Method for changing the position of an article and manufacturing method

Abstract

By efficiently changing the position of the article, the manufacturing efficiency of the article is improved. [Solution] The method for changing the position of an article includes a position changing step S3 for changing the position of the article G from a second position of the article G in which the second surface Gb of the article G contacts the main surface 9a of the tray 9 to a first position of the article G in which the first surface Ga of the article G contacts the main surface 9a of the tray 9. In the position changing step S3, the tray 9 on which the article G is placed on the main surface 9a is rocked to change the article G from the second position to the first position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for changing the orientation of an article and a manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In fields such as optical communications and semiconductors, in the manufacturing process of relatively small glass components, multiple glass components that have been formed and cleaned are sometimes temporarily stacked in an irregular manner and then transferred to a setter (firing jig) attached to a conveying device. The multiple glass components placed on the setter are then sent to the next firing process by the conveying device while still positioned on the setter. The glass components are then removed from the setter, inspected, and packaged before being sent to their designated shipping destination.

[0003] In recent years, automation of the task of placing multiple glass members in predetermined positions on a setter has been promoted in order to reduce the burden on workers and improve the quality of transparent members. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for automatically supplying glass members (transparent members).

[0004] The transparent material supply system includes a setter conveying device (102) that supplies a setter (T) to a predetermined transfer area (E1), a transfer device (103) that transfers a transparent material (Ga) to the setter (T), and a leveling device (104) and an inverting device (106) that are respectively arranged around the transfer area (see paragraph 0091 and Figure 9 of the same document).

[0005] The transparent member is configured in a semi-cylindrical shape and has a first flat surface and a second curved surface (see Figure 8(c) of the same document). When multiple transparent members are placed on the leveling device, there is a mixture of transparent members in a first position (front state) where the first surface faces downward and transparent members in a second position (back state) where the first surface faces upward (see paragraph 0104 of the same document).

[0006] The transfer device can distinguish between the transparent members stored in the leveling device and those in the first position and those in the second position. The transfer device transfers the transparent members in the first position to a setter and transfers the transparent members in the second position to an inverting device (see paragraph 0104 of the same document).

[0007] The inverting device can change the position of the transparent member from the second position to the first position, and the transfer device transfers the transparent member, which has been changed to the first position by the inverting device, to a setter (see paragraph 0121 of the same document). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-98964 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] As described above, in conventional transparent member supply systems, the transparent members are transferred to the setter after being inverted by the inverting device from the second position in the leveling device to the first position. Therefore, when the transparent members are transferred to the setter via the inverting device, the transfer takes longer than when the transparent members are transferred to the setter directly from the first position in the leveling device.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its technical object to improve the manufacturing efficiency of articles by efficiently changing the orientation of the articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] (1) The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a method for changing the posture of an object placed on a main surface of a tray, wherein the object has a first surface having a large area in contact with the main surface of the tray and a second surface having a small area in contact with the main surface of the tray, and the method includes a posture change step for changing the posture of the object from a second posture of the object in which the second surface is in contact with the main surface to a first posture of the object in which the first surface is in contact with the main surface, and the posture change step is characterized in that the tray on which the object is placed on the main surface is rocked to change the object from the second posture to the first posture.

[0012] According to this configuration, in the position changing step, the tray can be swung while the articles are placed on it, thereby changing the articles from the second position to the first position. This allows the number of articles in the second position on the tray to be efficiently reduced. Therefore, the work of transferring articles after the position changing step can be efficiently performed, and the efficiency of article manufacturing can be improved.

[0013] (2) In the method for changing the position of an object described in (1) above, the surface roughness Ra1 of the main surface of the tray may be 0.8 μm or more, and the surface roughness Ra2 of the second surface of the object is preferably 10 μm or less. This makes it easier to change the object from the second position placed on the tray to the first position.

[0014] (3) In the method for changing the position of an object according to (1) or (2), a plurality of the objects may be placed on the main surface of the tray in the position changing step. With this configuration, the positions of the plurality of objects can be efficiently changed simultaneously, thereby improving the manufacturing efficiency of the objects.

[0015] (4) In the method for changing the posture of an object described in any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the ratio (A2 / A1) of the area (A1) of the main surface of the tray to the area (A2) of the object placed on the main surface that overlaps with the main surface in a planar view is 0.3 or less.

[0016] This configuration allows optimal control of the number of articles that can be repositioned on the main surface of the tray. On the other hand, if the ratio (A2 / A1) exceeds 0.3, it becomes difficult to reposition the articles on the main surface of the tray.

[0017] (5) In the method for changing the position of an object described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the tray may be made of glass, ceramic, or resin, and the object may be made of glass or ceramic.

[0018] (6) In the method for changing the posture of an object described in (1) to (5) above, the first surface may be a flat surface, and the second surface may be a curved surface configured in a convex shape.

[0019] With this configuration, the first position, in which the flat first surface contacts the main surface of the tray, remains stable and is not changed to the second position even when the tray is swung. Therefore, in the position change process, only the articles in the unstable second position can be changed to the first position, allowing for efficient position change of the articles.

[0020] (7) In the method for changing the posture of an article described in (1) to (6) above, the article may be configured in a semi-cylindrical shape or a half-pipe.

[0021] (8) The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a method for manufacturing an item using the method for changing the position of an item described in any one of (1) to (7) above, characterized in that it includes a transfer step of transferring the item from the tray to a conveying device after the position change step.

[0022] According to this configuration, in the position changing step, by swinging the tray with multiple articles placed on it, the articles in the second position can be changed to the first position. This allows the number of articles in the second position on the tray to be efficiently reduced. Therefore, the transfer step after the position changing step can be efficiently performed, and the manufacturing efficiency of the articles can be improved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, the efficiency of manufacturing articles can be improved by efficiently changing the orientation of the articles. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an article supply device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the attitude-changing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an article. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a position changing step. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a position changing step. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a second transfer step. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a second transfer step. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing a tray replacement process. [Figure 11] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing a tray replacement process. [Figure 12] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing a tray replacement process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 12 show an embodiment of a method for manufacturing an article according to the present invention.

[0026] 1 shows an article supply device used in this method. The supply device 1 includes a cleaning device 2, a first transfer device 3, a position changing device 4, a second transfer device 5, a conveying device 6, a spacer supply device 7, and an inverting device 8.

[0027] The washing device 2 includes a washing basket 2a for accommodating washed items G. The washing basket 2a is a container having a mesh-like bottom. A plurality of items G are accommodated in the washing basket 2a so that they are stacked one on top of the other.

[0028] The first transfer device 3 is used to transfer the articles G stored in the cleaning basket 2a of the cleaning device 2 to the position changing device 4. The first transfer device 3 has a suction unit (e.g., a suction pad) that adsorbs the articles G. The suction unit is configured to be movable in the vertical and horizontal directions. The suction unit adsorbs and moves the multiple articles G stored in the cleaning device 2, thereby transferring the articles G from the cleaning device 2 to the position changing device 4.

[0029] The posture changing device 4 includes a first tray 9 and a second tray 10, a moving device (not shown) for moving the first tray 9 and the second tray 10, and a rocking device (not shown) for rocking the first tray 9 and the second tray 10.

[0030] The first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are preferably made of glass, ceramic, or a resin such as polyacetal, but are not limited to this configuration. The first tray 9 and the second tray 10 have a recess in the center and main surfaces (bottom surfaces) 9a, 10b on which the article G is placed. The main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are each configured to have a quadrangular shape in a plan view, but the shape of the main surfaces 9a, 10a is not limited to this embodiment.

[0031] Each of the main surfaces 9a, 10a is configured as a horizontal surface, but is not limited to this. Here, horizontal includes an inclination of 30° or less with respect to the horizontal direction. The surface roughness (arithmetic mean roughness) Ra1 of the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 is preferably 0.8 μm or more and 15 μm or less.

[0032] In this embodiment, the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are configured to have the same shape and size. This is not limiting, and the shapes and sizes of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 may be different. When the area of ​​the main surface 9a of the first tray 9 is A1 and the total area of ​​the articles G placed on the main surface 9a of the first tray 9 overlapping with the main surface 9a in a planar view is A2, the ratio A2 / A1 is preferably 0.01 or more and 0.3 or less. The same applies to the ratio between the area A1 of the main surface 10a of the second tray 10 and the total area A2 of the articles G placed on this main surface 10a. By specifying the ratio as above, it is possible to prevent the articles from having difficulty changing their position on the main surfaces of the trays, and the number of articles G placed on the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 can be appropriately set.

[0033] The first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are configured to be able to change their positions between a posture change position (hereinafter referred to as the "first position") P1 for changing the posture of the item G, and a removal position (hereinafter referred to as the "second position") P2 for removing the item G by the second transfer device 5.

[0034] The moving device includes a first moving device that moves the first tray 9 and a second moving device that moves the second tray 10. With this configuration, the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are configured to be independently movable. The first moving device can move the first tray 9 in the vertical and horizontal directions. The second moving device can move the second tray 10 in the horizontal direction.

[0035] The rocking device can change the posture of the articles G stored in the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 by rocking the first tray 9 and the second tray 10. The rocking device includes a first rocking device that rocks the first tray 9 and a second rocking device that rocks the second tray 10. With this configuration, the rocking device can rock the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 individually. The rocking direction of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 by the rocking device can be, for example, a direction along the diagonal of the rectangular main surfaces 9a, 10b, or a direction along each side of the main surfaces 9a, 10a.

[0036] 1 and 2 show a state in which the first tray 9 is at the second position P2 (removal position) and the second tray 10 is at the first position P1 (position change position). The second tray 10 at the first position P1 can be swung by the operation of the swinging device, thereby changing the position of multiple articles G placed on the main surface 10a of the second tray 10. The first tray 9 at the second position P2 is stationary without swinging, and is in a state in which the articles G on the main surfaces 9a, 10a can be removed by the second transfer device.

[0037] 3 and 4 show perspective views of an article G to be processed in the supply device 1. The article G illustrated in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) has a semi-cylindrical shape. The article G illustrated in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) has a so-called half-pipe shape, which is a pipe cut in half. The semi-cylindrical shape and half-pipe shape can be obtained by grinding or cutting a columnar or cylindrical article, respectively, or a combination of these. The shape of the article G is not limited to that of the present embodiment, and it may be configured as a rectangular parallelepiped, a rod, a plate, or various other shapes.

[0038] The article G is made of, for example, glass, ceramic, or resin such as polyacetal, but is not limited to this configuration. In this embodiment, a crystallized glass rod is used as an example of the article to be manufactured. This crystallized glass rod is manufactured by firing a transparent rod (transparent member) made of a crystallizable glass material.

[0039] 3 and 4, the article G has a first surface Ga having a large area in contact with the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10, and a second surface Gb having a small area in contact with the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10. In this embodiment, the first surface Ga is a flat surface, and the second surface Gb is a curved surface configured to be convex, but the shapes of the surfaces Ga and Gb are not limited to this embodiment.

[0040] Due to the above-described shape, when the article G is placed on the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10, it is in either a first position in which the first surface Ga contacts the main surfaces 9a, 10a, or a second position in which the second surface Gb contacts the main surfaces 9a, 10a. In other words, in the first position, the article G is in a state in which the first surface Ga faces downward and the second surface Gb faces upward. In addition, in the second position, the article G is in a state in which the first surface Ga faces upward and the second surface Gb faces downward.

[0041] The surface roughness (arithmetic mean roughness) Ra of the first surface Ga is preferably 0.05 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and more preferably 0.05 μm or more and 5 μm or less. The surface roughness (arithmetic mean roughness) Ra of the second surface Gb of the article G is preferably 0.05 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and more preferably 0.05 μm or more and 5 μm or less.

[0042] The second transfer device 5 is for transferring the article G placed on the posture changing device 4 to the transport device 6. The second transfer device 5 has a suction part (e.g., a suction pad) that can adsorb the article G, and a determination device (not shown). In addition to the suction part, the second transfer device 5 may also have an arm that can grip the article G.

[0043] The suction unit is configured to be movable in the vertical and horizontal directions. In the position-changing device 4, the suction unit sucks and moves the articles G stored in the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 at the second position P2, thereby moving the articles G from the position-changing device 4 to the conveying device 6. The suction unit is configured to be position-changeable, and can change the orientation of the articles G it is holding.

[0044] Based on the determination result of the determination device, the second transfer device 5 transfers the article G placed on the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 at the second position P2 to the conveying device 6 or the inverting device 8. In addition, the second transfer device 5 transfers the article G whose posture has been inverted by the inverting device 8 to the conveying device 6.

[0045] The determination device is used to determine the shape, number, position, posture, and other conditions of the articles G contained in the first tray 9 and the second tray 10. The determination device includes an imaging device (e.g., a digital camera) that captures images of each tray 9, 10 and the articles G, and an image analysis device (e.g., a computer) that analyzes the image data acquired by the imaging device. The determination device determines the condition of each article G based on the image data of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 and the image data of the articles G contained in each tray 9, 10 acquired by the imaging device. The determination device can send a control signal to the posture changing device depending on the determination result.

[0046] The conveying device 6 is used to convey a setter 11 that accommodates an article G. The setter 11 is formed in a plate shape from, for example, heat-resistant crystallized glass, but the material of the setter 11 is not limited to this embodiment. The setter 11 has, on its surface, a first accommodation recess 11a for accommodating the article G and a second accommodation recess 11b for accommodating a spacer SP.

[0047] In this embodiment, a belt conveyor is used as the conveying device 6, but the configuration of the conveying device 6 is not limited to this embodiment. The conveying device 6 may be configured with a roller conveyor or various other devices. The conveying device 6 can stop the setter 11 at a predetermined standby position (transfer position) so that the second transfer device 5 can transfer the article G. When the transfer of the article G from the posture changing device 4 to the setter 11 is completed, the conveying device 6 transports the setter 11 to the next process.

[0048] The spacer supply device 7 has a mounting table 12 on which a plurality of spacers SP are placed. The spacers SP are composed of rectangular column-shaped members with an outer diameter larger than that of the articles G, but are not limited to this shape. The spacers SP placed on the mounting table 12 are transferred from the mounting table 12 to the second storage recess 11b of the setter 11 by the second transfer device 5.

[0049] The inversion device 8 is used to invert the position of the article G transferred from the position changing device 4. The inversion device 8 includes a holding member 13 that holds the article G and a belt conveyor 14 that transports the article G. The holding member 13 can invert the position of the article G it is holding by inverting its position by 180°. The article G inverted by the holding member 13 is transferred to the belt conveyor 14 and transported toward the setter 11 of the transport device 6.

[0050] The following describes a method for manufacturing the article G using the above-described supply device 1. As shown in Fig. 5, this method includes a cleaning step S1, a first transfer step S2, a position change step (position change method) S3, a second transfer step S4, a conveying step S5, and a heating step S6.

[0051] In the cleaning process S1, the articles G that have undergone previous processes such as a molding process and a cutting process are cleaned by the cleaning device 2. The cleaned articles G are sequentially stored in the cleaning basket 2a of the cleaning device 2. In the cleaning basket 2a, the stored articles G are stacked one on top of the other.

[0052] In the first transfer process S2, the first transfer device 3 transfers the articles G in the cleaning basket 2a to the position changing device 4. In the first transfer process S2, the plurality of articles G are transferred to the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 located at the first position P1 in the position changing device 4.

[0053] The posture changing step S3 is a step of changing the posture of the articles G placed on the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 at the first position P1. In the posture changing step S3, the posture of the articles G placed on the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 is changed by swinging (vibrating) the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 at the first position P1 using a swinging device.

[0054] That is, as shown in Figure 6, in the posture change process S3, the posture of the article G is changed from the second posture (posture shown by the solid line) of the article G in which the second surface Gb is in contact with the main surfaces 9a, 10a to the first posture (posture shown by the dotted line) of the article G in which the first surface Ga is in contact with the main surfaces 9a, 10a by rocking the first tray 9 and the second tray 10.

[0055] Comparing an item G in the first position with an item G in the second position, the area of ​​the contact portion of the first surface Ga when the first surface Ga is in contact with the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 is larger than the area of ​​the contact portion of the second surface Gb when the second surface Gb is in contact with the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10.

[0056] Due to this difference in contact area, the article G in the first position is likely to maintain the same position and is unlikely to change to the second position even when the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are swung. In contrast, the article G in the second position is likely to change its position to the first position in response to the swinging of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 because the curved second surface Gb of the article G is in contact with the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the center of gravity of the article G is located between the first surface Ga and the top of the second surface Gb and is biased toward the first surface Ga. This also makes it easy for the article G to change its position from the second position to the first position, but difficult for it to change its position from the first position to the second position.

[0058] In the position changing step S3, the vibration frequency when the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are swung by the swiveling device is preferably 10 Hz or more and 120 Hz or less. In addition, the stroke (amplitude) when the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are swung is preferably 3 mm or more and 20 mm or less. The manner in which the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are swung is not limited to this embodiment, and may be set appropriately depending on the size and shape of the article G.

[0059] After performing the position change step S3, it is desirable that all of the articles G are in the first position on the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10, but this is not limited thereto, and some of the articles G may remain in the second position. After performing the position change step S3, the proportion of the articles G remaining in the second position is preferably 40% or less of the total number of articles G, more preferably 30% or less, even more preferably 20% or less, and most preferably 10% or less.

[0060] When the position changing step S3 is completed, the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 move from the first position P1 to the second position P2. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the first tray 9 is arranged at the second position P2 and the second tray 10 is arranged at the first position P1. FIG. 7 also shows a state in which the first transfer step S2 is completed for the second tray 10 at the first position P1 and a state immediately before the second transfer step S4 is performed for the first tray 9 at the second position P2. From this state, the second transfer step S4 is performed for the item G on the first tray 9, and the position changing step S3 is performed for the item G on the second tray 10. In other words, the position changing step S3 and the second transfer step S4 may be performed simultaneously. Note that the first tray 9 may be rocked by a rocking device to fine-tune the position of the item G on the first tray 9 arranged at the second position P2.

[0061] The second transfer step S4 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0062] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, in the second transfer process S4, the second transfer device 5 transfers the item G placed on the first tray 9 at the second position P2 to an empty setter 11 at a standby position in the conveying device 6.

[0063] The second transfer device 5 uses a determination device to determine the state (shape, number, position, posture, etc.) of the articles G stored in the posture changing device 4. Based on the determination result, the second transfer device 5 uses a suction part to pick up the articles G in the first posture one by one from the first tray 9 located at the second position P2 and transfer them to the first storage recess 11a of the setter 11.

[0064] The second transfer device 5 takes out the articles G in the second position from the first tray 9 and transfers them to the holding member 13 of the inversion device 8. When a predetermined number of articles G have been placed on the holding member 13, the holding member 13 performs an inversion operation to transfer the articles G it is holding onto the belt conveyor 14. Due to the inversion operation of the holding member 13, the articles G held by the holding member 13 in the second position (a position in which the first surface Ga faces upward) are inverted to the first position (a position in which the first surface Ga faces downward) when transferred to the belt conveyor 14.

[0065] The belt conveyor 14 of the reversing device 8 transports the article G that has been reversed to the first position to the vicinity of the setter 11 waiting in the conveying device 6. The second transfer device 5 transfers the article G in the first position transferred from the belt conveyor 14 to the first storage recess 11a of the setter 11 at a predetermined timing.

[0066] In the second transfer step S4, the second transfer device 5 takes out the spacer SP from the mounting table 12 of the spacer supply device 7, and transfers the spacer SP to the second accommodating recess 11b of the setter 11 waiting in the transport device 6.

[0067] In the second transfer process S4, when all of the articles G have been removed from the first tray 9 at the second position P2, a process (exchange process) is executed to exchange the first tray 9 with the second tray 10. The determination device detects that all of the articles G have been removed from the first tray 9, and transmits a control signal to the posture changing device 4 to perform a tray exchange operation.

[0068] In the replacement process, the posture change device 4 moves the first tray 9, which is at the second position (removal position) P2, to the first position (posture change position) P1, and moves the second tray 10, which is at the first position P1 after the posture change process S3 has been performed, to the second position P2.

[0069] Specific aspects of this replacement process will be described below with reference to Figures 10 to 12. As shown in Figure 10, the first moving device lifts the empty first tray 9 located at the second position P2 as indicated by the two-dot chain line, and moves it to a third position P3 set above the second position P2. Thereafter, as shown in Figure 11, the first moving device moves the first tray 9 in the horizontal direction and places the first tray 9 at a fourth position P4 set above the first position P1 as indicated by the two-dot chain line.

[0070] 11, the second moving device horizontally moves the second tray 10 from the first position P1 and places the second tray 10 at a second position P2 as indicated by the two-dot chain line. When the second tray 10 is placed at the second position P2, the second transfer device 5 executes a second transfer step S4, and transfers the articles G stored on the second tray 10 to the setter 11 on the conveying device 6 or the reversing device 8.

[0071] 12, when the second tray 10 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the first moving device lowers the first tray 9 located at the fourth position P4. As a result, the first tray 9 is placed at the first position P1. Thereafter, a first transfer step S2 and a position change step S3 are performed on the first tray 9.

[0072] When the second transfer process S4 for the second tray 10 at the second position P1 is completed, the replacement process is executed again. In this case, the first moving device moves the first tray 9 at the first position P1 to the fourth position P4, the third position P3, and the second position P2 in this order. In addition, the second moving device moves the second tray 10 at the second position P2 to the first position P1.

[0073] When a predetermined number of articles G have been transferred to the setter 11 in the second transfer step S4, the conveying device 6 executes the transfer step S5. That is, the conveying device 6 moves the setter 11 for which transfer has been completed to the downstream side in the conveying direction, and conveys a new, empty setter 11 from the upstream side to the standby position (transfer position).

[0074] In the heating step S6, the setter 11 transported by the transport device 6 is placed in the heating furnace. The setters 11 are stacked one above the other in the heating furnace. At this time, the spacers SP housed in the setters 11 contact the underside of the setter 11 stacked above. This allows the setters 11 to be spaced apart at a fixed interval so that the articles G do not come into contact with the setter 11 above when multiple setters 11 are stacked one above the other. The articles G housed in the setters 11 are fired by being heated in the heating furnace.

[0075] According to the manufacturing method of the object G according to the present embodiment described above, in the position change step (position change method) S3, the position of the object G placed on the tray 9, 10 arranged at the first position P1 can be changed from the second position to the first position. This makes it possible to efficiently reduce the number of objects G in the second position on the tray 9, 10. Therefore, the second transfer step S4 after the position change step S3 can be efficiently performed, and the manufacturing efficiency of the object G can be improved.

[0076] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, nor is it limited to the above-described effects. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are flat, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 may have a plurality of concave and convex portions or grooves formed thereon. Furthermore, while the main surfaces 9a, 10a of the first tray 9 and the second tray 10 are configured horizontally, the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured as inclined surfaces that are inclined relative to the horizontal direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 6. Conveyor equipment 9 First Tray 9a Main surface 10 Second tray 10a Main surface G Goods Ga front page Gb second side S3 Posture change process S4 Second transfer process

Claims

1. 1. A method for changing the orientation of an item placed on a major surface of a tray, comprising: The article has a first surface having a large area in contact with the main surface of the tray and a second surface having a small area in contact with the main surface of the tray, a position change step of changing the position of the article from a second position of the article in which the second surface is in contact with the main surface to a first position of the article in which the first surface is in contact with the main surface, In the posture changing process, the tray on which the object is placed on the main surface is rocked to change the object from the second posture to the first posture.

2. The surface roughness Ra1 of the main surface of the tray is 0.8 μm or more, The method for changing the posture of an object according to claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the object has a surface roughness Ra2 of 10 μm or less.

3. The method for changing the position of an article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the position changing step, a plurality of the articles are placed on the main surface of the tray.

4. 3. A method for changing the posture of an item as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the ratio (A2 / A1) of the area (A1) of the main surface of the tray to the area (A2) of the item placed on the main surface that overlaps with the main surface in a planar view is 0.3 or less.

5. The tray is made of glass, ceramic, or resin, The method for changing the posture of an object according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the object is made of glass, ceramic, or resin.

6. the first surface is a flat surface, The method for changing the posture of an object according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second surface is a curved surface configured in a convex shape.

7. 3. The method for changing the posture of an article according to claim 1, wherein the article is configured as a semi-cylindrical or semi-pipe.

8. A method for manufacturing an article using the method for changing the orientation of an article according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: A method for manufacturing an article, comprising a transfer step of transferring the article from the tray to a conveying device after the posture changing step.

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