Workpiece transfer robot and control method of workpiece transfer robot

Abstract

To provide a workpiece transfer robot that is capable of properly executing at least one of picking up and transferring a work-piece, and placing the work-piece even when the work-piece is placed adjacent to other work-pieces.SOLUTION: In a substrate transfer robot 100, a control unit 30 executes at least one processing out of: when picking up and transfer the substrate 200, causing a gripping part 53a to lift an end of a substrate 200 to incline a substrate 200 relative to a horizontal plane and causing a gripping part 53b to grip the substrate 200 being inclined relative to the horizontal plane; and, when placing the substrate 200, causing the end of the substrate 200 held by the gripping part 53a and the gripping part 53b to lower so as to incline the substrate 200 with respect to the horizontal plane, to release the gripping of the substrate 200 being inclined with respect to the horizontal plane held by the gripping part 53b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a workpiece transport robot and a method for controlling the workpiece transport robot. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, workpiece transport robots have been disclosed. Patent Document 1 discloses an industrial robot. The industrial robot is equipped with a workpiece holding device. The workpiece holding device holds a glass substrate, which is the workpiece. The glass substrate has a rectangular shape. The workpiece holding device includes a first clamping means and a second clamping means. The first clamping means has claws. The claws of the first clamping means clamp two opposing sides of the glass substrate from a first direction. The second clamping means has a pair of rotating arms. The pair of rotating arms clamp two opposing sides of the glass substrate from a second direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-154431 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a configuration such as that described in Patent Document 1, when multiple glass substrates are arranged adjacent to each other in the second direction, when the pair of pivot arms of the second clamping means clamp a glass substrate from the second direction, the pair of pivot arms interfere with the glass substrate adjacent to the glass substrate to be clamped. This makes it impossible to lift and transport the glass substrate properly. Similarly, there is a problem in that it is impossible to properly place a glass substrate adjacent to a glass substrate already placed.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one purpose of this disclosure is to provide a work transport robot and a control method for a work transport robot that can appropriately perform at least one of lifting and transporting a workpiece and placing a workpiece, even when the workpieces are placed next to each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A workpiece transport robot according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a robot arm, a hand attached to the robot arm and configured to grip a workpiece, and a control unit configured to control the operation of the robot arm and the hand, wherein the hand includes a first gripping unit configured to grip the workpiece from a first direction along a horizontal direction and a second gripping unit configured to grip the workpiece from a second direction along a horizontal direction intersecting the first direction, and the control unit performs at least one of the following processes: when lifting and transporting the workpiece, the first gripping unit lifts an end of the workpiece to tilt it with respect to a horizontal plane, causing the second gripping unit to grip the workpiece in a tilted state with respect to the horizontal plane; and when placing the workpiece, the control unit lowers the end of the workpiece gripped by the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit, causing the workpiece to tilt with respect to the horizontal plane, causing the second gripping unit to release the grip of the workpiece in a tilted state with respect to the horizontal plane. Note that "tilting with respect to a horizontal plane" is a broad concept that not only means "tilting with respect to a plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity of the Earth" but also includes "tilting with respect to a surface on which the workpiece is placed."

[0007] In the workpiece transport robot according to the first aspect of this disclosure, as described above, the control unit performs at least one of the following processes: when lifting and transporting a workpiece, tilting the workpiece with respect to the horizontal plane by using the first gripper to lift the end of the workpiece, and causing the second gripper to grip the workpiece in a tilted state with respect to the horizontal plane; and when placing the workpiece, lowering the end of the workpiece gripped by the first gripper and the second gripper to tilt the workpiece with respect to the horizontal plane, and causing the second gripper to release the grip of the workpiece in a tilted state with respect to the horizontal plane. As a result, when lifting and transporting a workpiece, since the workpiece is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane, the height position of the workpiece to be gripped is offset from the height positions of adjacent workpieces. As a result, the second gripper can grip the workpiece without interfering with the adjacent workpiece. Therefore, the workpiece transport robot can appropriately lift and transport the workpiece. Furthermore, when placing a workpiece, the workpiece is tilted relative to the horizontal plane, so the height position of the workpiece being held by the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit is offset from the height position of the workpiece already placed. As a result, the second gripping unit can release its grip on the workpiece without interfering with an adjacent workpiece. This allows the workpiece transport robot to properly place the workpiece. As a result, the workpiece transport robot can properly perform at least one of lifting and transporting a workpiece and placing a workpiece, even when workpieces are placed adjacent to each other.

[0008] A control method for a workpiece transport robot according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes a robot arm, a hand attached to the robot arm and configured to grip a workpiece, and a control unit configured to control the operation of the robot arm and the hand, wherein the hand includes a first gripper configured to grip the workpiece from a first direction along a horizontal direction and a second gripper configured to grip the workpiece from a second direction along a horizontal direction intersecting the first direction, the control method comprising at least one of: when lifting and transporting the workpiece, tilting an end of the workpiece with respect to the horizontal plane by using the first gripper to lift the end of the workpiece, thereby causing the workpiece tilted with respect to the horizontal plane to be gripped by the second gripper; and when placing the workpiece, lowering the end of the workpiece gripped by the first gripper and the second gripper to tilt the workpiece with respect to the horizontal plane, thereby releasing the grip of the workpiece tilted with respect to the horizontal plane by the second gripper. Note that "tilting with respect to the horizontal plane" is a broad concept that not only means "tilting with respect to a plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity of the Earth" but also includes "tilting with respect to a surface on which the workpiece is placed."

[0009] A control method for a workpiece transport robot according to a second aspect of this disclosure includes at least one of the following: when lifting and transporting a workpiece, tilting the workpiece with respect to the horizontal plane by using a first gripping unit to lift an end of the workpiece, and having the second gripping unit grip the workpiece tilted with respect to the horizontal plane; and when placing the workpiece, lowering the end of the workpiece gripped by the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit to tilt the workpiece with respect to the horizontal plane and releasing the grip of the workpiece tilted with respect to the horizontal plane by the second gripping unit. As a result, when lifting and transporting a workpiece, the workpiece is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane, so the height position of the workpiece to be gripped is offset from the height positions of adjacent workpieces. As a result, the second gripping unit can grip the workpiece without interfering with the adjacent workpiece. Therefore, the workpiece transport robot can appropriately lift and transport the workpiece. Furthermore, when placing the workpiece, the workpiece is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane, so the height positions of the workpieces gripped by the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit are offset from the height position of a workpiece already placed. As a result, the second gripping unit can release the grip of the workpiece without interfering with the adjacent workpiece. Therefore, the workpiece transport robot can appropriately place the workpiece. As a result, a method for controlling a workpiece transport robot can be provided that allows the workpiece transport robot to appropriately perform at least one of lifting and transporting a workpiece and placing a workpiece, even when workpieces are placed adjacent to each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the work transport robot and the control method for the work transport robot can appropriately perform at least one of lifting and transporting a work and placing a work, even when the workpieces are placed next to each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a substrate transport robot according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a substrate transfer robot and accommodation unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a hand according to an embodiment, as viewed from the tip side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a hand according to an embodiment, as viewed from the base end side. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating claws of one gripping portion of a hand according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of a hand according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating claws of another gripping portion of a hand according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a substrate transport robot according to an embodiment, in which the substrate is transported from a processing machine to a storage unit, and an operation of transporting the substrate from the storage unit to the processing machine. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the substrate transport robot according to the embodiment to transport a substrate from a processing machine to an accommodation unit. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the substrate transport robot according to the embodiment to transport a substrate from a container to a processing machine. FIG. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a state in which the leading end side of the substrate is lifted when the substrate is transported from the processing machine to the accommodation unit. [Figure 13] 10 is a view showing a state in which a substrate is gripped by one gripper when the substrate is transported from a processing machine to an accommodation unit. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the substrate is held by another holding part along a horizontal plane when the substrate is transported from the processing machine to the accommodation part. FIG. [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the leading edge of the substrate is lowered when the substrate is transported from the accommodation unit to the processing machine. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a view showing a state in which the substrate is released from the gripping part when the substrate is transported from the accommodation part to the processing machine. FIG. [Figure 17]FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a grip portion according to a modified example. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a grip portion according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present disclosure embodying the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the vertical direction is referred to as the Z direction. The upper side is referred to as the Z1 side, and the lower side is referred to as the Z2 side. The direction perpendicular to the Z direction is referred to as the X direction. The direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is referred to as the Y direction. One side of the X direction is referred to as the X1 side, and the other side is referred to as the X2 side. One side of the Y direction is referred to as the Y1 side, and the other side is referred to as the Y2 side. The direction from the tip to the base end of the hand 50 is referred to as the A direction. The tip side and base end side of the hand 50 are referred to as the A1 side and the A2 side, respectively. The direction perpendicular to the A direction is referred to as the B direction. The right side as viewed from the tip of the hand 50 is referred to as the B1 side, and the left side as viewed from the tip of the hand 50 is referred to as the B2 side. The A direction and the B direction are directions along a horizontal plane. The A direction and the B direction are examples of a first direction and a second direction, respectively.

[0013] 1, the substrate transport robot 100 includes a robot arm 10, a self-propelled carriage 20, a control unit 30, a tool attachment unit 40, and a hand 50. The substrate transport robot 100 is an example of a workpiece transport robot.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the substrate transfer robot 100 is a vertical articulated robot. The substrate transfer robot 100 includes a plurality of joint axes JT. For example, the robot arm 10 includes six joint axes JT1, JT2, JT3, JT4, JT5, and JT6. The number of joint axes JT may be other than six. In addition, a drive unit 11 shown in FIG. 1 is disposed in each of the joint axes JT1 to JT6.

[0015] The robot arm 10 is placed on the self-propelled cart 20. As shown in FIG. 1 , the self-propelled cart 20 includes wheels 21 and a drive unit 22. The drive unit 22 is a motor or the like that drives the wheels 21. The operation of the drive unit 22 is controlled by a control unit 30.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 30 controls the operations of the robot arm 10 and the hand 50. The control unit 30 also controls the overall operation of the substrate transport robot 100. The control unit 30 includes a main control unit 31, a servo control unit 32, and a drive circuit unit 33. The main control unit 31 and the servo control unit 32 each include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The main control unit 31 controls the joint axis JT of the substrate transport robot 100. The servo control unit 32 controls the power supplied to the drive unit 11 of the joint axis JT based on a command from the main control unit 31. The control unit 30 is a robot controller.

[0017] The drive circuit unit 33 supplies drive power to the drive unit 11 of the joint axis JT. The drive circuit unit 33 includes an inverter circuit that supplies AC power to the drive unit 11. A drive circuit unit 33 is provided for each joint axis JT.

[0018] The drive unit 11 is a drive source for operating the substrate transfer robot 100. The drive unit 11 includes a servo motor, an encoder, and a reducer. The servo motor rotates when power is supplied. The servo motor rotates its rotation shaft by, for example, three-phase AC power. The encoder detects the rotation angle of the servo motor. The encoder then outputs a detection value indicating the detected rotation angle of the servo motor to the main control unit 31 and the servo control unit 32.

[0019] The tool mounting unit 40 mounts the hand 50 exchangeably on the robot arm 10. The tool mounting unit 40 is, for example, an automatic tool changer.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the hand 50 is attached to the robot arm 10 and holds the substrate 200. The hand 50 is attached to the robot arm 10 via the tool attachment unit 40. The hand 50 includes a support unit 51, a support unit 52, a gripper 53, a drive unit 55, a movement mechanism 56, a drive unit 57 shown in FIG. 4, a movement mechanism 58, and a friction puller 59. The gripper 53 includes a gripper 53a and a gripper 53b. The substrate 200 is an example of a workpiece. The gripper 53a and the gripper 53b are examples of a first gripper and a second gripper, respectively. The drive unit 55 and the drive unit 57 are examples of a first drive unit and a second drive unit, respectively.

[0021] Supporting portion 51 is a rod-shaped member extending along direction A. Supporting portion 52 is a rod-shaped member extending along direction B, which is perpendicular to direction A. Supporting portion 51 and supporting portion 52 are connected to each other.

[0022] In this embodiment, the gripping portion 53a grips the substrate 200 from direction A along the horizontal direction. Specifically, the gripping portion 53a includes a claw portion 531a and an abutment portion 532a shown in FIG. 4. The claw portion 531a is attached to a plate-shaped member 54a. The claw portion 531a is attached to the member 54a so as to protrude from the member 54a toward the Z2 side. The member 54a is attached to a frame-shaped member 54b. The support portion 51 penetrates the member 54b. The claw portion 531a is an example of a first claw portion.

[0023] The claw portion 531a grips the tip side of the substrate 200 in the direction A. As shown in Fig. 5, the claw portion 531a is formed with a recess 533a for hooking the tip side of the substrate 200.

[0024] 4, in this embodiment, the contact portion 532a contacts the base end side of the substrate 200. The contact portion 532a is a columnar member extending along the Z2 direction. A pair of the columnar contact portions 532a is arranged. Alternatively, the contact portion 532a may be a plate-like member extending along the B direction.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, the drive unit 55 drives the gripping unit 53a. The drive unit 55 is disposed on the support unit 51. The drive unit 55 is connected to the member 54b. The drive unit 55 moves the claw portion 531a along the A direction together with the members 54b and 54a. The drive unit 55 is a linear movement mechanism that moves the claw portion 531a along the A direction. The drive unit 55 is, for example, an air cylinder or a motor. As shown in FIG. 6, when the drive unit 55 moves the claw portion 531a, the substrate 200 is gripped from the A direction by the claw portion 531a and the abutment portion 532a. The movement mechanism 56 moves the abutment portion 532a along the Z direction. The movement mechanism 56 is, for example, an air cylinder.

[0026] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the gripping portion 53b grips the substrate 200 from direction B along a horizontal direction intersecting direction A. The gripping portion 53b includes a pair of claws 531b. The pair of claws 531b grip the substrate 200 from direction B. As shown in FIG. 7, protrusions 532b protruding in the horizontal direction are arranged at the tips of the pair of claws 531b. The protrusions 532b support the lower surface of the substrate 200. The claws 531b are an example of second claws.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the drive unit 57 drives the gripping unit 53b. The drive unit 57 is disposed on the support unit 52. The drive unit 57 is disposed for each of the pair of claws 531b. The drive unit 57 moves the claws 531b along direction B. The drive unit 57 is a linear movement mechanism that moves the claws 531b along direction B. The drive unit 57 is, for example, an air cylinder. The drive unit 57 moves the pair of claws 531a toward each other, causing the pair of claws 531b to grip the substrate 200 from direction B. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality of substrates 200 are arranged adjacent to each other in direction B. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of substrates 200 are arranged adjacent to each other in direction X, which corresponds to direction B.

[0028] The movement mechanism 58 moves each of the pair of claws 531b along the Z direction. The movement mechanism 58 is, for example, an air cylinder.

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the frictional drawer 59 is a member for drawing out the substrate 200. The frictional drawer 59 draws out the substrate 200 by frictional force. The frictional drawer 59 is disposed at the tip of the hand 50. The frictional drawer 59 includes an attachment portion 59a and a contact portion 59b. The attachment portion 59a is attached to the member 54a. The attachment portion 59a has a Y-shape. The contact portions 59b are disposed at each of the bifurcated portions of the attachment portion 59a. The contact portions 59b are made of rubber, for example. Note that the contact portions 59b may be made of a material other than rubber as long as they can draw out the substrate 200 by frictional force.

[0030] The sensor unit 60 is attached to the robot arm 10. The sensor unit 60 emits detection light and receives the detection light to detect the position of the detection target. The sensor unit 60 includes a sensor unit 61 and a sensor unit 62. The sensor unit 61 emits the detection light toward the mirror unit 63. The sensor unit 61 emits the detection light along direction A. The detection light emitted from the sensor unit 61 is irradiated onto the mirror unit 63. The detection light reflected from the detection target is received by the sensor unit 61 via the mirror unit 63. The sensor unit 61 is attached to the tool mounting unit 40 via a plate-shaped member 54c. The sensor unit 61 is attached to the B1 side of the member 54c. The sensor unit 61 is, for example, an optical sensor.

[0031] The sensor unit 62 emits detection light in a direction different from that of the sensor unit 61. Specifically, the sensor unit 62 emits detection light in the Z2 direction. The sensor unit 62 is attached to the tool mounting unit 40 via a plate-shaped member 54c. The sensor unit 62 is attached to the B2 side of the member 54c. The sensor unit 62 is, for example, an optical sensor.

[0032] The mirror unit 63 is disposed on the hand 50. The mirror unit 63 reflects the detection light emitted from the sensor unit 61 toward the detection target, and also reflects the detection light reflected from the detection target toward the sensor unit 61. The mirror unit 63 is attached to the member 54a via a plate-shaped member 54d. The mirror unit 63 is inclined at an angle of, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the A direction.

[0033] The imaging unit 64 captures an image of the detection target. The imaging unit 64 is, for example, a two-dimensional camera. The imaging unit 64 is attached to the tool attachment unit 40 via a plate-shaped member 54e. The imaging direction of the imaging unit 64 is the Z2 direction.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the substrate transfer robot 100 receives the substrate 200 after it has been processed by the processing device 500 from the processing device 500 into the accommodation unit 310. The substrate transfer robot 100 also removes the unprocessed substrate 200 from the accommodation unit 310 and places it in the processing device 500. The processing device 500 is, for example, a processing machine that processes the substrate 200. The accommodation unit 310 includes a housing 311. The substrate 200 is transported into the housing 311. The accommodation unit 310 is attached to the self-propelled carriage 20.

[0035] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , the substrate 200 includes a plurality of stacked substrate portions. The stacked substrate portions are temporarily fixed by a temporary fixing member 210. Specifically, the substrate portion includes a target substrate 201 to be processed, a metal plate 202 disposed on the upper surface of the target substrate 201, and a bake plate 203 disposed on the lower surface of the target substrate 201. For example, a plurality of target substrates 201 are stacked. The bake plate 203 functions as a spacer when processing the target substrate 201. The temporary fixing member 210 is, for example, an adhesive tape. In addition, positioning pins 220 are arranged to penetrate the substrate 200. The positioning pins 220 are arranged on one end side and the other end side of the substrate 200. The positioning pins 220 protrude downward from the bake plate 203. The target substrate 201, the metal plate 202, and the bake plate 203 are examples of a work portion.

[0036] Next, the operation of the substrate transport robot 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0037] 9, in step S1, the control unit 30 executes a process of moving the self-propelled carriage 20 to the processing machine 500. Specifically, the control unit 30 executes a process of moving the self-propelled carriage 20 to the vicinity of the substrate 200 to be gripped and placed in the processing machine 500.

[0038] In step S2, the control unit 30 executes a process of detecting the substrate 200 to be grasped using the sensor units 61 and 62. The control unit 30 may also execute a process of detecting a mark arranged near the substrate 200 to be grasped using the sensor units 61 and 62. The control unit 30 executes a process of photographing the substrate 200 to be grasped using the imaging unit 64. The control unit 30 may also execute a process of photographing a mark arranged near the substrate 200 to be grasped using the imaging unit 64. The control unit 30 recognizes the position of the substrate 200 to be grasped based on the detection results of the sensor units 61 and 62 and the image photographed by the imaging unit 64.

[0039] In step S3, the control unit 30 tilts the substrate 200 after processing by the processor 500 from the processor 500 with respect to the horizontal plane, then lifts it, and stores it from the processor 500 into the storage unit 310. Specifically, in this embodiment, in step S31 shown in FIG. 10 , the control unit 30 performs a process of tilting the substrate 200 with respect to the horizontal plane by lifting an end of the substrate 200 with one of the grippers 53a as shown in FIG. 12 when lifting and transporting the substrate 200. Specifically, the control unit 30 controls the robot arm 10 to lift the A1-side end of the substrate 200 with the gripper 53a, thereby lifting the A1-side end of the substrate 200. After the A1-side end of the substrate 200 is hooked by the recess 533a of the claw 531a, the substrate 200 is lifted. As a result, the A1-side end of the substrate 200 is lifted, and the substrate 200 is inclined with respect to the substrate placement surface 501 of the processor 500. As a result, the side surface of the substrate 200 lifted by the gripping portion 53a is positioned closer to the Z1 direction than the adjacent substrate 200. At this time, the abutting portion 532a of the gripping portion 53a has been moved toward the Z1 direction by the moving mechanism 56. In addition, the pair of claws 531b of the gripping portion 53b has also been moved toward the Z1 direction by the moving mechanism 58.

[0040] In step S32, the control unit 30 executes a process of causing the other gripping unit 53b to grip the substrate 200 in a state inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. Specifically, the control unit 30 causes the movement mechanism 58 to move the pair of claws 531b toward the Z2 side, as shown in Fig. 13. Thereafter, the control unit 30 controls the drive unit 57 so that the end on the A1 side is lifted, thereby causing the gripping unit 53b to grip the substrate 200 in a state inclined with respect to the horizontal plane from the B direction. That is, the side surface of the substrate 200 on the B direction side is gripped by the pair of claws 531b.

[0041] In step S33, the control unit 30 operates the robot arm 10 so that the substrate 200 gripped by the pair of claws 531b is aligned in the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG.

[0042] In step S34, the control unit 30 causes the movement mechanism 56 to move the contact portion 532a of the gripper 53a in the Z2 direction. Then, the control unit 30 controls the drive unit 55 so that the substrate 200 held by the gripper 53b is gripped by the gripper 53a from the A direction. The drive unit 55 moves the claw portion 531a toward the A2 side, thereby reducing the distance between the claw portion 531a and the contact portion 532a. As a result, the substrate 200 is gripped by the claw portion 531a and the contact portion 532a.

[0043] In step S35, the control unit 30 controls the robot arm 10 to transport the substrate 200 to the accommodation unit 310 and place the substrate 200 in the accommodation unit 310. Then, the control unit 30 controls the drive units 55 and 57 to release the substrate 200 from its gripped state in the accommodation unit 310.

[0044] 9, the control unit 30 executes a process of removing the unprocessed substrate 200 accommodated in the accommodation unit 310 from the accommodation unit 310, tilting it with respect to the horizontal plane with respect to the processor 500, and then arranging it in the processor 500. The unprocessed substrate 200 is placed on the portion of the substrate placement surface 501 on which the substrate 200 transported in the process of step S3 was placed. Specifically, in step S41 shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 30 executes a process of causing the grippers 53a and 53b to grip the unprocessed substrate 200 accommodated in the accommodation unit 310.

[0045] In this embodiment, in step S42, as shown in FIG. 15 , when placing the substrate 200, the control unit 30 executes a process of tilting the substrate 200 with respect to a horizontal plane by lowering the ends of the substrate 200 held by the grippers 53a and 53b. The control unit 30 controls the robot arm 10 so that the ends of the substrate 200 held by the grippers 53a and 53b are lowered. Specifically, a groove 502 and a hole 503 into which each of the pair of positioning pins 220 of the substrate 200 is inserted are formed on the substrate placement surface 501 of the processing machine 500. The groove 502 is disposed on the Y1 side of the substrate placement surface 501, and the hole 503 is disposed on the Y2 side of the substrate placement surface 501. The groove 502 is formed along the Y direction. The groove 502 and the hole 503 are recessed on the Z2 side. The control unit 30 causes the robot arm 10 to perform an operation of tilting the substrate 200 so that the positioning pin 220 on the tip side of the substrate 200 is inserted into the groove portion 502. Note that the positioning pin 220 on the base end side of the substrate 200 is not inserted into the hole portion 503. As a result, the tip side of the substrate 200 is tilted downward.

[0046] In step S43, the control unit 30 executes a process for releasing the grip of the substrate 200 by the grippers 53a and 53b, which is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in FIG. 16 . The control unit 30 controls the drive units 55 and 57 so that the ends of the substrate 200 are lowered and the grip of the substrate 200 by the grippers 53a and 53b is released, which is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane. As a result, the substrate 200 is placed on the substrate placement surface 501 of the processing machine 500. Specifically, the drive unit 55 moves the claws 531a toward the A1 side, and the movement mechanism 56 moves the abutment portion 532a toward the Z1 side, thereby releasing the grip of the substrate 200 by the grippers 53a. The pair of drive units 57 move the pair of claws 531b so that the distance between the pair of claws 531b increases, thereby releasing the grip of the substrate 200 by the grippers 53b.

[0047] The operations of steps S1 to S4 are repeated for the number of substrates 200 placed in the processing machine 500.

[0048] [Effects of this embodiment] The control unit 30 executes at least one of the following processes: when lifting and transporting the substrate 200, the control unit 30 tilts the substrate 200 with respect to the horizontal plane by using the gripping unit 53a to lift the end of the substrate 200, thereby causing the gripping unit 53b to grip the substrate 200 in a state tilted with respect to the horizontal plane; and when placing the substrate 200, the control unit 30 lowers the end of the substrate 200 gripped by the gripping unit 53a and the gripping unit 53b to tilt the substrate 200 with respect to the horizontal plane, thereby releasing the gripping by the gripping unit 53b of the substrate 200 in a state tilted with respect to the horizontal plane. As a result, when lifting and transporting the substrate 200, the substrate 200 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, so that the height position of the substrate 200 to be gripped is offset from the height positions of adjacent substrates 200. As a result, the gripping unit 53b can grip the substrate 200 without interfering with the adjacent substrates 200. Therefore, the substrate transfer robot 100 can appropriately lift and transfer the substrate 200. Furthermore, when placing the substrate 200, the substrate 200 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, so the height position of the substrate 200 held by the grippers 53a and 53b is shifted from the height position of the substrate 200 that has already been placed. As a result, the gripper 53b can release the grip of the substrate 200 without interfering with the adjacent substrate 200. Therefore, the substrate transfer robot 100 can appropriately place the substrate 200. As a result, the substrate transfer robot 100 can appropriately perform at least one of lifting and transferring the substrate 200 and placing the substrate 200, even when the substrates 200 are placed adjacent to each other.

[0049] The gripping portion 53a includes a claw portion 531a that lifts one end of the substrate 200 in the direction A. This allows the substrate 200 to be easily lifted by hooking one end of the substrate 200 with the claw portion 531a.

[0050] The gripping portion 53a includes a contact portion 532a that contacts the other end of the substrate 200 in the direction A. The control portion 30 executes a process of gripping the substrate 200 from the direction A using the claw portion 531a and the contact portion 532a. This allows the substrate 200 to be easily gripped using the claw portion 531a and the contact portion 532a. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide a drive unit for the contact portion 532a, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed compared to when a pair of claw portions 531a are provided and a drive unit is provided for each of the pair of claw portions 531a.

[0051] The gripping portion 53b includes a pair of claw portions 531b that grip the substrate 200 from the direction B. This allows the substrate 200 to be easily gripped by the pair of claw portions 531b.

[0052] The substrate transport robot 100 includes a drive unit 55 that drives the gripper 53a and a drive unit 57 that drives the gripper 53b. The control unit 30 controls the robot arm 10 so that the gripper 53a lifts one end of the substrate 200 to float the one end of the substrate 200, controls the drive unit 57 so that the gripper 53b grips the substrate 200 from direction B, which is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane due to the one end being lifted, and controls the drive unit 55 so that the gripper 53a grips the substrate 200 gripped by the gripper 53b from direction A. As a result, when the substrate 200 is lifted and transported, because the substrate 200 is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane, the gripper 53b can grip the substrate 200 without interfering with adjacent substrates 200, and the substrate 200 gripped by the gripper 53b can be easily gripped by the gripper 53a. Furthermore, since the substrate 200 is held by both the holding portion 53a and the holding portion 53b, the substrate 200 can be prevented from falling off.

[0053] The substrate transport robot 100 includes a drive unit 55 that drives the gripper 53a and a drive unit 57 that drives the gripper 53b. The control unit 30 controls the robot arm 10 so that the end of the substrate 200 held by the gripper 53a and the gripper 53b descends, and controls the drive units 55 and 57 so that the end descends and the grip of the substrate 200 by the gripper 53a and the gripper 53b in a state inclined with respect to the horizontal plane is released. As a result, because the substrate 200 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the grip of the substrate 200 by the gripper 53a and the gripper 53b can be released without the gripper 53b interfering with the adjacent substrates 200.

[0054] The substrate transfer robot 100 includes a self-propelled carriage 20 on which the robot arm 10 is placed. The control unit 30 moves the self-propelled carriage 20 to a processing device 500 where the substrate 200 is processed, tilts the substrate 200 from the processing device 500 with respect to the horizontal plane, and then lifts it up and stores it in a storage unit 310 after it has been processed by the processing device 500, and removes the unprocessed substrate 200 stored in the storage unit 310 from the storage unit 310, tilts it with respect to the horizontal plane, and then stores it in the processing device 500. As a result, the substrate transfer robot 100 including the self-propelled carriage 20 can appropriately lift and transport the substrate 200 and store the substrate 200 even when the substrates 200 are placed next to each other. Furthermore, since the substrate transport robot 100 can move using the self-propelled cart 20, even if multiple substrates 200 are placed in different locations, the substrate transport robot 100 can move close to each substrate 200 and appropriately lift and transport the substrate 200 and place the substrate 200 for each substrate 200.

[0055] The substrate transport robot 100 is a vertical articulated robot, which can perform complex operations, and can easily lift and transport the substrates 200 and place the substrates 200 even when the substrates 200 are placed next to each other.

[0056] The substrates 200 include a processing target substrate 201, a metal plate 202, and a bake plate 203, which are stacked one on top of the other. The stacked processing target substrates 201, the metal plate 202, and the bake plate 203 are temporarily fixed by temporary fixing members 210. When the upper surfaces of the multiple substrates 200 temporarily fixed by the temporary fixing members 210 are lifted by suction using a suction unit or the like, the temporarily fixed state may be released due to the weight of the substrates 200. Therefore, by arranging a gripping unit 53 on the hand 50, the substrates 200 can be gripped while preventing the temporarily fixed state from being released.

[0057] In this embodiment, a plurality of substrates 200 are arranged adjacent to each other in direction B. Therefore, when lifting or placing the substrate 200, by tilting the substrate 200 with respect to the horizontal plane, it is possible to prevent the adjacently arranged substrates 200 from interfering with the pair of claw portions 531b.

[0058] [Variations] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the control unit 30 performs both the process of causing the gripping unit 53b to grip the substrate 200 that is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane and the process of causing the gripping unit 53b to release the grip of the substrate 200 that is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 30 may perform only one of the above processes.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the grip portion 53a includes the claw portion 531a and the abutment portion 532a, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the grip portion 53a may include a pair of claw portions 531a.

[0061] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the gripping portion 53 includes one gripping portion 53a and one gripping portion 53b, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of gripping portions 53a and a plurality of gripping portions 53b may be provided. This allows the gripping portion 53 to grip the substrate 200 even when the weight of the substrate 200 is relatively large.

[0062] In the above embodiment, when the substrate 200 is transported from the processing machine 500, the tip side of the substrate 200 placed in the processing machine 500 is lifted to tilt the substrate 200 relative to the horizontal plane, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the base end side of the substrate 200 placed in the processing machine 500 may be lifted to tilt the substrate 200 relative to the horizontal plane. That is, the base end side of the substrate 200 placed in the processing machine 500 may be lifted by the gripper 53a, and then the substrate 200 may be gripped by the gripper 53b.

[0063] In the above embodiment, when placing the substrate 200 in the processing machine 500, the positioning pin 220 on the tip side of the substrate 200 is inserted into the groove 502 in the substrate placement surface 501, thereby tilting the substrate 200 with respect to the horizontal plane. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the positioning pin 220 on the base end side of the substrate 200 may be inserted into the hole 503 in the substrate placement surface 501, thereby tilting the substrate 200 with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0064] In the above embodiment, an example in which the robot arm 10 is mounted on the self-propelled carriage 20 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the present disclosure can also be applied to a substrate transport robot 100 in which the robot arm 10 is fixed to the floor.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the substrate transfer robot 100 is a vertical articulated robot, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the present disclosure can also be applied to a substrate transfer robot that is a horizontal articulated robot.

[0066] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the substrate transfer robot 100 transfers the stacked substrate to be processed 201, metal plate 202, and bake plate 203, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the substrate transfer robot 100 may transfer only one substrate that is not stacked.

[0067] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the gripping portion 53a is formed of the claw portion 531a and the abutting portion 532a, and the gripping portion 53b is formed with a pair of claw portions 531b, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 , the gripping portion of the present disclosure may be formed with a chuck portion 400. Specifically, instead of the claw portion 531a and the abutting portion 532a, a pair of chuck portions 400 that grip the substrate 200 from the A1 side and the A2 side may be arranged. Instead of the pair of claw portions 531b of the gripping portion 53b, a pair of chuck portions 400 that grip the substrate 200 from the B1 side and the B2 side may be arranged.

[0068] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the control unit 30 serving as a robot controller controls the overall operation of the substrate transport robot 100, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a higher-level control unit may be provided separately from the control unit 30, and the higher-level control unit may control the overall operation of the substrate transport robot 100.

[0069] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the present disclosure is applied to the substrate transport robot 100 that transports the substrate 200, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the present disclosure may be applied to a workpiece transport robot that transports a workpiece other than the substrate 200.

[0070] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the drive units 11 disposed in each of the joint axes JT1 to JT6 and the drive unit 22 disposed in the self-propelled carriage 20 are controlled by the same control unit 30, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the drive units 11 and the drive units 22 may be controlled by separate control units.

[0071] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuitry. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0072] [Aspect] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0073] (Aspect 1) A robotic arm, a hand attached to the robot arm and configured to grip a workpiece; a control unit that controls the operation of the robot arm and the hand, The hand a first gripping unit that grips the workpiece from a first direction along a horizontal direction; a second gripping unit that grips the workpiece from a second direction along a horizontal direction that intersects with the first direction, The control unit When lifting and transporting the workpiece, the end of the workpiece is lifted by the first gripping unit, thereby tilting the workpiece relative to a horizontal plane, and the workpiece inclined relative to the horizontal plane is gripped by the second gripping unit. and when placing the workpiece, lowering the ends of the workpiece gripped by the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit to tilt the workpiece relative to the horizontal plane, and releasing the grip of the workpiece by the second gripping unit while it is inclined relative to the horizontal plane.

[0074] (Aspect 2) 2. The workpiece transport robot according to claim 1, wherein the first gripping portion includes a first claw portion that lifts one end of the workpiece in the first direction.

[0075] (Aspect 3) the first gripping portion includes an abutting portion that abuts against the other end of the workpiece in the first direction, 3. The workpiece transport robot according to aspect 2, wherein the control unit executes a process of gripping the workpiece from the first direction with the first claw portion and the abutment portion.

[0076] (Aspect 4) The workpiece transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the second gripping portion includes a pair of second claw portions that grip the workpiece from the second direction.

[0077] (Aspect 5) a first drive unit that drives the first gripping unit; a second drive unit that drives the second gripping unit, The control unit controlling the robot arm so that the first gripping unit lifts one end of the workpiece to float the one end of the workpiece; controlling the second drive unit so that the workpiece inclined with respect to a horizontal plane by lifting the one end portion is gripped by the second gripping unit from the second direction; The workpiece transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the first drive unit is controlled so that the workpiece, while being gripped by the second gripper, is gripped from the first direction by the first gripper.

[0078] (Aspect 6) a first drive unit that drives the first gripping unit; a second drive unit that drives the second gripping unit, The control unit controlling the robot arm so that the end of the workpiece held by the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit is lowered; A workpiece transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the first drive unit and the second drive unit are controlled so that an end of the workpiece is lowered and released from the grip of the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit while the workpiece is inclined relative to a horizontal plane.

[0079] (Aspect 7) a self-propelled carriage on which the robot arm is placed, The control unit The self-propelled carriage is moved to a processing machine where the work is processed; The workpiece processed by the processing machine is tilted from the processing machine with respect to a horizontal plane and then lifted up and stored in a storage section; A workpiece transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, which performs a process of removing the unprocessed workpiece stored in the storage section from the storage section, tilting it with respect to a horizontal plane, and then placing it in the processing machine.

[0080] (Aspect 8) The workpiece transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the workpiece transport robot is a vertical articulated robot.

[0081] (Aspect 9) the workpiece includes a plurality of stacked workpiece portions; The workpiece transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, wherein the stacked workpieces are temporarily fixed by temporary fixing members.

[0082] (Aspect 10) The workpiece transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the workpieces are arranged adjacent to each other in the second direction.

[0083] (Aspect 11) A control method for a workpiece transport robot comprising: a robot arm; a hand attached to the robot arm and configured to grip a workpiece; and a control unit configured to control operations of the robot arm and the hand, wherein the hand includes a first gripping unit configured to grip the workpiece from a first direction along a horizontal direction, and a second gripping unit configured to grip the workpiece from a second direction along a horizontal direction intersecting the first direction, When lifting and transporting the workpiece, the end of the workpiece is lifted by the first gripping unit, thereby tilting the workpiece relative to a horizontal plane, and the workpiece inclined relative to the horizontal plane is gripped by the second gripping unit. and when placing the workpiece, lowering the ends of the workpiece gripped by the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit to tilt the workpiece relative to the horizontal plane, and releasing the grip of the workpiece by the second gripping unit while it is inclined relative to the horizontal plane. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10 Robotic Arm 20 Self-propelled cart 30 Control Unit 50 hands 53a Gripping part (first gripping part) 53b Gripping part (second gripping part) 55 Drive unit (first drive unit) 57 Drive unit (second drive unit) 100 Substrate transport robot (work transport robot) 200 substrates (workpieces) 201 Processing target substrate (work part) 202 Metal plate (work part) 203 Bakelite board (work part) 210 Temporary fixing member 310 Storage unit 500 processing machines 531a Claw part (1st claw part) 531b Claw part (second claw part) 532a Contact part A direction (first direction) B direction (second direction)

Claims

1. A robotic arm, a hand attached to the robot arm and configured to grip a workpiece; a control unit that controls the operation of the robot arm and the hand, The hand a first gripping unit that grips the workpiece from a first direction along a horizontal direction; a second gripping unit configured to grip the workpiece from a second direction along a horizontal direction intersecting the first direction, The control unit When lifting and transporting the workpiece, the end of the workpiece is lifted by the first gripping unit, thereby tilting the workpiece relative to a horizontal plane, and the workpiece inclined relative to the horizontal plane is gripped by the second gripping unit. and when placing the workpiece, lowering the ends of the workpiece gripped by the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion to tilt the workpiece relative to a horizontal plane, and releasing the grip of the workpiece by the second gripping portion while it is inclined relative to the horizontal plane.

2. The workpiece transport robot according to claim 1 , wherein the first gripping portion includes a first claw portion that lifts one end of the workpiece in the first direction.

3. the first gripping portion includes an abutting portion that abuts against the other end of the workpiece in the first direction, The workpiece transport robot according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit executes a process of gripping the workpiece from the first direction with the first claw portion and the abutment portion.

4. The workpiece transport robot according to claim 1 , wherein the second gripping portion includes a pair of second claws that grip the workpiece from the second direction.

5. a first drive unit that drives the first gripping unit; a second drive unit that drives the second gripping unit, The control unit controlling the robot arm so that the first gripping unit lifts one end of the workpiece to float the one end of the workpiece; controlling the second drive unit so that the workpiece inclined with respect to a horizontal plane by lifting the one end portion is gripped by the second gripping unit from the second direction; The workpiece transport robot according to claim 1 , wherein the first drive unit is controlled so that the workpiece, which is held by the second gripper, is gripped by the first gripper from the first direction.

6. a first drive unit that drives the first gripping unit; a second drive unit that drives the second gripping unit, The control unit controlling the robot arm so that the end of the workpiece held by the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit is lowered; 2. The workpiece transport robot according to claim 1, wherein the first drive unit and the second drive unit are controlled so that an end portion of the workpiece is lowered and released from the grip of the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit while the workpiece is tilted relative to a horizontal plane.

7. a self-propelled carriage on which the robot arm is placed, The control unit The self-propelled carriage is moved to a processing machine where the work is processed; The workpiece processed by the processing machine is tilted from the processing machine with respect to a horizontal plane and then lifted up and stored in a storage section; The workpiece transport robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a processing step of removing the unprocessed workpiece stored in the storage section from the storage section, tilting the workpiece relative to a horizontal plane, and then placing the workpiece relative to the processing machine.

8. The workpiece transport robot according to claim 1 , wherein the workpiece transport robot is a vertical articulated robot.

9. the workpiece includes a plurality of stacked workpiece portions; The workpiece transport robot according to claim 1 , wherein the stacked workpieces are temporarily fixed by temporary fixing members.

10. The workpiece transport robot according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the workpieces are arranged adjacent to each other in the second direction.

11. A control method for a workpiece transport robot comprising: a robot arm; a hand attached to the robot arm and configured to grip a workpiece; and a control unit configured to control operations of the robot arm and the hand, wherein the hand includes a first gripping unit configured to grip the workpiece from a first direction along a horizontal direction, and a second gripping unit configured to grip the workpiece from a second direction along a horizontal direction intersecting the first direction, When lifting and transporting the workpiece, the end of the workpiece is lifted by the first gripping unit, thereby tilting the workpiece relative to a horizontal plane, and the workpiece inclined relative to the horizontal plane is gripped by the second gripping unit. and when placing the workpiece, lowering the ends of the workpiece gripped by the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion to tilt the workpiece relative to the horizontal plane, and releasing the grip of the workpiece by the second gripping portion while it is inclined relative to the horizontal plane.

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