Automatic coating device and automatic coating method

Abstract

To provide an automatic coating device which can accurately and automatically coat a liquid.SOLUTION: An automatic coating device (1) includes: a robot arm (13); a coating hand (10) for coating a coating material (L1) that is a liquid to workpiece; a force sensor (14) for detecting force acting on the coating hand (10) and a moment; and a control part for controlling the robot arm (13) on the basis of parameters (FX, FY, FZ, MX, MY and MZ) calculated from an output signal of the force sensor (14).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic coating device that automatically coats liquids such as paint and adhesive, and an automatic coating method using the automatic coating device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in coating devices for coating a workpiece with liquids such as paint and adhesive, various sensors have been provided to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the coating work. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coating tool that has an acceleration sensor attached to the handle of a roller and automatically supplies paint to the roller based on the detection results of the acceleration sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-076911 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a coating operation is performed with the roller in contact with the workpiece, the roller receives force and moment from the workpiece. However, the coating device described in Patent Document 1 cannot detect the moment that the roller receives from the workpiece. For this reason, there is a problem that if the roller rotates or tilts with respect to the workpiece, the roller may not be able to coat the workpiece accurately.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an automatic coating device and an automatic coating method that are capable of automatically and accurately coating a liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An automatic coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, is characterized by comprising a robot arm, a coating hand attached to the robot arm for applying liquid to a workpiece, a force sensor that detects forces and moments acting on the coating hand, and a control unit that controls the robot arm based on parameters calculated from an output signal of the force sensor.

[0007] An automatic coating method according to one embodiment of the present invention is an automatic coating method for applying liquid to a workpiece using an automatic coating device having a robot arm, a coating hand attached to the robot arm, and a force sensor for detecting forces and moments acting on the coating hand, characterized in that the robot arm is controlled based on parameters calculated from an output signal of the force sensor.

[0008] According to the above-mentioned automatic coating device or automatic coating method, the robot arm to which the coating hand is attached can be accurately controlled based on parameters calculated from the output signal of a force sensor that detects the force and moment acting on the coating hand, so that the liquid can be automatically and accurately applied to the workpiece by the coating hand. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, liquid can be applied automatically and accurately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an automatic coating system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the direction of a force and a moment detected by a force sensor included in the automatic coating device of FIG. 1; FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic coating device and a control device included in the automatic coating system of FIG. 1. [Figure 4]2 is a side view showing how a coating hand included in the automatic coating device of FIG. 1 applies paint to a workpiece. [Diagram 5] 2 is a side view showing how a coating hand included in the automatic coating device of FIG. 1 rotates (tilts) about an axis parallel to a workpiece. [Figure 6] 2 is a plan view showing how a coating hand included in the automatic coating apparatus of FIG. 1 rotates (tilts) around an axis perpendicular to a workpiece as a rotation axis. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the automatic coating device in FIG. 1 is transported by an AGV. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of an automatic coating method using the automatic coating device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of a coating process included in the automatic coating method of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a determination step included in the application step of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 5 is a side view showing a main configuration of an automatic coating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 12 is a side view showing how adhesive is applied by an application hand provided in the automatic application device of FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 12 is a side view showing a state in which a coating hand included in the automatic coating device of FIG. 11 rotates about an axis parallel to the workpiece. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a main configuration of an automatic coating device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Embodiment 1] An automatic coating system 100 including an automatic coating device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the automatic coating system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic coating system 100 includes an automatic coating device 1 and a control device 50. The automatic coating system 100 is controlled by the control device 50 to automatically apply paint L1, which is an example of a liquid, to a workpiece W, such as a wall. The automatic coating device 1 includes a coating hand 10, a robot arm 13, a force sensor 14, an AGV (Automatic Guides Vehicle) 15, and a storage unit 16. The automatic coating system 100 may include a plurality of automatic coating devices 1. The workpiece W is not limited to a wall or the like having a flat surface, and may be a three-dimensional structure or workpiece having an uneven surface.

[0013] The coating hand 10 has a coating roller 11 and is a member for coating a workpiece W with a coating material L1 by the coating roller 11. The coating hand 10 is attached to a robot arm 13 via a force sensor 14.

[0014] The robot arm 13 is mounted on an AGV 15. The AGV 15 is an example of an automatic transport device, and is configured to be able to travel along a fixed route set by a guide such as a magnetic tape. An Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) may be used instead of the AGV 15. In this case, the AMR can move the robot arm 13 by autonomously traveling along a route automatically calculated according to the surrounding environment, even without a guide such as a magnetic tape. Also, a camera may be provided on the robot arm 13, and image information from the camera may be used to control the posture of the robot arm 13.

[0015] The robot arm 13 is a multi-joint type robot and includes a base portion 130, a first joint 131 provided on the base portion 130, a first arm 132, a second joint 133, a second arm 134, a third joint 135, and a third arm 136.

[0016] The base unit 130 is fixed to the AGV 15 in a state in which it can rotate freely around an axis perpendicular to the AGV 15. A first joint 131 is provided on the base unit 130. One end of a first arm 132 is connected to the first joint 131. By moving the first joint 131, the angle that the first arm 132 makes with the base unit 130 can be changed.

[0017] One end of a second arm 134 is connected to the other end of the first arm 132 via a second joint 133. By moving the second joint 133, the angle that the second arm 134 makes with the first arm 132 can be changed.

[0018] One end of a third arm 136 is connected to the other end of the second arm 134 via a third joint 135. The third joint 135 is movable, so that the angle between the third arm 136 and the second arm 134 can be changed. The third arm 136 constitutes the tip of the robot arm 13. The first joint 131, the second joint 133, and the third joint 135 are controlled by the robot controller 20.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the direction of force and the direction of moment detected by the force sensor 14 included in the automatic coating device 1 of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the force sensor 14 has a first member having a first surface 141, a second member having a second surface 142, and a strain body (not shown) disposed between the first member and the second member. The first surface 141 of the force sensor 14 is attached to the third arm 136 of the robot arm 13, and the second surface 142 of the force sensor 14 is attached to the coating hand 10.

[0020] 1, the force sensor 14 is disposed between the robot arm 13 and the application hand 10, and detects the deformation of an internal strain body to detect the magnitudes of forces (fx, fy, fz) acting in each direction of three axes (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis) acting on the force sensor 14 and the magnitudes of moments (mx, my, mz) around each axis (see FIG. 2). The force sensor 14 detects the forces and moments received from the workpiece W via the application hand 10, and outputs the results to the robot controller 20.

[0021] Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an automatic coating system 100 including the automatic coating device 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the automatic coating device 1 includes a robot controller 20. The robot controller 20 is an example of a control unit, and includes a processor 21, a memory 22, a communication IF (Interface) 23, and an input / output IF (Interface) 24. The processor 21, the memory 22, the communication IF 23, and the input / output IF 24 are connected to each other via a bus 5. Note that the control unit 50 may include the functions of the robot controller 20 and may be used as the control unit.

[0022] The processor 21 of the robot controller 20 calculates the forces (FX, FY, FZ) and moments (MX, MY, MZ) that the coating roller 11 of the application hand 10 receives from the workpiece W based on the output signal of the force sensor 14. The processor 21 controls the robot arm 13 and the AGV 15 based on the calculated parameters (FX, FY, FZ, MX, MY, MZ). The processor 21 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or a combination of these.

[0023] The memory 22 stores programs and the like for controlling the operations of the robot arm 13 and the AGV 15. The processor 21 controls the operations of the robot arm 13 and the AGV 15 in accordance with instructions contained in the programs stored in the memory 22.

[0024] The communication IF23 is an interface for communicating with the control device 50. As the communication IF23, for example, an interface such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) can be used. The control device 50 may be connected to the input / output IF24.

[0025] The robot arm 13 and the AGV 15 are electrically connected to the input / output IF 24 via their respective drive units (not shown). The robot controller 20 controls the operations of the robot arm 13 and the AGV 15 via the input / output IF 24. As the input / output IF 24, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA), a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), serial communication, etc. may be used. Note that one or both of the robot arm 13 and the AGV 15 may be connected to the communication IF 23 via a drive unit.

[0026] The control device 50 is a device for teaching the robot controller 20 a coating program, which will be described later. The control device 50 has a processor 51, a memory 52, a communication IF 53, and a touch panel 54. The processor 51, the memory 52, the communication IF 53, and the touch panel 54 are connected to each other via a bus 2. The processor 51 has a similar configuration to the processor 21.

[0027] The memory 52 stores information such as a program to be executed by the processor 51, various data corresponding to the type of paint L1 (density, viscosity coefficient, etc.), and various data corresponding to the material of the workpiece W (dynamic friction coefficient, etc.).

[0028] The communication IF 53 is an interface for communicating with the robot controller 20. The touch panel 54 is configured to have an operation panel that allows the user to perform various settings (see FIG. 1). The user can perform a setting step S1, which will be described later, by operating the touch panel 54. The touch panel 54 may be disposed in the robot controller 20.

[0029] [Automatic application method] Next, an automatic coating method using the automatic coating device 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 to FIG. 10. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the automatic coating method by the automatic coating device 1 according to the first embodiment. In the automatic coating method of the first embodiment, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8, first, a setting step (S1) is performed in which the control device 50 sets a coating program for the automatic coating device 1. Then, the automatic coating device 1 sequentially performs a conveying step (S2) and a coating step (S3). Then, the automatic coating device 1 determines whether the coating program has been completed (S4). Then, S2 and S3 are repeatedly executed until the coating program set in S1 is completed (S4: YES). Each step will be described in detail below.

[0030] In the setting step S1, the control device 50 sets a coating program in the automatic coating device 1. An "coating program" is a program that causes the automatic coating device 1 to apply paint L1 under certain coating conditions. And, "setting a coating program" refers to the process of (1) determining or creating a coating program to be applied to the automatic coating device 1, and (2) transmitting the determined or created coating program to the automatic coating device.

[0031] Specifically, the control device 50 first determines coating conditions for the automatic coating device 1 in response to an input operation by the user on the touch panel 54. The "coating conditions" include the type of paint L1, the dimensions of the workpiece W, the material of the workpiece W, and the like. The control device 50 determines or creates a coating program in accordance with the determined coating conditions. The control device 50 may determine a coating program by selecting one coating program from among coating programs previously stored in the memory 52. ​​The control device 50 may also create a coating program by selecting and combining patterns in accordance with the coating conditions from among template program patterns previously stored in the memory 52.

[0032] The control device 50 may determine the threshold value according to the application conditions in any order from the determination or creation of the application program. For example, each type of paint L1 has a different viscosity coefficient, and the friction force FX generated during application is different. Therefore, the control device 50 may determine the threshold value of the friction force Fx according to the type of paint L1. This threshold value is used in the determination step S13 described later.

[0033] Furthermore, the coating program may include a program that prescribes the operation of the AGV 15 in addition to the program that prescribes the operation of the robot arm 13. By having the robot arm 13 and the AGV 15 operate in coordination, coating can be performed appropriately even in cases where the movement of the robot arm 13 alone is not enough to apply the paint L1 to the entire coating target.

[0034] The control device 50 transmits a coating program to the automatic coating device 1 via the communication IF 53. The processor 21 of the automatic coating device 1 receives the coating program via the communication IF 23 and stores it in the memory 22. The processor 21 appropriately reads and executes the coating program to execute the subsequent conveying step (S2), coating step (S3), and painting step (S11).

[0035] After S1, a transport step is performed (S2). FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how the automatic coating device 1 of FIG. 1 is transported by the AGV 15. In the transport step S2, first, the robot controller 20 moves the AGV 15, which has been placed in a predetermined initial position (not shown), to a coating start position P1 (see dotted line in FIG. 7). This makes it possible for the coating roller 11 of the robot arm 13 to immediately start coating the paint L1. Note that the process of S1 is not essential. For example, if the operation of the AGV 15 is not specified in the coating program, the transport step S2 by the AGV 15 may be omitted.

[0036] Next, the coating step is performed (S3). Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing the flow of the coating step S3. In the coating step S3, a painting step (S11), a detection step (S12), and a determination step (S13) are performed in parallel or in random order.

[0037] In the painting process (S11), the robot controller 20 controls the robot arm 13 via the input / output IF 24 to roll the painting roller 11 in contact with the workpiece W1, thereby applying the paint L1 (see FIG. 4). FIG. 4 is a side view showing how the painting hand 10 provided in the automatic painting device 1 of FIG. 1 applies the paint L1 to the workpiece W. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the painting roller 11 is advanced upwardly over the workpiece W, thereby applying the paint L1 to the workpiece W.

[0038] When the painting roller 11 moves in the direction of travel (see the arrow in FIG. 4), a frictional force FX acts on the painting roller 11 in the direction opposite to the direction of travel. Furthermore, when the painting roller 11 presses the workpiece W with a predetermined pressing force, a normal force FZ acts on the painting roller 11. In this way, the painting hand 10 receives force and moment from the workpiece W, and the force and moment are applied to the force sensor 14. The force sensor 14 detects the forces (fx, fy, fz) and moments (mx, my, mz) received from the workpiece W via the painting hand 10, and outputs them to the robot controller 20 (see FIG. 3).

[0039] In the detection step (S12), the robot controller 20 calculates the forces (FX, FY, FZ) and moments (MX, MY, MZ) acting on the coating roller 11 of the application hand 10 based on the output signals (fx, fy, fz, mx, my, mz) of the force sensor 14. In this embodiment, the robot controller 20 calculates at least the frictional force FX, normal force FZ, first rotational moment MX, and second rotational moment MZ that the application hand 10 receives from the workpiece W.

[0040] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the application hand 10 in Fig. 4 rotates about an axis that is horizontal to the workpiece W. As shown in Fig. 5, the robot controller 20 calculates a first rotation moment MX for rotating the application hand 10 about an axis that is horizontal to the application surface of the workpiece W.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the coating hand 10 in Fig. 4 rotates about an axis perpendicular to the workpiece W. As shown in Fig. 6, the robot controller 20 calculates a second rotation moment MZ for rotating the coating hand 10 about an axis perpendicular to the coating surface.

[0042] In the determination step (S13), the robot controller 20 determines whether the parameters (e.g., FX, FZ, MX, and MZ) calculated in the detection step S12 satisfy predetermined conditions. Specifically, the robot controller 20 determines whether the parameters satisfy the predetermined conditions S21 to S23 shown in FIG. 10.

[0043] Fig. 10 is a flow chart showing the flow of the determination step S13 included in the application step S3 in Fig. 9. In the determination step S13 shown in Fig. 10, first, the robot controller 20 determines whether or not the normal force FZ in Fig. 4 is within a predetermined range (S21). Here, the "predetermined range" is set according to the type of paint L1, the material of the workpiece W, the material of the painting roller 11, etc.

[0044] If the normal force FZ is within the predetermined range (S21: YES), the robot controller 20 proceeds to S22, whereas if the normal force FZ is not within the predetermined range (S21: NO), a correction step is performed (S25). In the correction step S25, the robot controller 20 controls the posture of the robot arm 13 so that the normal force FZ is within the predetermined range.

[0045] For example, if the value of the normal force FZ is too large, it is estimated that the robot arm 13 is pressing the painting roller 11 too hard against the workpiece W. Therefore, in such a case, the robot controller 20 adjusts the position and angle of the painting roller 11 so as to reduce the pressing force of the painting roller 11 against the workpiece W. This makes it possible to reduce the value of the normal force FZ.

[0046] Furthermore, for example, if the value of the normal force FZ is too small, it is estimated that the painting roller 11 is not sufficiently pressed against the workpiece W. Therefore, in such a case, the robot controller 20 adjusts the position and angle of the painting roller 11 so as to increase the pressing force of the painting roller 11 against the workpiece W. This makes it possible to increase the value of the normal force FZ.

[0047] This allows the application hand 10 to maintain a constant force for pressing the application roller 11 against the workpiece W, so that the liquid L, such as paint, can be uniformly applied to the workpiece W. In addition, even if the application surface of the workpiece W is uneven, the paint L1 can be applied with a constant film thickness.

[0048] Next, the robot controller 20 determines whether the friction force FX is less than a first threshold value (S22). The first threshold value is set according to the remaining amount and viscosity coefficient of the paint L1. As described above, the first threshold value used here may be the threshold value determined in the setting step S1 and transmitted to the robot controller 20.

[0049] If the frictional force FX is less than the first threshold (S22: YES), the processor 21 proceeds to S23. On the other hand, if the frictional force FX is not less than the first threshold (S22: NO), that is, if the frictional force FX is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the processor 21 determines that the paint L1 on the coating roller 11 is insufficient, and performs a replenishing step of replenishing the paint L1 to the coating hand 10 (S24).

[0050] Specifically, in the replenishing step S24, the processor 21 controls the robot arm 13 to move the application hand 10 to the position of the storage unit 16 shown in Fig. 1, and replenishing the paint L1 in the storage unit 16 to the painting roller 11. This allows paint L1 to be quickly replenished when the paint roller 11 is short of paint L1. When the paint L1 in the storage unit 16 runs out, the user injects paint L1 from the paint can 30 into the storage unit 16.

[0051] Next, in S23, the processor 21 determines whether the first rotation moment MX and the second rotation moment MZ are less than the second threshold value. In S23, if the first rotation moment MX and the second rotation moment MZ are not less than the second threshold value (S23: NO), that is, if they are equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the processor 21 performs a correction step (S25).

[0052] For example, if the value of the first rotational moment MX is too large, the painting roller 11 may float above the workpiece W, preventing uniform painting, as shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, if the value of the first rotational moment MX is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the robot controller 20 adjusts the position and angle of the painting roller 11 so that the painting roller 11 moves in a direction substantially opposite to the rotational direction of the first rotational moment MX. This makes it possible to reduce the value of the first rotational moment MX.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, if the value of the second rotational moment MZ is too large, the painting roller 11 may move up and down on the workpiece W, resulting in non-uniform painting, as shown in Fig. 6. Therefore, if the value of the second rotational moment MZ is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the robot controller 20 adjusts the position and angle of the painting roller 11 so that the painting roller 11 moves in a direction substantially opposite to the rotational direction of MZ. This makes it possible to reduce the value of the second rotational moment MZ.

[0054] In the correction step S25, the processor 21 corrects the posture of the robot arm 13 so that the first rotation moment MX and the second rotation moment MZ are less than the second threshold value. In this way, the application hand 10 is prevented from rotating about an axis horizontal to the application surface of the workpiece W, and is also prevented from rotating about an axis perpendicular to the application surface of the workpiece W. This makes it possible to accurately paint the workpiece W while increasing the contact area between the application hand 10 and the workpiece W.

[0055] On the other hand, if the first rotation moment MX and the second rotation moment MZ are less than the second threshold value (S23: YES), the robot controller 20 ends the determination step S13 in Fig. 10. When S24 or S25 is completed, the robot controller 20 ends the determination step S13 in Fig. 10. When the determination step S13 and the painting step S11 in Fig. 9 are completed, the application step S3 in Fig. 9 is completed.

[0056] The condition determinations of S21, S22, and S23 may be performed in any order. Also, the condition determination of S22 may be performed before the condition determinations of S21 and S23, and if the answer is YES in S22, the supply step S24 may be performed, and then the condition determinations of S21 and S23 may be performed. Alternatively, the condition determinations of S21 and S23 may be performed before the condition determination of S22, and if the answer is NO in S21 or NO in S23, the next condition determination may be performed after the correction step S25, respectively. And finally, the condition determination of S23 may be performed.

[0057] Next, in the flowchart of FIG. 8, the robot controller 20 determines in S4 whether the set coating program has been completed. If the coating program has not been completed (S4: NO), the robot controller 20 returns to S2 and performs the transfer step. In this transfer step S2, as shown in FIG. 7, the robot controller 20 controls the AGV 15 to move the position of the entire robot arm 13 to the right with respect to the workpiece W, from the coating start position P1 to the coating position P2. Note that, depending on the provisions of the coating program, the AGV 15 may not operate at this point. For example, when painting is performed within the range that the robot arm 13 can reach, the step of S2 may be omitted.

[0058] Next, in a coating step S3, the robot controller 20 causes the automatic coating device 1 to coat the unpainted workpiece W2 with the paint L1 in the same manner as the painted workpiece W1. In this manner, the coating hand 10 can coat a wide range of the workpiece W by repeating the process of transporting the robot arm 13 by the AGV 15 as necessary and then coating the workpiece W.

[0059] After S3, the robot controller 20 again determines whether the application program has been completed (S4), and if the application program set in the setting step S1 has been completed (S4: YES), ends the flow shown in FIG.

[0060] As described above, according to the automatic coating device 1 of embodiment 1, the robot arm 13 to which the coating hand 10 is attached can be accurately controlled based on the parameters (FX, FY, FZ, MX, MY, MZ) calculated from the output signal (fx, fy, fz, mx, my, mz) of the force sensor 14, so that the liquid paint L1 can be automatically and accurately applied to the workpiece W by the coating hand 10.

[0061] [Embodiment 2] Next, the application hand 10A of the automatic application device 1A according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 11 to Fig. 13. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to members having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0062] Fig. 11 is a side view showing the main configuration of an automatic coating apparatus 1A in embodiment 2. Fig. 12 is a side view showing how adhesive L2 is applied by a coating hand 10A included in the automatic coating apparatus 1A in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a side view showing how the coating hand 10A included in the automatic coating apparatus 1A in Fig. 11 rotates about an axis horizontal to the workpiece W as the rotation axis.

[0063] 11, the automatic coating device 1A of the second embodiment includes a coating hand 10A, a robot arm 13, a force sensor 14, and a storage unit 16A. The coating hand 10A includes a coating roller 11A, a syringe 17A, and a first mounting unit 12A and a second mounting unit 18A, which are examples of mounting units. The robot arm 13 may be mounted on an AGV 15.

[0064] The painting roller 11A is a roller member for applying an adhesive L2, which is an example of a liquid, to a workpiece W such as a construction piece. The painting roller 11A is, for example, disk-shaped, and is rotatably attached to the tip of the syringe 17A. The first mounting portion 12A and the second mounting portion 18A are members for attaching the syringe 17A to the robot arm 13. The force sensor 14 is disposed between the first mounting portion 12A and the second mounting portion 18A.

[0065] The force sensor 14 detects forces fx, fy, fz and moments mx, my, mz acting on the syringe 17A (see FIG. 2). The robot controller 20 calculates the forces FX, FY, FZ and moments MX, MY, MZ acting on the coating roller 11A based on the detection signal of the force sensor 14 (see FIG. 11).

[0066] Syringe 17A is a container for storing adhesive, and is connected to storage section 16A via supply pipe 6. When the remaining amount of adhesive L2 in syringe 17A becomes low, adhesive L2 is supplied from storage section 16A into syringe 17A.

[0067] [Automatic application method] Next, an automatic coating method by the automatic coating device 1A of embodiment 2 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 8 to 10. Note that explanations of steps with the same processing contents as those in the automatic coating method by the automatic coating device 1 of embodiment 1 will be omitted, and only steps with different processing contents will be described.

[0068] 8, in a setting step S1, a user operates the touch panel 54 to set application conditions including the type of adhesive L2, the dimensions of the workpiece W, and the material of the workpiece W. Note that the memory 52 stores various data such as a viscosity coefficient corresponding to the type of adhesive L2 and a friction coefficient corresponding to the material of the workpiece W (see FIG. 3). The processor 51 refers to the application conditions set by the touch panel 54 and the various data stored in the memory 52 to change thresholds and the like used in the application step S3.

[0069] Next, the processor 21 controls the robot arm 13 to perform a transport step of placing the robot arm 13 at the application start position P1 of the workpiece W (S2), and performs the application step shown in Fig. 9 in the same manner as in the first embodiment (S3). Then, by repeatedly performing the transport step S2 and the application step S3 until the application program is completed, the automatic application device 1A can automatically apply the adhesive L2 over a wide range. The robot arm 13 may be moved to the application start position P1 by the AGV 15.

[0070] 10, the processor 21 determines whether the normal force FZ is within a predetermined range or not, and if the normal force FZ is not within the predetermined range (S21: NO), a correction step is performed (S25). In the correction step S25, the processor 21 controls the attitude of the robot arm 13 so that the normal force FZ is within the predetermined range.

[0071] 12, the pressing force FZ of the application hand 10A against the workpiece W can be kept constant, and the adhesive L2 can be applied to the workpiece W with a constant film thickness. Even if the workpiece W has an inclined surface, the adhesive L2 can be applied uniformly to the surface of the workpiece W by controlling the posture of the robot arm 13 so that it follows the surface of the workpiece W.

[0072] 10, if the friction force FX is less than the first threshold (S22: YES), the processor 21 determines that the adhesive L2 in the syringe 17A is insufficient, and in a resupply step S24, a supply mechanism (not shown) provided in the reservoir 16A is driven to supply the adhesive L2 in the reservoir 16A to the syringe 17A via the supply pipe 6. This allows the adhesive L2 to be quickly replenished to the coating roller 11A. The supply mechanism includes a pump, a valve, and the like. In addition, in S24, the processor 21 may determine that a malfunction such as clogging of the adhesive L2 has occurred in the supply path of the adhesive L2 from the syringe 17A to the coating roller 11A, and notify the operator that an error has occurred.

[0073] 13, even if a moment MX acts on the application hand 10A and the application hand 10A is tilted with respect to the workpiece W, the syringe 17A can be maintained perpendicular to the workpiece W by reducing the amount of rotation of the application hand 10A in the determination and correction step S25 of S22 shown in FIG. 10. This allows the adhesive L2 to be accurately applied to the workpiece W by the coating roller 11A.

[0074] [Embodiment 3] Next, an automatic coating apparatus 1B according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 14. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to members having the same functions as those described in the second embodiment, and the explanations thereof will not be repeated.

[0075] Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the main configuration of an automatic coating device 1B in embodiment 3. As shown in Fig. 14, in the automatic coating device 1B in embodiment 3, a mounting part 12B having a support rod 18B is provided on a side surface of a syringe 17B of a coating hand 10B. A roller 19B is rotatably provided on the tip of the support rod 18B. The roller 19B has a function of assisting the movement of the coating hand 10B by rotating while contacting the workpiece W.

[0076] A discharge part 11B for discharging the adhesive L2 is provided at the tip of the syringe 17B. When the roller 19B is in contact with the workpiece W, a vertical gap is generated between the discharge part 11B and the workpiece W.

[0077] A force sensor 14 is disposed between the support rod 18B and the mounting portion 12B. Based on the output signal from the force sensor 14, the robot controller 20 can accurately calculate the forces (FX, FY, FZ) and moments (MX, MY, MZ) that the application hand 10B receives from the workpiece W via the roller 19B.

[0078] An adjustment unit 40 is disposed on the attachment portion 12B. The adjustment unit 40 has a microgauge 41, a first member 42, and a second member 43. The adjustment unit 40 is configured such that the first member 42 can be moved relative to the second member 43 in the vertical direction in FIG. 14 by rotating the microgauge 41.

[0079] The first member 42 of the adjustment unit 40 is connected to the syringe 17B via the attachment unit 12B. The second member 43 is connected to the robot arm 13 via the attachment unit 12B. This allows the operator to finely adjust the position of the syringe 17B in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece W by rotating the microgauge 41 of the adjustment unit 40.

[0080] [Automatic application method] Next, an automatic coating method using the automatic coating apparatus 1B of the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 8 to 10. Note that a description of steps having the same processing content as those in the automatic coating method using the automatic coating apparatus 1B of the second embodiment will be omitted, and only steps having different processing content will be described.

[0081] Next, the processor 21 performs a transport step of positioning the robot arm 13 at the application start position P1 of the workpiece W by moving the AGV 15 shown in Fig. 7 (S2). Then, similar to the first embodiment, a coating step shown in Fig. 9 is performed (S3). This allows the automatic coating device 1B to automatically coat the adhesive L2 over a wide range. Note that a user may move the robot arm 13 to the application start position P1 using a transport vehicle or the like.

[0082] 10, when the friction force FX is less than the first threshold value (S22: YES), the processor 21 drives a supply mechanism (not shown) provided in the storage unit 16A in a supply step S24 to supply the adhesive L2 in the storage unit 16A to the syringe 17A via the supply pipe 6. This makes it possible to quickly supply the adhesive L2 to the coating roller 11A.

[0083] 12, even if the workpiece W has an inclined surface, the processor 21 controls the operation of the robot arm 13 so that the pressing force FZ with which the painting roller 11A presses the workpiece W is constant in the judgment and correction step S25 of S21 shown in FIG. 10. Therefore, the adhesive L2 can be uniformly applied to the workpiece W.

[0084] 13, even if the application hand 10A is tilted with respect to the application surface of the workpiece W, rotation of the application hand 10A can be suppressed in the determination step S22 and the correction step S25 shown in Fig. 10. This allows the adhesive L2 to be reliably applied to the workpiece W while increasing the contact area between the application hand 10A and the application surface.

[0085] The above-described automatic coating device 1B of embodiment 3 can also provide the same effects as the automatic coating device 1A of embodiment 2. That is, the automatic coating device 1B can maintain a constant distance between the discharge part 11B and the workpiece W, and can coat the adhesive L2 on the workpiece W with a constant film thickness. In particular, since there is a gap between the discharge part 11B and the workpiece W, it is not necessary for the discharge part 11B to come into contact with the workpiece W in the coating step S3, and the adhesive L2 can be applied satisfactorily.

[0086] Furthermore, in automatic coating device 1B, adjustment unit 40 having a microgauge 41 is disposed between robot arm 13 and syringe 17B. Therefore, an operator can rotate microgauge 41 to finely adjust the position of syringe 17B in a direction perpendicular to workpiece W, thereby precisely adjusting the amount of adhesive L2 applied from discharge unit 11B.

[0087] Other embodiments In the automatic coating device 1 of the first embodiment described above, the coating material L1 is applied by the coating roller 11, but the present invention is not limited to this, and coating may be performed, for example, by using a brush. In addition, the automatic coating device 1 is configured to apply the coating material L1 to the entire surface of the workpiece W as shown in Fig. 7, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the coating material L1 may be applied to the surface of the workpiece W, such as a road, to draw lines, letters, etc.

[0088] In the above-described first to third embodiments, in S22 of the determination step S13 shown in Fig. 10, the processor 21 determines whether the friction force FX is less than the first threshold value, but this is not limiting and multiple threshold values ​​may be provided and threshold value determination may be performed in stages. Also, in a case where the friction resistance value of the workpiece W is large and the friction resistance of the workpiece W has a greater effect on the friction force FX than the viscosity coefficient of the paint L1, in S22, the processor 21 may determine that the paint L1 is insufficient when the friction force FX becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, and perform the replenishing step S24.

[0089] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1, 1A, 1B Automatic coating device 10, 10A, 10B Application hand 11, 11A Paint roller 13 Robot Arm 14 Force sensor 15 AGV (automated transport vehicle) 16, 16A Storage section 17A, 17B Syringe 18B Support rod 20 Robot controller (control section) 50 Control device 100 Automatic Coating System W, W1, W2 Work L1 paint L2 Adhesive S1 Setting process S2 Transport process S3 Coating process S11 Painting process S12 Detection process S13 Judgment process S24 Supply process S25 Correction process

Claims

1. A robot arm; A coating hand attached to the robot arm for coating a workpiece with a liquid; a force sensor that detects a force and a moment acting on the application hand; a control unit that controls the robot arm based on parameters calculated from an output signal of the force sensor; An automatic coating device comprising:

2. The parameters are: The application hand includes a normal force received from the workpiece, The control unit is 2. The automatic coating device according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the robot arm is controlled so that the magnitude of the normal force is constant.

3. The parameters are: The friction force that the application hand receives from the workpiece is included, The control unit is 3. The automatic coating device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is replenished to the coating hand when the frictional force becomes less than a first threshold value.

4. A storage section for storing the liquid is provided, The control unit is The automatic coating device according to claim 3 , wherein when the frictional force becomes less than a first threshold value, the coating hand is moved to the position of the reservoir, thereby replenishing the liquid to the coating hand.

5. The parameters are: A first rotation moment rotates the coating hand around an axis that is horizontal to the coating surface of the workpiece as a rotation axis, and a second rotation moment rotates the coating hand around an axis that is perpendicular to the coating surface as a rotation axis, The automatic coating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the operation of the robot arm so that the first rotational moment and the second rotational moment are equal to or less than a second threshold value.

6. 6. The automatic coating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic transfer device for transferring the robot arm.

7. 7. The automatic coating device according to claim 1, wherein the force sensor is disposed between the robot arm and the coating hand.

8. the application hand includes a syringe that stores the liquid and a mounting portion for mounting the syringe to the robot arm; 7. The automatic coating device according to claim 1, wherein the force sensor is disposed on the mounting portion.

9. An automatic coating method for coating a workpiece with a liquid using an automatic coating device having a robot arm, a coating hand attached to the robot arm, and a force sensor for detecting a force and a moment acting on the coating hand, comprising: An automatic coating method comprising the steps of: controlling the robot arm based on a parameter calculated from an output signal of the force sensor.

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