units can receive the workpiece at a predetermined position in the transport unit. Therefore, at the time the workpiece is placed on the transport section, the multiple pin units can receive the workpiece at a predetermined position on the transport section, allowing for quick transition to the next transport operation of the workpiece.

[0015] Further, the product separation system (4) according to the present invention is any one of the above product separation systems (1) to (3), The control unit: A conveying operation of the workpiece by the conveying unit and the reference pin moving unit, and an alignment operation of the workpiece to the connection portion present in a conveying direction of the workpiece; Aligning the connection portion in the width direction of the workpiece by the punch press unit and cutting the connection portion; The control method is characterized in that the control is configured to control the third operation by the transfer robot in parallel.

[0016] According to the above-mentioned product separation system (4), the work transporting operation, the product separation operation (i.e., the disconnection operation of the connection portion), and the product recovery operation from the transport portion can be performed in parallel, and a series of operations from supplying the work to separating and recovering the product can be performed efficiently.

[0017] Further, the product separation system (5) according to the present invention is any one of the above product separation systems (1) to (4), The conveying unit is A first conveyor, a second conveyor, and a third conveyor are arranged in series, The first conveyor and the second conveyor are configured to be capable of forward and reverse rotation, The third conveyor is configured to be capable of rotating in a forward direction, The reference pin moving unit is The workpiece is transported in synchronization with the first conveyor and the second conveyor, The punch press unit is disposed between the first conveyor and the second conveyor, The workpiece positioning unit is attached to the upper portion of the punch press unit, The second operation by the transfer robot, an operation of inserting the plurality of positioning holes of the workpiece positioned by the workpiece positioning unit into the plurality of pin units moved to a reference position of the reference pin moving unit, and transferring the workpiece to a predetermined position on the second conveyor, The third operation is This is characterized by the operation of transferring the product separated from the work from the third conveyor to a predetermined product recovery position.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned product separation system (5), since the workpiece positioning unit is attached to the upper part of the punch press unit, it is possible to efficiently transfer the positioned workpiece from the workpiece positioning unit to the second conveyor. The workpiece transferred to a predetermined position on the second conveyor by the second operation is temporarily transported to the first conveyor by an operation of reversing the second conveyor and the first conveyor, and then transported to the second conveyor by an operation of rotating the first conveyor and the second conveyor in the normal direction. During the transport, the connection portions of the workpiece are sequentially cut by the punch press unit. In addition, from the time the workpiece is placed on the second conveyor to the time the disconnection of the connection portion is completed, the reference pin moving unit moves the multiple pin units in synchronization with the operation of the first conveyor and the second conveyor. After the connection portions have been completely cut, the multiple pin units are removed from the workpiece, and the second conveyor and the third conveyor are rotated in the forward direction, thereby transporting the workpiece with the connection portions cut off to the third conveyor, and the product separated from the workpiece is transferred from the third conveyor to a predetermined product recovery position by the third operation. Therefore, a series of operations from supplying the workpiece to separating and collecting the product can be performed accurately and efficiently.

[0019] Further, the product separation system (6) according to the present invention is any one of the above product separation systems (1) to (5), The punch press unit is A punching head unit disposed above a surface on which the workpiece is placed in the conveying unit; a punching head moving section that moves the punching head section in the width direction of the workpiece; A die set unit disposed below a surface on which the work is placed in the transport unit; a die set moving unit that moves the die set unit in the width direction of the workpiece while synchronizing with the punching head unit, The punching head portion is The punching device includes a punch section, a pressing section that presses the punch section downward, and a holding section that detachably holds the punch section, The die set unit is It is characterized by having a die portion into which the tip of the punch portion is fitted, a holding portion that detachably holds the die portion, and a collection portion that collects cuttings from the severed connection portion.

[0020] According to the above-mentioned product separation system (6), the punching head moving unit and the die set moving unit can accurately cut the connection portion of the workpiece while synchronously moving the punching head unit and the die set unit in the width direction of the workpiece. Furthermore, since the punch section and the die section are replaceable and the cutting chips are collected in the collection section, maintenance and other operations can be easily performed.

[0021] Further, the product separation system (7) according to the present invention is any one of the above product separation systems (1) to (6), The transfer robot, A robot body including an arm having a predetermined range of motion; a robot hand unit attached to a tip end of the arm unit, The robot hand unit, A workpiece holding unit for holding the workpiece; and a product holding unit for holding the product separated from the workpiece.

[0022] According to the above-mentioned product separation system (7), since the robot hand section includes the workpiece holding unit and the product holding unit, when the first operation and the second operation are performed, the workpiece can be held by the workpiece holding unit, and when the third operation is performed, the product can be held by the product holding unit. Therefore, the operation of holding the workpiece and the operation of holding the product can be performed reliably.

[0023] Further, the product separation system (8) according to the present invention is the above-mentioned product separation system (7), The workpiece holding unit is A plurality of workpiece holders for holding the workpiece; a position adjustment unit that adjusts the positions of the plurality of work holding units within a predetermined plane, The product holding unit comprises: A product detection unit that detects the product; One or more product holders for holding the product; The present invention is characterized by comprising an advancing and retreating movement section which moves the product holding section back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane.

[0024] According to the above-mentioned product separation system (8), since the position adjustment unit can adjust the positions of the plurality of workpiece holding parts within the predetermined plane, the positions of the plurality of workpiece holding parts can be adjusted according to the size and shape of the workpiece when performing the first operation and the second operation. Also, when performing the third operation, the plurality of workpiece holding parts can be moved toward the center of the robot hand unit, thereby reducing the moment of inertia acting on the robot hand unit. In addition, the advance / retract movement section enables the product holding section to be moved advance / retract in a direction perpendicular to the specified plane, so that when performing the first operation and the second operation, the product holding section can be retracted above the multiple work holding sections, and when performing the third operation, the product holding section can be lowered below the multiple work holding sections. Furthermore, since the product holding unit includes the product detection section, the product can be accurately held by the product holding section when the third action is performed. Therefore, it is possible to supply workpieces of different sizes and collect products of various sizes and shapes, thereby increasing versatility.

[0025] Further, the product separation system (9) according to the present invention is any one of the above product separation systems (1) to (8), The workpiece positioning unit is A workpiece mounting table has a substantially rectangular shape and a workpiece mounting surface that is inclined so that one corner is located lower than the other corners, The workpiece placement table is positioning guides provided on two sides intersecting at the one corner; A sliding portion provided on the workpiece mounting surface, The workpiece placed on the workpiece mounting surface slides across the workpiece mounting surface due to gravity, and is positioned by two adjacent sides of the workpiece abutting against the positioning guides.

[0026] According to the above product separation system (9), when the workpiece is transferred from the predetermined supply position to the workpiece positioning unit by the first operation, the workpiece placed on the inclined workpiece placement surface slides on the workpiece placement surface by gravity, and two adjacent sides of the workpiece come into contact with the positioning guides, so that the workpiece is automatically positioned. Therefore, the workpiece can be positioned accurately and instantly by simply placing the workpiece on the workpiece placement surface, and the second operation can be smoothly transitioned from the predetermined position of the workpiece positioning unit.

[0027] Further, the product separation system (10) according to the present invention is any one of the product separation systems (1) to (9), The third operation by the transfer robot, This is characterized by the operation of stacking the products of multiple shapes separated from the work on a product pallet arranged at the predetermined product recovery position according to shape.

[0028] According to the above-mentioned product separation system (10), the products of multiple shapes that are to be used together in a later process can be transported together at once using the product pallet. Therefore, one set of parts required for a later assembly process can be moved together, and the later process can be carried out efficiently.

[0029] Further, the product separation system (11) according to the present invention is any one of the product separation systems (1) to (10), Further, a work supply positioning unit is provided at the predetermined supply position, The work supply positioning unit is a supply positioning guide that brings the one side portion of the workpiece, which is supplied in a stacked state on a workpiece supply cart, into contact with one side portion adjacent to the one side portion; The present invention is characterized by including a work corner detection unit that detects a corner formed by the one side portion and the other side portion of the workpiece.

[0030] According to the above-mentioned product separation system (11), since it is equipped with the work supply positioning unit, the first operation can be performed in a state where the work, which is supplied in a stacked state on the work supply cart, is approximately positioned at the specified supply position.

[0031] The transfer robot (1) according to the present invention is a transfer robot for transferring a workpiece and a product in a product separation system that separates a product connected by a connection part from a workpiece, the transfer robot comprising: a robot hand unit attached to a tip end of an arm unit of a robot main body having a predetermined movable range, The robot hand unit, A workpiece holding unit for holding the workpiece; a product holding unit for holding the product separated from the workpiece, The workpiece holding unit is A plurality of workpiece holders for holding the workpiece; a position adjustment unit that adjusts the positions of the plurality of work holding units within a predetermined plane, The product holding unit comprises: A product detection unit that detects the product; One or more product holders for holding the product; The present invention is characterized by comprising an advancing and retreating movement section which moves the product holding section back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane.

[0032] According to the above-mentioned transfer robot (1), the robot hand section is equipped with the work holding unit and the product holding unit, and the work holding unit is equipped with the position adjustment section, so that it is possible to adjust the positions of the multiple work holding parts within the specified plane, and the positions of the multiple work holding parts can be adjusted according to the size and shape of the work. In addition, since the product holding unit includes the advancing and retreating moving part, it is possible to move the product holding part forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane. Therefore, when the workpiece is held by the work holding unit, the product holding part can be retreated above the workpiece holding parts so as not to interfere with the operation of holding the workpiece by the workpiece holding parts. In addition, when the product is held by the product holding unit, the product holding parts can be lowered below the multiple work holding parts so that the multiple work holding parts do not interfere with the operation of the product holding parts to hold the product, making it possible for the product holding parts to hold products of various sizes and shapes. Therefore, the transfer robot can be highly versatile and can supply workpieces of different sizes and collect products of various sizes and shapes.

[0033] The conveying device (1) according to the present invention is a conveying device for conveying a work in a product separation system that separates a product connected by a connection part from a work, the conveying device comprising: A transport unit that transports the workpiece; The device is characterized in that it is provided with a plurality of pin units arranged on one longitudinal side of the conveying section and inserted into a plurality of positioning holes pre-formed on one side of the workpiece, and a reference pin moving section which moves the workpiece in synchronization with the conveying section while positioning the workpiece at a predetermined position on the conveying section with these pin units.

[0034] According to the above-mentioned conveying device (1), since it is equipped with the conveying section and the reference pin moving section, it is possible to move the workpiece in synchronization with the conveying section while positioning the workpiece at a predetermined position of the conveying section with a plurality of pin units of the reference pin moving section. Therefore, the workpiece can be conveyed without applying an external force to the workpiece, and the positional deviation of the workpiece on the conveying surface (XY plane) can be prevented, and the workpiece can be conveyed with high precision.

[0035] The conveying device (2) according to the present invention is the above-mentioned conveying device (1), The reference pin moving unit is a linear motion unit disposed on one side of the transport unit in a longitudinal direction, the linear motion unit having the plurality of pin units attached thereto at predetermined intervals; a drive unit that moves the plurality of pin units along the linear motion unit in synchronization with the transport unit, The plurality of pin units include A placement piece on which the one side portion of the workpiece is placed; A pin portion is disposed below the mounting piece and configured to be movable up and down to a position facing the mounting piece; A pressing part is arranged above the mounting piece, is movable up and down so as to fit into the pin part facing the mounting piece, and is configured to be movable forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the one side of the workpiece; The workpiece is characterized by having an advancing and retreating moving portion that moves the mounting frame to which the mounting piece, the pin portion, and the pressing portion are attached, back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the one side portion of the workpiece.

[0036] According to the above-mentioned conveying device (2), the reference pin moving section includes the linear motion section and the drive section, and the multiple pin units each include the placement piece, the pin section, the pressing section, and the forward / backward moving section. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately select or switch between two or more pin units that hold the one side of the workpiece from among the multiple pin units depending on conditions such as the size of the workpiece, the shape of the product, or the position of the connection part in the workpiece, etc. Therefore, it is possible to transport various types of workpieces with high accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] 1 is a partially transparent plan view illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a product separation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a partially see-through front view illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a product separation system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a partially see-through left side view illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a product separation system according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a plan view for explaining the orientation of workpieces supplied to the product separation system according to the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are plan views showing examples of the configuration of a workpiece that is a target of the present invention, in which (a) shows an example of a large workpiece and (b) shows an example of a small workpiece. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the configuration of a main part of a work positioning unit, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in (a). [Figure 7] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the configuration of a main part of a reference pin moving part, in which FIG. [Figure 8]8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of the main part taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7, in which (a) shows the state in which the pin unit is retracted (standby state), and (b) shows the state in which the workpiece is positioned by the pin unit (state during workpiece movement). [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a configuration of a main part of a punch press unit. [Figure 10] 2 is a partially transparent plan view showing the main configuration of a robot hand section of a transfer robot. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the main configuration of the robot hand section of the transfer robot. [Figure 12] 1 is a side view showing the main configuration of the robot hand section of the transfer robot. FIG. [Figure 13] 11 is a diagram for explaining a position where a product is held by a product holding unit of the robot hand section. FIG. [Figure 14] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of main actuators, sensors, and a control unit mounted on the product separation system according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a control unit and a robot control unit in the product separation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] 4 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of each part constituting the product separation system according to the embodiment (first work). [Figure 17] 4 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of each part constituting the product separation system according to the embodiment (second and subsequent workpieces). [Figure 18] 4 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of each part constituting the product separation system according to the embodiment (pre-final workpiece). [Figure 19] 4 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of each part constituting the product separation system according to the embodiment (final work). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] The product separation system, transfer robot, and conveying device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below shows a preferred specific example of the present invention, and various technically preferable limitations are attached, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these forms unless otherwise specified in the following description to the effect that the present invention is limited.

[0039] Fig. 1 is a partially see-through plan view, Fig. 2 is a partially see-through front view, and Fig. 3 is a partially see-through left side view, each of which shows an example of the overall configuration of a product separation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the robot hand unit of the transfer robot shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is omitted in Fig. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining the orientation of the workpieces supplied to the product separation system. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a workpiece to which the present invention is applied, where (a) shows an example of a large workpiece, and (b) shows an example of a small workpiece.

[0040] The product separation system 10 is a system for separating a product 3 connected at a connection portion 2 from a plate-shaped workpiece 1 (see FIG. 4) which is a base material.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 4, one workpiece 1, which is generally rectangular, typically contains multiple products 3. The shapes and sizes of these products 3 may be the same or different. Each product 3 is connected to an outer periphery 4, which is the outer frame of the workpiece 1, by at least two connecting parts 2.

[0042] There is a cutout 5 between the product 3 and the outer periphery 4 of the product 3, and the connection parts 2 are located in the cutout 5 and connect the product 3 and the outer periphery 4. For example, when the product 3 is approximately rectangular, there are usually two connection parts 2, one at each diagonal position, or four connection parts, one at each corner, and the number is appropriately selected depending on the shape, size, etc. of the product 3. The connection parts 2 also include joint parts called micro joints.

[0043] The shape of the connection part 2 is such that the width of the tip on the product 3 side is the narrowest, and the width of the tip is significantly narrower than the width on the outer periphery 4 side. The width of the tip of the connection part 2 is extremely narrow enough to hold the product 3. In other words, the product 3 can be easily separated from the workpiece 1 at the tip of the connection part 2. The workpiece 1 is usually made of a metal plate such as iron, stainless steel, or aluminum.

[0044] The sizes of the workpieces 1 that can be supplied to the product separation system 10 vary, for example, as shown in Fig. 5(a) for a large workpiece, the width of one side is about 1.2 m to 1.5 m, and as shown in Fig. 5(b) for a small workpiece, the width of one side is about several 50 cm to 60 cm. The shaded area shown in Fig. 5 is the area where the product 3 is formed. Moreover, a plurality of positioning holes 1a are formed on one side of the work 1. The intervals and number of the plurality of positioning holes 1a are designed to match the intervals of the pin units 21 of the reference pin moving section 20 described later. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, the work 1 may have connecting portions 4a formed on the outer periphery 4. These connecting portions 4a are for dividing the outer periphery 4.

[0045] The product separation system 10 includes a transport unit 11, a workpiece positioning unit 15, a reference pin moving unit 20, a punch press unit 40, a transfer robot 60, and a control unit 90.

[0046] The transport section 11 has a function of placing and transporting the workpiece 1, and is configured with a first conveyor 12, a second conveyor 13, and a third conveyor 14 arranged in series. The first conveyor 12 and the second conveyor 13 are configured to be capable of forward and reverse rotation, and the third conveyor 14 is configured to be capable of forward rotation. These conveyors are driven by drive motors 12a, 13a, and 14a, such as servo motors, respectively. The drive motors 12a, 13a, and 14a are synchronously controlled according to the position and conveying direction of the workpiece 1. In addition, a scrap detection sensor 14b is disposed on the discharge side of the third conveyor 14, which detects scraps of the workpiece 1 discharged into the recovery box 88. The scrap detection sensor 14b is, for example, a photoelectric sensor. In the following description, the transport direction of the workpiece 1 in the transport section 11 is the X-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction on the horizontal plane is the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the XY plane (vertical direction) is the Z-axis direction.

[0047] The workpiece positioning unit 15 is disposed in an inclined state above the transport unit 11 (above the gate-shaped frame 51 to which the punch press unit 40 is attached) and serves to position (align) the workpiece 1 in order to transfer the workpiece 1 to a predetermined position in the transport unit 11. The specific configuration of the workpiece positioning unit 15 will be described later.

[0048] The reference pin moving part 20 is disposed on one side of the transport part 11 in the longitudinal direction, and has a plurality of pin units 21 inserted into a plurality of positioning holes 1a formed in advance on one side of the work 1, and has the function of moving the work 1 in synchronization with the transport part 11 while positioning the work 1 at a predetermined position on the transport part 11 with these pin units 21. The specific configuration of the reference pin moving part 20 will be described later. The transport part 11 and the reference pin moving part 20 together constitute a transport device.

[0049] The punch press unit 40 has a function of cutting the connection portions 2, 4a (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the workpiece 1 transported on the transport unit 11. The punch press unit 40 is disposed between the first conveyor 12 and the second conveyor 13. The specific configuration of the punch press unit 40 will be described later.

[0050] The transfer robot 60 has the function of performing a first operation of transferring the work 1 from a predetermined supply position to the work positioning section 15, a second operation of transferring the work 1 positioned at the work positioning section 15 from the work positioning section 15 to a predetermined position on the conveying section 11 (second conveyor 13), and a third operation of transferring the product 3 separated from the work 1 from the conveying section 11 (third conveyor 14) to a predetermined product recovery position.

[0051] The transfer robot 60 is configured to include a robot body 61, a robot hand unit 63, and a robot control unit 70. The robot body 61 is equipped with an arm unit 62 having a predetermined movable range, and the robot hand unit 63 is attached to the tip of the arm unit 62. The robot hand unit 63 is capable of moving within a spherical area of ​​a predetermined radius indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 by the operation of the arm unit 62. The robot body 61 is configured as a general-purpose industrial robot, for example, a vertical articulated (six-axis) robot, etc. Fig. 2 shows the operating state of the transfer robot 60, i.e., the state where the robot hand unit 63 is positioned above the workpiece positioning unit 15 and the state where the robot hand unit 63 is positioned above the collection box 88, and the system of this embodiment is equipped with one transfer robot 60. The specific configuration of the robot hand unit 63 will be described later.

[0052] The control unit 90 is configured to include one or more computer devices such as a programmable logic controller (PLC) that controls the operation of each part of the product separation system 10, as well as input units, output units, and power supply units for sending and receiving data and signals to and from each part of the system. Also, an operation panel 91 is connected to the control unit 90, and it is possible to input the operating conditions of each part of the system (manual operation conditions, automatic operation conditions, etc.), monitor the operating status, turn the power on / off, etc. via the operation panel 91. The functional configuration of the control unit 90 and the robot control unit 70 will be described later.

[0053] Further, a work supply positioning unit 80 is disposed at the predetermined supply position, and a work supply carriage 85 is disposed at the work supply positioning unit 80. The work supply carriage 85 supplies the workpieces 1 in a stacked state. Further, a product recovery cart 87 is disposed at the predetermined product recovery position, and a recovery box 88 for recovering the outer periphery 4 (also called scrap) of the workpiece 1 is disposed downstream of the third conveyor 14.

[0054] The work supply positioning unit 80 is a platform that is substantially L-shaped in plan view, and includes a supply positioning guide 81 that abuts one side (the side on which the positioning hole 1a is formed) of the work 1 that is supplied in a stacked state on the work supply cart 85 and one side adjacent to the one side, and a work corner detection unit 82 that detects a corner formed by the one side and the one side of the work 1. The work corner detection unit 82 is composed of, for example, a photoelectric sensor, and is capable of detecting the presence or absence of the work 1.

[0055] Also, as shown in Figure 4, the work 1 supplied to the work supply positioning section 80 is transferred to the second conveyor 13 in a state rotated 180 degrees to the right by a first operation of transferring it from the work supply positioning section 80 to the work positioning section 15, and a second operation of transferring it from the work positioning section 15 to the second conveyor 13 of the transport section 11. Thereafter, the work 1 is temporarily transported from the second conveyor 13 to the first conveyor 12 by the transport unit 11 and the reference pin moving unit 20, and then transported toward the second conveyor 13. Then, the connection portions 2 of the work 1 are cut off sequentially by the punch press unit 40. The workpiece 1, whose connection portion 2 has been cut off, is transferred from the second conveyor 13 to the third conveyor 14 by synchronous control between the second conveyor 13 and the third conveyor 14 so as not to cause any misalignment of the product 3. Since the workpiece 1 transferred to the third conveyor 14 does not cause any misalignment of the product 3, it is possible for the product holding unit 71 of the transfer robot 60 to perform the subsequent transfer operation of the product 3 with high accuracy.

[0056] Next, a specific configuration of each part constituting the product separation system 10 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the workpiece positioning unit 15 that constitutes the product separation system 10, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in (a).

[0057] The work positioning section 15 is equipped with a work mounting table 16, which has a roughly rectangular shape and has a work mounting surface 16a inclined so that one corner C1 is located lower than the other corners, and a base section 16b attached to the upper part of a gate-shaped frame 51 on which the punch press section 40 is mounted.

[0058] The workpiece mounting table 16 includes positioning guides 17 provided on two sides that intersect at one corner C1, a plurality of sliding portions 18 provided on the workpiece mounting surface 16a, and a workpiece corner detection portion 15a. The sliding portion 18 is, for example, configured with a ball roller unit in which a plurality of ball rollers are arranged in series. The work corner detection portion 15a is, for example, configured with a photoelectric sensor, and detects whether the work 1 is positioned at the corner C1 of the work placement surface 16a (whether the work 1 has a corner or not).

[0059] In the work positioning section 15, the work 1 placed on the inclined work mounting surface 16a slides on the work mounting surface 16a (i.e., on the sliding section 18) due to gravity (its own weight), and is positioned by two adjacent sides of the work 1 (i.e., one side on which the positioning hole 1a is formed and one adjacent side) abutting against the positioning guide 17.

[0060] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a main part of the reference pin moving unit 20 that constitutes the product separation system 10, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the main part taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7, where (a) is a diagram showing the state in which the pin unit is retracted (standby state), and (b) is a diagram showing the state in which the workpiece is positioned by the pin unit (state during workpiece movement).

[0061] The reference pin moving unit 20 is arranged on one side of the longitudinal direction of the conveying unit 11 and comprises a linear motion unit 30 to which multiple pin units 21 are attached at predetermined intervals, and a drive unit 35 that moves the multiple pin units 21 along the linear motion unit 30 in synchronization with the conveying unit 11.

[0062] The drive unit 35 is composed of a winding transmission device including a drive pulley 36 and a driven pulley 37 arranged at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the conveying unit 11, a timing belt 38 wound around these pulleys, and a drive motor 39 that rotates and drives the drive pulley 36. The drive pulley 36 and the driven pulley 37 are composed of, for example, timing pulleys, and the drive motor 39 is composed of, for example, a servo motor. The drive motor 39 of the reference pin moving unit 20 and the drive motors 12a, 13a of the conveying unit 11 are configured to perform synchronous control.

[0063] The linear motion section 30 includes a rail 31 disposed in the longitudinal direction of the transport section 11, a slide section 32 slidably attached to the rail 31, a belt fitting 33 having one end attached to the timing belt of the drive section 35 and the other end attached to the slide section 32, and a support base 34 attached to the slide section 32. A plurality of pin units 21 are attached to the support base 34 at predetermined intervals.

[0064] Each of the pin units 21 includes a mounting piece 22, a pin portion 23, a pressing portion 24, and a forward / backward moving portion 26. As shown in FIG. 8, the mounting piece 22 is a member on which one side of the workpiece 1 having the positioning hole 1a formed therein is placed, and a step portion is formed on the upper surface for the one side to abut against. The pin portion 23 is disposed below the mounting piece 22 and is configured to be movable up and down to a position facing the top of the mounting piece 22. The pin portion 23 includes a pin fitting 23a arranged with its approximately conical tip facing upward, a vertical slider 23b attached to the pin fitting 23a and capable of sliding in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and a vertical cylinder 23c attached to the vertical slider 23b for moving the vertical slider 23b in the vertical direction.

[0065] The pressing portion 24 is positioned above the mounting piece 22 and is movable up and down to fit into the pin portion 23 (pin fitting 23a) facing the top of the mounting piece 22, and is configured to be able to move back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the one side of the workpiece 1 (the Y-axis direction). The pressure applying portion 24 is composed of a pressure applying bracket 24a having an inverted recess at its lower end, a vertical cylinder 24b for moving the pressure applying bracket 24a in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), a horizontal slider 24c that allows the pressure applying bracket 24a and the vertical cylinder 24b to slide in the Y-axis direction, and a horizontal cylinder 24d for moving the horizontal slider 24c in the Y-axis direction. The placement piece 22, the pin portion 23, and the pressing portion 24 are attached to a mounting frame 25 and integrated together.

[0066] The advance / retract movement section 26 is configured to be able to advance / retract the mounting frame 25 in a direction perpendicular to the one side of the workpiece 1 (Y-axis direction). The forward / backward moving section 26 is attached to the support base 34 of the linear motion section 30 and includes a horizontal slider 26a for moving the mounting frame 25 in the Y-axis direction, and a horizontal cylinder 26b for moving the horizontal slider 26a in the Y-axis direction. The vertical cylinders 23c, 24b and the horizontal cylinders 24d, 26b are constituted by, for example, air cylinders, and an electromagnetic valve 27 controls ON / OFF thereof.

[0067] 7 includes six pin units 21. The number of pin units 21 is not limited to this. The number of pin units 21 can be changed depending on the type, size, etc. of the target work 1. The reference pin moving portion 20 is configured so as to be able to hold two or more of the positioning holes 1 a formed on one side of the workpiece 1 with at least two or more pin units 21 . Which of the six pin units 21 is to be used can be set in advance by a program according to the type, size, etc. of the workpiece 1. In addition, while the workpiece 1 is being moved while the reference pin moving unit 20 and the transport unit 11 are synchronized with each other, it is also possible to control the switching of the pin unit 21 holding the workpiece 1 or the increase in the number of the pin units 21 holding the workpiece 1. For example, if the connection parts 2, 4a are near the positioning holes 1a of the workpiece 1 held by the pin unit 21, the pin unit 21 holding the workpiece 1 may become an obstacle to the cutting operation of the connection parts 2, 4a by the punch press unit 40. In such a case, it is also possible to control the switching of the pin unit 21 holding the workpiece 1 at a timing before the connection parts 2, 4a of the workpiece 1 are transported to the position of the punch press unit 40.

[0068] FIG. 9 is a side view showing the configuration of a main part of the punch press unit 40 that constitutes the product separation system 10. As shown in FIG. The punch press unit 40 is attached to a gate-shaped frame 51 disposed between the first conveyor 12 and the second conveyor 13. The punch press section 40 includes a punching head section 41 arranged above the mounting surface 11a of the work 1 in the conveying section 11, a punching head moving section 45 which moves the punching head section 41 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the work 1, a die set section 46 arranged below the mounting surface 11a of the work 1 in the conveying section 11, and a die set moving section 50 which moves the die set section 46 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the work 1 in synchronization with the punching head section 41.

[0069] The punching head moving section 45 is attached to the upper frame of the gate-shaped frame 51 and is configured to allow the punching head section 41 to move linearly in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the workpiece 1 by a ball screw mechanism 45a including a ball screw, a guide rail, and a drive motor 45b. The die set moving part 50 is attached to the lower frame of the gate-shaped frame 51, and is configured to be able to linearly move the die set part 46 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the work 1 in synchronization with the punching head part 41 by a ball screw mechanism 50a including a similar drive motor 50b. The drive motors 45b, 50b are configured, for example, as servo motors, and are configured to perform synchronous control.

[0070] The punching head unit 41 includes a punch unit 42, a pressing unit 43 that presses the punch unit 42 downward, and a holding unit 44 that detachably holds the punch unit 42. The pressing unit 43 includes a drive motor 43a, a cam attached to the drive shaft thereof, a roller follower that contacts the cam, and a follower attached to the roller follower, and is configured with a mechanism that converts rotation by the cam and reciprocating follower into linear motion, and includes a mechanism that presses the punch unit 42 in the vertical (Z-axis) direction by the follower.

[0071] The die set section 46 includes a die section 47 having a hole into which the rod-shaped tip section (punch tip) of the punch section 42 is fitted, a holding section 48 that detachably holds the die section 47, and a collection section 49 that collects chips of the connection section 2 of the workpiece 1 cut by the die section 47. The chips of the connection section 2 are accommodated in the collection section 49 by air blowing. The collection section 49 has a box shape that can be inserted into and removed from the lower frame of the gate-shaped frame 51. The die set section 46 may be provided with a lifting mechanism capable of lifting the die section 47 a small distance (a distance that does not exceed the placement surface 11a) in synchronization with the descent of the punch section 42. The lifting mechanism includes, for example, a horizontal cylinder arranged in the Y-axis direction, a block attached to the horizontal cylinder and having an upper surface inclined in the Y-axis direction, a roller follower arranged on the inclined surface, and a die support section attached to the roller follower. It is possible to use a commercially available punching unit for the punch section 42 and the die section 47.

[0072] FIG. 10 is a partially transparent plan view showing the configuration of the main part of a robot hand unit 63 of a transfer robot 60 constituting the product separation system 10, FIG. 11 is a front view, and FIG. 12 is a side view. The robot hand section 63 includes a workpiece holding unit 64 for holding the workpiece 1 and a product holding unit 71 for holding the product 3 separated from the workpiece 1.

[0073] The workpiece holding unit 64 includes a plurality of workpiece holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, and 65D that hold the workpiece 1, and position adjustment parts 69A, 69B, 69C, and 69D that adjust the positions of the plurality of workpiece holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, and 65D, respectively, within a predetermined plane. The workpiece holding parts 65A and 65B are arranged in parallel, and the workpiece holding parts 65C and 65D are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece holding parts 65A and 65B.

[0074] Each of the four workpiece holding units 65A, 65B, 65C, and 65D includes a plurality of suction units 66, a mounting frame 67 to which the suction units 66 are attached at predetermined intervals, and a vacuum unit 68 for performing the suction operation of the suction units 66. The mounting frame 67 is attached to the corresponding position adjustment units 69A, 69B, 69C, and 69D. The position adjustment units 69A, 69B, 69C, and 69D are configured, for example, with electric cylinders (ROBO cylinders) that perform linear motion. The suction units 66 may also be provided separately near the center of the robot hand unit 63.

[0075] Each of the plurality of suction parts 66 includes a vacuum pad 66a and a fall prevention valve (check valve) 66b. The suction flow path of the suction part 66 that is not in contact with the workpiece 1 is blocked by the fall prevention valve 66b, so that the suction part 66 in contact with the workpiece 1 can suction and hold the workpiece 1. Further, a pad arrival detection unit 66c is attached to one (the suction unit 66 arranged at the center) of the plurality of suction units 66 of each of the workpiece holding units 65A, 65B, 65C, and 65D. The pad arrival detection unit 66c is a sensor for detecting that the workpiece 1 has been suctioned by the vacuum pad 66a of the suction unit 66, and is configured by, for example, a proximity sensor.

[0076] By adjusting the positions of the four work holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, 65D within a specified plane using position adjustment parts 69A, 69B, 69C, 69D in accordance with the size of the work 1, it is possible for the four work holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, 65D to hold, for example, the four sides of the work 1.

[0077] The product holding unit 71 includes a product detection section 72 which detects the product 3, one or more (two in this example) product holding sections 73A, 73B which hold the product 3, and forward and backward movement sections 77A, 77B which individually move the product holding sections 73A, 73B forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the specified plane. Product detection unit 72 is constituted by, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, and is disposed between product holding unit 73A and product holding unit 73B. Each of the two product holding sections 73A, 73B is equipped with a plurality of suction sections 74, a mounting frame 75 to which these suction sections 74 are attached at predetermined intervals, and a vacuum unit 76 for performing the suction operation of these suction sections 74, and the mounting frames 75 are attached to the corresponding forward and backward moving sections 77A, 77B.

[0078] Each of the multiple suction parts 74 is equipped with a vacuum pad 74a and a fall prevention valve (check valve) 74b. The suction flow path of the suction parts 74 that are not in contact with the product 3 is blocked by the fall prevention valve 74b, so that the suction parts 74 that are in contact with the product 3 can suction and hold the product 3. The forward and backward moving parts 77A and 77B are composed of air cylinders with guides.

[0079] Depending on the shape and size of the product 3, it is possible to use both or either one of the two product holding sections 73A and 73B. 13(a) to (d) are diagrams (bottom views) for explaining the manner in which the product holding unit 71 of the robot hand section 63 holds the product 3. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b), when the size of the product 3 is large, it is possible to suck and hold the product 3 using two product holders 73A and 73B. As shown in Fig. 13(c), when the size of the product 3 is small, it is possible to suction and hold the product 3 using only the product holding part 73B, or as shown in Fig. 13(d), it is possible to suction and hold the product 3 using only the product holding part 73A. In this case, it is possible to suction and hold the product 3 using only a part of the suction part 74 constituting the product holding parts 73A and 73B.

[0080] FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of main actuators, sensors, and a control unit mounted on the product separation system 10 according to the above-described embodiment. The conveying section 11 is equipped with a drive motor 12a for driving the first conveyor 12 in forward and reverse directions, a drive motor 13a for driving the second conveyor 13 in forward and reverse directions, a drive motor 14a for driving the third conveyor 14 in forward directions, and a scrap detection sensor 14b.

[0081] The workpiece supply positioning unit 80 is equipped with a workpiece corner detection unit 82 that detects the corners of the supplied workpiece 1. The workpiece positioning unit 15 is equipped with a workpiece corner detection unit 15a that detects the corners of the positioned workpiece 1.

[0082] The reference pin moving section 20 has six pin units 21, and each pin unit 21 has a vertical cylinder 23c in the pin section 23, a horizontal cylinder 24d and a vertical cylinder 24b in the pressing section 24, and a horizontal cylinder 26b in the forward / backward moving section 26. The drive unit 35 of the reference pin moving unit 20 is equipped with a drive motor 39 that drives a timing belt 38 .

[0083] The punch press unit 40 includes a punching head unit 41, a punching head moving unit 45, and a die set moving unit 50. The punching head moving unit 45 includes a drive motor 45b for a ball screw mechanism 45a, and the punching head unit 41 includes a drive motor 43a for pressing the punch unit 42. The die set moving unit 50 includes a drive motor 50b for a ball screw mechanism 50a.

[0084] The robot body 61 includes an arm section 62. The arm section 62 includes a servo motor for driving each joint. The robot hand section 63 includes a workpiece holding unit 64 and a product holding unit 71.

[0085] The workpiece holding unit 64 has four workpiece holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, and 65D, and each of the workpiece holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, and 65D has a position adjustment part 69A, 69B, 69C, and 69D, a pad arrival detection part 66c, a vacuum unit 68, and an suction part 66.

[0086] The product holding unit 71 comprises two product holding parts 73A, 73B and a product detection part 72. Each of the product holding parts 73A, 73B comprises an advance / retreat moving part 77A, 77B, a vacuum unit 76 and a suction part 74, respectively.

[0087] The control unit 90 is connected to the conveying unit 11, the work supply positioning unit 80, the work positioning unit 15, the reference pin moving unit 20, the punch press unit 40, and the robot control unit 70 via communication lines so as to be able to send and receive data, control signals, etc. The robot control unit 70 is connected to the control unit 90, the robot main body 61, and the robot hand unit 63 via communication lines so as to be able to send and receive data, control signals, and the like. In the product separation system 10 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 90 and the robot control unit 70 are configured separately, but in other embodiments, they may be controlled by a single control unit or may be distributed among three or more control units.

[0088] FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control unit 90 and the robot control unit 70 in the product separation system 10 according to the embodiment. The control unit 90 includes an input unit 90a, a calculation unit 90b, an output unit 90c, a storage unit 90d, and a power supply unit 90e.

[0089] The input section 90a is composed of an input interface for taking in signals and the like from each section of the product separation system 10 and transferring them to the calculation section 90b. The output section 90c is configured as an output interface for receiving the results of the arithmetic processing performed by the arithmetic section 90b and outputting signals for operating each section of the product separation system 10.

[0090] The calculation unit 90b is configured to include one or more central processing units (CPUs), and has a function of performing calculation processing based on signals, etc., taken in from the input unit 90a, and data and programs read from the storage unit 90d, and outputting signals for controlling the operation of each unit from the output unit 90c to each unit. The calculation unit 90b also has a timer / counter function for performing sequence control.

[0091] The memory unit 90d is composed of a program memory (ROM) and a data memory (RAM), and stores data and programs for sequence control, such as NC data, setting / input / calculation data, a cutting position determination program, a reference pin moving unit operation program, a conveying unit operation program, and a punch press unit operation program.

[0092] The NC data is data used when the workpiece 1 is processed by punching using a turret punch press or the like. The setting / input / calculation data includes conditions such as the quantity of workpieces 1 to be supplied, which are input via the operation panel 91, setting conditions for each part of the system, operation parameters, and calculation results in the calculation part 90b.

[0093] The cutting position determination program is a program that determines the position of the connection parts 2 of the workpiece 1 based on NC data, and by using this program, the cutting position coordinates (X, Y) of each connection part 2 of the workpiece 1, the cutting order of each connection part 2 based on the cutting position, etc. can be determined. The reference pin moving unit operation program and the conveying unit operation program include a program that synchronously drives the reference pin moving unit 20 and the conveying unit 11 (first conveyor 12 and second conveyor 13) in the Y-axis direction based on the cutting position coordinates (X, Y) of each connection portion 2 of the workpiece 1 obtained by the cutting position determination program based on the NC data.

[0094] The punch press operation program includes a program for controlling the cutting operation of the connection portions 2 by the punching head portion 41, the punching head moving portion 45, and the die set moving portion 50 based on the cutting position coordinates (X, Y) of each connection portion 2 of the workpiece 1 determined by the cutting position determination program, the cutting order of each connection portion 2 based on the cutting positions, etc. Based on these programs, sequence control of the transport unit 11, the reference pin moving unit 20, and the punch press unit 40 is realized.

[0095] The robot control unit 70 includes an input unit 70a, a calculation unit 70b, an output unit 70c, a storage unit 70d, and a power supply unit 70e.

[0096] The input unit 70a is composed of an input interface for taking in signals and the like from the control unit 90, the robot body 61, and the robot hand unit 63, and transferring them to the calculation unit 70b. The output unit 70c is composed of an output interface for receiving the results of the arithmetic processing performed by the arithmetic unit 70b and outputting signals for operating the robot main body 61 and the robot hand unit 63.

[0097] The calculation unit 70b is configured to include one or more central processing units (CPUs) and has a function of performing calculation processing based on signals, NC data, etc. taken in from the input unit 70a, and data and programs read from the storage unit 70d, and outputting signals from the output unit 70c that control the operations of the robot main body 61 and the robot hand unit 63. The calculation unit 70b also has a timer / counter function for performing sequence control.

[0098] The storage unit 70d includes a program memory (ROM) and a data memory (RAM), and stores setting, input, and calculation data, a robot main body operation program, a robot hand operation program, and the like. The setting / input / calculation data includes setting conditions and operation parameters of the robot body 61 and the robot hand unit 63 input via the operation panel 91, and calculation results in the calculation unit 70b. The robot main body operation program includes a program for realizing a first operation of transferring the work 1 from the work supply positioning section 80 to the work positioning section 15 at a predetermined period, a second operation of transferring the work 1 positioned at the work positioning section 15 from the work positioning section 15 to a predetermined position on the second conveyor 13, and a third operation of transferring the product 3 separated from the work 1 from the third conveyor 14 to a predetermined product recovery cart 87. The robot hand section operation program includes a program for realizing the operation of adsorbing and holding the work 1 by the work holding unit 64 during the above-mentioned first operation and second operation, and the operation of adsorbing and holding the product 3 by the product holding unit 71 during the above-mentioned third operation.

[0099] Next, the operation of each part of the product separation system 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19 are timing charts for explaining the operation of each part constituting the product separation system 10, with Fig. 16 being a timing chart showing the first workpiece, Fig. 17 being a timing chart showing the second and subsequent workpieces, Fig. 18 being a work before the final one, and Fig. 19 being a timing chart showing the supply operation of the final workpiece and the separation operation of the product. The operation of each part constituting the product separation system 10 is basically controlled by the control unit 90 and / or the robot control unit 70. In this example, it is assumed that a total of eight products 3 are formed in four rows and two columns on the work 1, and that a total of 32 connection portions 2 are formed in an 8×4 arrangement.

[0100] First, as shown in FIG. 16, for the first workpiece, the robot control unit 70 controls the operation of the transfer robot 60, moves the robot hand unit 63 to the workpiece supply positioning unit 80, adsorbs and holds the workpiece 1 with the workpiece holding unit 64, and transfers the workpiece 1 to the workpiece positioning unit 15 (first operation). After the work 1 has been positioned by the work positioning section 15, the work 1 is again sucked and held by the work holding unit 64, and an operation (second operation) is performed to transfer the work 1 from the work positioning section 15 to the second conveyor 13.

[0101] In parallel with this operation, the control unit 90 controls the operation of the reference pin moving unit 20. That is, the control unit 90 controls the operation of the drive unit 35 and the pin unit 21 of the reference pin moving unit 20 so that the workpiece 1 can be received at a predetermined position on the second conveyor 13 by the multiple pin units 21 (in this case, using two of the six heads). More specifically, the control unit 90 drives the drive motor 39 to move the support base 34 in the X-axis direction so that the pin unit 21 is at the reference position, and moves (advances) the mounting frame 25 in the Y-axis direction to a predetermined receiving standby position by the forward / backward moving unit 26, and then raises the pin fitting 23a to a position facing the mounting piece 22 by the vertical cylinder 23c.

[0102] When the positioning hole 1a of the work 1 is inserted into the pin portion 23 of the reference pin moving portion 20 moved to the reference position by the second operation and the work 1 is placed at a predetermined position on the second conveyor 13, the control portion 90 then operates the pressing portion 24 of the reference pin moving portion 20 to hold the work 1 with the pin unit 21 and position the work on the second conveyor 13. More specifically, the control portion 90 operates the horizontal cylinder 24d to move (advance) the pressing fitting 24a in the Y-axis direction to a position directly above the pin fitting 23a, and then operates the vertical cylinder 24b to lower the pressing fitting 24a and fit the pressing fitting 24a into the pin fitting 23a. After the transfer robot 60 places the first work 1 at a predetermined position on the second conveyor 13 using the robot hand unit 63, it moves the robot hand unit 63 above the work positioning unit 15 and places the robot hand unit 63 on standby to perform the supply operation of the second work 1.

[0103] Next, the control unit 90 controls to synchronize the operation of reversing the second conveyor 13 and the first conveyor 12 with the operation of moving the reference pin moving unit 20 to the left, and after moving the work 1 from the second conveyor 13 to the first conveyor 12, the work 1 is moved in the direction of the second conveyor 13 to start the disconnection operation of the connection parts 2, 4a. Note that the operation of moving the work 1 in the direction of the second conveyor 13 after moving it to the first conveyor 12 prevents the occurrence of positional deviation of the work 1 during transportation due to backlash (gap between the tooth surface of the timing belt 38 and the tooth surface of the drive pulley 36) of the drive unit 35 of the reference pin moving unit 20.

[0104] The control unit 90 controls the movement of the workpiece 1 toward the second conveyor 13 by synchronizing the operation of rotating the first conveyor 12 and the second conveyor 13 in the forward direction with the operation of moving the reference pin moving unit 20 to the right. In parallel with this, the control unit 90 controls the operation of cutting the connections 2 of the products 3 in the first, second, third and fourth rows by the punch press unit 40 (alignment with the connections 2 in the width direction of the workpiece 1 (Y-axis direction) and cutting the connections 2) while controlling the operation of aligning the connections 2 in the transport direction (X-axis direction) of the workpiece 1 based on the NC data.

[0105] Then, as shown in FIG. 17, in parallel with the operation of cutting the connection portion 2 of the fourth row of product 3 in the punch press section 40, the robot control section 70 controls the operation (first operation) of moving the robot hand section 63 of the transfer robot 60 to the work supply positioning section 80, suction-holding the second work 1 with the work holding unit 64, and transferring the work 1 to the work positioning section 15.

[0106] Then, when the operation of cutting the connection portion 2 of the product 3 in the fourth row by the punch press unit 40 is completed, the control unit 90 releases the holding state of the work 1 by the pin portion 23 and the pressing portion 24 of the reference pin moving unit 20, and controls the operation of moving the pin unit 21 to a fixed position (reference position). More specifically, the control unit 90 operates the vertical cylinder 23c to lower the pin metal fitting 23a, and operates the vertical cylinder 24b to raise the pressing metal fitting 24a, thereby releasing the pressing of the work 1. Thereafter, the control unit 90 operates the horizontal cylinder 24d to move the pressing metal fitting 24a backward in the Y-axis direction, and operates the forward / backward moving unit 26 to move the mounting frame 25 backward in the Y-axis direction. Thereafter, the control unit 90 drives the drive motor 39 to move the support base 34 in the X-axis direction so that the pin unit 21 is at the reference position.

[0107] In parallel with this operation, the control unit 90 controls the second conveyor 13 and the third conveyor 14 to rotate in the normal direction, and moves the workpiece 1 from which the product 3 has been separated to the third conveyor 14. Then, in parallel with the operation of moving the work 1 to the third conveyor 14, the robot control unit 70 controls the operation (second operation) of transferring the second work 1 positioned by the work positioning unit 15 from the work positioning unit 15 to the second conveyor 13.

[0108] In parallel with this second operation, the control unit 90 controls the operation of the reference pin moving unit 20. That is, the control unit 90 controls the operation of the drive unit 35 of the reference pin moving unit 20 and the pin unit 21 so that the workpiece 1 can be received at a predetermined position on the second conveyor 13 by the multiple pin units 21 (using two of the six heads), just like the first workpiece 1.

[0109] When the positioning hole 1a of the work 1 is inserted into the pin portion 23 of the reference pin moving portion 20 that has been moved to the reference position by the second operation described above, and the work 1 is placed in a predetermined position on the second conveyor 13, the control portion 90 then controls the operation of the pressing portion 24 of the reference pin moving portion 20, so that the second work 1 is held by the pin unit 21 in the same manner as the first work, and the work 1 is positioned on the second conveyor 13.

[0110] Next, the control unit 90 controls the operation of reversing the rotation of the second conveyor 13 and the first conveyor 12 and the operation of moving the reference pin moving unit 20 to the left, thereby moving the work 1 from the second conveyor 13 to the first conveyor 12. In parallel with this operation, the robot control unit 70 starts controlling an operation (third operation) in which the robot hand unit 63 moves from the second conveyor 13 to the third conveyor 14, the product holding unit 71 is lowered, and the eight products 3 separated from the workpieces 1 are transferred one by one from the third conveyor 14 onto the product pallet of the product collection cart 87. This third operation may be an operation in which the products 3 of multiple shapes separated from the workpieces 1 are stacked on the product pallet of the product collection cart 87 by shape.

[0111] In addition, after the workpiece 1 is moved from the second conveyor 13 to the first conveyor 12, in parallel with the third operation, the control unit 90 controls the movement of the workpiece 1 toward the second conveyor 13 by synchronizing the operation of rotating the first conveyor 12 and the second conveyor 13 in the forward direction with the operation of moving the reference pin moving unit 20 to the right. In parallel with this, the control unit 90 controls the operation of cutting the connection parts 2 of the products 3 in the first, second, third, and fourth rows by the punch press unit 40 (alignment with the connection parts 2 present in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the workpiece 1, and cutting the connection parts 2) while controlling the operation of aligning the connection parts 2 present in the conveying direction (X-axis direction) of the workpiece 1 based on the NC data.

[0112] Thereafter, when the operation of cutting the connection portion 2 of the product 3 in the fourth row begins, and the transfer of the product 3 to the product recovery cart 87 by the third operation is completed, the robot control unit 70 performs operation control to raise the product holding unit 71 of the robot hand portion 63 and move the robot hand portion 63 idly from above the product recovery cart 87 to above the work supply positioning portion 80 in order to supply the next work 1.

[0113] In parallel with this operation, the control unit 90 controls the operation of rotating the third conveyor 14 in the forward direction to discharge the outer periphery 4 (scrap) of the workpiece 1 into the collection box 88. Thereafter, the operations for the third and subsequent sheets are performed in the same manner as in the timing chart shown in FIG.

[0114] The operation for the pre-final workpiece 1 shown in Fig. 18 is performed in the same manner as the timing chart shown in Fig. 17. Then, as shown in Fig. 19, when the punch press unit 40 finishes the operation of cutting the connection portion 2 of the product 3 in the fourth row of the final workpiece 1, the control unit 90 controls the operation of releasing the holding state of the workpiece 1 by the pin portion 23 and the holding portion 24 of the reference pin moving unit 20, and the operation of moving the pin unit 21 to a fixed position (reference position).

[0115] In parallel with this operation, the control unit 90 controls the operation of rotating the second conveyor 13 and the third conveyor 14 in the forward direction to move the workpiece 1 from which the product 3 has been separated to the third conveyor 14. Thereafter, the robot control unit 70 moves the robot hand unit 63 from the second conveyor 13 to the third conveyor 14, lowers the product holding unit 71, and begins controlling the operation (third operation) of transferring the eight products 3 separated from the final work 1 one by one from the third conveyor 14 onto the product recovery cart 87. When the transfer of the product 3 to the product recovery cart 87 by the third operation is completed, the robot control unit 70 raises the product holding unit 71 of the robot hand part 63 and controls the robot hand part 63 to move to a predetermined position, and then terminates the operation of the transfer robot 60. In parallel with this operation, the control unit 90 controls the operation of rotating the third conveyor 14 in the forward direction to discharge the outer periphery 4 of the last workpiece 1 into the collection box 88, and then the operation of the system ends.

[0116] According to the above-mentioned product separation system 10, the work 1 is transferred from the work supply positioning unit 80 to the work positioning unit 15 by the first operation of the transfer robot 60, and the work 1 is positioned in the work positioning unit 15 to improve the accuracy of the second operation to be performed next. After that, the work 1 is transferred from the work positioning unit 15 to the second conveyor 13 of the transfer unit 11 by the second operation, and during the transfer, the work 1 is positioned at a predetermined position on the second conveyor 13 by the multiple pin units 21 of the reference pin moving unit 20. Then, from the positioned state, the work 1 is transported while synchronizing the operations of the reference pin moving unit 20, the first conveyor 12, and the second conveyor 13, and the connection portion 2 of the work 1 is cut by the punch press unit 40. After that, the product 3 separated from the work 1 is transferred from the third conveyor 14 to the product recovery cart 87 by the third operation.

[0117] That is, the workpiece 1 can be placed at a predetermined position on the second conveyor 13 with high accuracy by the workpiece positioning unit 15 and the reference pin moving unit 20, and then the workpiece 1 can be transported with high accuracy by synchronizing the operations of the reference pin moving unit 20, the first conveyor 12, and the second conveyor 13. Therefore, the cutting operation of the connection portion 2 of the workpiece 1 by the punch press unit 40, that is, the operation of cutting the connection portion 2 of the workpiece 1 while synchronously moving the punching head unit 41 and the die set unit 46 in the width direction of the workpiece 1 by the punching head moving unit 45 and the die set moving unit 50, can also be performed with high accuracy. The operation of each of these units can improve the accuracy of the operation of separating the product 3 connected by the connection portion 2 from the workpiece 1. In addition, the punch press unit 40 is configured so that the punch unit 42 and the die unit 47 can be replaced, and the cutting chips of the connection portion 2 are collected in the collection unit 49, so that maintenance and other operations can be easily performed.

[0118] Moreover, according to the product separation system 10, the control unit 90 and the robot control unit 70 are configured to control, in parallel, the transport operation of the work 1 by the first conveyor 12, the second conveyor 13, and the reference pin moving unit 20, the operation of aligning the work 1 with the connection portion 2 existing in the transport direction, the operation of aligning the work 1 with the connection portion 2 existing in the width direction, and the operation of cutting the connection portion 2 by the punch press unit 40, and the third operation by the transfer robot 60. Therefore, the transport operation of the work 1, the operation of separating the product 3 (i.e., the operation of cutting the connection portion 2), and the operation of collecting the product 3 from the third conveyor 14 can be performed in parallel, and a series of operations from supplying the work 1 to separating and collecting the product 3 can be performed efficiently.

[0119] Furthermore, according to the transfer robot 60, the robot hand portion 63 is equipped with a work holding unit 64 and a product holding unit 71, and the work holding unit 64 is equipped with position adjustment portions 69A, 69B, 69C, 69D, so that it is possible to adjust the positions of multiple work holding portions 65A, 65B, 65C, 65D within a specified plane, and the positions of these multiple work holding portions 65A, 65B, 65C, 65D can be adjusted according to the size of the work 1.

[0120] Furthermore, since the product holding unit 71 is provided with the advancing and retreating moving parts 77A and 77B, it is possible to move the product holding parts 73A and 73B forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane. Therefore, when the workpiece 1 is held by the workpiece holding unit 64, the product holding parts 73A and 73B can be retreated above the plurality of workpiece holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, and 65D so as not to interfere with the operation of holding the workpiece 1 by the plurality of workpiece holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, and 65D.

[0121] In addition, when the product holding unit 71 holds the product 3, the product holding parts 73A, 73B can be lowered below the multiple work holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, 65D so that the multiple work holding parts 65A, 65B, 65C, 65D do not interfere with the operation of the product holding parts 73A, 73B to hold the product 3, making it possible for the product holding parts 73A, 73B to hold products 3 of various sizes and shapes. Therefore, the transfer robot can be made highly versatile and can supply workpieces 1 of different sizes and collect products 3 of various sizes and shapes.

[0122] Furthermore, the conveying device constituting the product separation system 10 is equipped with the conveying section 11 and the reference pin moving section 20, and therefore it is possible to move the work 1 in synchronization with the conveying section 11 while positioning the work 1 at a predetermined position of the conveying section 11 with the multiple pin units 21 of the reference pin moving section 20. Therefore, the work 1 can be conveyed without applying an external force to the work 1, positional deviation of the work 1 on the conveying plane (XY plane) can be prevented, and the work 1 can be conveyed with high precision.

[0123] In addition, according to the conveying device, the reference pin moving section 20 includes a linear motion section 30 and a drive section 35, and the multiple pin units 21 each include a placement piece 22, a pin section 23, a pressing section 24, and an advance / retract moving section 26. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately select or switch between two or more pin units 21 that hold one side of the workpiece 1 from among the multiple pin units 21 depending on conditions such as the size of the workpiece 1, the shape of the product 3, or the positions of the connection parts 2, 4a in the workpiece 1. Therefore, various types of workpieces 1 can be transported with high accuracy.

[0124] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the above description is merely an example of the present invention. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1 Work 1a Positioning hole 2 Connection 3 Products 4 Outer periphery 4a Connection 5 Cutout 10 Product Separation System 11 Conveyor section 11a Placement surface 12 First conveyor 12a Drive motor 13 Second conveyor 13a Drive motor 14 Third conveyor 14a Drive motor 14b Scrap detection sensor 15 Work positioning section 15a Work corner detection part 16 Workpiece placement table 16a Workpiece placement surface 16b Pedestal 17 Positioning guide 18 Sliding part 20 Reference pin moving part 21 pin unit 22 Placement piece 23 Pin section 23a Pin fitting 23b Vertical Slider 23c Vertical Cylinder 24 Presser section 24a Clasp 24b Vertical Cylinder 24c Horizontal Slider 24d Horizontal cylinder 25 Mounting frame 26 Advance / retreat moving part 26a Horizontal Slider 26b Horizontal cylinder 27 Solenoid valve 30 Linear motion section 31 Rail 32 Slide section 33 Belt Clasp 34 Support stand 35 Drive unit 36 Drive pulley 37 Passive pulley 38 Timing belt 39 Drive motor 40 Punch Press Section 41 Punching head part 42 Punch section 43 Pressing part 43a Drive motor 44 Holding part 45 Punching head moving part 45a Ball screw mechanism 45b Drive motor 46 Die Set Section 47 Die Section 48 Holding part 49 Collection Department 50 Die set moving part 50a ball screw mechanism 50b Drive motor 51 Gate Frame 60 Transfer robot 61 Robot body 62 Arm section 63 Robot Hand Club 64 Work holding unit 65A, 65B, 65C, 65D Work holding part 66 Adsorption part 66a Vacuum pad 66b Fall prevention valve 66c Pad arrival detector 67 Mounting frame 68 Vacuum Unit 69A, 69B, 69C, 69D position adjustment section 70 Robot control unit 70a Input section 70b Arithmetic unit 70c output section 70d storage section 70e power supply section 71 Product Holding Unit 72 Product detection unit 73A, 73B Product holding part 74 Adsorption part 74a Vacuum pad 74b Fall prevention valve 75 Mounting frame 76 Vacuum Unit 77A, 77B forward / backward movement section 80 Work supply positioning section 81 Supply positioning guide 82 Work corner detection part 85 Work supply cart 87 Product collection cart 88 Collection Box 90 Control section 90a Input section 90b Calculation Department 90c Output 90d Memory 90e Power Supply 91 Operation panel

Claims

1. A product separation system for separating a product connected by a connection portion from a workpiece, comprising: A transport unit that transports the workpiece; a work positioning unit that is disposed above the conveying unit and that positions the work in order to transfer the work to a predetermined position on the conveying unit; a reference pin moving section that is provided on one side of the transport section in the longitudinal direction and includes a plurality of pin units that are inserted into a plurality of positioning holes that are formed in advance on one side of the workpiece, and that moves the workpiece in synchronization with the transport section while positioning the workpiece at a predetermined position on the transport section using the pin units; a punch press unit that cuts off the connection portion of the workpiece being conveyed; a transfer robot that performs a first operation of transferring the work from a predetermined supply position to the work positioning unit, a second operation of transferring the work positioned by the work positioning unit from the work positioning unit to a predetermined position on the transport unit, and a third operation of transferring the product separated from the work from the transport unit to a predetermined product recovery position; and a control unit for controlling these operations.

2. The reference pin moving unit is a linear motion unit disposed on one side of the transport unit in a longitudinal direction, the linear motion unit having the plurality of pin units attached thereto at predetermined intervals; a drive unit that moves the plurality of pin units along the linear motion unit in synchronization with the transport unit, The plurality of pin units include A placement piece on which the one side portion of the workpiece is placed; A pin portion is disposed below the mounting piece and configured to be movable up and down to a position facing the mounting piece; A pressing part is arranged above the mounting piece, is movable up and down so as to fit into the pin part facing the mounting piece, and is configured to be movable forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the one side of the workpiece; The product separation system according to claim 1, further comprising an advancing / retreating moving section which moves a mounting frame to which the mounting piece, the pin section, and the pressing section are attached, forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the one side of the workpiece.

3. The control unit: The product separation system described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that, in parallel with controlling the transfer robot to perform the second operation, the reference pin moving unit is controlled so that the multiple pin units can receive the work at a predetermined position in the transport unit.

4. The control unit: A conveying operation of the workpiece by the conveying unit and the reference pin moving unit, and an alignment operation of the workpiece to the connection portion present in a conveying direction of the workpiece; Aligning the connection portion in the width direction of the workpiece by the punch press unit and cutting the connection portion; 2. The product separation system according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit configured to control the third operation by the transfer robot in parallel with the first operation.

5. The conveying unit is A first conveyor, a second conveyor, and a third conveyor are arranged in series, The first conveyor and the second conveyor are configured to be capable of forward and reverse rotation, The third conveyor is configured to be capable of rotating in a forward direction, The reference pin moving unit is The workpiece is transported in synchronization with the first conveyor and the second conveyor, The punch press unit is disposed between the first conveyor and the second conveyor, The workpiece positioning unit is attached to the upper portion of the punch press unit, The second operation by the transfer robot, an operation of inserting the plurality of positioning holes of the workpiece positioned by the workpiece positioning unit into the plurality of pin units moved to a reference position of the reference pin moving unit, and transferring the workpiece to a predetermined position on the second conveyor, The third operation is 2. The product separation system according to claim 1, further comprising an operation of transferring the product separated from the workpiece from the third conveyor to a predetermined product recovery position.

6. The punch press unit is A punching head unit disposed above a surface on which the workpiece is placed in the conveying unit; a punching head moving section that moves the punching head section in the width direction of the workpiece; A die set unit disposed below a surface on which the work is placed in the transport unit; a die set moving unit that moves the die set unit in the width direction of the workpiece while synchronizing with the punching head unit, The punching head portion is The punching device includes a punch section, a pressing section that presses the punch section downward, and a holding section that detachably holds the punch section, The die set unit is The product separation system according to claim 1 or claim 5, further comprising a die portion into which the tip of the punch portion is fitted, a holding portion that detachably holds the die portion, and a collection portion that collects cuttings of the cut connection portion.

7. The transfer robot, A robot body including an arm having a predetermined range of motion; a robot hand unit attached to a tip end of the arm unit, The robot hand unit, A workpiece holding unit for holding the workpiece; 2. The product separation system according to claim 1, further comprising a product holding unit for holding the product separated from the workpiece.

8. The workpiece holding unit is A plurality of workpiece holders for holding the workpiece; a position adjustment unit that adjusts the positions of the plurality of work holding units within a predetermined plane, The product holding unit comprises: A product detection unit that detects the product; One or more product holders for holding the product; The product separation system according to claim 7, further comprising an advancing / retreating movement unit that moves the product holding unit back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane.

9. The workpiece positioning unit is A workpiece mounting table has a substantially rectangular shape and a workpiece mounting surface that is inclined so that one corner is located lower than the other corners, The workpiece placement table is positioning guides provided on two sides intersecting at the one corner; A sliding portion provided on the workpiece mounting surface, 2. The product separation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the work placed on the work loading surface slides across the work loading surface due to gravity, and is positioned by two adjacent sides of the work abutting against the positioning guides.

10. The third operation by the transfer robot, 2. The product separation system according to claim 1, wherein the product separated from the workpiece is stacked on a product pallet arranged at the predetermined product recovery position according to shape.

11. Further, a work supply positioning unit is provided at the predetermined supply position, The work supply positioning unit is a supply positioning guide that brings the one side portion of the workpiece, which is supplied in a stacked state on a workpiece supply cart, into contact with one side portion adjacent to the one side portion; 2. The product separation system according to claim 1, further comprising a work corner detection unit that detects a corner formed by the one side portion and the other side portion of the work.

12. In a product separation system that separates a product connected by a connection part from a workpiece, a transfer robot for transferring the workpiece and the product, a robot hand unit attached to a tip end of an arm unit of a robot main body having a predetermined movable range, The robot hand unit, A workpiece holding unit for holding the workpiece; a product holding unit for holding the product separated from the workpiece, The workpiece holding unit is A plurality of workpiece holders for holding the workpiece; a position adjustment unit that adjusts the positions of the plurality of work holding units within a predetermined plane, The product holding unit comprises: A product detection unit that detects the product; One or more product holders for holding the product; A transfer robot comprising an advance / retract movement unit that moves the product holding unit forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the specified plane.

13. In a product separation system for separating a product connected by a connection portion from a workpiece, a conveying device for conveying the workpiece, A transport unit that transports the workpiece; A conveying device characterized in that it is provided with a plurality of pin units arranged on one longitudinal side of the conveying section and inserted into a plurality of positioning holes pre-formed on one side of the workpiece, and a reference pin moving section which moves the workpiece in synchronization with the conveying section while positioning the workpiece at a predetermined position on the conveying section using these pin units.

14. The reference pin moving unit is a linear motion unit disposed on one side of the transport unit in a longitudinal direction, the linear motion unit having the plurality of pin units attached thereto at predetermined intervals; a drive unit that moves the plurality of pin units along the linear motion unit in synchronization with the transport unit, The plurality of pin units include A placement piece on which the one side portion of the workpiece is placed; A pin portion is disposed below the mounting piece and configured to be movable up and down to a position facing the mounting piece; A pressing part is arranged above the mounting piece, is movable up and down so as to fit into the pin part facing the mounting piece, and is configured to be movable forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the one side of the workpiece; The conveying device according to claim 13, further comprising an advancing / retreating moving section which moves a mounting frame to which the mounting piece, the pin section, and the pressing section are attached, in a direction perpendicular to the one side section of the workpiece.

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