Plant and method for the automated production of ammunition and conveying device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plant for the automated production of ammunition parts, in particular ammunition consisting of cases, ignition elements, projectiles and propellant charges, comprising a plurality of production stations and a transport device for transporting the ammunition parts to and / or from each production station, the transport device being formed by a rail / carriage arrangement, the rails defining a transport track of the plant and the rails guiding a plurality of carriages for holding the ammunition parts.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant and method for the automated production of ammunition consisting of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant, as well as a conveying device for such a plant. [Background technology]

[0002] A plant with a closed, circular conveyor track for the automated production of ammunition is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2019 094 000. The plant described in U.S. Pat. No. 2019 094 000 includes a conveying device for ammunition components with multiple stations where the ammunition components are processed, loaded, manipulated, and / or received, and finally assembled to form the finished ammunition. The conveying device for the individual ammunition components is implemented by a coherent conveying chain, which, as a rule, moves the individual ammunition components between stations at a constant and identical conveying speed, stopping once per cycle in each case. Positioning of the individual production stations is performed taking into account the arrangement of the holding devices for the ammunition components within the conveying chain. The coherent conveying chain requires only one positioning per cycle. However, this means that only a single cyclic movement profile can be processed, and as a result, all production stations must be approached in the same manner.

[0003] The proposed plant must be oriented and calibrated very precisely, resulting in operation susceptible to malfunctions. Furthermore, the predetermined, well-defined arrangement of processing stations increases the space requirements and flexibility of the machine, which ultimately has a negative impact on machine-dependent manufacturing overhead.

[0004] Furthermore, there is a need to process more ammunition parts in a shorter time (to increase production capacity). To this end, in known systems, the speed of the conveyor chain can be increased. However, the resulting faster starts and stops of the conveyor chain disproportionately increase the load on the individual bearings, thereby causing increased wear on the machine, especially its moving parts. In addition, the sensitivity of the entire system to feeding errors increases during faster movements of the conveyor chain, which results in an increase in rejects. This reduces overall manufacturing efficiency despite higher production capacity.

[0005] Another challenge in ammunition production is the adaptability of the machines to produce different calibers. If the movement of the transport chain is purely mechanical, the specific diameters of the cases may not be properly taken into account. Furthermore, it is important for production quality that each production station is approached with its own appropriate movement profile, taking into account the total size of the ammunition being produced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] US Patent No. 2019 094 000 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, in particular to provide a plant which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art, in particular has an increased production capacity and / or allows a more reliable production of ammunition, in particular without increasing the space requirements. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0009] Thus, a plant for the automated production of ammunition consisting of multiple ammunition components, in particular cases, ignition elements, projectiles, and propellants, is provided. The plant for automated production can include all joining and assembly steps necessary to produce a complete ammunition unit with a case, ignition elements, projectile, and propellant charge powder. The plant can therefore also be referred to as an ammunition testing laboratory or assembly plant. Individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and / or upstream manufacturing stations and ultimately added to an ammunition assembly plant, where they are assembled, in principle, according to proven techniques to form complete ammunition or cartridges that are ready for sale after passing through the plant. The plant is preferably realized as a rotating cycle or circulating system in which individual processing stations for assembling ammunition are arranged in succession along the rotating cycle or circulating system, assembling ammunition units in an automated manner according to the conveying cycle of the production line. The plant may also be referred to as a linear transport system, which serves, for example, in assembly and automation technology for ammunition, to transport ammunition parts positionally accurately to processing and / or assembly stations located along the transport path.

[0010] The plant according to the present invention comprises a plurality of manufacturing or processing stations in which different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. The manufacturing stations may be configured to handle, in particular to otherwise operate, handle, interact with, or act on at least one ammunition component. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations may comprise an ammunition component insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and / or a projectile insertion station, for inserting at least one of the plurality of ammunition components into the manufacturing process of the plant, a plurality of quality testing stations, at least one ammunition component processing station, such as a case formation station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station, and / or a discharge station for transporting manufactured ammunition from the manufacturing process of the plant. The discharge station may also serve to discharge rejected or waste products from the manufacturing process. The plurality of manufacturing stations are arranged with respect to the manufacturing process so that ammunition components can be supplied to the manufacturing stations one by one to enable the execution of manufacturing steps that build on each other.

[0011] The plant according to the present invention further comprises a transport device, which may be referred to as a workpiece carrier or may have a workpiece carrier, for holding a plurality of ammunition components and transporting them from, to, and / or between a plurality of production stations. The transport device thus performs at least two functions. On the one hand, the transport device can hold the ammunition components required for the ammunition and enable access to or processing of the ammunition components at the individual production stations. On the other hand, the transport device is responsible for the automated transport or transport of the individual ammunition components along the production process defined by the multiple production stations. The transport device defines a closed, circulating transport track along which the individual ammunition components are at least partially transported depending on their impact on the production process, and which defines an interior space enclosed by the transport track and an exterior space defined from the interior space. The transport track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the plant comprises a plurality of transport devices, such as carriages, distributed along the transport track and, in particular, of identical configuration. In this case, multiple transport devices can be independently actuated to move along the transport track, each with its own movement profile to access the manufacturing stations, resulting in a manufacturing process that is much more flexible than if the transport devices were fixed to one another along the transport track.

[0012] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the transport device is formed by a rail / carriage arrangement, the rail defining a transport track of the plant, and a plurality of carriages for holding a plurality of munitions components, in particular each carriage, is guided by and / or along the rail. The transport track can be of a closed, circular configuration, defining an interior space enclosed by the transport track and an exterior space defined from the interior space. Individual munitions components can be transported at least partially along the transport track depending on their impact on the production process. The transport track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the plant comprises a plurality of carriages, in particular of identical configuration, distributed along the transport track.

[0013] The rail / carriage configuration is based on the basic principle of linear guidance, whereby multiple carriages can be translated relative to a fixed rail. Each carriage can be configured to receive and / or secure multiple ammunition components so that they can be processed in the manufacturing stations, and, where appropriate, to move the ammunition components relative to the carriage to set them in a desired position or orientation. For example, the carriage can have a so-called workpiece carrier that can receive the ammunition components required for the ammunition and enable access to the ammunition components at the individual manufacturing stations or enable processing of the ammunition components at the individual processing stations. On the other hand, the workpiece carrier can be manufactured as a separate component relative to the carriage and can be designed individually for each ammunition component. In this case, a predetermined interface can be provided for connecting the workpiece carrier and the carriage to each other.

[0014] The workpiece carrier has a carrier base, such as a sled, configured to be transported along a manufacturing line. Thus, the carrier base may be configured to be releasably coupled to an automated manufacturing line so as to be transported in an automated manner from one processing station to the next by the automated manufacturing line. The carrier base may be configured, for example, to form a tongue-and-groove system with connecting components of the automated manufacturing line.

[0015] The workpiece carrier further comprises at least one receptacle arranged on the carrier base, particularly preferably releasably fastened to the carrier base, for holding at least two ammunition components of the same type, such as two ammunition cases, two ammunition projectiles, two ammunition cartridges, or two ammunition primers. An essential aspect of the workpiece carrier according to the invention is that it is designed to receive a plurality of ammunition components held therein so that they can be processed simultaneously or in parallel. By way of example, the receptacle may be configured to hold at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 15 ammunition components of the same type. For example, the multiple ammunition components are held by the receptacle in a predetermined, particularly invariable, arrangement, such as a row and / or a side-by-side arrangement, such as an array field.

[0016] According to an exemplary development, at least one ammunition component receptacle is movably mounted relative to the carrier base. It has been found that in munitions inspection laboratory operations, individual ammunition components must be held in different orientations depending on the processing station. While this has been achieved in the prior art by elaborate, individually constructed processing stations with access to rigid holding devices for the ammunition components, the present invention deviates from this concept and advantageously meets these requirements at the expense of more complex workpiece carriers. According to the present invention, high flexibility is achieved in a simple manner by the movably mounted ammunition component receptacle relative to the carrier base. Due to the movability of the material holder, it is possible to optimally orient the material holder during different processing steps or in different processing stations. As a result, the individual processing stations can be significantly simplified in terms of their structure, handling, and operation, and significantly reduced in terms of their installation space. Processing stations no longer require elaborately complex systems to access or process rigidly arranged ammunition components.

[0017] According to a further exemplary development, at least one of the ammunition component receptacles can be moved from a receiving position, in which at least two ammunition components can be supplied simultaneously, to a processing position, in which at least two ammunition components can be processed simultaneously. Due to the fact that not all different ammunition component types necessarily need to be supplied to the same number of different processing stations and / or processed in different orientations or positions in each case, it is possible to provide a more cost-effective and yet highly flexible workpiece carrier compared to the prior art. Combining receptacles for different types of ammunition components required for ammunition production on one and the same workpiece carrier can yield significant advantages, particularly in terms of cycle speed. Thus, ammunition components to be joined together can be provided, for example, directly adjacent to one another, but can also be held by one and the same workpiece carrier at any speed so that they are held locally on the workpiece carrier for easy handling and accessibility. The mobility of at least one ammunition component holder relative to the carrier holder can be flexible, allowing access to multiple different positions. For example, at least one ammunition component receptacle can be locked when the receiving position is assumed and / or when the processing position is assumed, thereby temporarily preventing the mobility of the ammunition component receptacle. It is clear that the position or orientation of the at least two ammunition components in the receiving position can also be such that processing of the at least two ammunition components can also take place in the receiving position. The different possible positions of the ammunition component receptacle relative to the carrier base can differ due to different orientations and / or positions relative to the distance from the carrier base.

[0018] According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece carrier further comprises a coupling interface, in particular a motor-side coupling interface, for connection to a motor of the production line for moving the receptacle from the receiving position to the processing position, in particular vice versa. The workpiece carrier itself can therefore be of drive-free and / or motorless design. The actuation or movement energy required for moving the at least one munitions component receptacle can in particular be completely supplied externally, for example by a motor or drive of the production line.

[0019] According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface is designed, and in particular adapted and / or oriented relative to the motor-side coupling interface, such that the workpiece carrier can be moved to the motor-side coupling interface for connection to the motor. In this way, it becomes possible to couple the workpiece carrier and the energy source to each other in a particularly simple manner, without the workpiece carrier needing its own energy supply for moving the at least one receptacle.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the rail / carriage arrangement includes a drive system that allows the carriages to be driven individually so that they can experience different movement characteristics, particularly independently of one another, along the conveying track. As a result, individual manufacturing stations can be approached with individual movement profiles for each carriage. The manufacturing process is therefore much more flexible than if the carriages were fixed to one another along the conveying track.

[0021] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drive system includes at least one linear motor. The linear motor can have a coil and permanent magnet configuration. In this case, the carriage can include at least one permanent magnet. In principle, the magnetic fields of the permanent magnets assigned to the carriage can be coupled or adapted to each other so that the carriage is alternately pulled or pushed along the conveying track. One advantage of linear motors is their direct force transmission, which can achieve high acceleration and speed as well as high precision.

[0022] According to an exemplary development of the plant according to the invention, the drive system comprises at least one linear spindle which is mounted on the transport device and drives and / or positions the carriage, in particular without play.

[0023] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the carriage is coupled to the rail and / or movably guided in an interlocking manner. For example, the rail and the carriage can have a coupling interface that is adapted to each other, in particular adapted in terms of shape, and designed to couple to each other and / or guide the rail and the carriage along each other, in particular to slide along each other. For example, an interlocking coupling allows the rail and the carriage to be fixed to each other, in particular fixed so that they cannot move away from each other, and for example a predetermined disassembly orientation and / or disassembly direction is predetermined by coupling to each other.

[0024] In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the carriages are guided to roll and / or slide on rails, for example the carriages and the rails can have rolling and / or sliding surfaces that are adapted to each other and oriented relative to a conveying track along which the carriages are guided by the rails.

[0025] According to a further exemplary development of the plant according to the invention, the carriage is designed to at least partially surround the rail. For example, the carriage can be substantially C-shaped in cross section and receive the rail between its C-shaped limbs. For example, the carriage has two guide devices for moving along the rail, in particular in a sliding or rolling manner. For example, the guide devices can be arranged on mutually opposing surfaces of the C-shaped limbs and can be designed to simultaneously contact corresponding guide surfaces of the rail, in particular in a sliding or rolling manner. For example, the dimensions of the carriage, in particular the spacing between the two C-shaped guide legs, are adapted accordingly to the dimensions of the rail, in particular the vertical dimension. Furthermore, the distance between the guide legs of the carriage can be settable.

[0026] In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the drive system is configured to move the carriage to the rest position with different movement characteristics or profiles along the plant. Depending on the processing state of the munitions, in particular the individual munitions components, different movement profiles, in particular speeds and / or accelerations, have proven to be more advantageous for configuring the plant in a particularly flexible and reliable manner.

[0027] In further exemplary embodiments of the invention, the rest position can be approached with an absolute speed and / or repeatability of at most 1 mm, in particular at most 0.5 mm, or at most 0.1 mm.

[0028] In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the travel distance between two production stations designed as processing stations for handling ammunition parts is in the range of between 80 and 1200 mm, in particular between 100 and 1000 mm or between 120 and 800 mm.

[0029] In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the travel distance between two production stations designed as test positions is in the range of 10 mm to 60 mm.

[0030] In general, the inventors of the present invention have found that the travel distance between two production stations designed as processing stations for manipulating ammunition parts should be designed to be longer than the travel distance between two production stations designed as test locations, in particular where the operations, treatments, manufacturing processes, etc. carried out are checked, detected by sensors or subjected to quality checks and / or quality assurance.

[0031] In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the drive system is configured to approach the rest position before loading the propellant charge into the munitions parts designed as cases with different movement characteristics than after loading the propellant charge. In other words, the drive system can be specifically designed to change its movement characteristics, in particular the movement speed and / or acceleration, depending on the processing progress of the munitions to be produced, the weight of the munitions parts held by the carriage, and / or the characteristics of the munitions parts held by the carriage. For example, the drive system can be coupled to a sensor system. The sensor system can be configured to detect the state of the production process, for example, the production progress, movement characteristics such as the movement speed and / or acceleration, the number and / or weight of the munitions parts held by the carriage, etc. Such measures according to the invention allow the carriage to move as precisely as possible between the individual production stations and / or for a large number of cycles in a particularly efficient manner, without compromising the production process and / or the quality of the munitions to be produced.

[0032] In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the conveying track is designed in such a way that the time interval for feeding and / or unloading at least one carriage to a production station, in particular designed as a rest position, is less than 5 seconds, in particular less than 3 seconds or less than 2 seconds. A high number of cycles is an essential measure for increasing production capacity.

[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the present invention, the downtime at a production station designed as a processing station for manipulating ammunition components is between 500 ms and 3000 ms. Furthermore, the plant can be designed so that the drive system can perform the manipulation of the ammunition components held by the carriage without the carriage stopping. For example, when applying a coating such as a seal varnish, the carriage holding the component to be coated can pass through the corresponding production station designed as a coating station at a particularly constant speed. In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the present invention, the downtime at a production station designed as a testing station is between 30 ms and 80 ms. Furthermore, as a result of the fact that the plant according to the present invention can be used to set different movement characteristics or to move the carriages according to different movement profiles, and that the carriages can be moved independently of each other, it is possible to significantly increase production capacity, since the carriages do not have to wait for long-lasting processing operations, but only need to continue as long as the processing operation lasts.

[0034] According to an exemplary development of the plant according to the invention, the plant can be moved at a speed of up to 2 m / s, in particular up to 1.5 m / s, preferably up to 1 m / s, and / or up to 40 m / s. 2 , especially up to 20 m / s 2 , preferably up to 15 m / s 2 The control system is capable of operating the carriage at an acceleration of .

[0035] In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the carriage is held on the rail by a horizontally directed magnetic holding force. For example, no additional horizontally acting fastening mechanism is used. The horizontal magnetic holding force can be supported by a vertically directed support for a bearing interface on the transport device side, which slides and / or rolls along the support during movement of the transport device relative to the support.

[0036] In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the rails have at least one support and / or guide surface for a carriage. The support and / or guide surface supports the movement of a transport device for removing and / or transporting multiple munitions components from, to, and / or between the multiple production stations. For example, a horizontally oriented guide surface provides a magnetic holding force. The magnetic holding force can be achieved by surface contact of the rail and the transport device or by two support surfaces arranged at a small distance from each other.

[0037] According to a further exemplary development, the rail / carriage arrangement is designed as a magnetic levitation system.

[0038] According to a further exemplary development of the plant according to the invention, the transport device, in particular the carriage, is removably mounted on the rail, for example, disassembly can be achieved by overcoming a magnetic holding force between the carriage and the rail, in which case the disassembly direction of the transport device away from the rail can be horizontal.

[0039] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the above-mentioned aspects and exemplary embodiments, there is provided a transport device, in particular according to the present invention, for a plant for the automated production of ammunition consisting of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular cases, ignition elements, projectiles, and propellants. The transport device may also be called or may have a workpiece carrier for holding a plurality of ammunition parts and transporting the plurality of ammunition parts from, to, and / or between a plurality of production stations. The transport device therefore performs at least two functions. On the one hand, the transport device can hold the ammunition parts required for the ammunition and enable access to or processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations. On the other hand, the transport device is responsible for the automated transportation or transport of the individual ammunition parts along the production process defined by the multiple production stations. The transport device according to the present invention comprises a rail / carriage arrangement, in which rails define a transport track plant, along which carriages are guided and which receive at least some of the ammunition parts.

[0040] According to a further aspect of the invention, the conveying device has a rail / carriage configuration, in which rails define a conveying track of the plant and carriages, particularly a plurality of carriages, are guided, the carriages receiving at least some of the munitions components. The carriages may be designed to hold a plurality of munitions components and may be guided by and / or along the rails. The conveying track may have a closed, circular configuration, defining an interior space enclosed by the conveying track and an exterior space defined from the interior space. Individual munitions components may be conveyed at least partially along the conveying track depending on their impact on the manufacturing process. The conveying track may have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the plant comprises a plurality of carriages, particularly of identical configuration, distributed along the conveying track.

[0041] The rail / carriage arrangement is based on the basic principle of linear guidance, whereby the carriages, in particular multiple carriages, can move translationally relative to a fixed rail. Each carriage can be configured to receive and / or secure multiple ammunition components so that they can be processed in a manufacturing station, and, where appropriate, to move the ammunition components relative to the carriage to set them in a desired position or orientation. For example, the carriage can have a so-called workpiece carrier that can receive the ammunition components required for the ammunition and enable access to the ammunition components at the individual manufacturing stations or enable processing of the ammunition components at the individual processing stations. On the other hand, the workpiece carrier can be manufactured as a separate component relative to the carriage and can be designed individually for each ammunition component. In this case, a predetermined interface can be provided for connecting the workpiece carrier and the carriage to each other.

[0042] According to an exemplary development of the conveying device according to the invention, the rail / carriage arrangement comprises a drive system configured to drive a plurality of carriages individually in order to transmit different movement characteristics, in particular velocity profiles and / or acceleration profiles, to the carriages independently of one another along the conveying track.

[0043] In a further exemplary embodiment of the transport device according to the invention, the drive system is configured to move the carriage, after loading the propellant charge, in particular to the rest position, based on a jerk-limited movement characteristic. As a result of the fact that the drive system can transmit an individual movement profile to the carriage depending on the manufacturing progress, type, size and / or weight of the held ammunition parts, a correspondingly careful movement, i.e. with reduced speed and / or reduced acceleration, can be performed during sensitive phases, such as when the propellant charge is introduced into the ammunition case. In a further exemplary embodiment of the transport device according to the invention, the drive system is configured to apply a force of up to 1000 N / carriage.

[0044] In a further exemplary development of the conveying device according to the invention, the carriage is designed to be guided in a magnetically floating manner on the rail, in which case a gap can be formed between two opposing support / guiding surfaces of the carriage and the rail, in particular to make the movement of the carriage relative to the rail as frictionless as possible.

[0045] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which may be combined with the above-mentioned aspects and exemplary embodiments, there is provided use of a rail / carriage arrangement for a plant for the automated production of ammunition consisting of a plurality of ammunition parts, namely cases, ignition elements, projectiles and propellants, the plant comprising a plurality of production stations and a conveying device, particularly designed according to the present invention.

[0046] In an exemplary embodiment, the plant is used for ammunition caliber ranges ranging from 4.5 to 13 mm.

[0047] According to a further aspect of the invention, which can be combined with the aforementioned aspects and exemplary embodiments, there is provided a method for the automated production of ammunition consisting of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile, and a propellant. According to the method according to the invention, the ammunition can be produced according to a plant designed according to one of the aforementioned aspects or exemplary embodiments, and / or the method can be designed such that the plant according to the invention is capable of performing the method steps.

[0048] Preferred embodiments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0049] Further advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention will be explained by the following description of preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0050] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a plant according to the invention; [Figure 2]1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a plant according to the invention; [Figure 3] 2 shows a schematic diagram of a further exemplary embodiment of a plant according to the invention in more detail; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the plant of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the plant of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the plant of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] 1 shows a cross-sectional profile of an exemplary embodiment of a plant according to the invention; [Figure 8] 1 shows a diagram of a velocity profile of an exemplary embodiment of a plant according to the present invention; [Figure 9] 1 shows a diagram of an acceleration profile of an exemplary embodiment of a plant according to the present invention; [Figure 10] 4 shows a further schematic diagram of further details of the plant of FIG. 3; [Figure 11] 4 shows a further schematic diagram of further details of the plant of FIG. 3; [Figure 12] 4 shows a further schematic diagram of further details of the plant of FIG. 3; [Figure 13] 4 shows a further schematic diagram of further details of the plant of FIG. 3; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] In this specification of exemplary embodiments of the invention, a plant 1 according to the invention, also referred to as an ammunition inspection room or assembly plant 1, is generally given the reference numeral 1, and a conveying device 100 or workpiece carrier 63 for holding a plurality of ammunition parts and transporting the plurality of ammunition parts from, to and / or between a plurality of manufacturing stations is generally referred to by the reference numeral 100. A finished ammunition 101 is designated by the reference numeral 101.

[0052] According to the exemplary embodiment of the laboratory installation 1 according to the invention of FIGS. 1 to 3, the ammunition assembly plant 1 comprises in each case the following production stations: a case insertion station 11 configured to insert the cases 3 into the transport device 100; a projectile insertion station 13 configured to insert the bullets 5, also called projectiles 5, into the transport device 100; a propellant charge filling station 15 configured to fill the cases 3 with a propellant charge powder 9; an ignition element supply station 49 for supplying ignition elements 7 and an ignition element insertion station 47 at which the ignition elements 7 are inserted into the transport device 100; several quality monitoring stations 59 and quality testing stations 69 for optically and / or tactilely ensuring the quality of the ammunition 101; and a discharge station 25 for the final discharge of the manufactured ammunition 101.

[0053] A conveying device 100 for holding and transporting a plurality of ammunition components from, to, and / or between a plurality of manufacturing stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 defines a closed, circulating conveying track 29 defining an interior space 33 surrounded by the conveying track 29 and an exterior space 31 defined from the interior space. According to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 , the conveying track 29 comprises two parallel straight sections 27 connected by a curved section 43 to form a racetrack-shaped conveying track profile. The manufacturing stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 are arranged transversely to the conveying track 29 in the interior space 33 ( FIG. 1 ) or the exterior space 31 ( FIG. 2 ) of the conveying track 29.

[0054] 1 and 2, a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a plant 1 according to the present invention can be seen. FIG. 1 shows a plant configuration in which munition components are introduced into the plant 1 from the outside. FIG. 2 shows a rotational approach in which munition components are delivered from the interior space 33 to the carrier device 100. The main production sequence is the same in both system configurations according to FIGS. 1 and 2. The principle of both systems is the following: the carrier device 100, located in the buffer zone 45, is fed to the case insertion station 11 via the curved section 43. This is followed by the projectile insertion station 13, where the projectile 5 is fed into the carrier device 100. The entire carrier device 100, with the projectile 5 and case 3 positioned thereon, is then optically inspected at the quality control station 59. In the subsequent stations, the ignition element 7 is first introduced into the plant 1 via the ignition element feed station 49, then transferred by slide 51 to the ignition element insertion station 47, and finally introduced into the rear of the case 3. After insertion, the fired case 3 is calibrated in the case-forming station 17 and then sealed at the annular joint 55 with an annular joint lacquer in the fluid application station 53. The conveying device 100 is then guided by the second curved section 43, after which the straight section 27 with the multiple manufacturing stations is reconnected. Before the case 3 is filled with the propellant charge powder 9 in the propellant charge filling station 15, a check is performed in the quality monitoring station 59 to determine whether the ignition element 7 is properly seated in the case 3. After filling, the filling level is checked, particularly tactilely, in the quality testing station 69. The actual assembly of the projectile 5 and the case 3 is carried out in two stages: first, the projectile 5 is slightly brought onto the case 3 in the projectile insertion station 19, and then in a subsequent step, it is finally pushed into the case 3 in the projectile assembly station 21. The finished ammunition 101 is then inspected in the quality monitoring station 59 and / or the quality testing station 69 and then ejected by the ejection station 25.

[0055] A detailed diagram of the plant 1 can be seen in FIG. 3, where its special features can be seen. To increase production capacity or production safety, the plant 1 can have at least two propellant charge filling stations 15 arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. This special configuration allows two conveying devices 100 to be filled with the propellant charge powder 9 in one clock cycle. This has the effect that the propellant charge powder 9 has more time per cycle to drip into the case 3, which leads to improved metering accuracy. In the plant 1 according to the invention, work-intensive stations can generally be designed in duplicate so that the station workload is correspondingly halved. An example of a work-intensive step is the supply and insertion of the ignition element 7 into the rear of the case 3. For this purpose, an exemplary development of the plant 1 according to the invention can be seen in FIG. 3, which has two ignition element supply stations 49 for loading the ignition element 7 into the ignition element insertion station 47, arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. In Figure 3, the ignition element insertion stations 47 are arranged between the ignition element supply stations 49 in the conveying direction F. This has the advantage that operations can be carried out in parallel, thereby significantly increasing production capacity.

[0056] 4 and 5, a schematic diagram of the plant according to FIG. 3 can be seen in perspective, with the focus on a rail / carriage arrangement 37 having a number of carriages 39 carrying a number of munitions parts and guided by the plant 1 along rails 41. In other words, the carriages 39 are movably mounted relative to the rails 41 so that they can be moved between different transfer stations of the plant 1, so that different operations or processing steps can be performed on the munitions parts. The carriages 39 are in each case connected or coupled to a workpiece carrier 63 that ultimately receives the munitions parts and secures them in the desired alignment and position during the processing and manipulation steps. The carriages 39 further have a coupling interface 65 for connecting to a plant-side motor and for resting on and sliding along a guide section 71 of the plant 1. As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the carriage 39 is substantially C-shaped in cross section and has two guide arms 73, 75 which extend parallel to each other, forming the limbs of the C, and which are designed and adapted to be guided along the rail 41 in a sliding or rolling manner, in particular against the rail 41.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of the carriages 39, which are mounted one behind the other and arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. The details show how the conveying device 100 is formed by a rail / carriage arrangement 37, with rails 41 defining the conveying track 29 of the munitions assembly plant 1 according to the present invention, and the carriages 39 being guided by the rails 41. In addition to guiding the carriages 39 using two guide arms 73 and 75, the carriages 39 are further guided by the guide section 71. In this case, in particular, the coupling interface 65 is held in the desired position, thereby enabling accurate positioning of the workpiece carrier 63 in its working state. To enable optimal positioning of the carriages 39, a guide system with as little play as possible is required. The entire guide system consists of the fixed structure, rails 41, and guide section 71 on the one hand, and the movable structure, guide arms 73 and 75, and coupling interface 65 on the other hand.

[0058] FIG. 5 shows a more detailed view of the conveying device 100. The entire conveying track 29 has a drive system realized by a linear motor and / or a linear spindle. In this case, the carriage 39 is driven and / or positioned on the rail 41 without play. In this case, the carriage 39 is coupled to the rail 41 in an interlocking manner and / or is movably guided using at least one guide arm 73 or 75. FIG. 5 also shows the curved section 43 of the conveying device 100, where the carriage 39 is also preferably guided without play on the curved section of the conveying track 29. In addition to being guided on the rail 41, the upper part of the carriage 39 is guided in a guide section 71 via a coupling interface 65. This second guidance is also ensured by the guide section 71, which ensures the workpiece carrier 63 is fixed in a specific position and contacts the coupling interface 65 over the entire curved section 43, ensuring reliable production of the ammunition 101. In addition to the guiding and deflecting functions, the curved section 43 of the racetrack-shaped transport device 100 also ensures the function of a buffer zone 45 from which the carriages 39 can be removed individually, but one after the other.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 6, which shows a greatly enlarged perspective detail of FIG. 3, an optical quality monitoring station 59 is shown. According to FIG. 6, the quality monitoring station 59 comprises three cameras 61. The cameras 61 are directed toward both the case 3 and the projectile 5. Thus, it is possible to take multiple images of each case 3 and each projectile 5, which can then be evaluated mechanically, manually, or using artificial intelligence (AI), "deep learning," or "machine learning." The cameras 61 can be combined with, for example, the handling system or robotic system 35, or moved and operated by the handling system or robotic system 35. For example, the cameras 61 are held via a support structure 77 having a base 79 and an angular support arm 81 connected to the base.

[0060] Figures 7-9 show diagrams of different physical variables for the same movement sequence. In principle, the drive system can drive each carriage 39 individually. Therefore, the movement sequences can be individual, resulting in different movement characteristics. Figures 7-9 show representative diagrams of typical movement sequences of the carriage 39 between individual manufacturing stations. In each diagram, the X-axis represents time, and the Y-axis represents the physical unit describing the movement process. The areas of the diagrams according to Figures 7-9 marked with S relate to typical movement sequences, where all ammunition components mounted on the carriage 39 and intended for machining are machined simultaneously, in one process step. The areas marked with P relate to typical movement sequences that occur, for example, in the case of the fluid application station 53; a similar profile is conceivable for the testing station. The areas marked with C relate to typical movement sequences in the case of the quality monitoring station 59. If the resolution rate of the camera 61 is sufficiently high, such processes can also be performed continuously.

[0061] FIG. 7 shows a diagram of a cross-sectional profile 110 of an exemplary embodiment of a plant 1 according to the present invention. This cross-sectional profile 110 defines the travel path 118 of the carriage 39 and is used to describe the distance between processing stations as a function of time. The Y-axis of the diagram shown indicates the distance s covered in meters. The starting point is defined as 0 for better visibility. However, this does not mean that no processing steps occur upstream or downstream. In particular, due to the zero-play configuration of the rail / carriage arrangement 37, a given process position on the diagram visible in FIG. 7 can be approximated with an absolute accuracy of up to 1 mm. The time elapsed between individual process steps and between the movements of the process itself can be inferred in each case from the X-axis. This is particularly evident in the test area P, where several intermediate steps, also referred to as inter-process stop times 120, are depicted. These intermediate steps represent short stops in each case, for example, when a pair of identical ammunition components is machined simultaneously. In the diagram according to FIG. 7, the travel path 118 between two manufacturing stations designated as processing stations can be read. According to Figure 7, this is approximately 0.27 m. The inter-process distance between rest stations is approximately 30 mm. Path area S in Figure 7 primarily shows the area where the carriage 39 is stationary and only remains to move to the next processing station. Path area P has a wavy path. In this case, the carriage 39 remains in the same position temporarily during the process. Since the process in this example is performed only in one direction, i.e., the ammunition components are machined one after the other, no actual maximum value occurs in this case; rather, small path sections are created that are continuously stacked one on top of the other. However, the drive system allows such forward and backward positioning. Path area C shows a continuous movement profile with a continuously rising S-shaped line. The S-shaped position profile occurs due to the movement path of the carriage 39.

[0062] FIG. 8 shows a diagram of a speed profile 112 of an exemplary embodiment of the plant 1 according to the invention. This speed profile 112 defines a speed section and is used to describe the speed between processing stations as a function of time. The Y-axis of the illustrated diagram shows the simulated profile of the speed profile 112, representing the speed v in meters per second (m / s). The time elapsed between the individual process steps and the time during which the carriage 39 is stationary can be inferred from the X-axis in each case. During the speed profile, the process stop times 120 can be read particularly accurately, which are approximately 50 milliseconds according to FIG. 8. Referring to the stop times 120 shown in FIG. 8, it can be seen that the conveying track 29 is designed so that the time interval between the loading and unloading of the carriage 39 is approximately 1.2 seconds. Regarding the region S, after the rest phase during which the munitions component is machined, it becomes clear that the movement path 118 is characterized by a particularly high movement speed, reaching a maximum of approximately 1.3 m / s. The velocity profile 112 is characterized by short portions in region P where the velocity returns to zero and short processing steps can generally be performed during these short pauses 120. Region C in Figure 8 has a constant velocity of more than 1 second. During this continuous velocity phase 116 of the carriage 39, image recording can be performed, for example, to inspect the quality of the ammunition.

[0063] FIG. 9 shows a diagram of an acceleration profile 114 for an exemplary embodiment of the plant 1 according to the present invention. This acceleration profile 114 defines an acceleration section and is used to describe the acceleration occurring between processing stations as a function of time. The acceleration profile 114 represents the derivative of the velocity profile 112 seen in FIG. 8 and the second derivative of the cross-sectional profile 110 seen in FIG. 7. Due to its steep flanks, this is a simulated acceleration profile 114, but it also represents the main characteristics of the actual acceleration profile 114 of the transport device 100. The Y-axis of the diagram shown in FIG. 9 shows a maximum acceleration value 122 of approximately 12 m / s² in the region S. This acceleration value represents the maximum load of the carriage 39 and the munitions components mounted thereon. Such accelerations pose challenges, particularly for the case 3 method with the propellant charge powder 9, because they can be spilled or inaccurately determined. In principle, it is conceivable that the propellant charge powder level approaches the rest position with different acceleration characteristics before testing than after testing. To prevent this, the acceleration profile 114 is preferably configured without jerk. Region P has short acceleration flanks leading from front to back. Configuring acceleration profile 114 according to region C inherently presents challenges in terms of alignment and vibration resistance, as carriage 39 must accelerate and brake in short bursts. No significant acceleration occurs during processing in the successive processing stations (region C).

[0064] FIG. 10 shows further details in a perspective view of the plant 1 according to the invention, focusing on the transport device 100 with the carriage 39 arranged on the rail 41. The embodiment according to FIG. 10 differs from the preceding embodiments in terms of the coupling of the transport device 100 and the rail 41 with each other. As shown schematically by the arrows marked M, a horizontal magnetic holding force H acts between the transport device 100 and the rail 41, holding the transport device 100 on the rail 41. According to the embodiment of FIG. 13, the transport device 100 does not have an interlocking or latching engagement with the rail 41. The coupling is achieved by pairs of mutually assigned support surfaces 83, 87 and 85, 89. The guide surface 85 of the rail 41 is formed by a support 91 for the transport device 100, i.e., a support projection 93 that protrudes from the flat magnetic support and / or guide surface 87 and rests on the support 91 together with its support and / or guide surface 89.

[0065] 11 is a top view of the printout of FIG. 10. A particularly preferred embodiment of the plant 1 according to the invention becomes clear from this. The rail 41 and the guide device 100 together form a magnetic levitation system emerging from the narrow gap a between the opposing magnetic support and / or guide surfaces 83, 87. The transport device 100 is thus vertically supported by the support 91 at least via the support projections 93 and can pass through the areas of the opposing support and / or guide surfaces 87, 89 without contact and without friction during the relative movement of the transport device 100 with respect to the rail 41.

[0066] 12 and 13 relate to the same embodiment as in FIGS. 10 and 11, in which the transport device 100 has been partially disassembled from the rail 41. According to the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 13-16, disassembly can be performed simply by overcoming the magnetic holding force (arrow M) between the transport device 100 and the rail 41. For subsequent reassembly of the transport device 100 on the rail 41, the transport device 100 is fed back onto the rail in substantially the opposite direction until the magnetic holding force M begins to pull the transport device 100 towards the rail 41.

[0067] The features disclosed in the above description, in the drawings and in the claims can be important both individually and in any desired combination for realizing the invention in different configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Ammunition testing laboratory or assembly plant 3 cases 5. Projectile 7 Ignition Elements 9 Propellant Charge Powder 11 Case Insertion Station 13 Projectile Insertion Station 15 Propellant Charge Filling Station 17 Case Forming Station 19. Projectile Insertion Station 21 Projectile Assembly Station 23 Projectile Marking Station 25 Discharge Station 27 Straight Section 29 Transport Track 31 Exterior Space 33 Interior Space 35 Robot 37 Rail / Carriage Configuration 39 Carriage 41 Rail 43 curved section 45 Buffer Zone 47 Ignition Element Insertion Station 49 Ignition Element Supply Station 51 slides 53 Fluid Application Station 55 Annular joint 57 Fluid Applicator 59 Quality Monitoring Station 61 Camera 63 Workpiece Carrier 65 Bonding Interface 69 Quality Testing Station 71 Information Section 73, 75 Guide arm 77 Support structure 79 Basics 81 Angle Arm 83.85, 87.89 Guiding and / or supporting surfaces 91 Support 93 Support protrusion 100 conveying device 101 Ammunition 110 cross-sectional profile 112 Speed Profile 114 Acceleration Profile 116 continuous speed steps 118 Movement Route 120 Inter-process pause time 122 Maximum acceleration value F Conveying direction A Removal direction S Process Area P Test Area C. Continuous region XX axis YY axis M magnetic force V, H Vertical or horizontal direction a interval

Claims

1. A plant (1) for the automated production of ammunition (101) consisting of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile (5) and a propellant charge (9), comprising a plurality of production stations and a transport device (100) designed in particular according to any one of claims 21 to 25 and transporting the plurality of ammunition parts to and / or from each of the production stations, The plant (1) is characterized in that the transport device (100) is formed by a rail / carriage arrangement (37), the rails (41) define a transport track (29) of the plant (1), and a plurality of carriages (39) for holding the plurality of ammunition components are guided by the rails (41).

2. 2. The plant (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the rail / carriage arrangement (37) comprises a drive system by means of which the carriages (39) can be driven individually so that they can experience different movement characteristics along the conveying track (29), in particular independently of each other.

3. 3. The plant (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the drive system comprises at least one linear motor, in particular the linear motor comprises an arrangement of a coil and a permanent magnet, in particular the carriage (39) is provided with at least one permanent magnet.

4. 4. The plant (1) according to claim 2, wherein the drive system comprises at least one linear spindle mounted on the conveying device (100) and driving and / or positioning the carriage (39) without any play.

5. 5. The plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the carriage (39) is coupled to and / or movably guided on the rail (41) in an interlocking manner.

6. 6. Plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the carriage (39) is guided in a rolling and / or sliding and / or floating manner on the rails (41).

7. 7. The plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the carriage (39) is designed to at least partially surround the rail (41), in particular the carriage (39) has two guide devices for moving along the rail (41), in particular in a sliding or rolling manner.

8. 8. The plant (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the drive system is configured to move the carriages (39) with different movement characteristics to a rest position.

9. 9. Plant (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the rest position can be approached with an absolute and / or repeatability accuracy of at most 1 mm, in particular at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.1 mm.

10. 10. The plant (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the travel distance (118) between two production stations designed as processing stations for handling the ammunition parts is between 80 mm and 1200 mm, in particular between 100 and 1000 mm or between 120 and 800 mm.

11. A plant (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the travel distance between two production stations designed as test positions is between 10 mm and 60 mm.

12. 12. The system (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the drive system is configured to approach the rest position with different movement characteristics before filling a propellant charge (9) into an ammunition part designed as a case (3) than after filling the propellant charge (9).

13. 13. A plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the conveying track (29) is designed in such a way that the time interval for feeding and / or unloading at least one carriage (39) to a production station, in particular designed as a rest position, is less than 5 seconds, in particular less than 3 seconds or less than 2 seconds.

14. 14. The plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the downtime in the manufacturing stations designed as processing stations for manipulating the munitions parts is between 500 ms and 3000 ms.

15. 15. The system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the downtime (120) in the production station designated as a test station ranges from 30 ms to 80 ms.

16. at a speed of at most 2 m / s, in particular at most 1.5 m / s, preferably at most 1 m / s, and / or at a speed of at most 40 m / s ２ , especially up to 20 m / s ２ , preferably up to 15 m / s ２ 16. The plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising a control system capable of operating the carriage (39) with an acceleration (122) of .

17. 17. The plant (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carriage (39) is held on the rail (41) by a horizontally oriented magnetic holding force.

18. 18. The plant (1) according to claim 17, wherein the rail (41) has at least one support and / or guide surface (83, 85) for the carriage (39), in particular a horizontally oriented guide surface (83, 85) providing a magnetic holding force.

19. 19. The plant (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rail / carriage arrangement (37) is designed as a magnetic levitation system.

20. 20. The plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the conveying device (100), in particular the carriage (39), is removably mounted on the rail (41), in particular by overcoming the magnetic holding force between the carriage (39) and the rail (41).

21. A conveying device (100) for a plant (1), in particular designed according to any one of claims 1 to 20 for the automated production of ammunition (101), characterized by a rail / carriage arrangement (37) on which rails (41) define a conveying track (29) of the plant (1) and on which carriages (39) are guided, the carriages (39) receiving at least some of the ammunition parts.

22. The conveying device (100) according to claim 21, characterized in that the rail / carriage arrangement (37) comprises a drive system configured to drive a plurality of carriages (39) individually, in particular to transmit different movement characteristics along the conveying track (29) to the carriages (39) independently of each other.

23. 23. Conveying device (100) according to claim 22, characterized in that the movement characteristics are freely programmable and the carriage (39) can be moved in synchronous and / or asynchronous operation, in particular by means of a linear motor or a spindle drive.

24. 24. The transport device (100) according to any one of claims 22 to 23, characterized in that the drive system is configured to move the carriage (39) with a jerk-limited movement characteristic, in particular to a rest position, after the carriage (39) has been filled with a propellant charge (9).

25. Conveying device (100) according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the drive system is configured to exert a maximum force of 1000 N per carriage (39).

26. 26. Conveying device (100) according to any one of claims 22 to 25, characterized in that the carriage (39) is designed to be guided in a magnetically floating manner on the rail (41).

27. 27. Use of a rail / carriage arrangement (37) for a plant (1) for the automated production of ammunition (101) consisting of a number of ammunition parts, namely cases (3), ignition elements (7), projectiles (5) and propellant charges (9), said plant comprising a number of production stations and a conveying device (100) in particular designed according to any one of claims 21 to 26.

28. Use according to claim 27 for an ammunition caliber range ranging from 4.5 to 13 mm.

29. 20. A method for the automated production of ammunition (101) consisting of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case (3), an ignition element (7), a projectile (5) and a propellant charge (9), by a plant (1) designed in particular according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 19 is designed to carry out the steps of said method.

Images