Plate-shaped component moving device

Abstract

To provide a plate-like part moving device that can bring various kinds of parts into an appropriately stack state.SOLUTION: A control part 90 of a plate-like part manufacturing device 1 is configured to execute control which includes first control by which parts 13 are brought into a stack state in multiple layers, on the basis of an arrangement order of execution-order information corresponding to an execution order of the parts 13 and second control by which when a plurality of processed parts are processed from one material, the plurality of processed parts are not stacked on the basis of the arrangement order in the execution order information but are arranged in the same layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plate-shaped component moving device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in buildings such as houses, plate-shaped members (components) such as rod-shaped members (components) like columns and beams, roof members forming a roof or a base member serving as a base for laying such roof members, wall members forming outer walls or inner walls of partition spaces, floor members forming floors of partition spaces, etc. are used. Such members are processed into various shapes in advance by cutting or severing according to the place of use in the building, and after so-called precut processing, they are stacked in a plurality of layers and delivered to the construction site. And a technique has been proposed to identify the types and orientations of components processed into such various shapes by an imaging device such as a CCD camera and stack them by a component moving device such as an articulated robot (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, there was still a possibility that there was room for improvement regarding a configuration for stacking members (components) of various shapes.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a plate-shaped component moving device capable of suitably stacking various members (components).

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve this objective, the plate-shaped component moving device described in claim 1 is A processed part made by a processing device capable of dividing a plate-shaped material into multiple parts, comprising a loading means that identifies the orientation of the processed part and stacks the plate-shaped part in multiple layers, A loading means for storing the position and orientation of the components when the components are stacked in the multiple layers, A processing part support means for supporting the processing part processed by the processing device in a processing part support area set to a size that allows the aforementioned plate-shaped material to be placed, The orientation of the machined part supported by the machined part support means is identified, and the operation of the loading means is controlled so that the orientation of the part matches the orientation stored by the arrangement storage means. board It includes a loading control means that causes the shaped parts to be stacked in multiple layers, The loading control means includes a first control that stacks the parts in multiple layers based on the order of construction sequence information corresponding to the order of the parts' construction, and a second control that, when multiple processed parts are processed from one material, places the multiple processed parts in the same layer, even if they do not follow the order of the construction sequence information. 、 When the multiple processed parts are processed from material 1, the system is configured to perform the second control, which arranges the multiple processed parts on the same layer, even though they do not follow the order of the construction sequence information, if at least one of the following conditions is met: either the deviation from the order is within a certain range of sequential deviations, even though the parts are not arranged in the order of the construction sequence information, or the deviation in height layers, which would result in the parts being placed on different height layers if arranged according to the order of the construction sequence information, is within a certain range of layer deviations. It is characterized by the following:

[0007] The plate-shaped component moving device according to claim 2 is the plate-shaped component moving device according to claim 1, The second control is executed only when certain conditions are met, and is configured such that there are cases where the second control takes precedence over the first control, and cases where the first control takes precedence over the second control. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The plate-shaped component moving device described in claim 1 basically allows for a loading configuration in which components are arranged vertically according to the construction order, and multiple processed components manufactured from a single material can be placed at the same height, even if not in the construction order. Therefore, it is easier to reduce the amount of material that needs to be discarded at the construction site, and it is easier to set up a loading configuration that allows for a large number of components to be placed within a limited height range.

[0009] The plate-shaped part moving device described in claim 2 makes it easier to set up a load configuration that reduces the amount of time and space required for temporary storage of processed parts at a construction site. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing the configuration of a plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 2] (A) is a partially exploded perspective view of a portion of the laminate, and (B) and (C) are top views showing the arrangement of components and crossbars within the layers. [Figure 3] (A) is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the mobile imaging device, and (B) and (C) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the holding device. [Figure 4] (A) is a schematic diagram showing the support section for the crossbar member, (B) is a schematic diagram showing the operation of supplying a single crossbar member, and (C) is a schematic diagram showing the operation of supplying multiple crossbar members simultaneously. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the use of letters and symbols as common symbols. [Figure 6] Schematic diagram showing the arrangement of mobile and fixed imaging equipment. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram for setting the packaging configuration. (A) shows the assembly order and shape of the parts, (B) shows an example of packaging configuration, and (C) and (D) show alternative packaging configurations. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1. Figure 2(A) is a perspective view showing a partially exploded view of an example of a laminate in which a predetermined number of parts and crossbar members are stacked in multiple layers, Figure 2(B) is a top view showing an example of the arrangement of parts and crossbar members in the upper layer of two stacked layers, and Figure 2(C) is a top view showing an example of the arrangement of parts and crossbar members in the lower layer.

[0012] The plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1 comprises a processing device for processing plate-shaped materials and a plate-shaped parts moving device capable of stacking a predetermined number of plate-shaped parts, including the processed parts processed by the processing device, in multiple layers. The apparatus is capable of coordinating the processing of plate-shaped materials with the stacking of parts cut out by the processing. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1 comprises a material support section 10, an identification information addition section 20, a processing section 30, a parts support section 40, a stacking support section 50, a crossbar member support section 60, a loading section 70, a waste material recovery section 80, and a control section 90. The processing section 30 includes a functional part as a processing device and a functional part as a plate-shaped parts moving device, and each part, including a part of the processing section 30, constitutes the plate-shaped parts moving device.

[0013] The material support unit 10 supports the plate-shaped material 12 before processing in a multi-tiered stacked state, and supplies the material 12 one by one to the processing unit 30 via the identification information addition unit 20, which will be described later. The material support unit 10 is supplied with plate-shaped material 12 of a material and size suitable for the part to be manufactured by an operator.

[0014] The identification information adding unit 20 is a device that, in the transport path for transporting material 12 from material support unit 10 to processing unit 30, can attach predetermined identification information to each material 12, including individual identification information that allows a predetermined number of parts 13 to be manufactured (to be stacked) to be distinguished from each other, and direction identification information that allows the orientation of each part 13 to be distinguished. Specifically, it is equipped with a printer (printing machine) that can print identification information such as characters, symbols, barcodes, and QR codes (registered trademarks) on one surface (top surface) of each material 12.

[0015] The identification information adding unit 20 prints a barcode 21 as code information including use position information or the like indicating the correspondence between the use positions of the respective parts in a building as individual identification information. Further, at a predetermined position that is separated from the position of the barcode 21 by a fixed distance in a predetermined direction, a common symbol 22 (see FIG. 3(C)) that is common to each part 13 and can be used as direction identification information indicating the direction of each part 13 to be cut out from each material 12 is printed. As the position where the common symbol 22 is attached, it is preferable that the position be within a fixed range (for example, 10 cm) closer to the center of gravity than the position attached to the edge portion away from the center of gravity in each part 13, or the position may be attached to overlap with the center of gravity of each part 13.

[0016] Among the respective parts 13 to which the identification information is added by the identification information adding unit 20, there are parts 13a to 13d (processed parts: hereinafter abbreviated as parts 13a, etc.) formed by the processing by the processing unit 30, and also parts that do not require processing by the processing unit 30 (parts not requiring processing) are included. Regarding the waste material (remaining material 15) that is a part separated by the processing by the processing unit 30 and cannot be used as the part 13, the identification information adding unit 20 is configured not to add the identification information.

[0017] Note that the barcode 21 may be configured to include, in addition to the individual identification information, layer information specifying which layer among the plurality of layers constituting the laminate 11 is to be placed, and in-layer position information specifying the position of placement within the layer to be placed. In the case of this configuration, when the control device that stores the lamination mode of the laminate 11 and the control device that manages the loading by the loading unit 70 described later are different in the control unit 90 described later, even if the latter management device does not have information regarding the lamination mode, a predetermined number of components 13 can be appropriately stacked based on the information of the barcode 21 and the common symbol 22. Also, it is not necessary to add the individual identification information by one barcode 21. Instead of this, or in addition to this, another code information such as a QR code may be added, or two or more code information may be added. Also, it is not always necessary to add the common symbol 22. The individual identification information may be added using only a form that can identify a specific direction, and the individual identification information may also be used as direction identification information.

[0018] Also, the identification information addition unit 20 is not limited to a configuration in which the identification information is printed on the material 12. Instead of this, or in addition to this, a configuration in which a sticker with the identification information printed thereon or an IC chip storing the identification information is attached to the material 12 may be used. Also, the identification information addition unit 20 is not limited to a configuration in which the identification information is added to the material 12 before the processing by the processing unit 30. The identification information may be added to each component 13 after the processing by the processing unit 30. Also, at least a part of the identification information (for example, the common symbol 22) may not be added to at least some of the components 13. For example, since parts that do not require processing are less likely to be misaligned during movement because no processing is performed, and for small parts with a size below a certain size (for example, the length of the longest side is 30 cm or less), even if there is a rotational misalignment, the amount of misalignment during stacking is small, so stacking may be performed using only the barcode 21.

[0019] The processing unit 30 consists of a processing device for cutting the plate-shaped material 12 and a conveying device for transporting the material 12 and parts 13. For example, although not shown, it includes cutting equipment such as an electric saw or cutter, a moving mechanism for moving the cutting equipment, the material 12 and parts 13, and a drive device for driving these moving mechanisms. The processing unit 30 processes the material 12 supplied sequentially from the material support unit 10, manufactures one or more parts 13 from each material 12, and transports the manufactured one or more parts 13 to the parts support unit 40. For parts that do not require processing, the material 12 is moved to the parts support unit 40 without processing.

[0020] Furthermore, the processing in the processing unit 30 is carried out by assigning one or more parts 13 to the material 12, taking into consideration the order of work and yield, under the control of the control unit 90. As a result of this assignment, any remaining portion that cannot be used as part 13 may be used as waste material (leftover material 15), or it may be used as a bracing member 14 (hereinafter also referred to as a processed bracing member 14R) to be interposed between the parts 13 when the parts 13 are stacked. Details of the processing and use when the remaining portion of the material 12 is used as a processed bracing member 14R will be described in detail later.

[0021] The component support section 40 is configured to support the processed component 13a etc., which has been processed by the processing section 30, in a component support area 40A that is sized to accommodate the plate-shaped material 12 and capable of supporting the component 13a etc., with the barcode 21 and common symbol 22 facing at least one side in the vertical direction (height direction or vertical direction). Furthermore, the component support section 40 also supports components that do not require processing, with the barcode 21 and common symbol 22 facing at least one side in the vertical direction.

[0022] In this embodiment, we will mainly describe the case where all barcodes 21 and common symbols 22 are read from above, and we will describe the case where the barcodes 21 and common symbols 22 are printed so that they face upward, and the barcodes 21 and common symbols 22 face upward in the component support area 40A. However, the barcodes 21 and common symbols 22 may be printed so that they face downward, and the component support area 40 may support the lower side of a component 13a, for example, with a transparent support surface, and the barcodes 21 and common symbols 22 may be read from the lower side of the component 13a, for example.

[0023] Furthermore, the parts support section 40 is configured to transport each part 13 received from the processing section 30 in a predetermined direction (downward in Figure 1), and sequentially receives the parts 13 being transported from the processing section 30. In this receiving process, all parts 13 may be transported together after being machined from a single material 12, or, to facilitate the support of each part 13 while maintaining distance from each other, for example, if multiple parts 13 are cut sequentially from a single material 12, the parts that are cut earlier may be transported to the parts support section 40 at an earlier stage.

[0024] Specifically, the component support section 40 includes a plurality of drive rollers 41 driven by power, a plurality of free-rotating rollers 42 positioned between the plurality of drive rollers 41 and capable of free rotation, a support belt 43 wound in an annular shape so as to contact a portion of the outer edges of the plurality of drive rollers 41 and the plurality of free-rotating rollers 42, and a drive motor 44 that supplies power to the plurality of drive rollers 41 and moves the support belt 43 in a circular motion. The component support section 40 also supports the leftover material 15 remaining after manufacturing parts 13a etc. from the material 12, but this leftover material 15 is transported to the leftover material recovery section 80, which will be described later, by the circular motion of the support belt 43.

[0025] A fixed imaging device (fixed imaging device 46) is provided in the component support section 40 at a height position spaced above it, allowing it to photograph the entire area where the component 13 transported to the component support section 40 may be placed. The fixed imaging device 46 is fixed to a frame (not shown) surrounding the component support section 40 and consists of an imaging device capable of acquiring the external shape of the component 13 as an image and outputting it to the control unit 90. A description of the fixed imaging device 46 will be given later with reference to Figure 6.

[0026] The stacking support section 50 is a part configured to support the lower side of the stacked body 11, as shown in Figure 2(A). The parts 13 supported by the parts support section 40 are stacked sequentially on the stacking support section 50. When the stacking reaches a certain height in the stacked body 11, the stacked body 11 is transported together to another location.

[0027] The laminated body 11 stacked on the laminated support section 50 includes parts 13a to 13d processed by the processing section 30, may include parts that do not require processing, and may include crossbar members 14. The multiple layers constituting the laminated body 11 may include a layer composed of one part 13, a layer composed of multiple parts 13, or a layer composed of at least one part 13 and at least one crossbar member 14. The configuration of the multiple layers is determined by the control unit 90 based on the number and size of the parts 13 that need to be manufactured.

[0028] The crossbar support section 60 is configured to support the crossbars 14 necessary for stably stacking the components 13 in the stacking support section 50 in a multi-tiered stacked state, and supports two types of crossbars 14 with different shapes, for example, a strip-shaped crossbar 14 (hereinafter also referred to as a long crossbar 14L) whose long side is the same length as one of the shorter sides of the stacking support area 50A and whose short side is shorter than one of the shorter sides of the stacking support area 50A, and a square crossbar 14 (hereinafter also referred to as a short crossbar 14S) whose one side is shorter than the long side of the long crossbar 14L and longer than its short side.

[0029] The loading section 70 (loading means) is configured to be able to stack a predetermined number of plate-shaped parts 13, including processed parts 13a, etc., in multiple layers, and includes a contact part for lifting the parts 13a, etc. (processed parts) by contacting them, and an operating part for moving the contact part so that it can move relative to the base 74. Specifically, the loading section 70 includes a holding device 71 that holds the parts 13 by a contact part that adheres to or grips the parts 13 in order to lift the parts 13 and the crossbar members 14, and an operating device 73 (operating part) such as a multi-joint robot or crane for moving the holding device 71. When each part 13 is held by the holding device 71, the operating device 73 moves the parts 13 placed on the part support section 40 and the crossbar members 14 supported on the crossbar member support section 60 to the stacking support section 50.

[0030] The loading section 70 is equipped with an information input device for inputting identification information, including a common symbol 22 (direction identification information), to the control unit 90 (control means), and is attached to the tip side of the holding device 71 (contact part) relative to the operating device 73 (operating part). Specifically, the information input device consists of a mobile imaging device (mobile imaging device 72) capable of reading identification information such as that from a CCD camera.

[0031] The loading unit 70 detects one or more parts 13 supported in the part support area 40A of the part support unit 40 by detecting the barcode 21 and common symbol 22 using the moving imaging device 72. The detected part 13 is lifted by contacting the area including the center of gravity, in a manner that takes into account the center of gravity position based on the common symbol 22, for example. The lifted part 13 is then moved to a predetermined position in the stacking support area 50A of the stacking support unit 50 based on the information from the barcode 21. During this movement process, the loading unit 70 rotates the part 13 to match the predetermined orientation, if necessary, based on the orientation of the common symbol 22. The detailed operation of the loading unit 70 will be described later.

[0032] The waste material recovery unit 80 is configured to recover and hold the remaining waste material 15 after cutting out the parts 13 from the material 12, and is composed of, for example, a belt conveyor or a movable recovery tank with wheels. The waste material recovery unit 80 may also include other equipment such as equipment for breaking the waste material 15 into pieces smaller than a predetermined size, or it may simply be configured to provide a space for storing the waste material 15.

[0033] Here, the material support section 10, the component support section 40, the lamination support section 50, and the waste material recovery section 80 do not necessarily have to be part of the plate-shaped component manufacturing apparatus 1. Each section only needs to have space to place the material 12, the component 13, or the waste material 15. For example, the plate-shaped component manufacturing apparatus 1 may be configured by discharging the waste material 15 onto the floor and recovering it later, supporting the component 13a etc. with a thin plate-shaped pallet, or placing the material 12 on a movable trolley.

[0034] The control unit 90 is configured, for example, by a personal computer and includes a ROM (IC chip) or RAM (magnetic disk or SSD) for storing various programs and data as a storage device, RAM for temporarily storing various data, a CPU as an arithmetic processing unit, a communication device for obtaining information from a recording medium or other control device, a keyboard and mouse for inputting various operation instructions, and a display for outputting the operating status as an output device.

[0035] The control unit 90 stores a stacking configuration determination program (arrangement determination means) for determining the stacking configuration (packaging) of a predetermined number of parts 13 of various shapes and various support members 14 that assist in the stable support of the parts 13, a material processing program for controlling the processing of material 12 in the processing unit 30, and a plate-shaped part movement program (part movement program) for stacking a predetermined number of parts 13 and support members 14 in multiple layers. The control unit 90 receives part data relating to the shape of each part 13 to be manufactured and the order of construction at the construction site, and by executing the stacking configuration determination program, the control unit 90 generates processing data relating to the processing of each part referenced by the material processing program and stacking data relating to the stacking configuration referenced by the plate-shaped part movement program.

[0036] In determining the stacking configuration by executing the stacking configuration determination program, the control unit 90 determines, based on the component data, the layer in which each component 13 will be placed, as well as its position and orientation within that layer, and also determines the position and orientation of the crossbar members 14 required in each layer. In this case, when determining the placement of the crossbar members 14, it is possible to select and set short crossbar members 14S and long crossbar members 14L, which are set to multiple sizes, as needed, thereby reducing the number of components used. It should be noted that the control unit 90 is not necessarily configured to determine the stacking configuration (packaging) of the components 13 and crossbar members 14. For example, the stacking configuration determination program may be omitted, and data related to the stacking configuration (packaging) may be input to the control unit 90, and the components 13 and crossbar members 14 may be stacked based on the input data.

[0037] Next, the configuration of the component support section 40 will be explained in more detail.

[0038] The component support section 40 is configured to provide a component support area 40A that can accommodate at least one processed part cut from a single material 12 without overlapping vertically.

[0039] Furthermore, the component support section 40 may be configured to provide a component support area 40A that can accommodate not only an area where processed parts cut from one material 12 and transported sequentially can be placed, but also an area where processed parts cut from at least one subsequent material 12 can be placed. In this configuration, the component support section 40 can accept the subsequent parts 13 based on the material 12 even if they are transported before the parts 13 based on the preceding material 12 are moved by the loading section 70, thereby preventing the processing section 30 from having to temporarily stop operating to process the subsequent material 12 due to the progress of loading the parts 13 based on the preceding material 12. In addition, it is possible to easily place the parts 13 cut from continuously processed materials 12 in a single layer on the component support section 40.

[0040] Furthermore, the component support section 40 maintains a state in which the various types of information (including direction identification information) added by the identification information addition section 20 are facing at least one side in the vertical direction (upward in Figure 3), and even if the position or orientation of these parts deviates from a predetermined reference position or predetermined reference direction during processing in the processing section 30, transfer from the processing section 30 to the component support section 40, or movement by the component support section 40, the various types of information can be read from the upper side of the component support section 40, by moving each component 13 in a predetermined direction (right side in Figures 3(A) and (B) and lower side in Figure 3(C)) without reversing its front and back sides.

[0041] Furthermore, the control unit 90 (control means) identifies the orientation of the processed parts based on direction identification information attached to the processed parts supported by the parts support unit (processed parts support means), and controls the operation of the loading unit (loading means) so that the parts are in the orientation determined by the control unit 90 (arrangement storage means), thereby enabling a predetermined number of plate-shaped parts to be stacked in multiple layers.

[0042] Specifically, the loading section 70 is configured to allow the holding device 71 (contact part) and the moving imaging device 72, which are provided at the tip of the operating device 73 (operating part), to move freely within the range indicated by the dashed circle in Figure 1. It is also configured to be rotatable about an axis in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the surface of the parts 13 and the crossbar members 14: vertical direction) passing through the holding center of the holding device 71 (for example, the suction center of the suction pad).

[0043] In this explanation, the holding device 71 and the moving imaging device 72 are described as moving and rotating together (without changing their relative position or orientation), but they may also be configured to move and rotate individually. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, in the following description, the control unit 90 is described as directly controlling the movement and rotation of the holding device 71 and the moving imaging device 72, but the movement and rotation of the holding device 71 and the moving imaging device 72 are actually performed indirectly by the operating device 73, and the control unit 90 controls the operation of the operating device 73.

[0044] As shown by the solid line in Figure 3(A), the control unit 90 moves the moving imaging device 72 to a position near the estimated location of the center of gravity of the part 13a to be moved, and at a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the part 13a (the surface to which the common symbol or barcode is attached). Subsequently, the control unit 90 searches for the common symbol 22 as direction identification information based on the image captured by the moving imaging device 72.

[0045] If the control unit 90 can detect the common symbol 22 within a recognition range (hereinafter also referred to as the wide-area recognition range 72H) in which it can identify the presence or absence of the common symbol 22 by searching from its position, it moves the mobile imaging device 72 to approach the common symbol 22, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 3(A).

[0046] Specifically, the control unit 90 moves the mobile imaging device 72 in a horizontal plane (a plane with the vertical direction perpendicular) so that the common symbol 22 is located near the center of the wide recognition range 72H (see Figure 3(C)), and then photographs the common symbol 22 again. Based on the captured image, the control unit 90 recognizes the orientation of the common symbol 22. In this way, by photographing the common symbol 22 after adjusting its position by moving it again within the wide recognition range 72H, the orientation of the common symbol 22, that is, the orientation of the component 13 when supported in the component support area 40A, can be detected with high accuracy. The control unit 90 detects the difference between the recognized orientation of the component 13a and the orientation in which it should be placed in the stacking support section 50, and rotates it around the vertical axis by an angle equal to that difference, as shown in Figure 3(B).

[0047] Furthermore, the control of adjusting the position by moving the mobile imaging device 72 again to approach the common symbol 22 is not limited to movement in the horizontal plane, but may also be set to a narrow recognition range 72L, which is a narrower recognition range than the wide recognition range 72H in which the common symbol 22 can be identified. Specifically, the device may also be moved in the height direction so that it is at a lower position with a shorter distance from the surface of the part 13a than the high position shown by the solid line, and then the common symbol 22 may be photographed to recognize the orientation of the common symbol 22. In addition, the control of moving the mobile imaging device 72 to approach the common symbol 22 may be omitted if the common symbol 22 is located within a certain range, such as near the center, in the first photograph in the wide recognition range 72H.

[0048] Furthermore, the control unit 90 reads the information contained in the barcode 21, which is individual identification information, from the image of the moving imaging device 72 and determines whether it is the moving part 13a. When reading the information of the barcode 21, in order to display the barcode 21 small or to include a lot of information, it is preferable to use an image taken with the moving imaging device 72 close to the barcode 21. The image may be taken separately from the image of the common symbol 22, or the image may be taken after the moving imaging device 72 is brought close to the barcode 21.

[0049] If the control unit 90 detects that the barcode 21 is the barcode 21 of the part 13a to be moved, it moves the holding device 71 downward until it contacts the part 13a. Note that the recognition of the barcode 21 and the common symbol 22 may be performed based on an image taken in a single shot.

[0050] Subsequently, the control unit 90 operates the holding device 71 to hold the part 13a in a position where it can be lifted. In this case, even if the detected barcode 21 belongs to the part 13 to be moved, if the part 13 to be moved cannot be supported in a predetermined holding manner, for example, as in the part 13b shown in Figure 3(C), if its center of gravity (tip of the arrow) is located in a predetermined area 40B near both ends of the support belt 43, and attempting to hold it so that its center of gravity is at the center of the holding device 71 would cause the holding device 71 to interfere with the fall prevention wall 45 that prevents the part 13 from falling from the support belt 43, the control unit 90 determines whether it can be held by rotating it around a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity from the orientation that is initially set as the standard (reference, or optimal) for holding. If it can be held, it is held in an orientation different from the standard, and if it still cannot be held, it is held at a position that is moved away from the standard holding position in a predetermined direction. In this case, the control unit 90 stores information that identifies the change from the standard holding configuration, such as the difference in rotation angle from the standard holding angle or the difference in distance from the standard holding position, and subtracts the holding deviation to control the movement and rotation of the holding device 71.

[0051] The control unit 90 may also be configured to pre-set and store multiple candidate holding positions and angles for when the component 13 cannot be held at a predetermined holding position and angle, and to select from among these candidates.

[0052] The control unit 90 raises the holding device 71, which is holding the part 13a, to a predetermined height and rotates it so that the orientation of the common symbol 22 (part 13a) matches the reference direction (downward in Figure 3(C)), as shown in Figure 3(C). Then, the control unit 90 moves the holding device 71 back and forth and left and right to move the part 13a from above the part support area 40A to above the planned loading position where it is scheduled to be placed in the stacking support area 50A. After moving the part 13a above the planned loading position, the control unit 90 lowers the holding device 71 to make contact with the part 13d, short crossbar member 14S, and long crossbar member 14L placed in the lower layer. The control unit 90 releases the holding state of the part 13a by the holding device 71. This completes the stacking of the part 13a at the predetermined position and orientation. The control unit 90 repeats the same control for the other parts 13b and 13c, stacking them sequentially.

[0053] In addition, although the configuration described above controls the movement of the moving imaging device 72 so as to search for the common symbol 22 of the moving part 13 along a path corresponding to the position of the common symbol 22 of the moving part 13, the configuration may also control the movement of the moving imaging device 72 along a path corresponding to the position of the moving part 13. In this case as well, the moving imaging device 72 can be brought closer to the common symbol 22 along a path corresponding to the position of the common symbol 22 attached to the moving part 13.

[0054] Furthermore, the control unit 90 may have a function to search for the common symbol 22 by moving the mobile imaging device 72 along a predetermined path that does not depend on the position of the common symbol 22. For example, a predetermined path that does not depend on the part 13 to be moved may be set, for example, a zigzag path that moves from the rear left end to the front end, then from the rear center to the front end, and then from the rear right end to the front end, and the control unit 90 may control the movement of the mobile imaging device 72 along a fixed path regardless of the part 13 to be moved. In special situations where the control unit 90 cannot detect the common symbol 22 from the image of the wide recognition range 72H, it can check whether the part 13 being searched for is within the range where the common symbol 22 can be recognized from above by the part support unit 40, or not.

[0055] Furthermore, the control unit 90 can also move the moving imaging device 72 along a certain path without pre-setting the parts 13 to be moved, and move the parts 13 having the recognized common symbols to the stacking support unit 50 in the recognized order.

[0056] Furthermore, if a special situation occurs in which the common symbol 22 cannot be detected from the image within the wide recognition range 72H, for example, if the position of the moving part 13 shifts significantly within the part support section 40 (part support area 40A), or if it falls under another part 13, the control unit 90 may perform a predetermined alternative process. For example, the control unit 90 may notify the operator of the error by sound or display, allowing the operator to confirm the moving part 13. Alternatively, the moving imaging device 72 may be moved a predetermined distance along a predetermined direction relative to the wide recognition range 72H (for example, a direction of movement in which the part 13 or crossbar member 14 can be moved within the part support section 40), and the common symbol 22 may be searched for again. In this case, it is preferable for the control unit 90 to move the moving imaging device 72 so that a portion of the recognition range in which the common symbol 22 can be recognized overlaps before and after the movement. If the common symbol 22 cannot be detected even with this movement, the control unit 90 may further repeat the movement of the moving imaging device 72 in the same direction and the search for the common symbol 22. Alternatively, if the common symbol 22 cannot be detected by movement in the same direction, the control unit 90 may move the device a predetermined distance along a direction intersecting the direction of movement, and then search for the common symbol 22 while changing its position along the direction of movement in the same manner as described above.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, if the barcode 21 detected from the image within the wide recognition range 72H corresponds to a different part (e.g., parts 13b, 13c) and not the part to be moved (e.g., part 13a), the control unit 90 may perform control to move the other part corresponding to the detected barcode 21 to the planned loading position, provided that all parts can be loaded onto the layer where the planned loading position is set, even if the other part is moved. In other words, the control unit 90 may perform control to change the target to be moved according to the detection result of the identification information. In addition, for the other part (e.g., parts 13b, 13c), a separate support base (temporary placement section) that can be temporarily placed separately from the stacking support section 50 may be set in advance, and the other part may be temporarily placed there.

[0058] Thus, according to the plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1, when the operation of the loading section 70 is controlled to stack a predetermined number of plate-shaped parts 13, including at least parts 13a, etc., in multiple layers, the orientation of the parts 13 is identified based on the common symbol 22 attached to the parts 13a, etc., supported by the parts support section 40, and the orientation of the parts 13 is controlled to match the orientation determined by the stacking configuration determination program of the control unit 90. As a result, even if the orientation of the parts 13 when processed from the material 12 differs from the orientation in which they are arranged when stacked, or if there is a misalignment in the orientation of the parts 13 during processing or before stacking by the loading section 70, the orientation can be adjusted based on the common symbol 22 (direction identification information), and the parts 13 can be positioned in the desired location and orientation with high precision. Therefore, the parts 13 can be stacked in a suitable manner, and the occurrence of load collapse due to misalignment in the orientation of the stacked parts 13 can be suppressed. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the parts 13 from protruding from the stacking support area 50A where a predetermined number of parts 13 are stacked, and it is also possible to suppress the damage that may occur to the protruding parts during transport to the construction site or at the construction site.

[0059] Furthermore, with the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1, the orientation of each part 13, which takes on various shapes as it is processed by the processing unit 30, can be determined by recognizing orientation identification information. Compared to the case where the orientation of each part 13 with such various shapes is determined by individually recognizing its external shape, the orientation of the part 13 can be determined at high speed based on a simple plate-shaped part movement program, and each part 13 can be placed at a desired position in a desired orientation in a simple and high-speed manner.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1, the operation of the loading unit 70 is controlled so that the holding device 71 and the moving imaging device 72 approach the part support area 40A via different paths corresponding to the estimated position where the part 13 to be moved or the common symbol 22 attached to it is most likely to be located within the part support area 40A. This makes it possible to search for the common symbol 22 of the part 13 to be moved from the vicinity of the position where the common symbol 22 is most likely to be located, and to efficiently recognize the common symbol 22 of the part 13 to be moved. Therefore, it becomes possible to efficiently place each part 13 in the desired position and orientation.

[0061] Furthermore, the device that identifies the orientation of the parts 13 based on the common symbols 22 attached to the parts 13a etc., under the control of the control unit 90, and stacks the plate-shaped parts 13 in multiple layers, is not limited to the plate-shaped parts manufacturing device 1 which includes a processing device. The same effect can be achieved even if the device is configured as a plate-shaped parts moving device which does not include a processing device. In this case, the control portion related to the processing of the material 12 in the control unit 90 may be omitted.

[0062] Next, we will explain in detail the configuration of the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1 regarding the processing and use of the remaining portion of material 12 as a processed crossbar member 14R.

[0063] The control unit 90 is configured to perform processing control by assigning parts 13a etc. (processed parts) and processing crossbar members 14R (crossbar members) to a plate-shaped material 12 to be processed by the processing unit 30 (processing device), and causing the processing unit 30 (processing device) to process the parts 13a etc. and processing crossbar members 14R. Specifically, the control unit 90 determines the position and orientation of the crossbar members 14 required in each layer based on the execution of the lamination configuration determination program described above. At this time, the control unit 90 determines the allocation area for all of the one or more parts 13a etc. cut out from each material 12, and then allocates the processing crossbar members 14R to the areas in each material 12 where no parts 13a etc. are allocated. Furthermore, when the control unit 90 assigns a processing crossbar member 14R smaller than a predetermined size to the material 12, it determines its external shape to a specific shape, for example, the same shape as a short crossbar member 14S, so that there is no need to identify individual parts.

[0064] Furthermore, the shape of the processed crossbar member 14R is not limited to a specific shape as long as it can be used as a crossbar member; multiple types may be set. Also, the shape of the processed crossbar member 14R does not necessarily have to be the same as the standard shape of the short crossbar member 14S; it may be another shape that can be used in place of the standard shape, such as a shape with a part of the corner cut off. In other words, if the size of the remaining portion after processing the part 13 on the material 12 is within a certain range of conditions, the control unit 90 may be provided with a control to use it as a crossbar member without processing the outer shape. If the length or width or both of the remaining portion are within a certain range of conditions that make it usable as a crossbar member (for example, the outer shape is smaller than the standard shape and the size difference is 3 cm or less), a control may be added to use it as a crossbar member as is without performing any additional processing. If the remaining portion is too large to be used as a crossbar member, a control may be added to divide it into multiple parts to make processed crossbar members 14R. For example, it may be cut into strips and used as processed crossbar members 14R.

[0065] The identification information addition unit 20, based on the control of the control unit 90, adds identification information to at least one surface of the processed crossbar member 14R facing the thickness direction, similar to the case of part 13a, etc., that can distinguish whether it is part 13, etc. or a processed crossbar member 14R. Specifically, for processed crossbar members 14R larger than a predetermined size, the identification information addition unit 20 prints a barcode corresponding to the crossbar member 14, similar to the barcode 21 as individual identification information, and a common symbol 22 identical to that of part 13a, etc., as direction identification information. For processed crossbar members 14R smaller than a predetermined size, only the common symbol 22 identical to that of part 13a, etc., as direction identification information is printed. Note that the direction identification information attached to the processed crossbar member 14R does not have to be the same common symbol as that of part 13a, etc., and may be in other forms as described above that can be used for part 13a, etc., or it may be a dedicated form that is not used for part 13a, etc.

[0066] The component support section 40 supports the processed crossbar member 14R in the same way as the component 13a, etc., with the common symbol 22 (direction identification information) facing at least one side in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the component support section 40 supports the processed crossbar member 14R at a distance from each component 13, etc., and other processed crossbar members 14R, in the same way as the component 13, etc.

[0067] In the search for the moving part 13a and the common symbol 22 attached to it using the moving imaging device 72, the control unit 90 recognizes the presence of the common symbol 22, but if it cannot recognize the presence of a barcode 21 at a predetermined position corresponding to the common symbol 22, it determines that it is a small processed crossbar member 14R that has been processed into a specific shape. Furthermore, even if the recognized barcode 21 is not that of the moving part 13a but of a larger processed crossbar member 14R, or if the barcode 21 is not recognized on a small processed crossbar member 14R, the control unit 90 moves the recognized processed crossbar member 14R if moving it before completing the movement of the moving part 13a will not prevent any other parts 13 or crossbar members 14 from being properly positioned.

[0068] Thus, according to the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1, the control unit 90 assigns parts 13a and other parts and processing support members 14R to the material 12, causes the processing unit 30 to process the parts 13a and other parts and processing support members 14R, and the identification information adding unit 20 adds a barcode and a common symbol 22 as identification information that can distinguish the parts 13a and other parts and processing support members 14R to at least one surface of the parts 13a and other parts and processing support members 14R facing the thickness direction. This makes it possible to adjust the orientation of the parts 13a and other parts and processing support members 14R processed from the material 12 based on the identification information and load them.

[0069] Furthermore, since a common symbol 22 is added to the processed support member 14R as direction identification information, it becomes possible to position it with high precision according to the position and orientation determined by the control unit 90 (stack configuration determination program). Therefore, the parts 13a and processed support members 14R can be stacked appropriately, and the occurrence of load collapse due to misalignment of the orientation of the stacked parts 13a and processed support members 14R can be suppressed.

[0070] Furthermore, with the plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1, the processing support members 14R, which are used to help stably support parts 13a, etc., can be processed from the remaining portion of the material 12 after processing the parts 13a, etc., thereby improving the yield for processing parts 13a, etc. and processing support members 14R.

[0071] Furthermore, with the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1, as described above, the orientation of parts 13a and other components and processing support members 14R can be adjusted based on the common symbol 22. Therefore, when assigning multiple processing targets, including parts 13a and processing support members 14R, to a single material 12, the orientation of the multiple processing targets in the material 12 does not need to be aligned with the orientation determined by the control unit 90 (lamination configuration determination program), thus increasing the degree of freedom in the combination of multiple processing targets that can be assigned to a single material 12. As a result, the yield related to the processing of parts 13a and other components and processing support members 14R can be improved compared to the case where the orientation of the multiple processing targets in the material 12 is aligned with the orientation determined by the control unit 90.

[0072] Furthermore, as a plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1, a configuration can be adopted in which, after the control unit 90 (lamination configuration determination program) determines which of the multiple layers the parts 13a etc. and processing support members 14R will be placed in, the parts 13a etc. and processing support members 14R are assigned according to the determined layer positions and then processed. When this configuration is adopted, the parts 13a etc. and processing support members 14R placed in each of the multiple layers will be processed from the same material 12, which simplifies the control for assigning parts 13a etc. and processing support members 14R to the material 12 and reduces the processing load. Moreover, the parts 13a etc. and processing support members 14R in each material 12 may be assigned so that their arrangement is the same as the arrangement of parts 13a etc. and processing support members 14R that constitute each layer.

[0073] Furthermore, if a temporary storage area for temporarily placing the part 13 is provided, it may be configured as a common temporary storage area where both the part 13 and the processed crossbar member 14R can be temporarily placed, or a separate temporary storage area for the processed crossbar member 14R may be provided in addition to the place where the part 13 is temporarily placed.

[0074] Next, the crossbar support section 60 will be described in detail. Figure 4(A) is a schematic top view showing an example of the configuration of the crossbar support section 60, (B) is a schematic front view thereof, (C) is a schematic side view showing an example of an operation mode in which a single crossbar 14 (long crossbar 14L) is supplied, and (D) is a side view showing an example of an operation mode in which multiple crossbars 14 (long crossbars 14L) are supplied simultaneously.

[0075] As shown in Figures 1, 4(A), and 4(B), the support section 60 is configured to support the long crossbar members 14L (strip-shaped crossbar members) in a horizontal arrangement, with their ends offset in the longitudinal direction when viewed from above, and aligned in the short direction intersecting the longitudinal direction.

[0076] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4(A) and 4(B), the support section 60 is a wall projecting upward from an intermediate wall 61 having openings 61a to 61c, and includes longitudinal restricting walls 62a and 63a that restrict the positions of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the long crossbar member 14L supported on the front side (the lower side in Figure 4(A) and the front side perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 4(B)), and a short-side restricting wall 64a that restricts the positions of both ends in the short direction of the long crossbar member 14L. Similarly, it includes longitudinal restricting walls 62b and 63b that restrict the positions of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the long crossbar member 14L supported on the back side, and a short-side restricting wall 64b that restricts the positions of both ends in the short direction of the long crossbar member 14L, with the longitudinal restricting walls 62b and 63b being offset from the longitudinal restricting walls 62a and 63a along the longitudinal direction of the long crossbar member 14L. The support section 60 supports the long cross members 14L in a stacked manner along the direction of the various restrictive walls.

[0077] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4(A) and 4(B), the support section 60 includes a support frame 66 formed above the bottom wall 65 to support the intermediate wall 61 and having an opening 66a (openings 66b, 66c) that communicates with the opening 61a (openings 61b, 61c), a regulating plate 67a (regulating plate 67b) fixed to the bottom wall 65 and in contact with the lower surface of the front (rear) long crossbar member 14L located in the lowest layer when stacked, allowing the stacked front (rear) long crossbar member 14L to move integrally in the vertical direction, and a cylinder 68a (cylinder 68b) that drives the regulating plate 67a (regulating plate 67b).

[0078] The control unit 90 is configured to lift two or more crossbar members 14 by bringing them into contact with the holding device 71 (contact portion), and to control the movement of two or more crossbar members 14 together to at least some of the layers (layers constituting the laminate 11). For example, the configuration may control the movement of two or more long crossbar members 14L together, or two or more short crossbar members 14S together, or even one or more long crossbar members 14L and one or more short crossbar members 14S together.

[0079] Furthermore, the control unit 90 controls the operation of the loading unit 70 (loading means) so that the holding device 71 (contact part) is positioned above two or more long crossbar members 14L (strip-shaped crossbar members) that are supported side by side by the crossbar member support unit 60 (crossbar member support means). After the two or more long crossbar members 14L and the contact part come into contact, the unit lifts the two or more long crossbar members 14L and moves them together to at least some of the layers of the multiple layers, thus performing multiple crossbar member movement control. In addition, the unit also performs single crossbar member movement control, where only one long crossbar member 14L (strip-shaped crossbar member) comes into contact with the holding device 71 (contact part) and lifts it, moving the single long crossbar member 14L to at least some of the layers of the multiple layers.

[0080] Specifically, the control unit 90 controls the operation of the cylinders 68a and 68b to maintain the positions of the regulating plates 67a and 67b at a constant height H1 above the uppermost long crossbar member 14L. When the uppermost long crossbar member 14L is removed, the control unit 90 controls the remaining stacked long crossbar members 14L to be raised as a whole by the thickness of the long crossbar member 14L. Furthermore, when the uppermost long crossbar member 14L is to be held by the holding device 71, the control unit 90 moves the holding device 71 to a position (hereinafter referred to as the holding standby position) that is in the center of the portion where the front and rear long crossbar members 14L overlap along their longitudinal direction, and where the upper surface of the uppermost long crossbar member 14L and the lower end of the holding device 71 are at a predetermined distance H2 (for example, the thickness of the long crossbar member 14L). Subsequently, the control unit 90 controls cylinders 68a and 68b to raise the regulating plates 67a and 67b until the upper surface of the uppermost long crossbar member 14L and the lower end of the holding device 71 come into contact. The control unit 90 is configured to control cylinders 68a and 68b individually, and as shown in Figure 4(C), by operating cylinder 68a or cylinder 68b (in the figure, cylinder 68b is operated), the front or rear long crossbar member 14L can be raised, or as shown in Figure 4(D), cylinders 68a and 68b can be operated simultaneously to raise the front and rear long crossbar members 14L together. In this way, the control unit 90 can either have only a single long crossbar member 14L held by the holding device 71, or have multiple (two in the figure) long crossbar members 14L held by the holding device 71. Although not shown in the diagram, with regard to the short crossbar members 14S, similar to the case of the long crossbar members 14L, the control unit 90 can either have only a single short crossbar member 14S held by the holding device 71, or have multiple (two or four in the diagram) short crossbar members 14S held by the holding device 71.

[0081] Here, the support section 60 for the crossbar members is provided such that, in a top view, the long crossbar members 14L are aligned in the short direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. Therefore, one of the front long crossbar members 14L is supported so that its right end in the longitudinal direction (the end not facing the rear long crossbar member 14L: hereinafter abbreviated as the right end) is aligned with the longitudinal regulating wall 62a, and the other rear long crossbar member 14L is supported so that its left end in the longitudinal direction (the end not facing the rear long crossbar member 14L: hereinafter abbreviated as the left end) is aligned with the longitudinal regulating wall 62b. As a result, even if the longitudinal lengths of the front and rear long crossbar members 14L are uneven, the distance between the right end of the front long crossbar member 14L and the left end of the rear long crossbar member 14L (hereinafter referred to as the total offset arrangement length) can be kept constant. Furthermore, in the support section 60 for the crossbar members, the total length of the offset arrangement is set to correspond to the length of the long side of the stacked support area 50A (see Figures 1 and 2). By moving the two long crossbar members 14L while maintaining their relative positions supported by the support section 60, the control unit 90 can arrange them perfectly along the long side of the stacked support area 50A.

[0082] The support section 60 is configured to support the long crossbar members 14L on the front and back sides such that their longitudinal direction is approximately parallel to the long side of the stacking support area 50A. When the long crossbar members 14L are positioned along the long side of the stacking support area 50A, the support section 60 makes it possible to move the long crossbar members 14L without rotation, which would release the holding state by the holding device 71 more easily than linear movement. As a result, the long crossbar members 14L can be moved at a higher speed than when they are moved with rotation.

[0083] Furthermore, the support portion 60 for the crossbar member is not limited to a configuration in which the front and rear long crossbar members 14L are supported in close proximity in the direction of their shorter side, but may also be configured to support them at a predetermined distance apart in the direction of their shorter side.

[0084] Furthermore, when the control unit 90 moves the two long crossbar members 14L, it is not necessarily required to hold them simultaneously; they may be held separately. That is, one of the long crossbar members 14L, the front and rear, may be held by the holding device 71, then that long crossbar member 14L may be moved by the operating device 73 to bring it close to the other long crossbar member 14L, and then the other long crossbar member 14L may be held by the holding device 71.

[0085] Furthermore, the support section 60 is not limited to cases where multiple stacks of long crossbar members 14L are arranged side by side, such as on the front side or back side; it may also be configured to provide only one stack. In this configuration, the control unit 90 holds one long crossbar member 14L with the holding device 71, then moves that long crossbar member 14L with the operating device 73, and then holds another long crossbar member 14L with the holding device 71 at a different location than the part that previously held the long crossbar member 14L. When the long crossbar member 14L is moved by the operating device 73, the amount of movement of the long crossbar member 14L along its longitudinal direction adjusts the total offset of the two long crossbar members 14L held by the holding device 71, and the amount of movement of the long crossbar member 14L along its short direction adjusts the spacing between those long crossbar members 14L. Furthermore, it is preferable that the support portion 60 of the crossbar member is configured to support one end of the long crossbar member 14L in the longitudinal direction, and that the control unit 90, after holding the long crossbar member 14L that is to be held first, rotates the long crossbar member 14L 14L 180 degrees around the front-back direction as the central axis, and then holds the other long crossbar member 14L such that the end of the held long crossbar member 14L that was aligned in the supported state does not face the next long crossbar member 14L to be held. If this configuration is adopted, even if the longitudinal lengths of the long crossbar members 14L are uneven, the total length of the offset arrangement of the two held long crossbar members 14L can be kept constant.

[0086] Furthermore, the control unit 90 is not limited to a configuration that performs both single-bar member movement control and multiple-bar member movement control, but may also be configured not to perform single-bar member movement control. In this configuration, the bar member support unit 60 may be configured such that the front and rear long bar members 14L cannot be moved individually, for example, a configuration in which cylinders 68a and 68b can only operate in conjunction, or a configuration in which the front and rear long bar members 14L are supported by a single restricting plate. When the control unit 90 moves one long bar member 14L by single-bar member movement control, it is preferable that it is configured to alternately select and move the front long bar member 14L and the rear long bar member 14L so that they are used equally. Furthermore, when the control unit 90 moves one long bar member 14L, it is preferable that it is configured to change the position in which the holding device 71 holds the long bar member 14L, for example, the center (center of gravity) of each long bar member 14L, to a different position than when multiple long bar members 14L are held.

[0087] Furthermore, when the holding device 71 holds one or more objects, the control unit 90 is not limited to a configuration in which the objects are held closer to the center of the holding area of ​​the holding device 71 (holding center), but may also be configured to hold them closer to one end. In this case, the control unit 90 can move the objects held by the holding device 71 to a range further away from the base 74 (see Figure 1) than when they are held closer to the center, using the operating device 73.

[0088] Thus, with the plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1, it is possible to control the operation of the loading means (loading section 70) to create a state where parts 13 and long crossbar members 14L and short crossbar members 14S are stacked in multiple layers. This involves bringing two or more long crossbar members 14L and short crossbar members 14S into contact with the contact section (holding device 71) and lifting them up, thereby controlling the movement of two or more long crossbar members 14L and short crossbar members 14S together to at least some of the layers. This allows two or more crossbar members 14L to be lifted and moved to the desired position in one go, improving the time efficiency of arranging the crossbar members in each layer. As a result, plate-shaped or rod-shaped parts can be efficiently stacked, including multiple crossbar members.

[0089] Furthermore, with the plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1, two or more crossbar members 14L can be lifted simultaneously, improving the time efficiency of lifting the crossbar members 14L and 14S. In addition, by pre-shifting multiple crossbar members 14L to the same relative positions as their relative positions at the moving location, it becomes possible to simultaneously position two or more crossbar members 14L at the desired location without having to move at least one of them further after moving them onto the layer.

[0090] Furthermore, with the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1, it is possible to select whether to move a single crossbar member or multiple crossbar members. Therefore, a predetermined number of crossbar members can be easily moved for layers that require only one crossbar member, or for layers that require multiple crossbar members.

[0091] Furthermore, the device that controls the control unit 90 to bring two or more crossbar members 14 into contact with the contact part (holding device 71) and lift them up, and moves two or more crossbar members 14 together to at least some of the layers of multiple layers, is not limited to the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1 including a processing device, but can also be configured as a plate-shaped part moving device without a processing device, and the same effect can be achieved. In addition, as this plate-shaped part moving device, at least one of the identification information adding unit 20 and the processing unit 30 may be omitted, or the control part related to the processing of the material 12 in the control unit 90 may be omitted.

[0092] Furthermore, the device that controls the movement of two or more crossbar members 14 together under the control of the control unit 90 is not limited to cases where the parts to be moved by the loading unit 70 are plate-shaped parts 13, but may also be configured as a parts moving device for rod-shaped parts. For example, it may be used as a crossbar member 14 used for structural members such as columns and horizontal members that form the framework of a building, or as an auxiliary member such as a framing member. In this case, the long crossbar member 14L described above may be used, and the long crossbar member 14L may be placed in part of a state where multiple rod-shaped parts are lined up and stacked in multiple layers, and the overlap in the longitudinal direction may be adjusted by making the amount of displacement of the end positions of the two long crossbar members 14L different to match the width of the truck bed. This makes it possible to use the long crossbar member 14L as a crossbar member 14 that can be adjusted to the width of various truck beds.

[0093] Furthermore, the control unit 90 is not limited to a configuration that performs both single-bar member movement control and multiple-bar member movement control; it may also be configured to perform only single-bar member movement control without performing multiple-bar member movement control.

[0094] Next, the configuration of the direction identification information added to the parts 13 and crossbar members 14 by the identification information addition unit 20 will be further explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is an example diagram showing the case in which characters and symbols are used for the common symbol 22 used as direction identification information. Specifically, it schematically shows a form in which a barcode 21 as identification information and a common symbol 22 are added by the identification information addition unit 20 to multiple processed parts (parts 13 and crossbar members 14) manufactured using a single material 12.

[0095] The common symbols 22, which can be used as direction identification information, may be added using characters or figures, as shown in Figure 5. It is preferable that the common symbols 22 use characters, symbols, or figures that are available to the personal computer acting as the control unit 90. Examples of characters include hiragana, katakana, alphabet, numbers, and kanji, while examples of symbols include "￥" and "&". The direction identification information used in these common symbols 22 may consist only of kanji or symbols belonging to only one classification, or it may consist of information belonging to two or more classifications.

[0096] Examples of shapes that can be used as direction identification information include semicircles, triangles, and rectangles. The outline of the shape used as direction identification information should preferably have sections that are thicker than the other shapes, and it is preferable to use shapes where the thicker sections are located at the corners (for example, at the vertices of a triangle). This makes it easier to accurately determine the position and orientation of the direction identification information, even when relatively small pieces of unused information are used as direction identification information. Furthermore, while any information from the character and symbol information may be used as the common symbol 22 for direction identification information, it is preferable to use information different from the information used to identify part 13 (hereinafter also referred to as "used information"), such as the part number or the placement position of part 13 (hereinafter also referred to as "used information"). This prevents situations where used information is mistakenly recognized as direction identification information. Additionally, it is preferable to use kanji characters as the unused information that can be used as direction identification information. There are many types of kanji characters, making it easy to select unused information from among them. Furthermore, there are numerous options for later modification or addition, making it easy to change or add to them.

[0097] Here, the common symbol 22 is printed under the control of the identification information addition unit 20 by the control unit 90. For this reason, the control unit 90 may be made to store (set) one or more types of unused information that can be used in advance as the common symbol 22, and the unused information may be added by controlling the identification information addition unit 20 by the control unit 90. Alternatively, new unused information that can be used as the common symbol 22 may be added by inputting (adding) the unset unused information to the control unit 90.

[0098] As the Chinese characters used as direction identification information, Chinese characters having a shape that can identify a specific direction can be used. For example, Chinese characters such as "tu" (土), "yuan" (円), "shan" (山), and "chu" (出) can be used. In setting these Chinese characters, if the Chinese characters used as direction identification information are too simple, there is a possibility of misrecognition due to the grain or dirt of the component 13 in the case of manufacturing the component 13 by processing a wooden material. On the other hand, if they are too complex, in order to accurately identify the identification information, a high-resolution camera may be required, or the possible positions for information input may be limited, such as it being difficult to accurately identify at a long distance. For this reason, as the Chinese characters used as direction identification information, for example, in terms of the number of strokes, Chinese characters with three or more strokes and not too simple are preferable, and it is also preferable to use Chinese characters with five or fewer strokes and not too complex.

[0099] Also, as the Chinese characters used as direction identification information, it is preferable to use Chinese characters having a linear part facing in a plurality of directions. For example, Chinese characters such as "gong" (工) and "tu" (土) are more preferable than using a Chinese character such as "san" (三) of Chinese numerals. Thereby, it is possible to easily avoid a situation where the grain that is likely to be arranged in a large number in a certain direction is erroneously recognized as direction identification information.

[0100] In addition, it is preferable to use Chinese characters (e.g., "土") in a form where the direction can be limited to one direction even if the length of the straight part changes slightly, rather than Chinese characters (e.g., "工") that can be recognized as characters in another direction when the length of the straight part changes slightly. This can easily avoid the situation of misrecognition, such as the direction being reversed due to the overlap of wood grain or dirt on some linear parts.

[0101] In addition, it is preferable to use, as direction identification information, Chinese characters (e.g., "山") in which two or more linear parts facing at least one of a plurality of directions (e.g., the vertical direction) are provided in parallel, which can easily avoid misrecognition. Also, it is suitable to use, as direction identification information, Chinese characters (e.g., "円") in which the directions in which two or more linear parts are parallel are provided in two directions.

[0102] In addition, as direction identification information, the common symbol 22 added by the identification information adding unit 20 may be configured to have only one type set, but it is preferable to set a plurality of types. For example, it is preferable to set a plurality of types of Chinese characters as direction identification information in advance, and assign different characters to a plurality of parts 13 divided when a plate-like material is cut, and add them by the identification information adding unit 20. Thereby, when the common symbol 22 is detected by the control unit 90, it is possible to easily identify one part to be moved, detect only the common symbol 22, easily identify the moving destination of the part 13 by the control unit 90, and control the loading unit 70 to move the part 13.

[0103] When using multiple types of identification information as direction identification information, the characters or symbols added by the identification information addition unit 20 may be printed in different sizes, and the control unit 90 may identify and control that they are different direction identification information based on the difference in the size of the characters or the like. For example, for the parts 13 that are divided into multiple pieces when a plate-shaped material is cut, the same Chinese characters may be added in different sizes, and the parts 13 may be specified according to the type and size of the Chinese characters. FIG. 5 illustrates a case where the direction identification information of "￥" and "mountain" is used as a common symbol 22 in different sizes.

[0104] Also, as the number of types of direction identification information to be set, it is preferable to set the number corresponding to the number of parts that need to be moved after being divided from one material. For example, when a maximum of 6 parts 13 can be manufactured from one material 12, it is preferable to preset 6 or more different direction identification information. FIG. 5 illustrates a case where different direction identification information is added as a common symbol 22 to three types of parts 13a to 13c.

[0105] Also, as direction identification information, when a plurality of the same parts 13 (parts 13 having the same shape and size) are manufactured from one material 12, the same direction identification information may be added to the same parts 13. FIG. 5 illustrates a case where "mountain", which is the same direction identification information, is added as a common symbol 22 to the cross members 14, which are processed parts of the same shape and size.

[0106] Also, as direction identification information, the same direction identification information may be added to a plurality of parts 13 manufactured by cutting one material 12. In this case, it is preferable to add the same direction identification information only when the same direction identification information printed on the plurality of parts 13 is separated by a predetermined distance or more. For example, control may be performed to add the same direction identification information to positions separated by a distance such that the same direction identification information is not arranged within the above-described wide-area recognition range 72H.

[0107] Alternatively, direction identification information may be determined by attaching direction identification information of different colors to multiple components 13, and by having the control unit 90 identify the type of direction identification information, including the color of the attached identification information.

[0108] Furthermore, the common symbol 22 attached to a single component 13 may consist of a single character or symbol as directional identification information, or it may consist of multiple different pieces of identification information (for example, identification information where either the type or size of the character or symbol differs, or both). Figure 5 illustrates the case where two types of directional identification information are attached to three types of components 13a to 13c, each with two types of directional identification information attached.

[0109] When multiple types of different identification information are attached to a single part 13 as a common symbol 22, the same character or symbol (for example, a kanji character) may be attached in multiple locations at different sizes, or different characters or symbols (for example, two different kanji characters) may be attached. In this case, it is preferable that the control unit 90 stores the relative positional relationship between the center of gravity position of the part 13 and the printing position for the multiple types of identification information attached to a single part 13, and when any of the identification information is detected, it controls the loading unit 70 to make the part 13 movable. Figure 5 illustrates a case in which directional identification information of different sizes is attached to a single part 13 as a common symbol 22.

[0110] Here, an example of control when multiple characters or symbols are added as direction identification information to a single component 13 will be described. First, an image of the component 13 with multiple direction identification information added is input to the control unit 90 via an information input device (moving imaging device 72). If one direction identification information is detected in the image, the control unit executes control of the movement of the component 13 based on that direction identification information. If multiple direction identification information is detected, it is compared with data of ideal direction identification information stored in advance, and the identification information with a higher percentage of correct parts (score) is used as the direction identification information to control the movement. In this case, multiple types of direction identification information may be input to the control unit 90 by multiple shots, but it is preferable to add multiple types of direction identification information at positions close enough that the information can be input with a single shot by the moving imaging device 72. This makes it possible to input multiple types of direction identification information to the control unit 90 with a small number of information inputs (shots), making it easier to speed up the control of the movement of the component 13.

[0111] Thus, the identification information adding unit 20, as an identification information adding means, is configured to attach a portion (or a combination of) of multiple types of kanji characters or symbols set as identification information to the processed parts 13 and crossbar members 14, which are processed parts, as a common symbol 22, under the control of the processing unit 30, which is a processing device. Therefore, the control unit 90 can identify the type and size of the kanji characters or symbols attached to the processed parts, and can cause the control unit 90 to execute control of the movement of the processed parts according to the type of direction identification information composed of the combination of the type and size of the kanji characters or symbols attached to the processed parts.

[0112] In other words, when multiple processed parts are manufactured from a single sheet of material 12, different directional identification information can be assigned to each of the multiple processed parts. In this case, even without inputting individual identification information such as a barcode 21 to the control unit 90 via an information input device (moving imaging device 72), the processed parts can be moved by identifying which of the multiple processed parts they are using a common symbol 22. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the input of identification information by the information input device, shorten the time required to complete the movement of the processed parts, and reduce the cost of the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1 by making it possible to use a low-resolution moving imaging device 72 as an information input device for inputting directional identification information. This allows for suitable movement control using identification information (directional identification information) that can identify the orientation of the processed parts.

[0113] Furthermore, the direction identification information set in the control unit 90 includes information on kanji characters that are generally available on personal computers and the like. This makes it easier to set (select) appropriate identification information by diversifying the targets that can be set as identification information, and by using existing characters, it becomes easier to set identification information for the control unit 90 and to set identification control of identification information based on information input from the information input device (mobile imaging device 72).

[0114] Furthermore, the direction identification information set in the control unit 90 includes direction identification information of different types, which is determined by the size of the characters. Therefore, it is possible to perform control using a variety of identification information with a limited number of characters and shapes.

[0115] Next, we will explain the materials (inks) used to add identification information by the identification information adding unit 20. Generally, the identification information is added by the identification information adding unit 20 using colored inks such as black or navy blue, printed by a printing device acting as the identification information adding unit 20. However, fluorescent agents that emit light when exposed to ultraviolet light may be used as the ink for this printing.

[0116] As a specific example, the identification information addition unit 20, which functions as a printing device, is configured to print barcodes 21 and common symbols 22 as identification information using an ink tank containing an ink containing a fluorescent agent that emits light when exposed to ultraviolet light (hereinafter also referred to as luminescent ink). In addition, a black light (ultraviolet light, UV light) is attached to the holding device 71 at the tip of the operating device 73 (operating unit) of the loading unit 70, in addition to the moving imaging device 72. The control unit 90 controls the black light to turn on the black light, allowing an image of the identification information emitting light to be input to the control unit 90. The control unit 90 detects the common symbols 22 from the image containing the emitting identification information and controls the loading unit 70 to move the processed part according to the orientation of the detected common symbols 22.

[0117] In this way, by printing identification information using luminescent ink, the printed information can be confirmed using a black light. Therefore, regardless of whether the color of the material (wood) to be pre-cut is dark or close to white, the common symbol 22 as identification information can be easily detected. In other words, regardless of the color of the material (wood) to be pre-cut, and even if the wood grain or knots overlap with the identification information, printing with luminescent ink makes it easier for the control unit 90 to accurately detect the identification information. This prevents situations where the identification information becomes difficult to identify, causing delays in the processing of moving processed parts based on the direction identification information, or resulting in incorrect operation. Furthermore, since there is no need to prepare multiple different colored inks and use them according to the different colors of wood, it is possible to suppress the cost increase caused by making the identification information addition unit 20 compatible with multiple colors, and the cost increase caused by controlling color changes in the control unit 90 can be suppressed.

[0118] Here, when the identification information addition unit 20 prints identification information using luminescent ink, the control unit 90 and the identification information addition unit 20 may be configured to print identification information with the same or substantially the same external shape as the printing using luminescent ink, so that it is visible without being exposed to ultraviolet light. For example, when a black light is not irradiated, the identification information may be printed using colorless (transparent) or substantially colorless (substantially transparent) luminescent ink (hereinafter also referred to as "colorless luminescent ink"), and the identification information may be printed in the same position as the printing with the colorless luminescent ink using black or other ink (a colored dye ink or colored pigment ink that is visible when a black light is not irradiated, hereinafter also referred to as "colored ink"). This makes it possible to print identification information using only luminescent ink only in the necessary areas. In this case, the control unit 90 may be configured to provide control for printing a mixture of identification information printed using only luminescent ink, identification information printed using only colored ink, or both, and identification information printed using both luminescent ink and colored ink.

[0119] Alternatively, the identification information may be printed by the identification information adding unit 20 using an ink mixture containing both colorless luminescent ink and colored ink (hereinafter also referred to as "colored luminescent ink"). In this case, a single printing of the identification information allows for the printing of visible identification information in a short time, regardless of the presence or absence of ultraviolet light.

[0120] In this way, by printing identification information so that it is visible regardless of the presence or absence of ultraviolet light, the control unit 90 can identify the identification information whether or not a black light is shone on it, and the control unit 90 can handle a variety of situations, resulting in a plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1. For example, for materials with colors that make identification information difficult, an image shone under a black light can be input to the control unit 90 to detect the identification information.

[0121] Here, information that is unnecessary at the construction site, such as directional identification information, may be printed using colorless luminescent ink, so that it becomes nearly colorless (transparent) when not exposed to ultraviolet light. This makes it possible to print unnecessary markings on parts and other items at the construction site without them being noticeable, thereby reducing the possibility of the product's appearance being compromised or workers at the construction site misinterpreting the information.

[0122] Furthermore, the printing of identification information by the identification information addition unit 20 using luminescent ink may consist of either individual identification information or direction identification information, or it may include other information. For example, when metal parts (metal fittings) for joining with other members are attached to the ends of column members or horizontal members, letters or figures corresponding to the attachment position and type of the metal fittings may be printed. Also, when manual post-processing is required on processed parts in addition to pre-cut processing, letters or figures corresponding to the post-processing work may be printed.

[0123] Next, the fixed imaging device 46 will be described, mainly with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the mobile imaging device 72 and the fixed imaging device 46.

[0124] The fixed imaging device 46, like the mobile imaging device 72, is an imaging device composed of a CCD camera or the like using an image sensor. The fixed imaging device 46 is installed at a height position far above the component 13, as shown in Figure 6, compared to the mobile imaging device 72. The fixed imaging device 46 is configured to capture the entire external shape of the component 13 supported by the component support part 40, and Figure 6 illustrates the case where the fixed imaging device 46 is installed with the shooting direction (lens orientation) facing vertically downward.

[0125] Furthermore, the fixed imaging device 46 does not necessarily need to be positioned higher than the highest position within the vertically movable range of the mobile imaging device 72. It is sufficient that it be positioned higher than the height position of the mobile imaging device 72 when the loading unit 70 is in contact with the parts 13 when the loading unit 70 is moving the parts 13, and preferably higher than the height position when the loading unit 70 is moving the parts 13 horizontally. In addition, the fixed imaging device 46 may be positioned vertically above some of the parts 13 supported by the parts support area 40A, within the range corresponding to the vertically above the parts support area 40A, or it may be positioned outside the range corresponding to the vertically above the parts support area 40A, and the lens of the fixed imaging device 46 may be positioned so as to be angled downwards, so as to photograph the parts 13 supported by the parts support unit 40 from an angled upwards.

[0126] The fixed imaging device 46 is connected to the control unit 90 via wiring or via wireless communication, and is used to perform an inspection function to determine whether the part 13 has been processed correctly. The control unit 90 captures an image of the part 13 with the fixed imaging device 46 when the part 13 is transported from the processing unit 30 to the part support unit 40. When the image of the part 13 is input to the control unit 90, the control unit 90 detects the external shape of the part 13. The detection of the external shape of the part 13 is performed by detecting the edges (corners) of the surface shape, such as the external shape, indentations, and holes, based on the image of the part 13. Edge detection can be performed, for example, by detecting the position of the boundary corresponding to the edge from the degree of color change in the image. In addition, the control unit 90 may be equipped with an AI (artificial intelligence) function utilizing deep learning to detect the edges of the part 13.

[0127] By detecting the edge portion of part 13, the control unit 90 can execute control to detect situations where necessary cutting processes have not been performed on part 13. For example, if the cutting edge of the drill bit is broken, a situation may occur where the necessary hole drilling has not been performed. In such cases, the control unit 90 can detect this situation, temporarily stop the processing unit 30, and determine when it is time to replace the cutting tool with a new one. Furthermore, the control unit 90 executes control to detect whether a part of the outer shape processing has been performed correctly by image analysis based on an image of part 13. If a part of the outer shape processing has not been performed correctly (for example, if the hole drilling position is misaligned), the control unit 90 temporarily stops the processing unit 30 and displays on the display screen that a part of the outer shape processing has not been performed correctly. This allows workers at the pre-cutting factory or personnel at the manufacturer of the plate-shaped part manufacturing equipment 1 to take action such as updating the control program if there are any deficiencies in the control program.

[0128] Furthermore, in addition to the inspection function, other functions may be added to the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1 by analyzing images from the fixed imaging device 46 or the mobile imaging device 72 in the control unit 90. For example, the finish of the edge portion of the part 13 may be detected by image analysis, and if a certain level of deterioration in the finish of the processing is detected, such as burrs protruding beyond a preset length, the control unit 90 may execute control to display a warning to the operator. For example, the warning to the operator may include a display prompting the replacement of the tool (cutting tool) used in the processing in which the deterioration of the finish was detected.

[0129] Furthermore, when detecting deterioration of the finish of a processed product through image analysis, the deterioration of the finish and the usage time since the replacement of the tool (cutting blade) used for that processing can be recorded and aggregated. Time information corresponding to the usage time that serves as a guideline for tool (cutting blade) replacement can be output based on the deterioration of the finish. It is preferable to add a function to the plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1 that outputs this guideline time information to the manufacturer of the plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1 via a communication line such as the internet, so that the manufacturer can collect this information and easily estimate the appropriate time to replace the cutting blade.

[0130] Here, the method for detecting when it is time to replace the cutting tool is not limited to the image analysis method described above. Other detection functions may also be added. For example, the current value may be monitored while the cutting tool is being used to process part 13, and it may be detected that it is time to replace the cutting tool when the current value falls outside a certain threshold.

[0131] Furthermore, the inspection of the part 13 using images is not limited to the shape of the part 13; it may also involve checking for scratches or other damage on the surface of the part 13, verifying the correct material of the part 13 by checking the surface color or wood grain, or checking the printing by the printing device (identification information addition unit 20). For example, it may detect whether printing by the printing device is performed correctly, and by analyzing the image, it may identify whether the content of the printing is correct or whether the printing quality is above a certain level. If it is determined that the printing quality does not meet a certain level, such as a certain degree of blurring, the control unit 90 may execute a control that displays a message on its display screen prompting early verification of the identification information addition unit 20. In addition, if the necessary printing has not been performed, the processing unit 30 may be stopped and a control may be executed that displays on the display screen that it is necessary to review the problematic area in the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1, including the identification information addition unit 20. By executing such control, it is possible to easily avoid a situation in which a large number of parts 13 are manufactured without printing.

[0132] Thus, the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a fixed imaging device 46 that can capture an image of the part 13, including its outer shape, after processing by the processing unit 30, and a control unit 90 that can determine whether or not processing has been performed on the part 13 by the processing unit 30 based on the image of the part 13 acquired by the fixed imaging device 46, and execute different controls according to the result of the determination. As a result, it is possible to reduce the chances of overlooking situations where the necessary processing has not been performed on the outer shape of the part 13, and when plate-shaped parts are stacked in multiple layers by the loading unit 70, it is possible to quickly take action if the necessary processing has not been performed on the part 13. Therefore, it is possible to quickly take action against inappropriate processing of the part 13 or a decline in processing quality, making it easier to simplify work processes such as inspection work on the part 13 and additional processing at the construction site, and improving work efficiency at the construction site.

[0133] Furthermore, the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an identification information adding unit 20 that attaches a common symbol 22 to the part 13 as direction identification information capable of identifying the orientation of the part 13, and a movable imaging device 72 capable of capturing the common symbol 22 and acquiring an image of the direction identification information. The loading unit 70 identifies the orientation of the part 13 based on the image of the direction identification information acquired by the movable imaging device 72 and controls the operation of the loading unit 70. The movable imaging device 72 is provided to be movable as part of the loading unit 70, and the fixed imaging device 46 is installed immovably at a position further above the part 13 supported by the part support unit 40 than the movable imaging device 72. In other words, since the movable imaging device 72 and the fixed imaging device 46 are provided separately, each part 13 can be efficiently placed in an appropriate position by utilizing the movable imaging device 72 and the fixed imaging device 46.

[0134] Here, a preferred control example using a mobile imaging device 72 and a fixed imaging device 46 by a control unit 90 will be described. First, regarding the timing (timing) for the fixed imaging device 46 to photograph the parts 13 supported by the parts support unit 40, it is preferable that the control unit 90 identifies a timing such that a part of the loading unit 70, including the mobile imaging device 72, does not get between the fixed imaging device 46 and the parts to be inspected, such as the common symbol 22 and the external shape and processed parts of each part 13, and controls the operation of the loading unit 70 and the photography of the parts 13 by the fixed imaging device 46. Specifically, at the timing of the photography of the parts 13 by the fixed imaging device 46, the loading unit 70 may be controlled so that the holding device 71 is positioned on the side other than the parts support unit 40, or the common symbol 22 and the parts to be inspected of each part 13 may be identified as locations where the holding device 71 and the mobile imaging device 72 are located above the parts support unit 40, and the operation of the loading unit 70 may be controlled so that a part of the loading unit 70 does not get between them and the fixed imaging device 46.

[0135] Furthermore, image analysis may be performed to enable the inspection function and other functions described above by combining the image from the mobile imaging device 72 and the image from the fixed imaging device 46. For example, for areas that become blind spots due to the placement of the mobile imaging device 72 from the fixed imaging device 46, the image from the mobile imaging device 72 may be used to insert the image into the blind spot, and image analysis may be performed based on the resulting image to enable the inspection function. In this case, it is preferable that the control unit 90 controls the operation of the loading unit 70 so that the direction in which the image is captured by the mobile imaging device 72 changes, for example, by changing the shooting direction of the mobile imaging device 72 from vertically downward to diagonally downward. This makes it easier to capture an image that can completely compensate for the blind spots.

[0136] Next, a preferred example of the common symbol 22 will be further explained.

[0137] The control unit 90 does not necessarily have to include only control for printing the common symbol 22 at a position (reference position) shifted by a certain distance in a certain direction relative to the center of gravity. It is preferable to configure the control unit 90 to include control for printing the common symbol 22 at the reference position and control for printing the common symbol 22 at a position other than the reference position. For example, when the reference position is located at or near a gripping position when the surface on which the common symbol is printed (printing surface) of a small part 13 or material 12 is partially gripped for transport or positioning of the material 12, it is difficult to print the common symbol 22 at the reference position. In this case, the common symbol 22 may be attached at another position where it is possible to attach the common symbol 22, but where at least one of the direction or amount of the shift relative to the center of gravity is different from the reference position.

[0138] By using the common symbol 22 printed in a different location, the control unit 90 can control the movement of the holding device 71 to move and load the parts 13. This reduces the number of parts 13 on which the common symbol 22 cannot be printed, and reduces the number of parts 13 that need to be loaded manually by an operator. This reduces the number of situations where the plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1 has to be temporarily stopped due to the need for an operator to manually load the parts, and enables the efficient production of the laminated body 11.

[0139] Thus, it is preferable that the control unit 90 includes a control (first identification information addition control) that adds a common symbol 22 as identification information for the part 13 to a preset reference position according to the external shape of the part 13, and a control (second identification information addition control) that adds identification information to a position other than the reference position. This reduces the need for manual loading, thereby reducing the burden on workers, and enables efficient loading.

[0140] In addition, when the printing surface is gripped at a plurality of positions during the conveyance and positioning of the material 12, in the case of a configuration where the gripping portion (for example, the gripping claw that grips the material 12 in the thickness direction) that grips at the position where the common symbol 22 is added with the reference position, it is separated from the temporary printing surface. After printing the common symbol 22 at the reference position, the material 12 may be re-gripped with the gripping portion that was separated.

[0141] Also, when printing the common symbol 22 at the reference position and when printing the common symbol 22 at a position different from the reference position, the types of the common symbol 22 may be printed differently. For example, when printing at the center of gravity position, the character "circle" may be printed, and when printing at a reference position that is displaced by a certain distance in a certain direction from the center of gravity position, the character "mountain" may be printed, and the sizes of the common symbol 22 may be printed differently. Thereby, it is possible to make it easier for the control unit 90 to identify the center of gravity position and orientation of the component 13 based on the type of the common symbol 22.

[0142] Further, the control unit 90 includes a storage unit that stores the direction and amount by which the common symbol 22 printed at another position is displaced from the center of gravity or the reference position, and a storage unit that stores whether the component 13 is the one with the common symbol 22 printed at the reference position or the component 13 with the common symbol 22 printed at a position different from the reference position. The center of gravity position of the component 13 can be made identifiable based on the common symbol 22 printed at another position, and the position where the holding device 71 contacts the component 13 can be determined based on the position of the common symbol 22 printed at another position.

[0143] Next, a preferred configuration example of the control of the control unit 90 for stacking the component 13 as the laminate 11 on the stacking support portion 50 will be further described.

[0144] When a laminate 11 is completed with multiple layers of parts 13 stacked on top of each other under the control of the control unit 90, the laminate 11 is packaged with cable ties or the like, and the packaged parts 13 are loaded onto a truck or the like and shipped to the construction site. Preferably, the arrangement of the parts 13 in the situation where the laminate 11 is formed and then packaged and shipped (hereinafter also referred to as "packaging") is displayed on the control unit 90's display screen as three-dimensional data under the control of the control unit 90, or the control includes a mechanism that allows workers at a pre-cutting factory to easily recognize the packaging. This makes it easy to grasp the packaging state when the laminate 11 is loaded onto a truck before stacking begins or before processing of the parts 13. Therefore, it is possible to grasp in advance any situations where problems may arise in the state of the laminate 11 loaded onto a truck, and to easily change the arrangement of the parts 13 to be stacked as the laminate 11 as needed.

[0145] The optimal packaging shape may vary depending on differences in packaging conditions at each pre-cutting factory, differences in construction contractors, and differences in truck specifications. In response to this, including control that displays the packaging shape in 3D makes it easier for workers at pre-cutting factories to understand the packaging condition, and furthermore, it makes it easier to execute control that changes the height of the laminate 11 or, if necessary, changes some of the placement positions of the parts 13 before starting processing or loading the parts 13.

[0146] Furthermore, it is preferable that the data representing the packaging in three dimensions be output on paper, or that the data be output as packaging data to a storage medium such as flash memory, or to a portable information terminal via wireless communication, so that it can be easily understood by the contractor who opens the package and performs the work at the construction site. This allows the contractor to check the data represented in three dimensions, making it easier for the contractor to confirm which package contains which product and where it is located at the construction site where many parts 13 are delivered.

[0147] Furthermore, as a control for setting the packaging configuration, it is preferable to provide a control in the control unit 90 for changing the packaging configuration once it has been set. For example, once the packaging configuration has been set, the control unit 90 may be provided with a control that allows the operator of the pre-cutting factory to make a single package up to a specified layer range. This makes it easy for the operator to set up packaging with the packaging configuration up to the height they intend. In this case, the remaining parts 13 that do not belong to the single package with the set packaging configuration may be packaged separately as they are, or further, other parts 13 may be added to the remaining parts 13 to create a separate package.

[0148] Furthermore, it is preferable that the layer specified by the worker includes control that allows specifying the height position of the package based on the object of use in which the part 13 is used (for example, the name of the room to which one side of the roof or the floor belongs), and also includes control that allows specifying the height position of the package based on the order of work (for example, the order in which the part 13 is attached to the roof). In addition, it is preferable that the control includes printing information corresponding to these objects of use (for example, room information) and numerical information corresponding to the order of work on the part 13.

[0149] Furthermore, if a packaging configuration is set, it is preferable to assign a sequential number (internal packaging identification number) to each part 13 for each package, starting from an initial number (for example, "1"). It is preferable that this number corresponds to the order of installation. For example, if packaging configuration 1 is divided into two, it is preferable to assign a number starting from the initial number to each of the divided packages.

[0150] Furthermore, it is preferable to use the construction order information to determine the height order in the packaging, and to set the packaging so that the parts 13 that are constructed earlier are located on the top and those that are constructed later are located on the bottom. In other words, it is preferable to set the packaging so that the part 13 that will be used last among the multiple parts 13 that make up the packaging is located on the bottom layer or on a lower layer nearby. Also, it is preferable to set the processing order of the parts 13 so that the parts 13 located on the lower layers are processed earlier and the parts 13 that are constructed earlier are completed later and stacked, as this reduces the use of temporary storage areas when loading the parts 13.

[0151] If we were to arrange the parts 13 in a package configuration with the components 13 arranged from top to bottom according to the construction order, it would require a large number of support members 14, or the number of components 13 that could be placed within the height range set for the package configuration would decrease, or the order of processing and the order of loading would differ, potentially necessitating a wider temporary storage area.

[0152] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram for setting the packaging configuration. Figure 7(A) illustrates the shapes of the parts from the first part 13p, which is installed earlier in the construction sequence, to the seventh part 13v, which is installed last. The second part 13q, the fourth part 13s, and the sixth part 13u are manufactured by processing a single sheet of material 12, while the other parts 13p, 13r, 13t, and 13v are examples where material 12 is used as is and no processing is required. Figure 7(B) shows an example of packaging configuration, and Figures 7(C) and 7(D) show other examples of packaging configuration.

[0153] When the parts 13 are stacked in the order of construction, a height of 7 levels is required for the package, as shown in Figure 7(B). The figure shows the case where 6 crossbar members 14 (long crossbar members 14L) are used. As for the control of the control unit 90 in this situation, when two or more parts 13 are manufactured by processing one sheet of material 12, even if the parts 13 would be placed at different heights when stacked in the order of construction, the control is provided to place them at the same height.

[0154] In other words, the control unit 90 includes a first control that stacks the parts 13 in multiple layers based on the order of construction sequence information corresponding to the construction order of the parts 13, and a second control that, when multiple processed parts (for example, a second part 13q, a fourth part 13s, and a sixth part 13u) are processed from one material 12, places these processed parts on the same layer, even though they do not follow the order of the construction sequence information. This second control allows the three parts 13q, 13s, and 13u processed from one material 12 to be placed together on the fourth layer, as shown in Figure 7(C), and the packaging can be set without using the crossbar members 14.

[0155] Thus, by including the first control and the second control in the control unit 90, it is basically possible to make the parts 13 arranged from top to bottom according to the construction order, and multiple parts 13 manufactured from one material 12 can be placed at the same height position, even if not in construction order. This reduces the amount of crossbar members 14 that need to be discarded at the construction site, and also makes it possible to set a suitable packaging configuration that allows for a large number of parts 13 to be placed within the height range set for the packaging configuration.

[0156] Furthermore, the second control is implemented only when certain conditions are met, and it is preferable that the system be configured such that the second control takes precedence over the first control, and the first control takes precedence over the second control. Examples of these certain conditions include when the deviation from the construction order is within a certain range (for example, within 3 or 5 steps) or when the deviation of height layers that would result in different heights if the construction order were followed is within a certain range (for example, within 3 layers). It is preferable that the control unit 90 be configured so that the operator can select these certain conditions.

[0157] Figure 7(C) illustrates a case where the deviation in the construction order is within 5 steps, and Figure 7(D) illustrates a case where the deviation in the construction order is within 3 steps. In the case of Figure 7(C), in order to construct the third part 13r after constructing the second part 13q, the fourth part 13s and the sixth part 13u must be temporarily placed in a different location at the same time, and the sixth part 13u must remain temporarily placed from the third part 13r until the fifth part 13t is constructed. On the other hand, in the case of Figure 7(D), the fourth part 13s only needs to be temporarily placed for the duration of the construction of the third part 13r. In other words, by implementing the second control only when certain conditions are met, it is possible to set up a packaging configuration that reduces the number of locations and times where temporary placement of parts 13 is required at the construction site.

[0158] Next, a preferred configuration example for controlling the control unit 90 in a situation where the holding device 71 is in contact with the component 13 supported by the component support unit 40 will be described.

[0159] The holding device 71 can be constructed using multiple suction pads, multiple suction cup-shaped members, or multiple claw members. In this case, the holding device 71 may have a directional shape, such as being rectangular or a combination of multiple rectangles, rather than being circular when viewed from above. In this case, it is preferable to configure the control of the control unit 90 so that the holding device 71 does not contact the part 13 at a predetermined position and orientation relative to the shape of the part 13, but rather can contact the part 13 at different positions and orientations when viewed from above, depending on the external shape of the part 13 or the processed area from which it was taken from the material 12. For example, in a situation where a common symbol 22 is printed on the part 13, it is preferable to include not only control for the holding device 71 to contact the part 13 in an orientation corresponding to the common symbol 22 and move the part 13, but also control for contacting the part 13 in an orientation different from the orientation corresponding to the common symbol 22 (for example, an orientation rotated 90 degrees or 180 degrees when viewed from above) and moving the part 13.

[0160] As a result, even if the part 13 is supported in a position where the fall prevention wall 45 (see Figure 3(C)) that prevents the part 13 from falling from the support belt 43 of the part support section 40 and the holding device 71 would interfere with each other in the basic orientation, the part 13 can be efficiently moved to the stacking support section 50 by making contact with the part 13 in a different orientation. As a result, the control unit 90 determines that the part 13 cannot be moved by the holding device 71, reducing the need for the worker to manually move the part 13. The determination of whether movement is possible based on the relative position of the fall prevention wall 45 and the part 13 may be made using an image captured by the fixed imaging device 46, or the position information of the fall prevention wall 45 may be stored in the control unit 90, and the determination may be made based on that position information and the position and orientation of the captured common symbol 22.

[0161] Alternatively, the control may be performed to move the part 13 by changing only the position at which the holding device 71 contacts the part 13, without changing the direction in which the holding device 71 contacts the part 13. Or, the control may be performed to move the part 13 by contacting it at a relative position other than the relative position 1 corresponding to the common symbol 22 (for example, a position shifted 10 cm relative to the common symbol 22 when viewed from above) (for example, a position shifted 20 cm or 30 cm relative to the common symbol 22 when viewed from above). It is preferable to set priorities and perform multiple stages of determination when determining the orientation and position in which the holding device 71 contacts the part. For example, it may be determined whether the holding device 71 can hold the part 13 by rotating it around an axis centered in the vertical direction from the basic orientation in which it should hold the part. If it can hold the part, control may be performed to hold and move the part 13 with a different orientation. If it cannot hold the part, it may be determined whether the holding device 71 can hold the part 13 at a contact position shifted from the basic contact position. If it can hold the part, control may be performed to hold and move the part 13 with a different contact position.

[0162] Furthermore, the control unit 90 does not need to determine the contact position of the basic holding device 71 based on the common symbol 22. It may determine the basic contact position without relying on the common symbol 22. For example, the external shape of the component 13 may be photographed by a fixed imaging device 46, and the basic contact position may be determined based on the captured image.

[0163] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it is easy to infer that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it may be implemented in the following modified forms.

[0164] In the above embodiment, the orientation of the part 13 was detected using orientation identification information. However, the orientation of the part 13 may be detected by detecting the outer shape of the part 13 using a fixed imaging device 46, and the movement of the loading unit 70 may be controlled using the detection result. In this case, the operation of the loading unit 70 may be controlled by combining the detected orientation of the part 13 with the orientation of the orientation identification information, or the printing of the orientation identification information may be omitted, or the operation of the loading unit 70 may be controlled without the moving imaging device 72. Alternatively, the movement of the moving imaging device 72 may be controlled so that the outer shape of the part 13 is detected by the moving imaging device 72, and the image captured by the moving imaging device 72 may be used instead of the image captured by the fixed imaging device 46 to perform inspection functions, etc. In this case, the fixed imaging device 46 may be omitted.

[0165] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a case was described in which a fixed imaging device 46 is installed at one location where the component 13 supported by the component support 40 can be photographed. However, the installation location of the fixed imaging device 46 is not limited to this location; it may be at another location, or at two or more locations. In addition, the configuration may include one or more fixed imaging devices capable of photographing materials 12 or components 13 supported at locations other than the component 13 supported by the component support 40 (any or a combination of two of the material support 10, identification information addition 20, processing 30, lamination support 50, and cross member support 60).

[0166] For example, a fixed imaging device may be installed in a position where the component 13 supported by the stacking support 50 can be imaged (for example, above the stacking support 50). In this case, it is preferable to provide a mechanism (lifter mechanism) that allows the upper surface of the stacking support 50 to move vertically so that the vertical distance between the installed fixed imaging device and the component 13 to be photographed is approximately constant. When a component 13 is stacked on the top surface, the upper surface is then lowered by the thickness of the component 13 so that the upper surface of the next component 13 to be stacked is always at a constant height. This makes it easier to properly photograph the component 13 and reduces the amount of vertical movement of the stacking section 70 when stacking the components 13, making it easier to stack a large number of components 13 in a short time.

[0167] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, although the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1 described a configuration in which, even if the material 12 itself is a non-processing part that does not require processing by the processing unit 30 and is used as the part 13, it is moved to the stacking support unit 50 through the identification information addition unit 20, the processing unit 30 and the part support unit 40, the material 12 that is a non-processing part may be moved directly from the material support unit 10 to the stacking support unit 50. For these non-processing parts and parts of the shape of the outer shape of the part 13 that utilizes the outer shape of the material 12 itself, since processing is not required for those parts, image analysis using images captured by the fixed imaging device 46 may be omitted. For example, if one side of a rectangular outer shape is left unprocessed, image analysis for that unprocessed side may be omitted, and image analysis may be performed only on the remaining sides to execute inspection control. Alternatively, for parts 13 in which no processing is performed on the outer shape, the capture by the fixed imaging device 46 and the control related to inspection based on the captured images may be omitted.

[0168] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, control for plate-shaped parts 13 was described as an inspection function and other functions added to the control using the fixed imaging device 46 and the control unit 90. However, the inspection function and other functions such as detecting when to replace the blade may also be performed as control for structural members such as columns and horizontal members that form the framework of a building, or other parts such as framing members.

[0169] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1 is configured to move parts 13 and crossbar members 14 by the loading section 70, but it may also be configured to move the material 12 by the operating device 73, for example, by moving the material from the material support section 10 to the identification information addition section 20, or by moving the material 12 from the identification information addition section 20 to the processing section 30. Moreover, the plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus 1 may also be configured to move material 12 that does not require processing by the processing section 30 from the material support section 10 or the identification information addition section 20 to the stacking support section 50 by the loading section 70.

[0170] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the loading section 70 of the plate-shaped parts manufacturing apparatus 1 was controlled by the control unit 90, and based on the direction identification information (common symbol 22), the parts 13 and crossbar members 14 as processed parts were stacked in multiple layers. However, it is not always necessary to use the direction identification information when stacking in multiple layers. Instead, or in addition to this, the direction identification information may be used to move the processed parts. For example, the direction identification information may be used in the control of the control unit 90 when moving the processed parts to a support stand where they can be temporarily placed.

[0171] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was given in which the identification information addition unit 20 prints on the part 13. However, instead of this, or in addition to this, a function that allows printing to be performed at another location may be provided. For example, a printing device may be provided on any or more of the material support unit 10, the stacking support unit 50, or the loading unit 70. For example, a printing device may be added to the location where the holding device 71 of the loading unit 70 is provided, so as to be movable together with the holding device 71. In this case, even for parts that do not require processing, identification information such as the common symbol 22 can be printed, and the part 13 can be directly moved from the material support unit 10 to the stacking support unit 50. [Industrial applicability]

[0172] As described above, this invention is suitable for plate-shaped component moving devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0173] 1…Plate-shaped part manufacturing apparatus, 11…Laminate, 12…Material, 13,13a~13d…Parts, 10…Material support section, 20…Identification information addition section (identification information addition means), 21…Barcode, 22…Common symbol (direction identification information), 30…Processing section (processing apparatus), 40…Part support section (processed part support means), 46…Fixed imaging device (part imaging means), 50…Laminate support section, 60…Cross member support section (cross member support means), 70…Loading section (loading means), 71…Holding device (contact section), 72…Moving imaging device (direction identification information imaging means), 80…Remaining material collection section, 90…Control unit (arrangement storage means, loading control means)

Claims

1. A processed part made by a processing device capable of dividing a plate-shaped material into multiple parts, comprising a loading means that identifies the orientation of the processed part and stacks the plate-shaped part in multiple layers, A loading means for storing the position and orientation of the components when the components are stacked in the multiple layers, A processing part support means for supporting the processing part processed by the processing device in a processing part support area set to a size that allows the aforementioned plate-shaped material to be placed, The system includes a loading control means that identifies the orientation of the processed part supported by the processed part support means and controls the operation of the loading means so that the orientation of the part is as stored by the arrangement storage means, thereby stacking the plate-shaped parts in multiple layers. The loading control means includes a first control that stacks the parts in multiple layers based on the order of construction sequence information corresponding to the order of the parts' construction, and a second control that, when multiple processed parts are processed from one material, places the multiple processed parts in the same layer, even if they do not follow the order of the construction sequence information. A plate-shaped part moving device is configured to perform the second control, which arranges the multiple processed parts on the same layer, even though they are not in the order of the construction sequence information, when the multiple processed parts are processed from a material 1, provided that at least one of the following conditions is met: the deviation from the order is within a certain range of sequential deviations, even though the parts are not in the order of the construction sequence information; or the deviation in height layers, which would result in the parts being placed on different height layers if the parts were arranged according to the order of the construction sequence information, is within a certain range of layer deviations.

2. The plate-shaped component moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second control is executed only when certain conditions are met, and is configured such that the second control takes precedence over the first control, and the first control takes precedence over the second control.

Images