Binding system and binding processing program

Abstract

To provide a highly versatile binding system.SOLUTION: A binding system 1C binding an intersection point P at which reinforcing bars S intersect with respect to a workpiece B having the intersection point P, with a binding body W, comprises a control section 77 capable of selecting a binding condition of the binding body W with respect to the intersection point P. The control section 77 may be able to select a binding order of the binding body W with respect to a plurality of intersection points P as a binding condition. The control section 77 may be able to select an operation mode specifying the binding order of the binding body W with respect to the plurality of intersection points P.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bundling system equipped with a bundling machine that binds reinforcing bars with wire, and a bundling processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] Steel bars are used in concrete structures to increase their strength, and are bound together with wire by a binding machine to prevent the steel bars from shifting from their designated positions when concrete is poured. In the case of a workpiece in which multiple rebars are arranged crosswise, there are multiple intersections between the rebars. For such workpieces, it has been proposed to use a bundling robot equipped with a bundling machine that moves over the workpiece to bundle the rebars at each intersection. This bundling robot acquires intersections from a camera image of the work area, and moves around the work area in a spiral to perform bundling at each intersection in order (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Patent No. 110328662 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional bundling robots can acquire intersections from camera images and autonomously perform bundling work at each intersection within a work area. However, the above-mentioned bundling robot only performs control to spirally circulate within the work area and perform bundling at each intersection in order, and therefore lacks versatility in its work.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has an object to provide a bundling system and a bundling processing program that are highly versatile for bundling work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the binding system of the present invention is a binding system that binds a workpiece having an intersection where reinforcing bars intersect with a binding body, and is equipped with a control unit that can select the binding conditions of the binding body for the intersection.

[0007] In addition, the binding processing program of the present invention enables a computer that controls a binding system that binds a workpiece having an intersection where multiple reinforcing bars intersect with a binding element to realize the function of selecting the binding conditions of the binding element for the intersection. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, since the binding conditions of the binding body for the intersection can be selected, binding work can be performed according to various requirements for the work, thereby improving the versatility of the binding system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device body of the binding system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic control configuration of the binding system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view of the binding device in a position when performing a binding operation. [Figure 4] 3 is a schematic view of a workpiece on a holder table of a workpiece holder seen from above. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an intersection where bundling is performed in a first bundling direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an intersection where bundling is performed in a second bundling direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing intersections where bundling was performed with the "number of bundling times" set to two. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an intersection where bundling is performed once in the first direction and once in the second direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when bundling is performed in the order of (1) outer edge first pattern. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram of the operation when bundling is performed in the (2) center-first pattern. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when bundling is performed in the (3) horizontal feed pattern. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when bundling is performed in the (4) longitudinal feeding pattern. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when bundling is performed in the (5) corner-first pattern. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the distinction between "intersections located at corners," "intersections located on outer edges," and other intersections. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a workpiece viewed from above in which the area formed by the intersections to be bound has an irregular shape. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure when the bundling system executes bundling processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [Binding system configuration] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus main body 10C provided in a binding system 1C according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic control configuration of the binding system 1C. As shown in these figures, the binding system 1C binds a workpiece B, which is made up of multiple reinforcing bars S arranged in a lattice pattern, using wire W to form a binding body at the intersection P (see Figure 4) where the multiple reinforcing bars S intersect. Specifically, the binding system 1C includes a device main body 10C and a control device 7C.

[0012] The device main body 10C includes a workpiece holding unit 2, an overall photographing unit 3, a robot arm 4, an individual photographing unit 5, and a binding device 6C. Of these, the workpiece holding unit 2 is disposed inside a stand 11 of the device main body 10C, and the overall photographing unit 3, the robot arm 4, the individual photographing unit 5, and the binding device 6C are mounted on the stand 11. In the following description, the X, Y, and Z directions refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1. The X, Y, and Z directions are perpendicular to each other, the XY plane is a substantially horizontal plane, and the Z direction is a direction substantially along the vertical. For convenience, the X, Y, and Z directions are assumed to coincide with the directions of the robot coordinate system of the robot arm 4, which will be described later.

[0013] The mount 11 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the X direction, and includes four pillars 12 erected at the four corners in the X and Y directions, and four beams 13 that span the upper ends of the pillars 12 in the X and Y directions. Of the area inside the stand 11, approximately half on one side in the X direction (the right side in Figure 1) is the photography area E1 where photography is performed by the overall photography unit 3, and the half on the other side (the left side in Figure 1) is the binding area E2 where binding work is performed by the robot arm 4 and the binding device 6C.

[0014] <Work holding part> The workpiece holding unit 2 holds the workpiece B and moves the held workpiece B between the photography area E1 and the binding area E2. Specifically, the workpiece holding unit 2 includes a holding table 21 that holds the workpiece B, rails 22 that movably support the holding table 21, and a drive motor 23 that drives the rails 22. The holder 21 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate with four sides aligned along the X and Y directions. Support plates 211 that support a plurality of reinforcing bars S that constitute the workpiece B are erected on the four sides of the holder 21. The support plates 211 have a plurality of U-shaped grooves 211a that open upward, and the reinforcing bars S are inserted into the U-shaped grooves 211a. The multiple reinforcing bars S are arranged in a lattice pattern along the X and Y directions with their ends inserted into the U-shaped grooves 211a of the support plates 211. The rails 22 are laid along the X direction and guide the holder 21 in the X direction. In this embodiment, the rails 22 are laid so that the holder 21 (work B) can move at least between the photographing area E1 and the binding area E2. However, the rails 22 may be configured to extend to the outside of the platform 11 so that the work B can be moved to a work process before or after binding. The drive motor 23 is a drive source that moves the holder 21. The drive motor 23 moves the holder 21 to the photographing area E1 and the binding area E2 based on a drive command from the control device 7C.

[0015] <Overall Photography Department> The overall photographing unit 3 photographs the entire workpiece B in the photographing area E1. Specifically, the overall photographing unit 3 includes a first camera 31 arranged above the photographing area E1, and a moving mechanism 32 that movably supports the first camera 31. The first camera 31 is positioned facing downward and photographs the workpiece B held by the workpiece holder 2 from above in the photographing area E1 to acquire signal information including distance information from the rebar and image information of the workpiece. Specifically, the first camera 31 in this embodiment is a compound-eye (e.g., four-eye) stereo camera (RGB-D camera) that acquires image information in the XY plane as well as distance information in the depth direction (up and down direction), and outputs the information to the control device 7C. The first camera 31 is an example of a second information acquisition unit according to the present invention. Note that the sensor type of the first camera 31 is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire distance information (depth information) along with image information, and may be, for example, a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor. Furthermore, sensors such as a 3D laser scanner or LiDAR (light detection and ranging) may be used instead of a camera. The movement mechanism 32 includes a Y-direction slider 33 extending along the Y direction. The Y-direction slider 33 is suspended on a beam 13 extending along the X direction and supported by the beam 13 so as to be movable in the X direction. A first camera 31 is suspended from the Y-direction slider 33 so as to be movable in the Y direction. The movement mechanism 32 drives a drive source (not shown) based on a control command from the control device 7C, and moves the first camera 31 to a predetermined position (XY coordinates). The moving mechanism 32 is used to photograph the entire workpiece B multiple times in order to obtain an image of the workpiece B with the desired resolution. Therefore, depending on the performance of the first camera 31 and the shape of the workpiece B, the moving mechanism 32 may include an X-direction slider that moves the Y-direction slider 33 in the X direction, or may move the first camera 31 in only one of the X and Y directions, or may not be provided at all. Furthermore, if the photographing range of the first camera 31 is such that the entire workpiece B or the support table 21 located in the photographing area E1 can be photographed in one go, the first camera 31 may be configured to be fixedly supported at a fixed point.

[0016] <Robot arm> The robot arm 4 is an example of a moving body according to the present invention, and is equipped with an individual photographing unit 5 and a binding device 6C, and moves the individual photographing unit 5 and the binding device 6C to desired positions in the binding area E2. The robot arm 4 of this embodiment includes a movement mechanism 46, a robot arm main body 40, and a controller 49.

[0017] The movement mechanism 46 moves the robot arm body 40. The movement mechanism 46 of this embodiment includes a Y-direction slider 461 that is hung on the beam 13 of the base 11. The Y-direction slider 461 moves the robot arm body 40 in the Y direction. However, the specific configuration of the moving mechanism 46 is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a mechanism for moving the robot arm body 40 in the X direction. Furthermore, if the operating range of the robot arm body 40 can cover the entire binding area E2 without relying on the moving mechanism 46, the moving mechanism 46 may not be provided.

[0018] The robot arm body 40 is a ceiling-suspended vertical articulated robot, and is installed facing downward on a Y-direction slider 461 suspended on the beam 13 in the binding area E2. Specifically, the robot arm body 40 includes a base 41, a plurality of arms 42, an end effector 43, and a plurality of joints 44. The robot arm body 40 is not limited to a vertical articulated robot, as long as it can move the individual photographing unit 5 and binding device 6C mounted thereon.

[0019] The arms 42 are connected in series with the base portion 41 as the base end. The base portion 41 is mounted on a Y-direction slider 461 of the movement mechanism 46 and is supported so as to be movable in the Y direction. The plurality of joints 44 rotatably connect the base 41, the plurality of arms 42, and the end effector 43. Each joint 44 is provided with a motor 441 that drives the arm 42 (or the end effector 43) connected to the tip side of the joint 44, and an encoder 442 that detects the position (speed) of the motor 441 and outputs the position (speed) to the controller 49. The end effector 43 is connected to the tips of the multiple arms 42. The end effector 43 is equipped with an individual photographing unit 5 and a binding device 6C. Note that the specific configuration is not particularly limited as long as the tip of the robot arm main body 40 is equipped with the individual photographing unit 5 and the binding device 6C. For example, the individual photographing unit 5 may be fixed to the joint unit 44 on the tip side, and the binding device 6C may be connected as an end effector via a tool changer.

[0020] Based on control commands from the control device 7C, the controller 49 controls the operation of each part of the robot arm 4. Specifically, the controller 49 operates each motor 441 and the moving mechanism 46, and outputs information acquired by each encoder 442 to the control device 7C. The controller 49 may locally control the operations of the individual photographing unit 5 and the binding device 6C mounted thereon based on a control command from the control device 7C.

[0021] <Individual Photography Department> The individual photographing unit 5 is mounted on the tip of the robot arm 4, and individually photographs the intersections P of the rebars S to be bundled in the binding area E2 with a higher resolution than that of the overall photographing unit 3. Specifically, the individual photographing unit 5 includes a second camera 51, an elevation motor 52, and a lighting unit 53. The second camera 51 is attached to the end effector 43 of the robot arm 4 facing the tip (downward) and captures an image of the intersection P of the rebar S to be bundled from above. The second camera 51 is provided so as to be movable toward the tip (up and down) relative to the end effector 43. The second camera 51 in this embodiment is, for example, an RGB camera, and acquires image information (color image) of the intersection P to be bundled and outputs it to the control device 7C. The second camera 51 is an example of a second information acquisition unit according to the present invention. Note that the type of sensor of the second camera 51 is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire an image of at least one intersection P (signal information of the intersection of the rebars including the image). The lifting motor 52 is a drive source that moves (lifts) the second camera 51 toward the tip (up and down) relative to the end effector 43. The lighting unit 53 is disposed slightly in front of the second camera 51 in the shooting direction and around the shooting range, and illuminates the object to be shot by the second camera 51. The lighting unit 53 of this embodiment has a plurality of light sources (projectors, not shown) that can illuminate the object to be shot by the second camera 51 from different angles. The lighting unit 53 may be configured to irradiate patterned light from a plurality of directions and to acquire three-dimensional information about the periphery of the intersection P in cooperation with the second camera 51.

[0022] <Binding machine> FIG. 3 is a side view of the binding device 6C in a position when performing a binding operation. The binding device 6C is mounted on the tip of the robot arm 4. The binding device 6C includes a rebar binding machine 61C that binds intersections P of the rebars S that make up the workpiece B with wire W, a slack forming unit 62C that pulls out the wire W from a reel 63C and forms slack in the wire W between the binding machine 61C and the reel 63C, and a control unit 64C that causes the rebar binding machine 61C to perform the binding operation and the slack forming unit 62C to form slack in the wire W in accordance with an operation command from the control device 7C.

[0023] The reinforcing bar binding machine 61C has an entrance section 611C through which two wires W are fed from outside the housing along the feed direction F shown in the figure, and the two wires W fed into the interior from the entrance section 611C are wound around the reinforcing bar S, and the two wires W wound around the reinforcing bar S are fed in the reverse feed direction R to be wrapped around the reinforcing bar S and cut, and then the wires W are twisted and the reinforcing bar S is bound with the wires W.

[0024] For this reason, the binding machine 61C is equipped with a wire feeding section that feeds the wire W, a wire guide 612C that guides the wire W, a curl guide 613C and a guide guide 614C that wind the wire W around the reinforcing bar S, a cutting section that cuts the wire W wound around the reinforcing bar S, and a binding section that twists the wire W wound around the reinforcing bar S.

[0025] The wire guide 612C is provided in front of the entrance 611C and guides the two wires W to enter along the feeding direction F into the entrance 611C.

[0026] The wire feeding unit is located inside the entrance portion 611C, and clamps two wires W between a pair of feed gears and feeds them in a feed direction F. The wire feeding unit is equipped with a feed motor 615C (see FIG. 2) that serves as a drive source. This feed motor 615C feeds the two wires W in the feed direction F by driving it in a forward rotation, and the wires W can be wound around the reinforcing bar S by the curl guide 613C and the induction guide 614C located at the end of the motor. In addition, the feed motor 615C feeds the two wires W in the reverse feed direction R by driving it in a reverse rotation, and the reinforcing bar S can be tightened by the wires W.

[0027] The cutting unit is located inside the entrance 611C, further back than the wire feed unit. The cutting unit has a movable blade and a fixed blade (not shown), and the movable blade shares a drive source with the binding unit. The movable blade can be moved toward the fixed blade by a torsion motor 616C (see Figure 2), which is the drive source for the binding unit, to cut the two wires. The drive source for the cutting unit may be provided separately and independently.

[0028] 3 is supported by an end effector 43 at the tip of the robot arm 4, and performs binding operations with the rotation axis Zr of the end effector 43 parallel to the Z direction (vertical up-down direction) described above. The binding device 6C is set so that the position where the wire W is bound to the rebar S is located on the axis of the rotation axis Zr, and during binding, the robot arm 4 positions the binding device 6C so that the intersection P of the rebar S is located on the axis of the rotation axis Zr.

[0029] The curl guide 613C and the induction guide 614C are located at the tip end of the binding machine 61C (the lower end during binding operation), and are disposed on both sides of the above-mentioned rotation axis Zr. The curl guide 613C has its base end positioned at the end of the entrance 611C in the feed direction F, and a guide path is formed inside to curl the wire W as it moves from the base end to the tip end of the curl guide 613C.

[0030] The induction guide 614C is positioned opposite the curl guide 613C, and has a guide path formed inside that receives the wire W curled by the curl guide 613C from the tip end and guides the wire W to the base end while maintaining the curled state. The curl guide 613C and the induction guide 614C cooperate to deform the wire W into a loop and wind it around the reinforcing bar S.

[0031] The bundling unit has a locking member that captures the wire W wound around the reinforcing bar S between the base end of the guiding guide 614C and the base end of the curl guide 613C. The locking member is rotatably supported inside the bundling machine 61C about a rotation axis that is concentric with the aforementioned pivot axis Zr, and torque for rotational drive is applied to the locking member by the aforementioned torsion motor 616C. After the wire W is cut by the cutting unit, the locking member is rotationally driven by the torsion motor 616C, and can twist both ends of the wire W to bind the reinforcing bar S.

[0032] Two reels 63C for the wire W are rotatably supported side by side on one side of the bundling machine 61C in the direction along the rotation axis Zr (the upper side during bundling operation). The two reels 63C are rotatable around an axis extending perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 3 and are arranged side by side in the same direction.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the slack forming portion 62C is disposed on one side of the binding machine 61C and the two reels 63C in the orthogonal direction Xw that is orthogonal to the rotation axis Zr. The slack forming section 62C has a first slack forming section 621C and a second slack forming section 622C that move past each other, and a slack forming motor 623C that serves as a drive source for these moving past each other.

[0034] The aforementioned feed direction F of the wire W is generally parallel to a plane parallel to the pivot axis Zr and the orthogonal direction Xw. Furthermore, the upstream side of the feed direction F of the wire W is slightly inclined upward in the plane of the paper in FIG. 3 with respect to the orthogonal direction Xw. The first slack forming portion 621C and the second slack forming portion 622C each hold a roller around which two wires W are wound.

[0035] The first slack forming unit 621C and the second slack forming unit 622C perform a passing operation generally along the feed direction F, thereby extending the path length of the wire W from the reel 63C to the inlet 611C of the binding machine 61C and pulling out the wire W from the reel 63C. Furthermore, the first slack forming unit 621C and the second slack forming unit 622C perform a returning operation after the passing operation, thereby imparting slack to the wire W by the amount pulled out from the reel 63C.

[0036] Incidentally, the two wires W are required to be fed into the inlet 611C of the binding machine 61C in a direction close to the feeding direction F, that is, at an incident angle close to the feeding direction F. The feeding direction F is a direction suitable for deforming the wire W into an appropriate loop shape by the curl guide 613C and the induction guide 614C located at the end of the feeding direction. In order to supply the wire W to the entrance 611C of the binding machine 61C along the feed direction F, the slack forming unit 62C is arranged so that the path from the downstream second slack forming unit 622C to the entrance 611C of the binding machine 61C follows the feed direction F. During passing operations, the second slack forming unit 622C moves away from the entrance 611C of the binding machine 61C along the feed direction F.

[0037] Therefore, the binding device 6C is disposed so that the slack forming portion 62C largely protrudes on one side (the right side of the paper in FIG. 3) in the direction Xw perpendicular to the binding machine 61C (swivel axis Zr). The second camera 51 and the lighting unit 53 of the individual photographing section 5 are disposed on the left side of the binding machine 61C of the binding device 6C in FIG.

[0038] <Control device> The control device 7C is a computer that comprehensively controls the binding system 1C. Specifically, the control device 7C includes an operation unit 72, a display unit 73, a storage unit 76C, and a control unit 77C. The operation unit 72 is an operation means by which the user performs various operations to operate the control device 7C, and includes, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard. The display unit 73 is configured with, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or other display, and displays various information based on a display signal from the control unit 77 C. The display unit 73 may be a touch panel that also serves as part of the operation unit 72, or may output audio.

[0039] The storage unit 76C is a memory configured from RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and stores various programs and data, and also functions as a work area for the control unit 77C. The storage unit 76C of this embodiment stores in advance a bundling processing program 761C that executes processing related to bundling, which will be described later. In addition, the memory unit 76C, which serves as a recording device, stores image data 762C captured by the first camera 31 and the second camera 51, map data 763C recording information about the work B, first binding condition data 764C storing various binding conditions selected and set by the user as described below, second binding condition data 765C storing various binding conditions prepared in advance for executing multiple operation modes as described below, machine information data 766C indicating the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of the binding device 6C, and surrounding information data 767C indicating the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of obstacles around the robot arm 4 deployed in the coordinate system of the robot arm 4.

[0040] The control unit 77C is configured with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the operation of each unit of the control device 7C. Specifically, the control unit 77C operates each unit of the control device 7C based on the operation content of the operation unit 72, loads a program stored in advance in the storage unit 76C, and executes various processes in cooperation with the loaded program.

[0041] <Intersection information acquisition process> The control unit 77C functions as an intersection information acquisition means for acquiring information about the intersections P where the plurality of reinforcing bars S of the work B intersect, by executing the bundling processing program 761C described above. As described above, the control unit 77C controls the device main body 10C to bind the plurality of reinforcing bars S of the workpiece B at the intersection P where they intersect with the wire W as a binding body.

[0042] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of workpiece B held on support plate 211 of holder 21 of workpiece holder 2, viewed from above in the Z direction. Note that in this schematic diagram, the number of reinforcing bars S of workpiece B is shown to be fewer than in Fig. 1. Also, the multiple double circles in the figure are marks indicating the positions of intersections P, and do not represent objects that actually exist on workpiece B. Furthermore, because there are so many reinforcing bars S and intersections P in the figure, only some are labeled. The same applies to the other Figs. 9 to 15.

[0043] The workpiece B has a grid-like structure in which a plurality of rebars S arranged in the Y direction are placed on top of a plurality of rebars S arranged in the X direction. Note that the rebars S arranged in the X direction and the rebars S arranged in the Y direction may be reversed. Also, although the multiple rebars S arranged in each direction are illustrated as being arranged at uniform intervals, the intervals between the rebars S may be uneven. The lengths may also be uneven. Each position where the center lines of multiple reinforcing bars S aligned along the X direction and multiple reinforcing bars S aligned along the Y direction intersect when viewed from the Z direction is an intersection point P, and the binding system 1C can use each of these intersection points P as the binding target.

[0044] The control of the bundling operation by the control unit 77C requires information about the intersection points P for identifying the positions of the intersection points P where the reinforcing bars S of the work B intersect. Therefore, the control unit 77C, which functions as an intersection information acquisition means, executes a first acquisition process to acquire the position of each intersection P from image data 762C captured by the first camera 31 or the second camera 51, and a second acquisition process to acquire map data 763C from outside the binding system 1C.

[0045] The control unit 77C may be configured to be able to execute only one of the first acquisition process and the second acquisition process. For example, if control unit 77C is configured to be able to execute only the first acquisition process, storage unit 76C may be configured not to hold map data 763C.

[0046] In the first acquisition process performed by the control unit 77C, when the image data 762C of the workpiece B on the support table 21 photographed by the first camera 31 or the second camera 51 is two-dimensional planar image data, the control unit 77C extracts the position of the outline of each rebar S in the image using well-known image processing, determines the center line passing through the center of each rebar S, identifies the position where the center lines of each rebar S intersect, and acquires these as the position of the intersection point P. Furthermore, height information of the intersection point P may be obtained by photographing the workpiece B on the support table 21 two or more times while changing the relative position between the first camera 31 or the second camera 51 and the workpiece B, and calculating the height of each position in the image using parallax. This provides three-dimensional position data of all intersection points P of the rebars S of the workpiece B, which can then be expanded into the coordinate system of the robot arm 4 to acquire information about the intersection points P for identifying their positions.

[0047] Furthermore, if the image data 762C of the first camera 31 or the second camera 51 is image data that includes three-dimensional position information, the position information indicated by the image data is expanded into the coordinate system of the robot arm 4 to obtain information about the intersection point P for identifying the position of the intersection point P.

[0048] The second acquisition process performed by the control unit 77C is a process in which the control unit 7C is equipped with a communication device (not shown) that communicates with the outside of the binding system 1C, and requests and acquires map data 763C from another external information processing terminal via a communication network or the like. Alternatively, the control device 7C may be provided with a reading device (not shown) that reads a storage medium storing the map data 763C, and the map data 763C may be acquired by reading from the storage medium.

[0049] The map data 763C records design information of the work B, and includes basic dimensions and three-dimensional position information of each reinforcing bar S, and three-dimensional position information of each intersection P. Therefore, the control unit 77C that executes the second acquisition process acquires information about the intersection P to identify the position of the intersection P by expanding the three-dimensional position information of each intersection P obtained from the map data 763C into the coordinate system of the robot arm 4.

[0050] <Selection of binding conditions> By executing the aforementioned binding processing program 761C, the control unit 77C accepts the selection of the binding conditions for the wire W for the intersection P of the multiple reinforcing bars S of the work B, generates the first binding condition data 764C, and stores it in the memory unit 76C. The control of the bundling operation by the control unit 77C is in accordance with various bundling conditions. The various bundling conditions can be set and input by the user from the operation unit 72 serving as a condition input unit, and the control unit 77C selects the various set bundling conditions and controls the operation of the bundling work. Various binding conditions will now be described. Note that the binding conditions described below are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.

[0051] The binding conditions included in the first binding condition data 764C include the "presence or absence of binding," "binding direction," "number of bindings," and "binding strength" for each intersection P. Furthermore, the bundling condition includes the "bundling order" for the multiple intersections P of work B. These binding conditions will be explained individually.

[0052] The bundling condition "whether to bundle or not" is selected individually for all intersections P in work B. "whether to bundle or not" is a setting for whether or not each intersection P is to be bound. In other words, it is possible to select whether or not to bundle each intersection P in work B. For "whether or not to bundle," the user inputs via the operation unit 72 whether or not each intersection P of the work B is to be bundled, and the control unit 77C selects the intersection P that is to be bundled and performs the binding.

[0053] The "binding direction" as a binding condition is selected individually for all intersections P that are to be bound within the work B. The "binding direction" will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan views showing two types of bundling directions with respect to the intersection P. When viewed from above in the Z direction, the wire W bundled at the intersection P between the X-direction rebar S and the Y-direction rebar S is in one of two directions, inclined at approximately 45 degrees with respect to both the X and Y directions, as shown in FIG. 5 or as shown in FIG. 6. Here, the bundling direction along the diagonally upward right direction on the paper surface of FIG. 5 is referred to as the first direction, and the bundling direction along the diagonally upward left direction on the paper surface of FIG. 6 is referred to as the second direction. The "binding direction" of the binding conditions indicates whether the wire W should be bound in the first direction or the second direction. The "binding direction" here refers to the direction in which the wire W is aligned after binding when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the planar workpiece B.

[0054] The binding device 6C of the binding system 1C is designed to use two wires W for binding in one binding operation, and the two wires W shown in Figures 5 and 6 show the state after one binding operation. The same applies to the subsequent figures. After bundling, both ends of each wire W are twisted to form wound portions, but the wound portions are not shown in FIG. 5 and subsequent figures.

[0055] The "number of times of bundling" as a bundling condition is selected individually for all intersections P that are the target of bundling within the work B. The "number of times of bundling" will be described with reference to FIG. The "number of bundling operations" is the number of times the bundling device 6C performs bundling operations on one intersection P. The number of wires W used for bundling is proportional to the number of bundling operations. Figure 7 shows the bundling state when the "number of bundling operations" is set to two. As mentioned above, two wires W are used in one bundling operation, so bundling is performed with four wires W on the intersection P. The "number of bundling operations" can be selected from one to multiple times. However, there is a limit to the number of times because if the number of operations is repeated, the bundle of wires W bundling at the intersection P will become too large.

[0056] Furthermore, the "number of times of bundling" as a bundling condition may be selectable in combination with the above-mentioned "bundling direction." For example, both the first and second directions may be selected as the "binding direction," and the "number of bindings" may be selected for each direction. Figure 8 shows the binding state when one binding is selected for the first direction and one binding is selected for the second direction. In this case, the order of the bundling operation in the first direction and the bundling operation in the second direction may also be selectable as a bundling condition.

[0057] The "binding strength" as a binding condition is selected individually for all intersections P to be bound within the work B. The "binding strength" indicates the winding strength of the wire W that binds the intersections P. This "binding strength" may be selected numerically or by a level of strength (for example, strong, medium, weak, etc.). As described above, the binding device 6C forms a wound portion by twisting both ends of the wire W. The "binding strength" can be determined by the magnitude of the torque generated by the torsion motor 616C of the binding device 6C that performs the twisting operation on the wire W. For example, if there is a correlation between the torque output by the torsion motor 616C and the current value flowing through the torsion motor 616C, the control unit 77C monitors the current value flowing through the torsion motor 616C of the binding device 6C and controls the torsion motor 616C to twist both ends of the wire W until the current value reaches a value that results in a torque corresponding to the selection of "binding strength."

[0058] The "binding order" as a binding condition will now be described. The "binding order" can be selected from patterns such as (1) outer edge first, (2) center first, (3) horizontal feed (Y direction), (4) vertical feed (X direction), and (5) corner first. Note that these patterns are merely examples, and other patterns may also be selectable. For example, when the user selects and sets one of the patterns (1) to (5) through the operation unit 72, the control unit 77C executes bundling for the multiple intersections P in accordance with the order determined in one of the selected patterns.

[0059] 9 shows the order of progress for each intersection P in the (1) outer edge first pattern. When the (1) outer edge first pattern is selected, the control unit 77C performs bundling with priority to the intersection P located on the outer edge of the area where all the intersections P to be bound of the work B exist. For example, if all intersections P shown in Figure 9 are targets of bundling and the area in which the intersections P exist is rectangular, the control unit 77C will first perform bundling on the intersections P located at the four corners and outer edges along the four sides of the rectangular area.

[0060] In this (1) outer edge first pattern, bundling starts from an intersection P located at one of the four corners, and bundling is performed for each intersection P while going around the outer edge of the area where the intersection P exists in a predetermined direction. The user may be able to select from the operation unit 72 which of the four corners to start bundling from, or it may be decided in advance that a corner at a predetermined position will be the starting position. 9 illustrates a case where binding is performed by rotating clockwise on the paper surface of the figure, but this is not limiting and may be performed counterclockwise. The rotation direction may be selectable by the user using the operation unit 72, or a default rotation direction may be determined in advance.

[0061] Furthermore, in this (1) outer edge first pattern, for intersections P other than the outer edge, as in the example of Figure 9, binding can be performed for each intersection P while going around the outer edge of the area consisting of the remaining intersections P in a predetermined direction, and similar binding can be repeated inward until binding is completed for all intersections P. In this case, it is preferable that the direction of each revolution is opposite to that of the previous revolution for each revolution. The robot arm body 40 of the robot arm 4 that moves the binding device 6C performs binding operations while rotating with its rotation axis about an axis along the Z direction aligned with the center position of the workpiece B, but the range of rotation angle of the robot arm body 40 about the axis along the Z direction may be limited to a range of around 360°. When performing binding by circling as described above, the influence of the limited rotation angle range of the robot arm body 40 can be reduced by alternately switching the rotation direction. If the range of rotation angles of the robot arm body 40 is sufficiently wide, it may rotate continuously in a fixed direction.

[0062] FIG. 10 shows the order of progress for each intersection P in the (2) center-first pattern. When this (2) center-first pattern is selected, the control unit 77C starts bundling from the intersection P that is closest to the center of the area in which all of the intersections P to be bound of the work B exist. The center of the area may be defined as, for example, the geometric center (center of gravity). Also, if the area in which all of the intersections P to be bound of the work B exist is not rectangular, the center of gravity of the rectangle in which the area is inscribed may be defined as the center of the area.

[0063] For example, if all the intersections P shown in FIG. 10 are targets of bundling and the area in which the intersections P exist is rectangular, the control unit 77C, when (2) selecting a center-first pattern, starts from the central intersection P, moves to the intersections P located around it, and performs bundling in order toward the outer intersections P while going around.

[0064] In this (2) center-first pattern, the rotation direction alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise on the paper surface for each revolution, as shown in Figure 10. The reason for this is the same as the reason for alternately switching the rotation direction in the (1) outer edge-first pattern described above. Therefore, if the range of rotation angles of the robot arm body 40 is sufficiently wide, it may rotate continuously in a fixed direction.

[0065] 11 shows the order of progress for each intersection P in the (3) horizontal feed pattern. When this (3) horizontal feed pattern is selected, the control unit 77C starts binding from the row of intersection P closest to one side in the Y direction among the rows of intersection P lined up along the X direction in the area where all of the intersections P to be bound of the work B exist, and continues binding row by row in the Y direction.

[0066] The user may be able to select and set from the operation unit 72 which of the rows of intersection points P aligned along the X direction should start bundling from both ends in the Y direction, or which of the rows of intersection points P aligned along the X direction should start bundling from, or these may be determined in advance. 11 illustrates an example in which the direction of binding in a row of intersections P aligned along the X direction is opposite to that of the previous row. This reduces the amount of movement of work B to all of the intersections P, enabling work to be performed quickly.

[0067] 11, the rows of intersections P aligned along the X direction are bound one row at a time in the Y direction, but this is not limiting. For example, among the rows of intersections P aligned along the X direction, binding may be performed alternately between the row on one end side in the Y direction and the row on the other end side, and binding may be completed at the middle row in the Y direction.

[0068] 12 shows the order of progress for each intersection P in the (4) vertical feed pattern. When the (4) vertical feed pattern is selected, the control unit 77C starts binding from the row of intersection P closest to one side in the X direction among the rows of intersection P lined up along the Y direction in the area where all of the intersections P to be bound of the work B exist, and continues binding row by row in the X direction.

[0069] The user may be able to select and set from the operation unit 72 which row at both ends in the X direction of the rows of intersection points P lined up along multiple Y directions from which to start bundling, or which intersection point P at both ends of the rows of intersection points P lined up along the Y direction from which to start bundling, or these may be determined in advance. 12 illustrates an example in which the direction of binding in a row of intersections P aligned along the Y direction is opposite to that of the previous row. This reduces the amount of movement of work B to all of the intersections P, enabling work to be performed quickly.

[0070] 12, the rows of intersections P aligned along the Y direction are bound one row at a time in the X direction, but this is not limiting. For example, among the rows of intersections P aligned along the Y direction, binding may be performed alternately between the row on one end side in the X direction and the row on the other end side, and binding may be completed at the middle row in the X direction.

[0071] 13 shows the order of progress for each intersection P in the (5) corner-first pattern. When this (5) corner-first pattern is selected, the control unit 77C first performs bundling for the intersection P located at the corner in the area where all the intersections P to be bound of the work B exist. For example, if all intersections P shown in FIG. 13 are targets of bundling and the area in which the intersections P exist is rectangular, the control unit 77C identifies the intersections P located at the corners of the rectangle and performs bundling first.

[0072] In this (5) corner-first pattern, binding is performed for each intersection P located at the four corners in a predetermined order. The order in which the four corner intersections P are bound may be selectable and set by the user using the operation unit 72, or a default order may be determined in advance. For example, binding may be performed starting from the first of the four corner intersections P and moving around, or binding may be performed on the intersection P located diagonally opposite the first of the four corner intersections P, and binding may be performed in the same manner on the remaining two corner intersections P.

[0073] In addition, in this (5) corner-first pattern, any of the above-mentioned patterns (1) to (4) may be executed for the bundling order for intersections P other than corners. Therefore, when selecting the (5) corner-first pattern, any of the patterns (1) to (4) may be selectable for intersections P other than corners. This selection may be made selectable and set by the user from the operation unit 72, or any of the patterns (1) to (4) may be predetermined as a default setting.

[0074] Incidentally, when a selection is made regarding the "order of binding" as a binding condition, the control unit 77C needs to identify "intersection P located at the corner" and "intersection P located at the outer edge" within the area in which the intersection P exists. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram in which "A" is written for "intersections P located at corners," "B" is written for "intersections P located on the outer edge," and "C" is written for other intersections P.

[0075] The control unit 77C identifies an intersection P that has two other adjacent intersection points P, such as the intersection P marked with "A" within the area Ra surrounded by the dotted line in Figure 14, as an "intersection P located at a corner." In addition, the control unit 77C identifies an intersection P that has three or fewer adjacent intersections P, such as the intersection P marked with "B" within the area Rb surrounded by the dotted line in Figure 14, as an "intersection P located on the outer edge." Then, the control unit 77C identifies an intersection P that has four adjacent intersections P, such as the intersection P marked with "C" in the area Rc surrounded by the dotted line in Figure 14, as an intersection P other than an "intersection P located at a corner" and an "intersection P located at the outer edge."

[0076] It should be noted that the above-mentioned "adjacent intersections P" refers to intersections adjacent to each other via reinforcing bars S. In other words, it refers to intersections P adjacent to each other in the X or Y direction, and does not include intersections P diagonally adjacent to each other in the X or Y direction. Furthermore, when we say "an intersection P located on the outer edge," we mean an intersection with three or fewer other adjacent intersections P, so it also includes an "intersection P located at a corner" with two other adjacent intersections P.

[0077] Furthermore, patterns (1) to (5) of the "binding order" have been explained using the example of all intersections P being the target of binding and the area in which the intersections P exist being rectangular, but there are also cases where some intersections P are not the target of binding, or where the work B is not a rectangular planar grid but has a shape with some parts missing. For example, if work B is installed in a location where there is an obstacle such as a pillar, a portion of the rebar S will be removed to avoid the obstacle before or after the tying work at intersection P, resulting in a missing shape. Also, intersection P that is within the range where a portion of the rebar S is expected to be removed due to an obstacle may not be subject to tying.

[0078] 15 is a schematic diagram of the workpiece B on the support table 21 viewed from above, showing a case where some of the intersections P are not subject to binding or where part of the rebar S of the workpiece B has been removed, causing part of the rectangle to be missing, resulting in an irregular shape of the area to be bound. Note that all of the intersections P marked with double circles in this figure are considered to be subject to binding.

[0079] Even in the case of an area with such an irregular shape, the control unit 77C can perform binding in the order defined in the patterns (1) to (5) by identifying the "intersection P located at the corner," the "intersection P located at the outer edge," and other intersections P according to the definitions described above.

[0080] For example, as shown in Figure 15, all intersections P numbered on the inside are "intersections P located on the outer edge," and among these intersections P, the intersections P numbered "1," "7," "13," "17," and "21" are "intersections P located at the corners."

[0081] Therefore, in the (1) outer edge first pattern, bundling may be performed first at the intersections P numbered "1" to "33." In this case, bundling may be performed in numerical order, for example. In the center-first pattern (2), the center of the region is found according to the definition described above, and binding is performed from the intersection P closest to the center. In the (3) horizontal feed pattern, binding may be performed for a plurality of rows of intersections P aligned along the X direction in the above-described order. In addition, in the (4) vertical feed pattern, binding may be performed in the above-mentioned order for a plurality of rows of intersection points P aligned along the Y direction. In addition, in the (5) corner-first pattern, binding may be performed first at the intersections P numbered "1," "7," "13," "17," and "21."

[0082] As described above, in the bundling system 1C, the above-mentioned bundling conditions, namely, "whether to bundle," "bundling direction," "number of bundling times," "bundling strength," and "bundling order," can all be selected and set by the user via the operation unit 72. When these selections are made, the control unit 77C generates first bundling condition data 764C that defines the bundling conditions in accordance with the selected settings, and records the data in the storage unit 76C. The control unit 77C can read out this first binding condition data 764C any number of times, and can read out the same first binding condition data 764C for multiple works B each time and perform binding operation control according to the same binding conditions. If the user selects and sets different content for each of the above bundling conditions from the operation unit 72, new first bundling condition data 764C is generated and recorded in the storage unit 76C. In this case, each of the first bundling condition data 764C is recorded with identification information so that the existing first bundling condition data 764C and the new first bundling condition data 764C can be distinguished from each other, and the configuration is such that individual first bundling condition data 764C can be selected to execute bundling operation control.

[0083] <Operation mode as a binding condition> Furthermore, in order to reduce the workload of the user in selecting and setting all of the binding conditions from the operation unit 72, the memory unit 76C stores a plurality of second binding condition data 765C in which the contents of "whether or not to bind," "binding direction," "number of bindings," "binding strength," and "binding order" are predetermined. The multiple second bundling condition data 765C are each individually associated with multiple operating modes, and the control unit 77C can read out the corresponding second bundling condition data 765C according to the selected operating mode and perform the bundling operation for each intersection P. The operation modes include, for example, a "standard mode," a "strength priority mode," a "speed priority mode," etc. These various operation modes will be described below.

[0084] The "standard mode" is a mode for performing standard bundling. In principle, this "standard mode" can be executed by the user's selection. Also, even if the user inputs the execution of the bundling operation without selecting "whether to bundle," "bundling direction," "number of bundlings," "bundling strength," or "bundling order," and without selecting an operation mode, the "standard mode" is automatically selected and the bundling operation is executed. In the "standard mode," for example, the "presence or absence of bundling" is set so that all intersections P in the work B are targeted for bundling. Furthermore, the "binding direction" is set so that all intersections P in work B are in either the first direction or the second direction, and all intersections P have a different "binding direction" from other adjacent intersections P. In other words, all intersections P in work B are bound in a staggered arrangement in which binding in the first direction and binding in the second direction are alternately arranged in the X direction, and all intersections P in work B are bound in a staggered arrangement in which binding in the first direction and binding in the second direction are alternately arranged in the Y direction. Furthermore, the "number of times of bundling" is set so that all intersections P in the work B are bound once. Additionally, the "bond strength" is set to a default standard value. In addition, the "order of binding" is set to (1) outer edge first.

[0085] The "strength priority mode" is a mode for performing bundling with higher bundling strength than the "standard mode." The "strength priority mode" is the same as the "standard mode" in the various setting conditions except for "binding strength". The "strength priority mode" is set so that the "binding strength" is a value higher than the predetermined standard value (for example, about 1.2 to 2 times the standard value).

[0086] The "speed priority mode" is a mode for bundling more quickly than the "standard mode." The "speed priority mode" is the same as the "standard mode" in the various setting conditions except for the "binding direction" and "binding order". In the "speed priority mode," the "binding direction" is aligned in the first direction (or second direction) for all intersections P within the work B, reducing the frequency of rotation of the binding device 6C around an axis along the Z direction to speed up continuous binding operations. Furthermore, in the "speed priority mode," either (1) outer edge first or (2) center first is set for the "binding order." In either of these "binding orders," the path from the first intersection P to the last intersection P does not pass through the same position twice, which speeds up the binding work. Furthermore, in these modes, the distance between the first intersection P where binding begins and the last intersection P is closer than in (3) horizontal feed and (4) vertical feed, so when multiple workpieces B are bound consecutively, the return operation to the binding start position for the next workpiece B can be speeded up.

[0087] <Bundling system operation> Next, the operation of the binding system 1C will be described. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the procedure when the bundling system 1C executes the bundling process. The CPU of the control unit 77C of the control device 7C executes the following bundling process in accordance with the bundling process program 761C.

[0088] By executing the bundling processing program 761C, the control unit 77C functions as an intersection information acquisition means, and executes processing for acquiring information about the intersection P where the multiple reinforcing bars S of the work B intersect. In this case, the control unit 77C determines whether or not the user has selected to use the map data 763C via the operation unit 72, for example (step S101).

[0089] When the use of map data 763C is selected, control unit 77C reads map data 763C from storage unit 76C (step S103). At this time, if map data 763C is not prepared in storage unit 76C, map data 763C is acquired by external communication or by reading from a recording medium.

[0090] On the other hand, if the use of map data 763C is not selected, the control unit 77C photographs the entire work B on the holding table 21 of the work holding unit 2 arranged in the photographing area E1 of the stand 11 using the first camera 31 of the overall photographing unit 3 (step S105).

[0091] When the map data 763C is read or the workpiece B is photographed by the first camera 31, the control unit 77C obtains three-dimensional position data of all intersections P of the reinforcing bars S of the workpiece B from the map data 763C or image data 762C, and develops this data in the coordinate system of the robot arm 4. This makes it possible to identify the positions of all intersections P (step S107). Therefore, the control unit 77C functions as an intersection specifying means.

[0092] Next, the control unit 77C drives the drive motor 23 of the workpiece holder 2 to move the holder 21 and the workpiece B to the bundling area E2 (step S109).

[0093] Next, the control unit 77C determines whether or not the user has selected to use the first bundling condition data 764C in which each bundling condition has been individually selected and set (step S111). If the use of the first binding condition data 764C is selected, the first binding condition data 764C is read from the storage unit 76C (step S113). At this time, if a plurality of pieces of first binding condition data 764C are held in the storage unit 76C, a specific piece of first binding condition data 764C is read in accordance with the user's selection. Then, the process proceeds to step S121.

[0094] On the other hand, if the use of the first bundling condition data 764C is not selected, the control unit 77C determines whether or not an operation mode is selected (step S115). If an operation mode is selected, the control unit 77C determines whether to execute the "standard mode," "strength priority mode," or "speed priority mode" based on the user's selection, and reads the setting conditions from the corresponding second binding condition data 765C in the storage unit 76C according to the selected operation mode. Then, the process proceeds to step S121.

[0095] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S115 that an operation mode has not been selected, the control unit 77C selects the "standard mode" (step S119), reads the setting conditions from the corresponding second binding condition data 765C in the storage unit 76C, and then proceeds to step S121.

[0096] In step S121, the control unit 77C identifies the intersection P in the work B that will be bound first, based on the selection of "whether to bind" and "order of binding" in the binding conditions acquired in step S113, step S117, or step S119. Furthermore, the control unit 77C calculates the position coordinates of the intersection P that will be bound first, based on the information about the intersection P for identifying the position of the intersection P acquired in step S107.

[0097] Then, the control unit 77C controls the robot arm 4 to position the second camera 51 at a photographing position of the intersection P where binding will be performed first, and drives the lifting motor 52 to move the second camera 51 closer to the intersection P (step S121).

[0098] Next, the control unit 77C causes the second camera 51 to photograph the intersection P (step S123). The second camera 51 captures an image closer to the intersection P than the first camera 31, and therefore the position of the intersection P can be determined with higher accuracy based on the image data 762C.

[0099] Therefore, the control unit 77C recalculates the position of the intersection P based on the image data 762C from the second camera 51 (step S125), and positions the binding position of the binding device 6C closer to the newly obtained position of the intersection P (step S127). At this time, the control unit 77C determines the orientation of the binding device 6C around an axis along the Z direction according to the "binding direction" included in the binding conditions acquired in step S113, step S117 or step S119.

[0100] Then, the control unit 77C operates the binding device 6C to bind the intersection P with the wire W (step S129). At this time, the control unit 77C performs bundling with the wire W in accordance with the bundling conditions "number of bundling times" and "bundling strength" (including "bundling direction" if "number of bundling times" and "bundling direction" are selected in combination) acquired in step S113, step S117 or step S119.

[0101] Then, the control unit 77C determines whether the intersection P that has been bound is the last intersection P or not, based on the positions of all intersections P using the information about intersections P for identifying the positions of intersections P obtained in step S107, and the selection of the binding conditions "whether or not to bind" and "order of binding" obtained in step S113, step S117, or step S119 (step S131). As a result, if the intersection P at which bundling has been performed is not the last intersection P, the control unit 77C identifies the next intersection P at which bundling will be performed (step S133), and repeats the processes from step S121 to step S133. On the other hand, if the intersection P where bundling was performed is the last intersection P, the control unit 77C ends the bundling process for the work B.

[0102] <Technical effect of the invention> The control device 7C of the binding system 1C includes a control unit 77C that can select binding conditions for the wire W to the intersections P of the reinforcing bars S of the workpiece B. Therefore, by appropriately selecting the contents of the bundling conditions, it is possible to perform appropriate bundling processing of the wire W for various works B, and it is possible to provide a highly versatile bundling system 1C.

[0103] Furthermore, the control unit 77C of the control device 7C of the binding system 1C makes it possible to select, as a binding condition, the order of binding the wire W to the plurality of intersections P of the workpiece B from a plurality of patterns. This makes it possible to achieve strong bundling of the work B and rapid bundling.

[0104] In particular, the control unit 77C makes it possible to select from multiple operating modes that specify the order in which the wire W is bound to multiple intersections P of the work B, so that in the binding process of the work B, the wire W can be bound to each intersection P in the appropriate order depending on the purpose.

[0105] Furthermore, some or all of the selectable operation modes bind the wire W along the outer edge of the workpiece B from the outer edge to multiple intersections P. Before bundling, the multiple reinforcing bars S constituting the workpiece B are supported at both ends by the support plates 211 of the support base 21. This makes it easy for the reinforcing bars S to bend in the center, resulting in gaps in the center when stacked one above the other. In this case, bundling starting from the intersection P on the outer edge reduces the gap between the upper and lower reinforcing bars S before bundling the reinforcing bars S in the center, thereby reducing the amount of deflection of the reinforcing bars S when bundling the reinforcing bars S in the center. This reduces misalignment of the workpiece B after bundling due to deflection of the reinforcing bars S when bundling the reinforcing bars S in the center. The outer edge here refers to the outermost part of the overall area consisting of the inner and outer regions of the workpiece B, and the outside refers to the outermost part of the workpiece that includes a regularly spaced group of intersections. In other words, bundling from the outer edge refers to bundling workpieces of various shapes from intersections facing the external space. The external space refers to space that does not form a group of intersections, including the space surrounding the workpiece and the space inside the workpiece.

[0106] The control device 7C of the binding system 1C also includes an operation unit 72 for inputting binding conditions, and the control unit 77C executes binding with the wire W at the multiple intersections P in accordance with the binding conditions input from the operation unit 72. This makes it easy for the user to select binding conditions that correspond to the actual work B, and even for various types of work B or irregular work B, it is possible to appropriately select binding conditions to achieve strong binding, rapid binding, or smooth binding.

[0107] In addition, the control unit 77 of the control device 7C of the binding system 1C functions as an intersection information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the intersection P and an intersection identification means for identifying the intersection P at which the wire W is to be bound from the acquired information regarding the intersection P of the work B, so that the binding work can be performed from a position corresponding to the intersection P of the work B to be bound, thereby optimizing the binding work and achieving good binding.

[0108] Furthermore, the bundling system 1C has a storage unit 76C that can record map data 763C, which is information relating to the intersection P obtained from the outside, and therefore the position of the intersection P can be identified from the map data 763C prepared externally. Therefore, the positions of all intersections P of work B can be obtained without performing processes such as photographing work B, extracting intersections from the image data obtained by photographing, and identifying the intersection positions, which makes it possible to speed up the bundling process and reduce the processing burden.

[0109] Furthermore, since the control unit 77 of the control device 7C executes the bundling processing program 761C to realize the function of enabling selection of bundling conditions, it becomes easy to obtain this function from an existing bundling system without adding new hardware resources, thereby enabling reduction in the development burden of hardware resources and the manufacturing costs of the system.

[0110] <Use of aircraft information data and surrounding information data> The memory unit 76C of the control device 7C of the binding system 1C stores machine information data 766C indicating the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of the binding device 6C and surrounding information data 767C indicating the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of obstacles around the robot arm 4. The control unit 77C may use these data 766C and 767C to determine whether or not the "binding direction" which is a binding condition can be selected when the selection is made.

[0111] In other words, since the machine information data 766C includes three-dimensional position data of the entire machine surface of the binding device 6C, it is possible to obtain each position on the surface of the binding device 6C when the binding device 6C is supported by the end effector 43 of the robot arm 4. During the binding operation of the binding device 6C, when the binding device 6C is rotated around the rotation axis Zr in accordance with the selection of the "binding direction," the possibility of interference between the binding device 6C and the obstacle can be determined based on each position on the surface of the binding device 6C and the surrounding information data 767C that indicates the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of the obstacle around the robot arm 4. Therefore, when the user selects the "binding direction", which is a binding condition, from the operation unit 72, the control unit 77 determines the possibility of interference between the binding device 6C and an obstacle, and if there is a possibility of interference, the control unit 77 may perform processing such as notifying the user of the possibility of interference through the display unit 73, rejecting the current selection of the "binding direction", or automatically changing the current selection of the "binding direction". Furthermore, each of the above processes may be executed when the first binding condition data 764C or the second binding condition data 765C, the machine information data 766C, and the peripheral information data 767C are all stored in the storage unit 76C. Alternatively, machine information data 766C and surrounding information data 767C may be prepared in memory unit 76C, and this may be performed when the user selects the first binding condition data 764C or the second binding condition data 765C, which may cause the above-mentioned interference, to perform the binding process for work B.

[0112] <Other matters in this embodiment> The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the embodiments, a component integrally formed from a single member may be replaced with a component divided into multiple members that are connected or fixed to each other. Furthermore, a component formed by connecting multiple members may be replaced with a component integrally formed from a single member. In addition, the details shown in the embodiments may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0113] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the bundling system 1C has been exemplified in such a manner that the user selects the bundling conditions using the operation unit 72, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a user selects setting conditions using an information processing terminal or the like that is not included in the bundling system 1C to create first bundling condition data 764C, and the control device 7C of the bundling system 1C acquires the first bundling condition data 764C via communication or acquires a recording medium on which the first bundling condition data 764C is recorded via its reading device.

[0114] Furthermore, the binding system 1C may be configured to acquire information about the intersections P that identify each intersection P of the workpiece B from only the map data 763C. In that case, the first camera 31 and the second camera 51 are not essential to the binding system 1C. However, since the second camera 51 allows the binding device 6C to be positioned with respect to the intersection P with higher accuracy, a configuration may be adopted in which only the first camera 31 is omitted and the second camera 51 is provided. If the first camera 31 is omitted from the configuration of the binding system 1C, the rail 22 and drive motor 23 of the workpiece holder 2 that moves the workpiece B between the photography area E1 and the binding area E2 can also be eliminated.

[0115] In addition, in the binding system 1C of this embodiment, a binding device 6C that binds reinforcing bars S with two wires W is exemplified, but this is not limited to this, and a binding device that binds reinforcing bars S with one or three or more wires W may also be used.

[0116] Furthermore, in the binding system 1C, a configuration has been exemplified in which the binding device 6C and the individual photographing unit 5 are moved by the robot arm 4, but this is not limiting. For example, the binding device 6C and the individual photographing unit 5 may be mounted on the head of a gantry-type moving device in the XY directions, and the binding device 6C and the individual photographing unit 5 may be made movable up and down from the head along the Z direction and rotatable around an axis along the Z direction. Alternatively, the binding device 6C and the individual photographing unit 5 may be mounted on a self-propelled moving device that moves relative to the workpieces B held in a lattice pattern.

[0117] Furthermore, the bundling system 1C of this embodiment is a stationary bundling system that is placed or fixedly installed in an indoor work space. Therefore, unlike outdoor work bundling systems, bundling work can be performed without being affected by weather or the outdoor environment. Furthermore, since there is no need for equipment that is waterproof, dustproof, high-temperature, low-temperature, or other measures to withstand harsh outdoor environments, it can be equipped with equipment for precision work indoors, and precise bundling work can be performed on work B. However, it is also possible to eliminate these advantages and configure a bundling system for outdoor use that has the features of this embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1C Binding System 6C Binding device 61C Rebar Tying Machine 62C Loosening part 7C control device 72 Operation section (condition input section) 76C Memory unit (recording device) 761C Bundling Processing Program 77C control unit (intersection information acquisition means, intersection identification means) P intersection S rebar B Work W Wire (Bundle)

Claims

1. A binding system for binding a workpiece having an intersection where reinforcing bars intersect with a binding body at the intersection, A bundling system including a control unit capable of selecting a bundling condition of the bundling body for the intersection.

2. the workpiece has a plurality of the intersections, The control unit is configured to select an order of bundling of the bundling bodies with respect to the plurality of intersections as the bundling condition. The bundling system of claim 1 .

3. The control unit is capable of selecting an operation mode that specifies the order of binding of the binding bodies with respect to the plurality of intersections. The bundling system of claim 2 .

4. The operation mode is to perform binding of the binding body along the outer edge of the workpiece from the outer edge to the plurality of intersections. The bundling system of claim 3 .

5. A condition input unit for the binding condition is provided, The control unit executes bundling of the bundling bodies at the plurality of intersections in accordance with the bundling conditions input from the condition input unit. The bundling system of claim 2 .

6. An intersection information acquisition means for acquiring information about the intersection; An intersection specifying means for specifying an intersection for binding the bound body from the acquired information about the intersection of the workpiece is provided. The bundling system of claim 1 .

7. a recording device capable of recording information about intersections acquired from outside the bundling system; The bundling system of claim 1 .

8. A computer controls a bundling system that binds a workpiece having an intersection where a plurality of reinforcing bars intersect with a bundling body at the intersection, a bundling processing program that realizes a function that enables selection of a bundling condition for the bundling body with respect to the intersection;

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