Inspection System and Inspection Method

Abstract

To provide an inspection system and an inspection method capable of executing polishing work remotely while maintaining quality of the polishing work.SOLUTION: An inspection system 1 comprises: an operation unit 12 that accepts operation by an operator; a first multi-axis robot 20A having degrees of freedom of movement in at least three axial directions, and equipped with a polishing member 4 for polishing an inspection object 7; an information acquisition device 2 that acquires information about the inspection object 7 after polishing; and a control device 30 that moves the first multi-axis robot 20A according to the movement input by the operator to the operation unit 12, and feeds back reaction force received by the first multi-axis robot 20A to the operation unit 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an inspection system and an inspection method.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in the manufacturing process of thin steel sheets, there may be cases where foreign matter adhering to rolls installed in the production line, or unevenness generated on the rolls themselves due to the foreign matter being mixed into the rolls, is transferred to the steel sheets, resulting in defects. Such defects caused by changes in the state of rolling rolls include, for example, dot-like defects called convex and concave roll marks, dull peeling, notches, pressed scratches, slip scratches, defects continuing in the longitudinal direction of the product called linear marks, and defects long in the width direction called chatter marks. These are also referred to as roll defects. Since these roll defects are generally extremely minute unevenness, the optical difference is small, and they cannot be discovered even when observed as they are, making it difficult to detect them on the production line. However, when painted and the surface roughness is filled with paint to make the surface smooth, they become clearly visible, causing a major problem in appearance. Moreover, due to their roll origin, they are distributed over the entire length of the coil periodically, and once they occur, they continue to occur continuously until the rolls are replaced or the process is improved. Therefore, discovering such defects before shipment is an important issue in quality control.

[0003] In order to find such minute uneven surface defects, in each inspection line of the steelmaking process, during operation, the running of the steel sheet is stopped once, and after an inspector polishes it by grinding, a visual inspection is carried out. When polishing is performed by grinding, the convex parts hit the grindstone more than the concave parts and the reflectivity becomes higher, so the difference between the uneven parts becomes clear and can be confirmed visually. Such an inspection is also called a grinding inspection.

[0004] However, because grinding inspection requires the inspection line to be stopped and inspectors to come into contact with the steel plate, there are risks, such as cutting hands and feet on the edge of the steel plate or getting caught in a steel plate that suddenly starts moving. In other words, grinding inspection is a so-called 3K job, and automation of it is desirable.

[0005] In order to reduce the risks involved in such grinding inspection, for example, an invention has been made as described in Patent Document 1. This technology is characterized by its ability to automate both the grinding process and the inspection process for steel sheets. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-155716 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the technology described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the grinding work is performed by pressing the grindstone against the steel plate surface while moving the robot arm according to a grindstone trajectory program input in advance. Therefore, it is difficult to reproduce the delicate force applied by a skilled worker to match the waviness of the steel plate. Therefore, there is an issue that the defect detection performance is inferior to that of manual grindstone inspection.

[0008] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an inspection system and an inspection method that can improve defect detection performance by maintaining the quality of polishing work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An inspection system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an operation unit that accepts operations by an operator; A first multi-axis robot having at least three degrees of freedom of movement in three axial directions and equipped with a polishing member for polishing an object to be inspected; An information acquisition device that acquires information on the inspection object after polishing; A control device that moves the first multi-axis robot in response to the movement input by the operator to the operation unit and feeds back the reaction force received by the first multi-axis robot to the operation unit; It is provided with.

[0010] The inspection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is A step of remotely operating a first multi-axis robot by operating an operation unit and bringing a polishing member mounted on the first multi-axis robot into contact with an inspection object; A step of remotely operating the polishing member by operating the operation unit based on the reaction force received by the polishing member, and polishing the inspection object with the polishing member; A step of acquiring information on the inspection object after polishing by an information acquisition device; It includes.

Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the inspection system and inspection method according to the present disclosure, the defect detection performance can be improved by maintaining the quality of the polishing work.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

[0013] The present disclosure relates to an inspection system including a polishing member that performs a polishing operation on an object to be inspected and an information acquisition device that acquires information on the object to be inspected after polishing, and an inspection method. As an example of the polishing operation, an apparatus and method for grinding inspection in which a grindstone, which is an example of a polishing member, is applied to a steel plate as an object to be inspected will be described. The polishing operation may include an operation of contacting the object to be inspected, an operation of generating friction with the object to be inspected, or a surface treatment operation of the object to be inspected.

[0014] The multi-axis robot used in the inspection system according to the present disclosure is configured as a master-slave system by so-called bilateral control. The multi-axis robot is configured to control the operation of a slave operation device located away from the master operation device in accordance with the movement of an operation input to the operation unit of the master operation device, thereby realizing remote operation.

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the inspection system and inspection method according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Each drawing is schematic and may be different from the actual one. Further, the following embodiments illustrate an apparatus or method for embodying the technical idea of the present disclosure, and do not specify the configuration to the following. That is, various changes can be made to the technical idea of the present disclosure within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0016] (Embodiment) <Overall System Configuration> As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection system 1 includes a master operation device 10, a slave operation device 20, and a control device 30. The master operation device 10 includes an operation unit 12. The slave operation device 20 includes a first multi-axis robot 20A, a second multi-axis robot 20B, and a third multi-axis robot 20C. The number of multi-axis robots included in the slave operation device 20 is not limited to three, and may be one or two, or four or more.

[0017] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first multi-axis robot 20A, the second multi-axis robot 20B, and the third multi-axis robot 20C are arranged along the conveying direction of the steel plate which is the inspection object 7. The steel plate which is the inspection object 7 is conveyed in a state where tension is applied and it floats in a hollow state. In this embodiment, the inspection in a state where the steel plate which is the inspection object 7 floats in a hollow state with tension applied is described. The inspection system 1 can inspect the inspection object 7 even when the steel plate which is the inspection object 7 is in contact with the floor without applying tension.

[0018] In this embodiment, an example in which polishing work and inspection work are performed on a steel plate as the inspection object 7 is described. The polishing work and inspection work are not limited to the steel plate as the inspection object 7, and may be performed on various other materials such as steel pipes.

[0019] The slave operation device 20 includes a polishing member 4 and an applicator 5 mounted on the first multi-axis robot 20A. It is assumed that the applicator 5 is attached to the first multi-axis robot 20A via a damper 6. The first multi-axis robot 20A is configured as a slave arm. The polishing member 4 polishes the inspection object 7. The applicator 5 is configured to contact the polishing member 4 when the inspection object 7 is polished by the polishing member 4. The applicator 5 may have a shape following the surface shape of the inspection object 7. The damper 6 is configured to relieve the force acting when the applicator 5 contacts the inspection object 7.

[0020] In this embodiment, the damper 6 is configured as a rod-shaped rod or probe. A tool 5 having a curved shape or a flat shape is attached to the tip of the damper 6 so that the tool 5 can easily contact the steel plate as the inspection object 7. The damper 6 or the tool 5 may have a dimension or shape that abuts against the steel plate as the inspection object 7 prior to the polishing member 4 or simultaneously with the polishing member 4 for the purpose of contacting the steel plate as the inspection object 7. By abutting the polishing member 4 against the surface of the steel plate as the inspection object 7 through the tool 5 so as to be parallel to the surface, it is possible to perform grinding on the surface of the steel plate as the inspection object 7 with a constant force.

[0021] When grinding with the polishing member 4, the production line (conveyance of the steel plate as the inspection object 7) may be temporarily stopped for grinding as in manual work, but by performing grinding with the first multi-axis robot 20A, the risk of human contact can be avoided, so it is possible to perform grinding while conveying the steel plate as the inspection object 7. As a result, it becomes possible to perform grinding without reducing the production efficiency. A specific grinding method using the first multi-axis robot 20A will be described later. The steel plate as the inspection object 7 that has been ground advances in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1. The polished portion of the inspection object 7 advances to the positions of the second multi-axis robot 20B and the third multi-axis robot 20C.

[0022] The slave operation device 20 includes the information acquisition device 2 mounted on the second multi-axis robot 20B. The slave operation device 20 includes the light source 3 mounted on the third multi-axis robot 20C. The second multi-axis robot 20B and the third multi-axis robot 20C are configured as slave arms. The light source 3 irradiates light onto the polished surface of the inspection object 7. The information acquisition device 2 may be configured as a camera that photographs the polished surface of the inspection object 7. The information acquisition device 2 may be configured as a light receiving element that detects the intensity of the reflected light from the polished surface of the inspection object 7. The light source 3 and the information acquisition device 2 may be arranged to acquire information on the polished inspection object 7 at the position where the inspection object 7 has advanced after being polished. The light source 3 and the information acquisition device 2 may be arranged to acquire information on the polished inspection object 7 at the position where the inspection object 7 is polished.

[0023] The light irradiated from the light source 3 is reflected by the surface of the steel plate which is the inspection object 7 after polishing, and the reflected light is detected by the information acquisition device 2. As shown in FIG. 2A, when there are concave defects on the surface of the inspection object 7 before polishing, regardless of the presence of the defects, due to the overall large surface roughness, the incident light 51 is scattered by the surface of the inspection object 7. As a result, the reflected light 52 contains a large component of diffuse reflection.

[0024] The inspection object 7 having concave defects after polishing becomes flat in the portions other than the concave defects as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, the incident light 51 is specularly reflected in the portions other than the concave defects. As a result, the reflected light 52 in the portions other than the concave defects contains a large component of specular reflection. On the other hand, in the portion where the concave defect exists, the surface roughness of the inspection object 7 remains large. Therefore, the incident light 51 is scattered in the portion where the concave defect exists. As a result, the reflected light 52 contains a large component of diffuse reflection.

[0025] The information acquisition device 2 detects the reflected light 52. The more components of specular reflection are included in the reflected light 52, the higher the intensity of the reflected light 52 detected by the information acquisition device 2 can be. When the information acquisition device 2 is configured as a camera, the more components of specular reflection are included in the reflected light 52, the brighter the image of the inspection object 7 will be. When the information acquisition device 2 is configured as a light receiving element, the more components of specular reflection are included in the reflected light 52, the higher the intensity of the reflected light 52 detected from the inspection object 7 will be. Therefore, the concave defect in the polished inspection object 7 in FIG. 2B can be detected as a dark area in the image or a location where the intensity of the reflected light 52 is low.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3A, when there are convex defects on the surface of the inspection object 7 before polishing, regardless of the presence of the defects, due to the overall large surface roughness, the incident light 51 scatters on the surface of the inspection object 7. As a result, the reflected light 52 contains many components of diffuse reflection. The polished inspection object 7 with convex defects, as shown in FIG. 3B, becomes flat at the portion of the convex defect. Therefore, the incident light 51 specularly reflects at the portion of the convex defect. As a result, the reflected light 52 at the portion of the convex defect contains many components of specular reflection. On the other hand, at the portions other than the convex defects, the surface roughness of the inspection object 7 remains large. Therefore, the incident light 51 scatters at the portions other than the convex defects. As a result, the reflected light 52 contains many components of diffuse reflection. Then, the convex defect in the polished inspection object 7 in FIG. 3B can be detected as a bright area in the image or a location where the intensity of the reflected light 52 is high.

[0027] By moving the second multi-axis robot 20B and the third multi-axis robot 20C, the positional relationship between the light source 3 and the information acquisition device 2 can be arbitrarily changed. By changing the positional relationship between the light source 3 and the information acquisition device 2, the relative position or angle between the light source 3 and the information acquisition device 2 can be adjusted according to conditions such as the components, temperature conditions, or thickness of the steel plate as the inspection object 7. That is, the light source 3 and the information acquisition device 2 may be configured to be able to adjust the relative position or angle. The light source 3 and the information acquisition device 2 may be arranged such that the information acquisition device 2 receives regular reflection, or may be arranged such that the information acquisition device 2 receives diffuse reflection. The information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3 do not necessarily have to be mounted on a multi-axis robot as long as the position can be adjusted.

[0028] The information including the image of the inspection object 7 acquired by the information acquisition device 2 or the detection result of the reflected light 52, etc. may be displayed on a display device installed at a remote location, for example. The operator can detect defects on the surface of the steel plate as the inspection object 7 by checking the information of the inspection object 7 displayed on the display device.

[0029] The inspection system 1 may include an information processing device. The information processing device may be configured to analyze information such as the image acquired by the information acquisition device 2 or the detection result of the reflected light 52, and detect as a defect a part determined to be different from other parts on the surface of the inspection object 7. The information processing device may be configured to notify the operator that a defect has been detected when a defect is detected.

[0030] Hereinafter, a configuration example and an operation example of the master operation device 10 and the slave operation device 20 will be described.

[0031] The control device 30 is communicably connected to the master operation device 10 and the slave operation devices 20 (the first multi-axis robot 20A, the second multi-axis robot 20B, and the third multi-axis robot 20C). The control device 30 and the master operation device 10 or the slave operation devices 20 (the first multi-axis robot 20A, the second multi-axis robot 20B, and the third multi-axis robot 20C) may be communicably connected wirelessly. The control device 30 controls the operations of the first multi-axis robot 20A, the second multi-axis robot 20B, and the third multi-axis robot 20C according to the operations input to the operation unit 12, and feeds back the reaction forces received by the first multi-axis robot 20A, the second multi-axis robot 20B, and the third multi-axis robot 20C to the operation unit 12.

[0032] The control device 30 may include at least one processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) so as to control and manage each part of the inspection system 1. The control device 30 may be composed of one processor or may be composed of a plurality of processors. The processor constituting the control device 30 may control and manage each component of the inspection system 1 by reading and executing a program stored in a storage unit described later.

[0033] The control device 30 may include a storage unit. The storage unit stores various kinds of information, data, etc. The storage unit may store, for example, a program executed in the control device 30, or data or processing results used in the processing executed in the control device 30. Further, the storage unit may function as a work memory of the control device 30. The storage unit may include, for example, a semiconductor memory or the like, but is not limited thereto. For example, the storage unit may be configured as an internal memory of the processor used as the control device 30, or may be configured as a hard disk drive (HDD) accessible from the control device 30. The storage unit may be configured as a non-temporary readable medium. The storage unit may be configured integrally with the control device 30 or may be configured separately from the control device 30.

[0034] The control device 30 may include a communication unit. The communication unit may include a communication interface for communicating with each component such as the master operation device 10 or the slave operation device 20 of the inspection system 1 by wire or wirelessly. The communication interface may be configured to communicate with other devices via a network. The communication unit may include an input / output port for inputting and outputting data to and from each component of the inspection system 1. The communication unit transmits and receives necessary data and signals to and from each component of the inspection system 1. The communication unit may communicate based on a wired communication standard or may communicate based on a wireless communication standard. For example, the wireless communication standard may include a communication standard for cellular phones such as 3G, 4G, or 5G. Also, for example, the wireless communication standard may include IEEE802.11 and Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. The communication unit may support one or more of these communication standards. The communication unit is not limited to these examples and may communicate with other devices or input / output data based on various standards.

[0035] As an example, as shown in FIG. 4, the first multi-axis robot 20A, the second multi-axis robot 20B, and the third multi-axis robot 20C of the slave operation device 20 are assumed to be vertical articulated arm robots having six axes (rotation axes) and having degrees of freedom in six-axis directions. The rotation axes are assumed to be referred to as the T-axis, B-axis, R-axis, U-axis, L-axis, and S-axis in order from the tip of the multi-axis robot. The multi-axis robot may be configured to have at least three-axis degrees of freedom of movement. The multi-axis robot is not limited to an arm as long as it is a device configured to be remotely operated by the master operation device 10, and may be replaced with a device having various structures or shapes.

[0036] The operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10 receives operation inputs from an operator. As an example, assume that the operation unit 12 is a vertically articulated arm robot of the same type as a multi-axis robot. By configuring the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10 and the multi-axis robot of the slave operation device 20 in the same or a similar manner, the master-slave control system as the inspection system 1 can be easily controlled. The master operation device 10 and the slave operation device 20 do not necessarily have to be configured in a similar shape, nor do they have to be configured with the same degrees of freedom. The operation unit 12 may be configured as an operation axis, or may be configured as a rotary controller such as a jog shuttle. The operation unit 12 is not limited to these examples and may be configured in various ways.

[0037] The control device 30 controls the master operation device 10 and feeds back to the master operation device 10 the position or angle of each part of the multi-axis robot of the slave operation device 20 and the reaction force acting on each part of the multi-axis robot. Specifically, the control device 30 is configured to be able to transmit bidirectionally in bilateral control the position and orientation of the tip of the multi-axis robot calculated from the angle of the arm of the multi-axis robot and the reaction force acting on each part of the multi-axis robot. When the arm of the multi-axis robot is configured as a multi-joint robot, the control device 30 may be configured to transmit the torque of the drive motor provided at each joint of the multi-axis robot to the master operation device 10 as a reaction force.

[0038] The control device 30 is configured to be able to control each of the first multi-axis robot 20A, the second multi-axis robot 20B, and the third multi-axis robot 20C of the slave operation device 20. The control device 30 may include a switch for switching the multi-axis robot to be the operation target by the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10. The control device 30 is not limited to a configuration including hardware such as a switch for switching the operation target, and may be configured to switch the operation target as an operation of software. By configuring a plurality of slave operation devices 20 to be operable by one master operation device 10, the equipment can be simplified. As a result, reduction of the occupied area and cost can be achieved.

[0039] <Grinding operation> In the grinding operation, the object to be inspected 7 is ground by the grinding member 4. A grindstone as the grinding member 4 for grinding the surface of the steel plate as the object to be inspected 7 is attached to the multi-axis robot. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1, the grinding member 4 is attached to a portion that rotates on the T-axis (see FIG. 4) at the tip of the multi-axis robot. The control device 30 may be switched so that the first multi-axis robot 20A to which the grinding member 4 is attached becomes an operation target by the operation unit 12.

[0040] A damper 6 is attached to the multi-axis robot as a contact member for transmitting a reaction force. The damper 6 has a buffering function. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1, the damper 6 includes a first rod protruding between the T-axis (see FIG. 4) and the B-axis (see FIG. 4), and a second rod extending from the tip of the first rod in a direction intersecting the first rod. Note that the shape of the damper 6 is not limited to a rod or the like, and it may be configured with dimensions and a shape such that it approaches and contacts the object to be inspected 7 ahead of the grinding member 4 or together with the grinding member 4.

[0041] An applicator 5 is attached to the tip of the damper 6 (the tip of the second rod). It can be said that the contact member includes the damper 6 or the applicator 5. The applicator 5 has a contact surface with a shape following the surface of the steel plate as the object to be inspected 7 so as to easily contact the object to be inspected 7. When the steel plate as the object to be inspected 7 is a flat plate, the shape of the applicator 5 may be a flat block member, and when the steel plate as the object to be inspected 7 is curved, the shape of the applicator 5 may be a curved cover member. The applicator 5 is arranged side by side with the grinding member 4. The position of the applicator 5 is adjusted so that when it contacts the surface of the steel plate as the object to be inspected 7, the grinding surface (the grindstone surface of the grindstone) of the grinding member 4 is parallel to the surface (or the tangent of the surface) of the steel plate as the object to be inspected 7, and the grinding member 4 contacts (comes into contact with) the steel plate as the object to be inspected 7 in a state where it is pressed with an appropriate force (a predetermined reaction force acts).

[0042] When performing a grinding inspection (polishing operation) on the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected, the operator first operates the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10 to bring the multi-axis robot close to the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected. Next, the operator operates the operation unit 12 to bring the polishing member 4 into contact (touch) with the surface of the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected.

[0043] Here, when bringing the polishing member 4 into contact with the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected, the operator brings the applicator 5 attached to the multi-axis robot via the damper 6 into contact with the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected ahead of or together with the polishing member 4. At this time, a reaction force acts on the multi-axis robot from the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected via the polishing member 4 and the applicator 5. The operator can operate the damper 6 to support the multi-axis robot by operating while detecting the reaction force acting from the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected with the operation unit 12. Then, while the operator supports the multi-axis robot with the damper 6 against the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected, the operator adjusts the position and orientation at which the polishing member 4 attached to the tip of the multi-axis robot is brought into contact (touch) with the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected with respect to the target work area on the surface of the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected.

[0044] The damper 6 is provided on the base side of the multi-axis robot rather than at the location having the degree of freedom of the first axis (T-axis) from the tip side of the multi-axis robot. By doing so, after bringing the applicator 5 into contact with the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected, without moving the applicator 5, only the polishing member 4 can freely change its orientation in the direction parallel to the surface of the steel plate 7 that is the object to be inspected by the rotation of the T-axis.

[0045] After that, the operator operates the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10 based on the reaction force (reaction force of the multi-axis robot) received by the polishing member 4 from the steel plate 7 that is the inspection object, thereby polishing (grinding) the surface of the steel plate 7 that is the inspection object with the polishing member 4. When greatly polishing (grinding) the surface of the steel plate 7 that is the inspection object, while the applicator 5 remains in contact with the steel plate 7 that is the inspection object by utilizing the operations of the respective axes of the multi-axis robot, the polishing member 4 and the applicator 5 are integrated and moved in a direction along the surface of the steel plate 7 with respect to the steel plate 7 that is the inspection object, thereby performing polishing (grinding).

[0046] As described above, by the operator operating the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10 based on the reaction force received by the polishing member 4 from the steel plate 7 that is the inspection object, the operator can perform the polishing operation (grinding inspection) while feeling the reaction force remotely and adjusting the hitting condition of the polishing member 4. Further, by bringing the applicator 5 into contact with the steel plate 7 that is the inspection object, when rotating or moving the polishing member 4 with respect to the steel plate 7 that is the inspection object, the force pressing the polishing member 4 against the inspection object 7 tends to be stabilized. The quality of the polishing operation can be controlled by the force pressing the polishing member 4 against the inspection object 7. By stabilizing the force pressing the polishing member 4 against the inspection object 7, the quality of the polishing operation can be improved. For this reason, it is possible to reproduce the delicate force adjustment according to the undulation of the inspection object 7 (steel plate) as performed by a skilled operator.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5, the inspection system 1 may be configured such that the positions of the damper 6 and the applicator 5 are closer to the base than the B axis (see FIG. 4) (attached between the B axis and the R axis). That is, the damper 6 is attached at a position where the polishing member 4 is driven by at least two axes of the T axis and the B axis (so as to be movable in two axes) in a state where the applicator 5 is in contact (contact) with the steel plate 7 that is the inspection object.

[0048] The operator contacts and fixes the applicator 5 to the steel plate as the inspection object 7, and makes the polishing member 4 contact the surface of the steel plate as the inspection object 7 with the second B-axis from the tip side of the multi-axis robot. The operator can freely change the orientation of only the polishing member 4 in a direction parallel to the surface of the steel plate as the inspection object 7 with the first T-axis from the tip side of the multi-axis robot. Therefore, after the contact of the applicator 5, the operator can finely adjust the hitting manner of the polishing member 4 against the inspection object 7 without moving the applicator 5, and can freely move the position of the polishing member 4. In FIG. 5, the applicator 5 is attached closer to the base than the B-axis, but it may be attached at a position where the polishing member 4 is driven by three or more axes in a state where the applicator 5 is in contact with the steel plate as the inspection object 7, that is, closer to the base than the R-axis.

[0049] Also, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 5, the reaction force received by the damper 6 or the applicator 5 from the steel plate as the inspection object 7 is detected by an axis (such as the R-axis or the U-axis) located closer to the base than the damper 6. The reaction force received by the polishing member 4 from the steel plate as the inspection object 7 is detected by the T-axis or the B-axis located closer to the tip than the damper 6. That is, the reaction force received by the polishing member 4 and the reaction force received by the damper 6 or the applicator 5 can be detected separately. By detecting the reaction forces separately, the operator can finely adjust the hitting condition of the polishing member 4 against the steel plate as the inspection object 7 based on the reaction forces, and can perform the polishing operation (grinding inspection) with high accuracy.

[0050] The multi-axis robot for the polishing operation is not limited to the configuration examples described above, and may include various other configurations. For example, the polishing member 4 is not limited to a grinding stone, and abrasive cloth paper or the like may be used.

[0051] Also, the multi-axis robot does not necessarily need to be provided with a contact member, that is, the damper 6 or the applicator 5. When the multi-axis robot is not provided with the damper 6 or the applicator 5, the operator directly contacts the polishing member 4 with the surface of the steel plate as the inspection object 7, and operates the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10 based on the reaction force received by the polishing member 4, thereby adjusting the hitting manner of the polishing member 4 against the steel plate as the inspection object 7.

[0052] <Inspection operation> In the inspection operation, information such as an image of the inspection object 7 or a detection result of the reflected light 52 from the inspection object 7 is acquired. The control device 30 may switch so that the second multi-axis robot 20B to which the information acquisition device 2 is attached is an operation target by the operation unit 12. Further, the control device 30 may switch so that the third multi-axis robot 20C to which the light source 3 is attached is an operation target by the operation unit 12.

[0053] First, the control device 30 switches so that the third multi-axis robot 20C to which the light source 3 is attached is an operation target by the operation unit 12 in order to adjust the position of the light source 3 with respect to the inspection object 7 after polishing. The operator moves the third multi-axis robot 20C by operating the operation unit 12 to adjust the position of the light source 3.

[0054] Next, the control device 30 switches so that the second multi-axis robot 20B to which the information acquisition device 2 is attached is an operation target by the operation unit 12 in order to adjust the position of the information acquisition device 2 with respect to the inspection object 7 after polishing. The operator moves the second multi-axis robot 20B by operating the operation unit 12 to adjust the position of the information acquisition device 2.

[0055] The information acquisition device 2 may output the information acquired from the inspection object 7 in real time. The information acquisition device 2 may output an image of the inspection object 7 to the display device in real time and allow the operator to visually recognize the image of the inspection object 7. The operator may adjust the position of the information acquisition device 2 while looking at the image of the inspection object 7. By doing so, the operator can observe the surface of the inspection object 7 from various angles. The operator may also adjust the position of the light source 3 while looking at the image of the inspection object 7.

[0056] The information acquisition device 2 may output the detection result of the reflected light from the inspection object 7 to the display device in real time and notify the operator of the information regarding the intensity of the reflected light from the inspection object 7. The operator may adjust the position of the information acquisition device 2 or the light source 3 while checking the intensity of the reflected light. By doing so, the operator can search for a portion where the intensity of the reflected light is different from the surroundings only in a part of the inspection object 7 and inspect the presence of defects.

[0057] <Flowchart> The inspection system 1 may execute an inspection method including the procedure of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 6. The inspection method may be realized as an inspection program to be executed by a processor included in the control device 30 etc. of the inspection system 1. The inspection program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0058] The control device 30 of the inspection system 1 brings the polishing member 4 attached to the first multi-axis robot 20A into contact with the inspection object 7 (step S1). Specifically, the control device 30 acquires the operation content input to the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10 and moves the first multi-axis robot 20A so that the polishing member 4 comes into contact with the inspection object 7 according to the movement of the operation unit 12.

[0059] The control device 30 controls the contact pressure of the polishing member 4 (step S2). Specifically, the operator senses the reaction force fed back to the operation unit 12 and operates the operation unit 12. The control device 30 controls the contact pressure of the polishing member 4 according to the movement of the operation unit 12 by this operator.

[0060] The control device 30 drives the polishing member 4 (step S3). Specifically, the control device 30 drives the portion to which the polishing member 4 is attached according to the movement of the operation unit 12 by the operator. When the operator inputs an instruction to rotate the T-axis, the control device 30 may rotate the T-axis to rotate the polishing member 4.

[0061] The control device 30 determines whether the polishing has been completed (step S4). Specifically, the control device 30 may determine whether the polishing has been completed based on an input from the operator. When the polishing has not been completed (step S4: NO), the control device 30 returns to the procedure for controlling the contact pressure in step S2 and continues the polishing operation.

[0062] When the polishing has been completed (step S4: YES), the control device 30 separates the polishing member 4 from the inspection object 7 (step S5). Specifically, the control device 30 acquires the operation content input to the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10, and moves the first multi-axis robot 20A so that the polishing member 4 moves away from the inspection object 7 according to the movement of the operation unit 12.

[0063] The control device 30 moves the information acquisition device 2 attached to the second multi-axis robot 20B closer to the inspection object 7 (step S6). Specifically, the control device 30 acquires the operation content input to the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10, and moves the second multi-axis robot 20B so that the information acquisition device 2 moves closer to the inspection object 7 according to the movement of the operation unit 12. The control device 30 may move the light source 3 attached to the third multi-axis robot 20C closer to the inspection object 7.

[0064] The control device 30 adjusts the position of the information acquisition device 2 with respect to the inspection object 7 (step S7). Specifically, the control device 30 acquires the operation content input to the operation unit 12 of the master operation device 10, and moves the second multi-axis robot 20B so as to adjust the position of the information acquisition device 2 with respect to the inspection object 7 according to the movement of the operation unit 12. The control device 30 may adjust the position of the light source 3 attached to the third multi-axis robot 20C.

[0065] The information acquisition device 2 of the inspection system 1 acquires information on the inspection object 7 (step S8). The information acquisition device 2 may capture an image of the inspection object 7 or detect reflected light from the inspection object 7. The information acquisition device 2 may output the information on the inspection object 7 to a display device so that an operator can visually recognize it, or may output the information to an information processing device so as to analyze the information and detect defects. After executing the procedure of step S8, the inspection system 1 ends the execution of the procedure of the flowchart in FIG. 6.

[0066] As described above, according to the inspection system 1 and the inspection method according to the present disclosure, the steel plate, which is the inspection object 7, is polished remotely by operating the polishing member 4 attached to the tip of the multi-axis robot of the slave operation device 20 with the master operation device 10. Further, the inspection object 7 can be inspected remotely by operating the information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3 attached to the tip of the multi-axis robot of the slave operation device 20 with the master operation device 10. By doing so, the inspection can be executed without stopping the production line of the inspection object 7 such as a steel plate. As a result, the influence of the inspection on the production efficiency can be reduced. Further, since the inspection object 7 after polishing can be inspected remotely, the quality of the polishing work for inspection can be maintained. As a result, the defect detection performance can be enhanced.

[0067] Further, according to the inspection system 1 and the inspection method according to the present disclosure, when polishing the inspection object 7, the reaction force received by the polishing member 4 is fed back to the master operation device 10. By doing so, the operator can adjust the hitting condition of the polishing member 4 against the steel plate, which is the inspection object 7, while feeling the reaction force remotely without approaching the inspection object 7, and can execute the polishing work as if directly polishing. Further, by attaching a damper 6 or a pad 5 to the multi-axis robot, it becomes easy for the operator to stably apply the polishing member 4 parallel to the surface of the inspection object 7. As a result, the efficiency and stability of the polishing work are improved.

[0068] (Other Embodiments) Hereinafter, other embodiments will be described.

[0069] <Corresponding relationship between multi-axis robot and master operating device 10> In the above-described embodiment, the inspection system 1 is configured to switch and operate three multi-axis robots one by one by one master operating device 10 and a control device 30. In other embodiments, the inspection system 1 may include one master operating device 10 and a control device 30 for operating one multi-axis robot. The inspection system 1 may include three master operating devices 10 and control devices 30 for operating three multi-axis robots. By doing so, it becomes unnecessary to switch the connection to the multi-axis robot to be operated. As a result, a plurality of multi-axis robots can be individually operated. Also, the operation can be simplified.

[0070] The polishing operation using the polishing member 4 and the inspection operation using the information acquisition device 2 may not be executed simultaneously. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the inspection system 1 may include a common master operating device 10A and a control device 30A for operating the first multi-axis robot 20A and the second multi-axis robot 20B. On the other hand, it may be required to independently operate the information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3. Therefore, the inspection system 1 may separately include a master operating device 10C and a control device 30C for operating the third multi-axis robot 20C. Also, the inspection system 1 may include a common master operating device 10 and a control device 30 for operating the first multi-axis robot 20A and the third multi-axis robot 20C. On the other hand, the inspection system 1 may separately include a master operating device 10 and a control device 30 for operating the second multi-axis robot 20B. That is, the inspection system 1 may include a common master operating device 10 and a control device 30 for switching and operating one of the first multi-axis robot 20A used in the polishing operation and the second multi-axis robot 20B or the third multi-axis robot 20C used in the inspection operation. In other words, at least two of the first multi-axis robot 20A, the second multi-axis robot 20B, or the third multi-axis robot 20C may be configured to be operable by the operation unit 12 of one master operating device 10. By doing so, simplification of equipment and improvement of work efficiency can be achieved.

[0071] At least one of the multi-axis robot to which the information acquisition device 2 is attached or the multi-axis robot to which the light source 3 is attached may not be operated by the master operation device 10 and may be configured to be operated by other operation means. At least one of the information acquisition device 2 or the light source 3 may be attached to a position adjustment means other than the slave operation device 20 including the multi-axis robot. At least one of the information acquisition device 2 or the light source 3 may be fixed to the inspection object 7 without being attached to the multi-axis robot.

[0072] <Exchange by the mounting portion 8> As shown in FIG. 8, the polishing member 4 and the applicator 5 may be attached to the attachment portion 8. The multi-axis robot may be configured to be detachable from the attachment portion 8. The multi-axis robot may be configured such that the polishing member 4 and the applicator 5 are attached by attaching the attachment portion 8 to which the polishing member 4 and the applicator 5 are attached. That is, the polishing member 4 and the applicator 5 may be attached to the multi-axis robot via the attachment portion 8.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 9, the information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3 may be attached to the attachment portion 8. The multi-axis robot may attach the attachment portion 8 to which the polishing member 4 and the applicator 5 are attached when performing a polishing operation, and may attach the attachment portion 8 to which the information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3 are attached when performing an inspection operation. That is, the multi-axis robot may be configured to be changeable to one of the specifications used for the polishing operation or the specifications used for the inspection operation by exchanging the attachment portion 8. The multi-axis robot may be configured to be able to change the attachment portion 8 by an operation from the master operation device 10. In other words, the attachment portion 8 may be configured to be detachable from at least two of the polishing member 4, the information acquisition device 2, or the light source 3. The multi-axis robot may be configured to be detachable from the attachment portion 8 to which at least two of the polishing member 4, the information acquisition device 2, or the light source 3 are attached. By doing so, the specifications of the multi-axis robot can be changed without stopping the production line of the steel plate or the like which is the inspection object 7. As a result, the influence of the inspection on the production efficiency can be reduced. In addition, since the multi-axis robot can be configured to be changeable to one of the specifications for the polishing operation or the specifications for the inspection operation, the equipment can be simplified.

[0074] The information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3 may be attached to the attachment portion 8 so that the positional relationship between the information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3 is in a state suitable for the inspection work. The information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3 may be attached to the attachment portion 8 such that, for example, the angle of the information acquisition device 2 and the angle of the light source 3 are at angles of regular reflection with respect to the surface of the inspection object 7. By doing so, adjustment of the positional relationship between the information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3 becomes unnecessary. As a result, the inspection work can be easily executed.

[0075] <Confirmation during operation> The inspection system 1 may include a camera configured to simultaneously photograph at least a part of the inspection system 1. The camera may be configured as an overhead camera. The camera may be configured to simultaneously photograph the entire inspection system 1. The camera may be configured to simultaneously photograph at least both the multi-axis robot used for the polishing work and the multi-axis robot used for the inspection work. The camera may be configured to simultaneously photograph at least the entire one of the multi-axis robot used for the polishing work or the multi-axis robot used for the inspection work. The camera may be configured to photograph a range where a plurality of multi-axis robots may collide with each other.

[0076] The camera may output an image of photographing at least a part of the inspection system 1 to a display device. The operator may operate the multi-axis robot by the master operation device 10 while checking the image of the inspection system 1 displayed on the display device. By doing so, the multi-axis robot can be safely operated.

[0077] In the inspection system 1, the master operation device 10 and the slave operation device 20 may be arranged so that the operator can visually observe the multi-axis robot while operating the master operation device 10. For example, even when the master operation device 10 and the slave operation device 20 are installed in different rooms, a window may be installed between the rooms so that the operator can observe the slave operation device 20 from the room of the master operation device 10. Further, the master operation device 10 and the slave operation device 20 may be installed separately at positions where they do not collide with each other in the same room.

[0078] <Configuration Example of Information Acquisition Device 2 and Light Source 3> The information acquisition device 2 may be configured as a camera. The light source 3 may be configured to irradiate the inspection object 7 with illumination light suitable for the camera as the information acquisition device 2 to photograph the inspection object 7. The light source 3 may be configured to include various light-emitting devices such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a halogen lamp, a fluorescent lamp, or an incandescent bulb. Note that when the surroundings of the inspection object 7 are bright enough for the camera to photograph the inspection object 7, the illumination light may not be irradiated by the light source 3. Therefore, the inspection system 1 does not necessarily have to include the light source 3.

[0079] The information acquisition device 2 and the light source 3 may be configured as a laser sensor. In this case, the light source 3 functions as the irradiation side of the laser. The light source 3 may be configured to include a laser irradiation device such as an LD (Laser Diode). The information acquisition device 2 functions as the light-receiving side of the laser. The information acquisition device 2 may be configured to include a light-receiving device such as a PD (Photo Diode).

[0080] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications or alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or each step, etc., can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and it is possible to combine or divide a plurality of components or steps, etc. into one. The embodiments according to the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executed by a processor included in the device or a storage medium storing the program. It should be understood that these are also included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0081] 1 Inspection System (2: Information Acquisition Device, 3: Light Source, 4: Polishing Member, 5: Applicator, 6: Damper, 7: Inspection Object, 8: Mounting Port) 10 (10A, 10C) Master operating device (12: Operating unit) 20 (20A, 20B, 20C) Slave operating device 30 (30A, 30C) Control device

Claims

1. an operation unit that accepts operations by an operator; a first multi-axis robot having at least three degrees of freedom of movement in three axial directions and equipped with a polishing member for polishing an object to be inspected; an information acquiring device for acquiring information of the inspection object after polishing; a control device that moves the first multi-axis robot in response to a movement input by the worker to the operation unit and feeds back a reaction force received by the first multi-axis robot to the operation unit; Equipped with The first multi-axis robot further comprises a contact member configured to contact the object to be inspected before or together with the polishing member, and is configured to detect the reaction force received by the polishing member from the object to be inspected and the reaction force received by the contact member from the object to be inspected in different axes.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the contact member has a contact member having a shape conforming to a surface shape of the object to be inspected, at a portion where the contact member comes into contact with the object to be inspected.

3. The inspection system according to claim 2 , wherein the contact tool is configured such that the polishing surface of the polishing member is parallel to the surface of the object to be inspected or a tangent to the surface when the contact tool contacts the surface of the object to be inspected.

4. a light source that irradiates light onto the inspection object when the information acquisition device acquires information of the inspection object, The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the information acquisition device and the light source are configured to be capable of adjusting a relative position or angle.

5. The information acquisition device is mounted on a second multi-axis robot having at least three degrees of freedom of movement in three axial directions; The light source is mounted on a third multi-axis robot having at least three degrees of freedom of movement in three axes; The inspection system according to claim 4 , wherein at least two of the first multi-axis robot, the second multi-axis robot, and the third multi-axis robot are configured to be operable by one of the operation units.

6. The inspection system according to claim 4 , wherein the first multi-axis robot includes an attachment portion configured to detachably mount at least two of the polishing member, the information acquisition device, and the light source.

7. a step of remotely controlling a first multi-axis robot by operating an operation unit, and bringing a polishing member mounted on the first multi-axis robot into contact with an object to be inspected; a step of remotely operating the polishing member by operating the operation unit based on a reaction force received by the polishing member, and polishing the inspection object with the polishing member; acquiring information of the inspection object after polishing by an information acquiring device; Including, An inspection method in which the first multi-axis robot is further equipped with a contact member configured to contact the object to be inspected before or together with the polishing member, and is configured to detect the reaction force received by the polishing member from the object to be inspected and the reaction force received by the contact member from the object to be inspected on different axes.

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