robot for transfer between presses

Abstract

We provide a highly versatile robot for inter-press transport that can be applied to the transport of workpieces in various forms. [Solution] The press transfer robot 1 comprises a first travel axis 3 formed substantially parallel to the workpiece transfer direction, a base pivot axis arranged to be movable along the first travel axis 3 and having a pivot axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the travel direction of the first travel axis 3, a second travel axis 9 rotatable relative to the first travel axis 3 via the base pivot axis, and an arm mounting portion 19 arranged to be movable along the second travel axis 9. A double-support arm 20 that supports the workpiece from both sides and a single-support arm 30 that supports the workpiece from one side are selectively detachable from the arm mounting portion 19.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot for transfer between presses that transfers a workpiece to be processed between presses.

Background Art

[0002] In a transfer press line or a tandem press line in which a plurality of presses are arranged in parallel, it is necessary to sequentially transfer a workpiece to be processed between the presses. In such transfer of the workpiece between the presses, a robot for transfer between presses may be used.

[0003] As a robot for transfer between presses, for example, a so-called double-arm type has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). The double-arm type robot for transfer between presses is arranged on both sides of the press line so as to face each other. Further, a hand for gripping a workpiece is supported from both sides by each robot for transfer between presses. By synchronizing the robot for transfer between presses arranged to face each other, the workpiece can be gripped and transferred from both sides of the press line.

[0004] In addition, as a robot for transfer between presses, a so-called single-arm type has also been proposed (for example, Patent Document 2). The single-arm type robot for transfer between presses is arranged on one side of the press line, for example, and can grip and transfer the workpiece from one side of the press line. Further, as a single-arm type robot for transfer between presses, a so-called jackknife type arm (multi-axis movable arm) having a higher degree of freedom of operation has also been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] On the other hand, double-arm type press transfer robots grip the workpiece from both sides during transport, thus reducing workpiece sway (vibration) during transport. Therefore, they are less susceptible to the effects of workpiece sway during transport. Furthermore, because the workpiece is gripped from both sides by the press transfer robot, it can handle even heavy workpieces.

[0007] However, while double-arm press transfer robots can move workpieces along the press line, they can have difficulty adjusting the position of workpieces perpendicular to the press line. Furthermore, because a single workpiece is gripped from both sides by a pair of press transfer robots, it is not possible to move multiple workpieces independently using each robot.

[0008] On the other hand, cantilever-type robots for inter-press transport are highly versatile. For example, by using a jackknife-type arm, they can not only move workpieces along the press line but also move them perpendicular to the press line. This makes it possible to position workpieces in the optimal location on the press machine.

[0009] However, with cantilever-type inter-press transport robots, the workpiece is gripped from only one side, which makes it prone to shaking during transport. Furthermore, gripping heavy workpieces from one side requires a larger inter-press transport robot. Additionally, compared to double-arm types, the larger arm size can make installation between existing presses difficult.

[0010] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a press-to-press transfer robot that is highly versatile and can be applied to the transfer of workpieces in various forms. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a press transfer robot for transporting workpieces between presses, comprising: a first travel axis formed substantially parallel to the workpiece transport direction; a base rotation axis arranged to be movable along the first travel axis and having a rotation axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the travel direction of the first travel axis; a second travel axis rotatable relative to the first travel axis via the base rotation axis; and an arm mounting portion arranged to be movable along the second travel axis, wherein a double-support arm that supports the workpiece from both sides and a single-support arm that supports the workpiece from one side are selectively detachable from the arm mounting portion.

[0012] The double-arm may include a wrist portion for supporting a hand that grips a workpiece, a cylinder for moving the wrist portion forward and backward in a direction substantially parallel to the base pivot axis, a motor for rotating the wrist portion on a wrist portion pivot axis whose pivot axis is the direction of forward and backward movement of the cylinder, and a fixing portion that can be fixed to the arm mounting portion.

[0013] The cantilever arm may include a wrist portion for supporting a hand that grips a workpiece, multiple motors for moving the wrist portion in multiple axes using multiple arm rotation axes, and a fixing portion that can be fixed to the arm mounting portion.

[0014] In this way, by making the arm mounting section detachable between a double-arm and a single-arm, the appropriate arm can be replaced depending on the workpiece being transported. Therefore, it is highly versatile and can be applied to the transport of workpieces in various forms. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a press-to-press transfer robot that is highly versatile and can be applied to the transfer of workpieces in various forms. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure schematically showing a robot for transfer between presses with a two-handed arm attached. [Figure 2] Figure schematically showing the robot for transfer between presses of Fig. 1 with the two-handed arm and the single-handed arm removed. [Figure 3] Figure schematically showing the robot for transfer between presses with the single-handed arm of Fig. 2 attached. [Figure 4] (a) and (b) are schematic diagrams showing the usage state of the robot for transfer between presses with the two-handed arm of Fig. 1 attached. [Figure 5] (a) to (c) are schematic diagrams showing the usage state of the robot for transfer between presses with the single-handed arm of Fig. 3 attached.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot 1 for transfer between presses in a state where a two-handed arm 20 according to the present embodiment is attached. In the following figures, the X direction is the conveyance direction of the workpiece (the longitudinal direction of the press line) described later, the Y direction is the width direction of the press line, and the Z direction is the vertical direction.

[0018] The robot 1 for transfer between presses is used to transfer a workpiece between press machines in a press line where a plurality of press machines are installed side by side, such as a transfer press. The details of the usage method of the robot 1 for transfer between presses will be described later.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, the robot 1 for transfer between presses mainly includes a first traveling axis 3, a first traveling base 5, a second traveling axis 9, a second traveling base 11, an arm attachment portion 19, and a two-handed arm 20. The first traveling axis 3 is formed substantially parallel to the conveyance direction of the workpiece (the X direction in the figure). A first traveling base 5 that can travel along the first traveling axis 3 is arranged on the first traveling axis 3 (in the direction of arrow A in the figure). The traveling mechanism of the first traveling base 5 is not particularly limited, and a rack and pinion gear, a ball screw, etc. can be applied.

[0020] In addition, if the first traveling base 5 can travel in the A direction in the figure, the orientation of the first traveling axis 3 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, while the longitudinal direction of the first traveling axis 3 is the X direction in the figure, it may be rotated and arranged so that the Z direction in the figure of the first traveling axis 3 faces the Y direction in the figure. That is, the first traveling axis 3 may be arranged either vertically or horizontally.

[0021] The second traveling axis 9 is attached to the first traveling base 5. Further, a motor 7 is fixed to the second traveling axis 9. The motor 7 can rotate the second traveling axis 9 about a base rotation axis 15 that is substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction of the first traveling axis 3 (the arrow A direction in the figure) and is in the Y direction in the figure (the arrow C direction in the figure). That is, the second traveling axis 9 is rotatable with respect to the first traveling base 5 about the base rotation axis 15 as a rotation axis.

[0022] A second traveling base 11 that can travel along the second traveling axis 9 is arranged on the second traveling axis 9 (the arrow B direction in the figure). The traveling mechanism of the second traveling base 11 is not particularly limited, and similar to the first traveling base 5, a rack and pinion gear, a ball screw, etc. can be applied. An arm attachment portion 19 is provided at an end portion of the second traveling base 11. That is, the arm attachment portion 19 is arranged to be movable along the second traveling axis 9.

[0023] A double - holding arm 20 is attached to the arm attachment portion 19. By using a pair of transfer robots 1 between presses, the double - holding arm 20 can grip the work with both hands from both sides of the work. The details of the work transfer method will be described later.

[0024] The double-arm 20 mainly consists of a wrist section 21, a motor 23, a cylinder 25, a fixing section 27, etc. The double-arm 20 is fixed to the arm mounting section 19 by the fixing section 27. The motor 13 is fixed to the arm mounting section 19. The motor 13 can rotate the double-arm 20 on the arm mounting section pivot axis 17, which has an axis approximately perpendicular to the direction of travel of the first travel shaft 3 (direction Y in the figure) (direction D in the figure). In other words, the double-arm 20 is rotatable relative to the arm mounting section 19 with the arm mounting section pivot axis 17 as the pivot axis.

[0025] The wrist portion 21 of the double-arm 20 is the part that supports the hand that grips the workpiece. The cylinder 25 is, for example, an air cylinder, and the wrist portion 21 can move forward and backward in a direction substantially parallel to the arm mounting pivot axis 17 by the cylinder 25 (direction of arrow H in the figure). In addition, the wrist portion 21 can rotate on the wrist pivot axis 29, which is parallel to the direction of movement of the cylinder 25 (direction Y in the figure), by the motor 23 (direction of arrow I in the figure). Note that the configuration of the double-arm 20 is not limited to the example shown.

[0026] In this embodiment, the double-arm 20 is detachably attached to the arm mounting portion 19. Figure 2 shows the double-arm 20 removed from the arm mounting portion 19, along with the cantilever arm 30. In this way, the double-arm 20 can be removed from the arm mounting portion 19 and replaced with the cantilever arm 30. In other words, in this embodiment, the double-arm 20 and the cantilever arm 30 are selectively detachably attached to the arm mounting portion 19. The cantilever arm 30 will be described in detail later.

[0027] Here, the mounting structure (detachable structure) between each arm and the arm mounting portion 19 is not particularly limited. For example, each arm and the arm mounting portion 19 may be fixed by bolts and nuts, or by couplers, etc. In either case, each arm is attached to the arm mounting portion 19 so as to be rotatable relative to the arm mounting portion 19 by the motor 13. In addition, for connecting cables, etc., of each arm (not shown), connectors for connecting to the cable connectors on each arm may be provided on the arm mounting portion 19. In this case, when attaching each arm to the arm mounting portion 19, the respective connectors may be connected together at once.

[0028] Furthermore, the main body (control unit: CPU, etc.) of the press transfer robot 1 may acquire pre-assigned identification information for each arm when each arm is attached to the arm mounting section 19, thereby enabling automatic recognition of the arm type. This makes it possible to load and teach programs corresponding to each arm.

[0029] Furthermore, in order to accurately attach each arm to the arm mounting section 19, a positioning fitting structure, positioning guide, position detection sensor, or positioning mark may be provided on the arm mounting section 19 and the fixing section of each arm. By providing such a positioning structure, each arm can be attached to the arm mounting section 19 with high precision.

[0030] Furthermore, it is desirable that the detachment structure (detachment workspace) be formed on the rear side of the inter-press transport robot 1 (the back side of the page, opposite to the workpiece described later). This allows the detachment work to be performed on the rear side of the inter-press transport robot 1. In addition, lifting equipment that can be used when detaching each arm may be installed above the inter-press transport robot 1.

[0031] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the press transfer robot 1 with the cantilever arm 30 from Figure 2 attached. In other words, Figure 3 shows the press transfer robot 1 shown in Figure 1 with the double-arm 20 replaced by the cantilever arm 30. In Figure 3, components that are the same as those when the double-arm 20 is attached are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figure 1, and redundant explanations are omitted in the following description.

[0032] The cantilever arm 30 is an arm with a so-called jackknife structure and mainly consists of a wrist section 31, multiple motors 33, arms 35a and 35b, a fixing section 37, etc. The cantilever arm 30 is detachably fixed to the arm mounting section 19 by the fixing section 37. As described above, the motor 13 is fixed to the arm mounting section 19. The motor 13 can rotate the cantilever arm 30 on the arm mounting section pivot axis 17, which has an axis approximately perpendicular to the direction of travel of the first travel shaft 3 (direction Y in the figure) (direction D in the figure).

[0033] The multiple arms 35a and 35b of the cantilever arm 30 are each rotatable around arm pivot axes 36a and 36b, respectively, by multiple motors 33 (arrows E and F in the figure). More specifically, the base of arm 35a is rotatably connected to the vicinity of the fixed part 37 via arm pivot axis 36a. The base of arm 35b is rotatably connected to the vicinity of the tip of arm 35a via arm pivot axis 36b.

[0034] A wrist portion 31 is positioned near the tip of the arm 35b. The wrist portion 31 is the part that supports the hand for gripping the workpiece. The wrist portion 31 is rotatable relative to the arm 35b with the wrist portion pivot axis 39 as the pivot axis (arrow G in the figure). The driving force from the multiple motors 33 is transmitted via gears and belts (not shown), and the arms 35a, 35b, and wrist portion 31 are rotatable by the motors 33.

[0035] Note that the configuration of the cantilever arm 30 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, in the illustrated example, the cantilever arm 30 is composed of two arms 35a and 35b, but it may be composed of three or more arms. Also, although the example shows the arm rotation axes 36a and 36b and the wrist rotation axis 39 all being parallel (parallel to the Z direction in the figure), at least a portion of the arm rotation axes 36a and 36b and the wrist rotation axis 39 may be formed in directions perpendicular to each other.

[0036] Next, the method of using the inter-press transport robot 1 will be explained. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic plan views showing the inter-press transport robot 1 of Figure 1 installed on a press line. As mentioned above, each arm is detachable from the arm mounting section 19 of the inter-press transport robot 1, but in the illustrated example, a double-arm 20 is attached to the arm mounting section 19.

[0037] Multiple presses 41a and 41b are arranged side by side along the press line (direction X in the figure). A pair of inter-press transport robots 1 are positioned between the presses 41a and 41b, facing each other on both sides of the press line, sandwiching the presses 41a and 41b.

[0038] The pair of press transfer robots 1, positioned opposite each other, are controlled to synchronize their movements. That is, the pair of press transfer robots 1 can perform the same operation at the same time.

[0039] Both ends of the hand 45a are fixed to the wrist portion 21 of each inter-press transport robot 1. That is, the hand 45a is positioned to connect the wrist portions 21 of a pair of inter-press transport robots 1 that are positioned opposite each other. The hand 45a can be moved along a set movement path by appropriately combining the movement and rotation of each part of the inter-press transport robot 1. Alternatively, the workpiece 43 may be gripped directly by both ends with the wrist portion 21 without using the hand 45a.

[0040] To transport the workpiece 43, first, as shown in Figure 4(a), a pair of inter-press transport robots 1 grasp the workpiece 43, which has been processed by the press machine 41a, with their hands 45a. The hands 45a can grasp the workpiece 43, for example, by air suction. The action of grasping the workpiece 43 can be performed by combining actions such as moving the second travel base 11 relative to the second travel axis 9, rotating the double-arm 20 relative to the second travel base 11, moving the cylinder 25 back and forth, and rotating the motor 23.

[0041] Next, as shown in Figure 4(b), the workpiece 43 is transported and placed in the press machine 41b for the next process. When transporting the workpiece 43 from the press machine 41a to the press machine 41b, the first travel base 5 is moved relative to the first travel axis 3. At this time, the next workpiece, which is not shown in the figure, is transported to the press machine 41a. After that, the hand 45a is moved away from the press machine 41b and waits until the processing in the press machines 41a and 41b is completed. By repeating the above, the workpiece 43 can be transported sequentially from the press machine 41a to the press machine 41b.

[0042] In this way, by using the double-arm 20, a single workpiece 43 can be supported and transported from both sides by a pair of inter-press transport robots 1. Therefore, it is possible to handle heavy workpieces 43. In addition, by gripping the workpiece 43 from both sides, the occurrence of shaking and vibration of the workpiece 43 during transport can be suppressed.

[0043] Next, we will explain an example of how to remove the double-arm 20 from the press transfer robot 1 and attach a single-arm 30 for use. As mentioned above, the single-arm 30 offers high versatility in operation, but because it supports the workpiece from only one side, it has limitations in transporting heavy, large workpieces. For this reason, for example, when transporting small workpieces, using the single-arm 30 enables more versatile operation.

[0044] When transporting small workpieces in this manner, for example, a cantilever arm 30 may be attached to one of the press-to-press transport robots 1 positioned opposite each other, and the workpiece may be transported using only that press-to-press transport robot 1. Alternatively, a cantilever arm 30 may be attached to each of a pair of press-to-press transport robots 1 positioned opposite each other, and a pair of press-to-press transport robots 1 may each transport different workpieces.

[0045] Figures 5(a) to 5(c) are schematic plan views showing the press transfer robot 1, with the cantilever arm 30 of Figure 3 attached to the arm mounting section 19, installed on the press line. As described above, the pair of press transfer robots 1 are positioned between the press machines 41a and 41b, facing each other on both sides of the press line, sandwiching the press machines 41a and 41b.

[0046] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(a), multiple workpieces 43a and 43b are arranged on the press machine 41a. Furthermore, a hand 45b is fixed to the wrist portion 31 of each of the opposing inter-press transport robots 1. That is, a hand 45b is fixed separately to each of the pair of inter-press transport robots 1. The hand 45b can grasp a workpiece 43a or workpiece 43b, for example, by air suction. By appropriately combining the movement and rotation of each part of each inter-press transport robot 1, the hand 45b can be moved along each set movement path.

[0047] In this embodiment, first, as shown in Figure 5(a), the workpieces 43a and 43b that have been processed by the press machine 41a are separately grasped by the respective hands 45b of the pair of inter-press transport robots 1. The action of grasping the workpieces 43a and 43b can be performed by combining the movement of the second travel base 11 relative to the second travel axis 9, the rotation of the cantilever arm 30 relative to the second travel base 11, and the movement of the arms 35a and 35b due to the rotation of the motor 33.

[0048] Next, as shown in Figure 5(b), one of the inter-press transport robots 1 transports and positions the workpiece 43a to the next press machine 41b. When transporting the workpieces 43a and 43b from press machine 41a to press machine 41b, the first travel base 5 is moved relative to the first travel axis 3. At this time, by using the cantilever arm 30 and combining the movements of arms 35a, 35b, etc., the workpiece 43a can be moved not only in the transport direction (X direction in the figure) but also in a direction perpendicular to the press line (Y direction in the figure). For this reason, for example, as shown, the workpiece 43a can be positioned closer to the center of the press machine 41b. In this way, by using the cantilever arm 30, it is possible to position the workpiece at the optimal position on the press machine.

[0049] Next, as shown in Figure 5(c), the other inter-press transport robot 1 transports and positions the workpiece 43b to the next press machine 41b. At this time, the workpiece 43b can be positioned so that a part of it overlaps with the workpiece 43a. In this way, by using the cantilever arm 30 to separately grip the workpieces 43a and 43b and transporting them at different timings, it is also possible to place the workpieces 43a and 43b on top of each other in the press machine 41b.

[0050] As described above, according to this embodiment, the press transfer robot 1 can be used by detaching and exchanging the double-arm 20 and the single-arm 30. Therefore, the appropriate arm can be selected and used according to the size of the workpiece to be processed and the processing content.

[0051] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea disclosed herein, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1: Robot for transfer between presses 3: First running axle 5: First running base 7: Motor 9: Second running axle 11: Second running base 13: Motor 15: Base pivot axis 17: Rotating axis of the arm mounting section 19: Arm mounting section 20: Double-armed 21: Wrist part 23: Motor 25: Cylinder 27: Fixed part 29: Wrist rotation axis 30: Cantilever arm 31: Wrist part 33: Motor 35a, 35b: Arm 36a, 36b: Arm pivot axis 37: Fixed part 39: Wrist rotation axis 41a, 41b: Press machine 43, 43a, 43b: Work 45a, 45b: Hand

Claims

1. A robot for transporting workpieces between presses, A first travel axis formed substantially parallel to the workpiece transport direction, A base pivot shaft is arranged to be movable along the first travel shaft, and its pivot axis is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the travel direction of the first travel shaft, A second travel shaft that is rotatable relative to the first travel shaft via the base pivot shaft, An arm mounting portion is arranged to be movable along the second travel axis, It is equipped with, A press transfer robot characterized in that a double-support arm that supports the workpiece from both sides and a single-support arm that supports the workpiece from one side are selectively detachable from the arm mounting portion.

2. The aforementioned double-arm supports are A wrist section for supporting the hand that grips the workpiece, A cylinder that moves the wrist portion forward and backward in a direction substantially parallel to the base pivot axis, A motor that rotates the wrist portion on a wrist portion rotation axis whose rotation axis is the direction of advancement and retraction of the cylinder, A fixing part that can be fixed to the aforementioned arm mounting part, A robot for conveying between presses according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the above.

3. The aforementioned cantilever arm is A wrist section for supporting the hand that grips the workpiece, Multiple motors that move the wrist portion in multiple axes using multiple arm rotation axes, A fixing part that can be fixed to the aforementioned arm mounting part, A robot for conveying between presses according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the above.

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