Workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts

Abstract

The present invention relates to a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition having at least two ammunition components, the workpiece carrier comprising: a carrier base, such as a carriage, configured to be transported along the production line; and at least one receptacle disposed on 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 illumination caps, wherein the at least one ammunition component receptacle is mounted so as to be movable relative to the carrier base.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts, such as ammunition cartridges, which combines in one unit the components necessary to launch a projectile, such as a ammunition case, an ammunition projectile, an ammunition primer, and / or a propellant charge powder. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an automated production line for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts, which comprises a workpiece carrier according to the present invention.

[0002] The present invention relates principally to the technical field of ammunition assembly operations, which involves the provision and assembly of individual ammunition components to form a complete ammunition unit. [Background technology]

[0003] For decades, this was accomplished in successive processing stations separated from one another, which roughly summarized the following processes: providing a cartridge case, projectile, primer, and propellant charge powder at each separate processing station; inserting the primer into the cartridge case; filling the cartridge case with the propellant charge powder; inserting the projectile into the cartridge case; and performing additional sealing, painting, and / or inspection steps. From each processing station, the individual parts were discharged as bulk material, then separated again from this bulk material in a separation station preceding the subsequent processing station, and fed to the subsequent processing station.

[0004] Attempts to automate ammunition assembly operations have already been made. For example, WO 2017 / 085751 describes a manufacturing plant in which individual processing stations are arranged along a circular linear transport system, and multiple receiving sleeves, each designed to receive one ammunition case, are transported in a conveying direction through the different stations. However, the number of cycles in such a system is significantly limited. This is particularly related to the fact that the transport system is still of a very basic design, as the ammunition cases are moved rigidly and resolutely through the individual stations. Consistent with this, this type of system according to WO 2017 / 08575 requires elaborately constructed individual processing stations, occupying a large installation space, to enable each station to perform the necessary handling, alignment, and processing steps.

[0005] A further approach to automating ammunition assembly operations is described in Patent No. 1020130133355, in which a cartridge case receiving plate is provided for receiving and holding a plurality of cartridge cases, and the plate is moved along the production line by a conveying device. Further cartridge components, such as projectiles, primers, and propellant charges, are each connected to the cartridge cases via separate receptacles provided for this purpose in handling and processing stations specially constructed for this purpose.

[0006] The production line of patent 1020130133355 also proves to be disadvantageous, particularly due to the complexity and large installation space of the individual processing stations required to assemble the complete cartridge. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 085751 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 08575 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 1020130133355 specification Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks from the prior art, in particular to simplify automatic munitions assembly operations and / or increase their cycle speed, while requiring a smaller installation space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts.

[0011] An automated production line can include all joining and assembly steps necessary to produce a complete ammunition unit, including ammunition cases, ammunition primers, ammunition projectiles, and propellant charge powder. Such a production line can therefore also be referred to as an ammunition inspection lab or assembly plant. Individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream production steps and / or upstream production stations and ultimately added to an ammunition assembly facility, 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 automated production line. The automated production line is preferably realized as a rotating or circulating system in which individual processing stations for assembling ammunition are arranged in succession along the rotating or circulating system, assembling ammunition units in an automated manner according to the conveying cycle of the production line.

[0012] The plant comprises a number of manufacturing or processing stations where different assembly or manufacturing steps are performed. For example, the number of manufacturing stations may comprise an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and / or a projectile insertion station, for inserting at least one of the number of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the plant, a number of quality testing stations, at least one ammunition part processing station, such as a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station, and / or a rejection station for transporting manufactured ammunition from the manufacturing process of the plant. The rejection station may also serve to reject rejected products from the manufacturing process. The number of manufacturing stations is arranged with respect to the manufacturing process so that ammunition parts can be supplied to the manufacturing stations one by one to enable manufacturing steps that build on each other to be performed.

[0013] The plant further comprises one or more transport devices, each configured to hold several of the ammunition components and transport several of the ammunition components from, to, and / or between the multiple manufacturing stations. The transport devices thus perform at least two functions: on the one hand, they can hold the ammunition components required for the ammunition and enable access to or processing of the ammunition components at the individual manufacturing stations; and, on the other hand, they are responsible for the automated transport or transportation of the individual ammunition components along the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing 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 manufacturing 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 several transport devices, such as carriages, distributed along the transport track and having, in particular, identical configurations. 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.

[0014] At least one, particularly several, of the multiple production stations can be arranged in the interior and / or exterior space and can act on munitions components transported or transported from the inside and / or outside of the transport device, particularly along the transport device. The resulting lateral or horizontal working surface of the production stations on the transport device or on the transported munitions components allows for a space-saving and clean design of the plant. Such lateral access to the transport device allows for better fulfillment of high production capacity requirements. This is because, as a result of the lateral arrangement of the production stations with lateral access to the transport device, the individual production stations can be designed completely independent of the transport device and can be freely or flexibly positioned, repositioned, and exchanged relative to the transport device.

[0015] Furthermore, the transport devices can be moved independently from and / or between the production stations. In particular, the plant comprises a plurality of transport devices, such as carriages, distributed along a transport track, and in particular of identical configuration. In this case, the transport devices can be individually actuated and moved along the transport track so that each transport device can approach the production stations with an individual movement profile. As a result, the production process is much more flexible than if the transport devices were fixed to one another along the transport track.

[0016] Furthermore, the plant can have at least two propellant charge filling stations arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. The propellant charge filling stations are generally designed to fill ammunition components, especially cases, with propellant charge powder. The propellant charge filling station according to the present invention can be designed based on gravimetric measurement or can operate based on volumetric weighing. Gravimetric weighing can achieve advantages in terms of the accuracy of the metered amounts. Volumetric weighing can achieve clear advantages in terms of processing speed, which has a positive effect on cycle speed, especially when the propellant charge filling station according to the present invention is incorporated into a plant, especially one according to the present invention, for the automated production of ammunition. The device according to the present invention is particularly useful for simultaneously filling at least two ammunition cases with propellant charge powder. This means that the filling of at least two ammunition cases is carried out in a filling operation, especially without a change in direction of more than 90°. Simultaneous, in this case, does not necessarily mean that at least two ammunition cases are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a fairly specific time offset between the filling, especially the complete filling, of ammunition cases arranged along a trajectory. The apparatus according to the present invention can be designed to fill at least two cartridge cases with predetermined, particularly substantially identical, quantities in each case, taking into account the inherent imprecision of the process. The propellant charge powder can be, for example, a propellant charge powder for small-caliber ammunition, particularly those with calibers ranging from 4.5 mm to 13 mm, typically having a mono- or di-basic spherical, tubular, rod-like, or flake shape and / or formed like a powder. Alternatively, extruded propellant charge powder can be used. When spherical propellant charge powder is involved, the powder can be, for example, rolled, with a sphere diameter of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. In the case of rod-shaped propellant charge powder, for example for 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, the rod can have a length of up to 1.1 mm and / or a diameter of up to 0.7 mm. In the case of nitrocellulose (NC), the density of the propellant charge powder used can be, for example, within the range of 0.5 to 1 g / cm3.For such propellant charge powders, the bulk density ranges from 0.6 to 1 g / cm3 for ammunition cartridges and up to 0.4 g / cm3 for subsonic or blank cartridges.

[0017] Furthermore, one of the multiple production stations can be an ignition element insertion station, which introduces the ignition elements into the production process of the plant and in each case inserts the ignition elements into the cases. The ignition element insertion station can be designed to insert multiple, in particular at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12, ignition elements simultaneously, in particular in one insertion operation, into a corresponding number of cases.

[0018] Furthermore, one of the manufacturing stations can be a fluid application station, in which a sealing compound is applied to the annular joint between the case and the ignition element housed therein and / or between the case and the projectile inserted therein to seal and / or mark the annular joint. It has been found that integrating the application of the sealing compound into an automated manufacturing process entails considerable advantages in terms of production capacity and manufacturing precision. Due to the fact that the plant ensures that the individual components are aligned relative to one another, the fluid application station can benefit from this predetermined alignment of the individual components relative to one another and apply the sealing compound very precisely.

[0019] Furthermore, one of the production stations can be a quality monitoring station, where the cases and projectiles are individually monitored, in particular before assembly in each case, monitoring being understood to mean quality control with respect to predetermined parameters.

[0020] Furthermore, the transport device and the manufacturing station can be coordinated with one another in a clock cycle, such that at least two, at least five, at least ten, or at least twelve ammunition components are processed into ammunition at the manufacturing station per clock cycle. The manufacturing capacity of the present invention is achieved, inter alia, by the parallel processing of multiple ammunition components per clock cycle.

[0021] Furthermore, the conveying track can have rails, which are oriented towards the interior space and / or the exterior space, extend along the conveying track and fix the coupling interface of the conveying device in the presentation position.

[0022] The workpiece carrier can therefore perform two functions: on the one hand, it can hold the ammunition parts required for the ammunition and enable access to or processing of the ammunition parts at the individual processing stations, and on the other hand, it can form an interface to an automated production line, so that at least two ammunition parts can be passed through the automated production line by the workpiece carrier.

[0023] The workpiece carrier according to the present invention has a carrier base, such as a carriage, configured to be transported along a production line. The carrier base can therefore be configured to be releasably coupled to an automated production line so as to be transported in an automated manner from one processing station to the next by the automated production line. The carrier base can be configured, for example, to form a tongue-and-groove system with connecting components of the automated production line.

[0024] 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.

[0025] According to a first aspect of the present invention, at least one ammunition component receptacle is movably mounted relative to the carrier base. It has been found that during ammunition assembly, individual ammunition components must be held in different orientations depending on the processing station. While this has been achieved in the prior art by elaborately and individually constructed processing stations with access to rigid holding devices for the ammunition components, the present invention deviates from this concept and achieves the advantage of being able to meet these requirements at the expense of a more complex workpiece carrier. 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, the material holder can be optimally oriented during different processing steps or in different processing stations. As a result, the individual processing stations can be significantly simplified in terms of structure, handling, and operation, and their installation space can be significantly reduced. Processing stations no longer require elaborately complex systems to access or process rigidly arranged ammunition components.

[0026] In an exemplary implementation, the ammunition component receptacle is pivotally mounted relative to, and in particular on, the carrier base. As a result, the ammunition component holder can be rotated between different positions relative to the rotation axis to assume different orientations. According to an exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the at least one ammunition component receptacle can be moved from a receiving position, in which at least two ammunition components can be supplied, in particular simultaneously, to a processing position, in which at least two ammunition components can be processed simultaneously. The mobility of the at least one ammunition component holder relative to the carrier holder can be flexible so that it can access a number of different positions. For example, the at least one ammunition component receptacle can be locked when the receiving position and / or the processing position are 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 or its orientation can also be such that processing of the at least two ammunition components can also be performed in the receiving position. The different possible positions of the munitions component receptacle relative to the carrier base may differ due to different orientations and / or positions relative to the distance from the carrier base.

[0027] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, at least one ammunition component receptacle is movably mounted on the carrier base such that the ammunition component receptacle can perform a combination of rotational and translational movements relative to the carrier base.

[0028] For example, the ammunition component receptacles may be pivotally mounted on the carrier base by pivot arms, so that the pivot or rotation axis does not pass through the ammunition component receptacles. In this case, at least one ammunition component receptacle may further be mounted on the pivot arms so as to be movable, in particular rotatable, relative to the pivot arms. The flexibility of the workpiece carrier according to the invention is further increased as a result, in particular because an additional degree of movement is provided, which allows adaptation of the orientation and positioning of the ammunition component receptacles or the ammunition components received therein.

[0029] In a further exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the present invention, the carrier base has a catch designed to transmit the driving force of the production line to the workpiece carrier. For example, the catch of the connecting device can have a tongue and groove system. Furthermore, the ignition element insertion station can have an actively controllable actuable fastening mechanism, such as a clamp and / or latch mechanism, by which the ignition element insertion station can be coupled to the production line so that it can be moved to transmit the force.

[0030] According to a further aspect of the invention, which may be combined, for example, with the above-mentioned aspects, there is provided a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts.

[0031] The workpiece carrier can in principle perform two functions: on the one hand, it can hold the ammunition components required for the ammunition and allow access to or processing of the ammunition components at the individual processing stations, and on the other hand, it can form an interface to an automated production line, so that at least two ammunition components can be passed through the automated production line by the workpiece carrier.

[0032] The workpiece carrier further comprises at least two receptacles for respectively 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 present 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 receptacles are 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 receptacles in a predetermined, particularly invariable, arrangement, such as a row and / or a side-by-side arrangement, such as an array field.

[0033] According to a further aspect of the present invention, at least one of the ammunition component receptacles can be moved from a receiving position, capable of feeding at least two ammunition components simultaneously, to a processing position, capable of processing at least two ammunition components simultaneously. Due to the fact that not all different ammunition component types necessarily need to be fed 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 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 with regard to 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.

[0034] The mobility of the at least one ammunition component holder relative to the carrier base may be flexible so that it can access a number of different positions. For example, the at least one ammunition component receptacle may 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 positions of the at least two ammunition components in the receiving position or their orientation may also be such that processing of the at least two ammunition components can also be performed in the receiving position. The different possible positions of the ammunition component receptacle relative to the carrier base may differ due to different orientations and / or positions relative to the distance from the carrier base.

[0035] According to an exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, at least one movable ammunition component receptacle can be moved relative to other ammunition component receptacles so that the movable ammunition component receptacle can assume a processing position in which at least two ammunition components of the movable ammunition component receptacle can be processed together, in particular, joined together with at least two ammunition components of other rigid or similar movable ammunition component receptacles. It has been found that the workpiece carrier can not only be used to hold and provide ammunition components at different processing stations, but can also simultaneously serve itself to take over processing steps in the manufacture or assembly of ammunition. For example, if one ammunition component type is an ammunition component case and the other ammunition component type is an ammunition projectile, the receptacle holding the ammunition projectile can be moved relative to the ammunition component receptacle holding the ammunition case, so that the workpiece carrier can insert, in particular push, the ammunition projectile into the ammunition case.

[0036] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, each of the at least two ammunition component receptacles can be moved independently of the other ammunition component receptacles. As a result, ammunition component receptacles holding different ammunition components can be moved independently of each other and moved to the required processing positions. As a result, it is even possible to position both ammunition component receptacles in processing positions where the received ammunition components can be processed simultaneously. According to an exemplary development, each of the at least two ammunition component receptacles can perform a rotational and / or translational movement relative to the respective other ammunition component receptacle. The more degrees of freedom of movement there are and / or the more the at least two ammunition component receptacles can move independently of each other, the more flexible the insertion of the ammunition carriers in the workpiece carrier can be, and the simpler and less complex the required processing stations can be designed.

[0037] According to a further exemplary development of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, at least one movable munitions component receptacle defines a first movement space, in which this munitions component receptacle can be moved, and at least one other movable receptacle defines a further movement space, in which this further receptacle, which is arranged in the first movement space, can be moved.

[0038] In a further exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, at least one first movable munitions component receptacle is movable along a first movement path and at least one further movable munitions component receptacle is movable along a further movement path, the two movement paths intersecting. The crossing of the movement paths allows the workpiece carrier to perform processing operations such as joining together munitions components arranged in the first movable munitions component receptacle and the further munitions component receptacle in a simple manner.

[0039] According to a further exemplary development of the workpiece according to the invention, the workpiece carrier has a carrier base, such as a carriage or a device based on the tongue-and-groove principle, configured to be transported along a production line. In this case, at least one of the receptacles can be movably mounted on the carrier base via a moving arm. For example, the other receptacle is coupled to the carrier base via a support arm rigidly connected to the carrier base. According to an exemplary development, the movably mounted moving arm is arranged on a holding arm, which is particularly rigidly coupled to the carrier base, on which at least one further munitions component receptacle is particularly movably mounted. For example, the movable moving arm is movably mounted on its support surface facing the respective munitions component receptacle. As a result of this configuration of the munitions component receptacles on the workpiece carrier, the workpiece carrier can be designed particularly compactly and allows high flexibility in terms of the possible movements of the munitions component receptacles.

[0040] According to an exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier of the present invention, the workpiece carrier has a carrier base, such as a carriage, configured to be transported along a production line. Furthermore, the workpiece carrier has at least two, in particular three, rotation axes, and both receptacles can rotate relative to the carrier base and the other receptacles, respectively, about a first or second rotation axis, independently of the other receptacle. In other words, the first munitions component receptacle is mounted rotatably about a first rotation axis, and the second munitions component receptacle is mounted rotatably about a second rotation axis different from the first rotation axis. According to an exemplary embodiment, at least two receptacles can be rotatable relative to the carrier base about a common third rotation axis. In other words, the two munitions component receptacles can rotate as a unit about the third rotation axis.

[0041] According to a further aspect of the invention, which may be combined with the above-mentioned aspects and exemplary embodiments, there is provided a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts.

[0042] The workpiece carrier comprises at least one receptacle 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 present 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 is 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.

[0043] At least one receptacle can be moved from a receiving position, where at least two ammunition components can be supplied simultaneously, to a processing position, where 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 generate considerable advantages, especially 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.

[0044] According to a further aspect of the invention, 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.

[0045] According to a further aspect of the invention, the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface is designed, and in particular adapted and / or oriented relative to the motor-side coupling interface, so that the workpiece carrier can be moved to the motor-side coupling interface for connection to the motor, in this way making it 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 to move the at least one receptacle.

[0046] According to an exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier, the mating interface is designed for interlocking engagement, for example, the mating interface can be based on the tongue and groove principle.

[0047] In a further exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the workpiece carrier-side coupling interface has a linear recess and a linear protrusion, and the longitudinal extent of the linear recess and the linear protrusion is oriented parallel to the direction of movement for coupling the workpiece carrier and the motor together. The direction of movement of the workpiece carrier for coupling together can correspond to the direction of movement prescribed by the production line, for example, a rotation cycle or a circulation system.

[0048] In a further exemplary development of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, at least one receptacle has a pretensioning device configured to apply an ejection force to at least two munitions components when they are held therein. For example, the pretensioning device may comprise a spring assigned to each of the munitions components. For example, the pretensioning device may comprise a spring-pretensioned latch.

[0049] According to further exemplary embodiments, the workpiece carrier can have two, three or four, in particular movably mounted, ammunition part receptacles for receiving in each case at least two, in particular 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15, ammunition parts of the same type.

[0050] In a further exemplary development of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, the carrier base is designed so that it can be guided in a magnetically floating manner along a production line, in particular along a rail of the production line, whereby a gap can be formed between two mutually opposing support / guiding surfaces of the carrier base and the rail, in particular for a movement of the carrier base relative to the rail with as little friction as possible.

[0051] According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the above-mentioned aspects and exemplary embodiments, there is provided an automated production line for ammunition, also called a plant for the automated production of ammunition, having at least two ammunition parts, which has at least one workpiece carrier designed according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment of the manufacturing line according to the present invention, the manufacturing line further comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations, such as an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and / or a projectile insertion station, for inserting at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the plant, a plurality of quality testing stations, at least one ammunition part processing station, such as a case forming 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 manufacturing stations are arranged with respect to the manufacturing process such that ammunition parts can be supplied to the manufacturing stations one by one to enable the manufacturing steps that build on each other to be carried out.

[0053] In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the manufacturing stations may be individually movable between a manufacturing position, in which the manufacturing stations can act on the ammunition components and / or the transport device, and a passive position, in which the manufacturing stations are retracted relative to the ammunition components and / or the transport device. The passive position may be, for example, a maintenance position, in which the respective manufacturing station is decoupled from the manufacturing process so that maintenance, repair, or other inspection measures not directly related to the production of ammunition can be performed. For example, the manufacturing stations may be individually moved away or blown away from the manufacturing position to the passive position of the transport track.

[0054] According to an exemplary development of the production line according to the invention, each production station has a drive for moving the respective production station. For example, the drive is independent of the respective production station's specific operating device for acting on the ammunition parts and / or workpiece carriers. In other words, the drive for moving the production station between the production position and the passive position can be configured independently and can be actuated relative to the production station's specific operating device, thereby intervening in the production process to enable the ammunition to be produced. For example, each production station should have a releasable coupling interface for connection to the respective drive, which is in particular stationary.

[0055] In a further exemplary embodiment of the production line according to the invention, the workpiece carriers are movably, in particular guided, mounted on rails extending along the conveying track and are held on the rails by horizontally directed holding forces, in particular magnetic holding forces. For example, no additional horizontally acting fastening mechanisms are used. The horizontal, in particular magnetic, holding forces can be supported by vertically directed supports for bearing interfaces on the conveying device side, which slide and / or roll along the supports during movement of the workpiece carriers relative to the supports.

[0056] According to a further exemplary development of the production line according to the invention, the workpiece carriers are removably mounted on the rails. For example, disassembly can be performed by overcoming a holding force, in particular a magnetic holding force, between the transport device and the rails. In this case, the disassembly direction of the workpiece carrier away from the rails can be horizontal.

[0057] In a further exemplary embodiment of the production line according to the invention, the rails have at least one support and / or guide surface for the workpiece carriers. The support and / or guide surface supports the movement of the workpiece carriers for removing and / or transporting the munitions components from, to, and / or between the production stations. For example, a guide surface, particularly one oriented horizontally, provides a holding force, particularly a magnetic holding force. The magnetic holding force can be achieved by surface contact of the rail and the workpiece carrier or by two support surfaces arranged at a small distance from each other.

[0058] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the workpiece carrier and the rails extending along the conveying track and on which the workpiece carrier is movably, in particular guidedly, mounted form a magnetic levitation system.

[0059] Preferred embodiments are set forth in the dependent claims.

[0060] Further characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention based on the accompanying exemplary drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0061] [Figure 1] 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a workpiece carrier according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 shows a side view of the workpiece carrier of FIG. 1; [Figure 3] 3 shows a plan view of the workpiece carrier of FIGS. 1 and 2; FIG. [Figure 4] 4 shows a detailed cross-sectional view of the workpiece carrier of FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 4 shows a more detailed cross-sectional view of the workpiece carrier of FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 shows a perspective view of a detail of an exemplary embodiment of an automated manufacturing line according to the present invention having a plurality of workpiece carriers according to the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an ammunition manufacturing plant; [Figure 8] 8 shows a further schematic view of the manufacturing line of FIG. 7 in more detail. [Figure 9] 8 shows a further schematic view of the manufacturing line of FIG. 7 in more detail. [Figure 10] 8 shows a further schematic view of the manufacturing line of FIG. 7 in more detail. [Figure 11] 8 shows a further schematic view of the manufacturing line of FIG. 7 in more detail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0062] In this description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, the workpiece carrier according to the invention is generally given the reference number 1, which can be used in a production line 100, also called a plant for the automated production, also called an ammunition assembly or assembly plant, of ammunition consisting of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile, and a propellant charge.

[0063] According to the exemplary embodiment of the workpiece carrier 1 according to the invention of Figures 1 to 3, the workpiece carrier 1 comprises substantially the following main components: a carrier base 3 configured to be transported along a production line 100, first and second receptacles 5, 7 for holding in each case at least two munitions parts of the same type, according to the exemplary embodiment of Figure 12, a coupling interface 9 for connecting to a motor 109 of the production line 100 for actuating or operating the drive-free / motorless workpiece carrier 1.

[0064] According to an exemplary embodiment, the carrier base 3 is of two-part design and comprises a coupling section 11, which is c-shaped in cross section, through which the workpiece carrier 1 can be releasably docked to the production line 100 for being moved or transported along the processing stations 105 of the production line 100, for example via a rotary or circular transport system, to the production line. Further, the carrier base 3 comprises a support section 13 fastened to the coupling section 11, on which are mounted According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, in which both two coupling interfaces 9 and at least two ammunition component receptacles 5, 7 are arranged, each of the ammunition component receptacles 5, 7 can hold up to 12 ammunition components of the same type, such as projectiles 121 (in receptacle 5), ammunition cases 17 (in receptacle 7) or primers (not shown), in particular in a row at the same distance from each other, and since according to FIG. 1 the projectiles 121 have already been inserted into the ammunition case 17, the ammunition component receptacle 7 according to FIG. 1 holds the ammunition in an intermediate production state. Each of the two ammunition component receptacles 5, 7 comprises a holding recess 19, which is configured and designed to receive one ammunition component in each case.

[0065] The ammunition component receptacles 5, 7 are arranged on the carrier base 3 via two support arms 21, 23, which are in principle oriented parallel to one another and are, in particular, of identical form. The support arms 21, 23 can, for example, also be mounted pivotally relative to the carrier base 3, in particular to the support section 13, about a rotation axis R3, the bearing centre of which is designated by the reference sign r3. This pivotal mounting allows the two ammunition component receptacles 5, 7 to be rotated as a unit relative to the carrier base 3, so that the ammunition component receptacles 5, 7 can be positioned in different positions for differently positioning or aligning the respective ammunition components, depending on the requirements of the respective processing station 105.

[0066] Furthermore, the two ammunition component receptacles are still separately pivotally mounted on the support arms 21, 23, so that each ammunition component 5, 7 can pivot independently of the other receptacle. In FIG. 1, it can be seen that the ammunition component receptacle 7 is pivotally mounted about a rotation axis R1 passing through the bearing center r1. Furthermore, the rotation axis R1 passes through the receptacle 7, so that the receptacle 7 can perform pure rotational movement about the rotation axis R1. In other words, the ammunition component receptacle 7 can rotate about its own axis, specifically 360°, so that the received ammunition component can be oriented in a 360° direction. The further ammunition component receptacle 5 is pivotally mounted to the lever arms 21, 23 via a pivot arm structure 25. In this case, the entire pivot structure 25, including the holding recess 19 defining the receptacle 5, can be pivoted about a rotation axis R2 passing through the rotation center r2. During rotation of the receptacle 5 relative to the support arm 23, the receptacle 5 performs a combination of pivotal and translational movements. As can be seen particularly in Figure 1, the pivot structure 25 is mounted and fastened to the opposing support surfaces 27, 29 of the support arms 21, 23.

[0067] 2, in particular the coupling section 11 of the carrier base 3 is shown, the C-shape of which defines a receiving space 29, via which the workpiece carrier 1 can be placed on the catch of the production line 100, which catch transports the workpiece carrier 1 along the production line 100. An actuatable and / or adjusting device 33 is provided on the inside 31 of the coupling section 11, which inside faces the receiving space 29, by means of which adjustable and / or adjusting device a secure fastening to the catch of the production line 100 can be achieved and set, whereby adaptation to different catches is also possible in principle.

[0068] Further special features of the workpiece carrier 1 according to the invention can be seen in Fig. 3. The workpiece carrier 1 according to the invention not only holds ammunition parts 15, 17 required for the manufacture of ammunition or serves to align and orient ammunition parts as desired during processing in the different processing stations 105 of the production line 100, but also allows the workpiece carrier 1 to perform a process or process step. Fig. 3 again shows the rotation axis R2, about which the ammunition part receptacle 5 can rotate relative to the other ammunition part receptacles 7 and the holding arms 21, 23. When the ammunition part receptacle 5 is rotated about the rotation axis R2 in the direction U shown in Fig. 3, an ammunition part, such as an ammunition projectile 121 held by the ammunition part receptacle 5, can be inserted or pressed into an ammunition part, such as an ammunition case 17 held in the ammunition part receptacle 7. The crucial measure in this case is, on the one hand, the adjustment of the orientation of the ammunition parts held in the ammunition part receptacle 5 to the orientation of the ammunition parts held in the further ammunition parts 7, which is achieved via the orientation of the holding recesses 19. On the other hand, the movement trajectory of the ammunition part receptacle 5 during rotation is adapted to the arrangement of the ammunition part receptacles 7 on the holding arms 21, 23, so that, starting from the group shown in FIG. 3 and rotating through 180° in the direction U shown, each holding recess 19 of the ammunition part receptacle 5 coincides, in particular aligns, with one holding recess 35 of the ammunition part receptacle 7.

[0069] 4 and 5 show details in partial cross-section of the workpiece carrier 1, focusing on the holding recesses 19, 35 of the ammunition component receptacles 5, 7, respectively; using the example of FIG. 5, these are the holding recesses 35 of the ammunition component receptacle 7. The ammunition component receptacle 7 has a pretensioning device, generally designated by the reference numeral 37, which serves to fix the received ammunition component, in this case the received ammunition case 17. In this case, the pretensioning device 37 applies a pretensioning and / or clamping force to each ammunition component so that it is fixed and cannot fall out in the respective holding recess 35. To increase the holding force, the pretensioning is applied using pretensioning means, such as a spring 39, to press a movably mounted clamping jaw 41 against the respective ammunition component.

[0070] In the exemplary embodiment according to Figures 4 and 5, the pretensioning device 37 is realized by a spring-loaded latch. The clamping jaws 41 or latches have clamping surfaces 43 inclined in the longitudinal direction L of the ammunition parts, which, according to the embodiment of Figure 4, are convex so that when the respective ammunition parts are inserted into the holding recess 35, the ammunition parts can push aside the two clamping jaws 41 substantially along the longitudinal direction L, meaning that the latches are pressed outwards against the spring pretension, thereby increasing the holding force without being caught by the spring pretension. Thus, in the unoccupied state of the holding recess 35 (not shown), the clamping jaws 41, in particular the clamping surfaces 43 facing each other, protrude significantly further towards the centre of the holding recess 35 and are particularly elastically biased outwards during occupation by the ammunition parts, resulting in a particularly elastic clamping / holding force that ultimately serves to securely hold the ammunition parts in the holding recess 35.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 5, which shows a slightly more detailed cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but rotated 90°, one can see four retaining recesses 35 arranged in a row, each of which accommodates a cartridge case 17. As already explained, each retaining recess 35 or cartridge part is assigned a pretensioning device 37 consisting of a spring-loaded clamping jaw 41. In FIG. 5, it can be seen that the opposing clamping surfaces 43, 45 of the clamping jaws 41 have different shapes in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 5. The clamping surface 43 of each lower clamping jaw 41 has a flat design in cross-section and thus forms a point-like linear contact with the cartridge case 17. The opposing clamping surface 45 of the other clamping jaw 41, facing the clamping surface 43, is shaped in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 so as to create a receiving recess 47 for the cartridge case, which may be, for example, concave, frustoconical, or similarly shaped. It has been found that such receiving recesses 47 simultaneously make it possible to utilize a self-centering effect when the clamping jaws 41 are pressed together and when a clamping / holding force is built up on the ammunition part, which self-centering effect is also set by the statically determined mounting and consequently comes to this.

[0072] Figure 6 shows a schematic perspective view of a detail of an automatic production line 100 according to the invention, in which two processing stations 105, 103 are shown diagrammatically. In Figure 6 it can be seen that a plurality of workpiece carriers 1 according to the invention are arranged in a line, one behind the other, at a small distance from each other, and can be transported or moved in a transport direction indicated by an arrow with reference F along the production line 100 according to the invention, so that the workpiece carriers 1 can be supplied to the different processing stations 103, 105.

[0073] First, the rotatability of the ammunition component receptacles 5, 7 can be seen in Figure 6, which results from a comparison of two workpiece carriers 1 arranged adjacent to each other (to the right of the figure). The ammunition component receptacle 5 is initially arranged horizontally (at the far right), but is then rotated 90° upwards in the vertical direction (central workpiece carrier 1). In this way, for example, it is possible to move the ammunition component receptacle 5, 7 between two different positions, for example, between a receiving position in which at least two ammunition components can be fed into the receptacle 5, 7 simultaneously, and a processing position in which at least two ammunition components can be processed simultaneously.

[0074] A further feature that can be realized in the workpiece carrier 1 according to the invention is a specific type of connection or coupling to an actuator, motor 109 or drive of the production line 100, so that the workpiece carrier itself can be managed without its own drive. According to the preferred embodiment of Fig. 6, the outwardly facing connection interface 9 of the workpiece carrier 1 has a planar connection surface 49 on which a linear connection protrusion 51 is arranged, which is oriented in the direction of the conveying direction F of the production line 100. The connection interface 9 is therefore adapted in shape and can be oriented relative to a motor-side, drive-side or actuator-side connection interface 107 assigned to a schematically shown motor 109, drive or actuator 109 of the production line 100, so that it moves automatically, i.e. without manual or mechanical access, to the motor-side interface 107 during transport along the production line 100, so as to be able to provide a connection to the motor 109, drive or actuator. Each coupling interface 9 is rotatably mounted on a bearing 53 that is fixedly coupled to the carrier base 3, such that when coupled with a coupling interface 107 of a motor 109, actuator, or drive of the production line 100, the coupling interface 9 can be actuated and rotated together to change the orientation of the coupling protrusions 51. This allows each workpiece carrier 1 to be fixed in a desired position and connected to the motor 109, drive, or actuator for energy transmission.

[0075] The ammunition assembly plant 100 according to FIG. 7 comprises in each case the following production stations: a case insertion station 111 designed to insert the cases 119 into the conveying device 113; a projectile insertion station 115 designed to insert the projectiles 121 into the conveying device 113; a propellant charge filling station 117 designed to fill the cases 119 with the propellant charge powder 11, 123; a case mouth widening station; an ignition element supply station 125 for supplying ignition elements 127; and an ignition element insertion station 129 at which the ignition elements 127 are inserted into the conveying device 113; an ignition element crimping station; several quality monitoring stations 131 and a quality testing station 133 for optically and / or tactilely ensuring the quality of the ammunition; and a discharge station 135 for the final discharge of the manufactured ammunition.

[0076] The conveying device 113 for holding a plurality of munitions parts and transporting a plurality of munitions parts from, to, and / or between a plurality of manufacturing stations defines a closed, circulating conveying track 137 that defines an interior space 139 surrounded by the conveying track 137 and an exterior space 141 defined from the interior space. According to the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 1, the conveying track 137 is composed of two parallel straight sections 143 connected by a curved section 145 to form a racetrack-shaped conveying track profile. The manufacturing stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 are arranged transversely to the conveying track 137 in the interior space 139 (Fig. 12) or the exterior space 141 of the conveying track 137.

[0077] FIG. 7 shows a plant configuration in which ammunition components are introduced into the plant 1 from the outside. Alternatively, they can be brought into the transport device 113 from the interior 139. The basic production sequence is the same in both plant configurations. Both plant concepts include the following production sequence: The transport device 113, located in the buffer zone 147, is fed into the case insertion station 111 via the curved section 145. This is followed by the projectile insertion station 115, where the projectile 121 is fed into the transport device 113. The entire transport device 113, with the projectile 121 and case 119 positioned thereon, is then optically inspected at the quality control station 131. In the subsequent stations, the ignition element 127 is first introduced into the plant 1 via the ignition element feed station 125, then transferred together with the slide 51 to the ignition element insertion station 129, and finally inserted into the rear of the case 119. After insertion, the fired case 119 is calibrated in a case-forming station 153 and then sealed with an annular joint lacquer in a fluid application station 149. The conveying device 113 then passes through a second curved section 145, followed again by a straight section 143 with several manufacturing stations. Before the case 119 is filled with the propellant charge powder 11, 123 in the propellant charge filling station 117, a quality monitoring station 131 checks whether the ignition element 7 is properly seated in the case 119. After filling, the filling level is checked, particularly tactilely, in a quality testing station 133. The actual assembly of the projectile 121 and the case 119 takes place in two stages: first, the projectile 5 is slightly brought onto the case 119 in the projectile insertion station 155, and then, in a downstream step, is finally pushed into the case 119 in the projectile assembly station 151. The resulting completed ammunition 101 is then checked at a quality monitoring station 131 and / or a quality testing station 133 and then discharged via a discharge station 135 .

[0078] FIG. 8 shows further details in a perspective view of the production line 100 according to the invention, focusing on the workpiece carrier 1 arranged on the rail 63. The embodiment according to FIG. 8 differs from the preceding embodiments with regard to the coupling of the workpiece carrier 1 and the rail 63 with each other. As indicated diagrammatically by the arrows marked M, a magnetic holding force acts between the workpiece carrier 1 and the rail 63 in the horizontal direction H, holding the workpiece carrier 1 on the rail 63. According to the embodiment of FIG. 8, the workpiece carrier 1 does not have a positive locking or latching engagement with the rail 63. The coupling is effected by mutually assigned pairs of support and / or guide surfaces 83, 87 and 85, 89. The guide surface 85 of the rail 63 is formed by a support 91 for the transport device 100, i.e., for 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.

[0079] 9 shows the representation of FIG. 8 as seen from above. A particularly preferred embodiment of the production line 100 according to the invention becomes apparent from this. The rail 63 and the workpiece carrier 1 together form a magnetic levitation system emerging from the narrow gap a between the opposing magnetic support and / or guide surfaces 83, 87. The workpiece carrier 1 is thus vertically supported by the supports 91 at least via the support projections 93 and can pass contactlessly and frictionlessly through the areas of the opposing support surfaces 87 and / or guide surfaces 89 during the relative movement of the workpiece carrier 1 with respect to the rail 63.

[0080] 10 and 11 relate to the same embodiment as in FIGS. 8 and 9, in which the workpiece carrier 1 is partially disassembled from the rail 63. According to the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 8 to 11, the disassembly can be performed simply by overcoming the magnetic holding force (arrow M) between the workpiece carrier 1 and the rail 63. For subsequent reassembly of the workpiece carrier 1 on the rail 63, the workpiece carrier 1 is moved back onto the rail 63 in substantially the opposite direction until, in particular, the magnetic holding force M starts to pull the workpiece carrier 1 towards the rail 63.

[0081] The features disclosed in the above description, in the drawings and in the claims may be important both individually and in any desired combination for realizing the invention in its various configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Workpiece Carrier 3. Career-based 5, 7 Ammunition Parts Receptacle 9 Bonding Interfaces 11. Joint Section 13 Support Section 15, 17 Ammunition parts 19, 35 Retention recess 21, 23 Holding arms 25 Rotating structure 27, 29 Support surface 30 Reception Space 31 Inside 33 Adjustment device 37 Pretensioning device 39 Spring 41 Clamp jaw 43, 45 Clamping surface 47 Receiving recess 49 Bonding surface 51 Combination protrusion 53 Stores 63 Rail 83.85, 87.89 Guiding and / or supporting surfaces 91 Support 93 Support protrusion 100 production lines 103 Processing Station 105 Processing Station 107 Bonding Interface 109 Motor 111 Case Insertion Station 113 Conveyor equipment 115 Projectile Insertion Station 117 Propellant Charge Filling Station 119 Sleeve 121 Projectile 125 Ignition Element Supply Station 127 Ignition element 129 Ignition Element Insertion Station 131 Quality Monitoring Station 133 Quality Testing Station 135 Discharge Station 137 Transport Track 139 Interior Space 141 Exterior Space 143 Straight Section 145 curved section 147 Buffer Zone 149 Fluid Application Station 151 Projectile Assembly Station 155 Projectile Insertion Station F Conveying direction L Longitudinal range R i Rotation axis r i Center of rotation U rotation translation V, H Vertical or horizontal direction a distance M magnetic force

Claims

1. A workpiece carrier (1) for an automated production line (100) for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts, comprising: a carrier base (3), such as a carriage, configured to be transported along the manufacturing line (100); at least one receptacle (5, 7) arranged on said carrier base (3) for holding at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) of the same type, such as two ammunition cases (119), two ammunition projectiles (121), two ammunition cartridges, or two ammunition primers; A workpiece carrier (1) comprising: A workpiece carrier (1) characterized in that said at least one munitions component receptacle (5, 7) is movably mounted relative to said carrier base (3).

2. 2. The workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one ammunition component receptacle (5, 7) can be moved from a receiving position, in which the at least two ammunition components (15, 17) can be supplied in particular simultaneously, to a processing position, in which the at least two ammunition components (15, 17) can be processed in particular simultaneously.

3. 3. The workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 1, wherein the ammunition component receptacles (5, 7) are movably mounted on the carrier base (3) such that the ammunition component receptacles (5, 7) can perform a combined rotational and translational movement relative to the carrier base (3).

4. The workpiece carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the carrier base (3) has a catch designed to transmit the driving and conveying forces of the production line (100) to the workpiece carrier (1).

5. A workpiece carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in particular for an automated production line (100) for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts, at least two receptacles (5, 7) for holding in each case at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) of the same type, such as two ammunition cases (119), two ammunition projectiles (121), two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primers, A workpiece carrier (1) comprising:

1. A workpiece carrier (1) characterized in that at least one of the ammunition component receptacles (5, 7) can be moved from a receiving position, in which the at least two ammunition components (15, 17) can be supplied in particular simultaneously, to a processing position, in which the at least two ammunition components (15, 17) can be processed in particular simultaneously.

6. 6. A workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one of the movable receptacles (5, 7) can be moved relative to another of the receptacles (5, 7) so that the movable receptacles (5, 7) can engage in a processing position, and the at least two munitions parts (15, 17) of the movable receptacle (5, 7) and the at least two munitions parts (15, 17) of the other receptacles (5, 7) can be processed together, in particular joined together.

7. 7. A workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the at least two receptacles (5, 7) can be moved independently of the other receptacles (5, 7), in particular each of the receptacles (5, 7) can perform a rotational and / or translational movement relative to each of the other receptacles (5, 7).

8. 8. A workpiece carrier (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that at least one first movable munitions component receptacle (5) is movable along a first movement path and at least one further movable munitions component receptacle (7) is movable along a further movement path, said two movement paths intersecting.

9. 9. A workpiece carrier (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 8, further characterized by a carrier base (3), such as a carriage, designed to be transported along the production line (100), and wherein at least one of the receptacles (5, 7) is movably mounted on the carrier base (3) via a moving arm, in particular the moving arm being movably mounted on a support arm of the other receptacle (5, 7), in particular on its support surface (27, 29) facing the respective receptacle (5, 7).

10. 10. The workpiece carrier (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 9, further characterized by a carrier base (3), such as a carriage, designed to be transported along the production line (100), wherein the workpiece carrier (1) has at least two axes of rotation, and both receptacles (5, 7) can be rotated relative to the carrier base (3) and relative to the other receptacles (5, 7) about a first or second axis of rotation independently of the respective other receptacles (5, 7), in particular the at least two receptacles (5, 7) can be rotated relative to the carrier base (3) about a common third axis of rotation.

11. A workpiece carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, in particular for an automated production line (100) for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts, at least one receptacle (5, 7) for holding at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) of the same type, such as two ammunition cases (119), two ammunition projectiles (121), two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primers, said at least one receptacle (5, 7) being movable from a receiving position in which said at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) can be fed in particular simultaneously to a processing position in which said at least two ammunition parts (15, 17) can be processed in particular simultaneously; a coupling interface (9) for connecting to a motor of the manufacturing line (100) for moving the receptacle (5, 7) from the receiving position to the processing position; A workpiece carrier (1) comprising: The workpiece carrier (1) is characterized in that the coupling interface (9) is adapted and / or oriented in terms of shape relative to the motor-side coupling interface (107) so that it can be retracted into the motor-side coupling interface (107) to connect the workpiece carrier (1) to the motor.

12. 12. Workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the coupling interfaces (9, 107) are designed to engage with each other in a form-fitting manner.

13. 13. The workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the coupling interface (9) on the workpiece carrier side has linear recesses and / or linear protrusions, the longitudinal extent of which is oriented parallel to the direction of movement in order to couple the workpiece carrier (1) and the motor to each other.

14. 14. The workpiece carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the at least one receptacle (5, 7) comprises a pretensioning device configured to apply a pretension to the at least two munitions parts (15, 17) when the at least two munitions parts (15, 17) are held therein.

15. 15. The workpiece carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the carrier base (3) is designed so that it can be guided in a magnetically levitated manner along the production line (100), in particular along a rail of the production line (100).

16. An automated production line (100) for ammunition having at least two ammunition parts, comprising at least one workpiece carrier (1) designed according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. 17. The production line (100) according to claim 16, further comprising a plurality of production stations, in particular an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station (111) and / or a projectile insertion station (155), for inserting at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the production process of the production line (100), a plurality of quality testing stations (133), at least one ammunition part processing station, such as a case forming station (17), a propellant charge filling station (117), a projectile assembly station (151), a projectile marking station, and / or a discharge station (135) for transporting the produced ammunition (101) from the production process of the production line (100), wherein the workpiece carrier (1) is designed to hold the plurality of ammunition parts and to transport the plurality of ammunition parts from, to and / or between the plurality of production stations.

18. 18. A production line (100) according to claim 17, wherein the production stations can be moved, in particular individually, between a production position, in which the production stations can act on the munitions components and / or the workpiece carriers (1), and a passive position, such as a maintenance position, in which the production stations are retracted relative to the munitions components and / or the workpiece carriers (1).

19. 19. The line (1) according to claim 18, wherein each of the production stations has a drive for moving the respective production station, in particular the drive being independent of the respective production station's own handling device for acting on the munitions components and / or the workpiece carriers (1).

20. 20. The line (1) according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the workpiece carriers (1) are movably mounted, in particular guided, on rails (63) defining a conveying track (29) and are held on the rails (63) by horizontally directed magnetic holding forces.

21. 21. The line (1) according to claim 20, wherein the workpiece carrier (1) is removably mounted on the rail (63), in particular by overcoming the magnetic holding force between the workpiece carrier (1) and the rail (63).

22. 22. The line (1) according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the rail (63) has at least one support and / or guide surface (83, 85) for the workpiece carrier (1), in particular a guide surface (83, 85) which is in particular oriented horizontally and which in particular provides a magnetic holding force.

23. 23. The line (1) according to any one of claims 16 to 22, wherein the workpiece carriers (1) and the rails (63) defining a conveying track (29) on which the workpiece carriers (1) are movably mounted and in particular guided, form a magnetic levitation system.

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