Solution system for managing point of production by manufacturing robot based on robot operating system

Abstract

The present invention comprises a plurality of welding collaborative robots (110) connected via a welding machine interface and controlled by an individual controller (111) to perform welding work on a production line via a welding machine (113) coupled to an actuator (112); a sensor unit (120) coupled to the welding collaborative robots (110) to collect welding data for a workpiece in parallel; a control unit (130) based on a Robot Operating System (ROS) that receives welding data, monitors the work status of the welding collaborative robots (110) in real time to generate work execution information, and controls the welding collaborative robots (110) via a welding machine interface; and a management server (140) that databases welding data transmitted from the plurality of welding collaborative robots (110) in a POP DB (141) via a single channel for integrated management, manages the Point of Production (POP) using the welding data stored in the POP DB (141) to integrate and manage the production point, analyzes the operating rate, and manages the process quality, thereby efficiently performing the manufacturing process and improving quality. We disclose a production point management solution system based on ROS manufacturing robots that facilitates maintenance and management.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a production point management solution system using a ROS-based manufacturing robot, which efficiently performs manufacturing processes, improves quality, and facilitates maintenance and management through a production point management system to which a ROS-based welding collaborative robot management system is applied. Background Technology

[0003] As is well known, robotic welding systems and collaborative robots in the welding industry have been continuously evolving in line with the trends of automation and digitalization. In particular, the use of robotic welding systems is increasing due to advancements in industrial robot technology, which enables high-precision and high-efficiency welding operations. Furthermore, due to recent technological advancements, collaborative robots that allow humans to work alongside robots performing welding tasks are gaining attention, presenting new production methods that can improve productivity and ensure human safety.

[0004] However, when collaborative robots are operated in large numbers in the field, there is a possibility of network bottlenecks occurring when using existing networks. Furthermore, since robots may also use the network to communicate with their individual sensors and actuators, connecting multiple robots to the network can lead to slow data transmission speeds and latency, which may result in reduced work time and productivity, or even cause control failures.

[0005] Furthermore, collaborative robots generate a large amount of data in real time. Information such as the robot's position, angle, speed, torque, and status is generated in real time, but conventionally, this data is classified as having low importance and is treated merely as massive volatile data.

[0006] Furthermore, when managing, controlling, or monitoring a large number of collaborative robots, it is difficult to efficiently manage multiple robots using conventional methods. For instance, it is difficult to perform various tasks such as monitoring robot status, diagnosing faults, transmitting control commands, and managing work schedules, and communication and synchronization issues between robots may also arise.

[0007] Furthermore, the robots owned by a company consist of a mix of robots from various manufacturers, possess non-standardized communication methods and contact outputs, or were not considered for data integration during initial introduction. Consequently, collecting and integrating equipment data requires custom development that demands significant time and cost, and compatibility issues with the existing system may also arise with robots added later.

[0008] Accordingly, there is a need for technology that enables efficient execution of manufacturing processes, quality improvement, and easy maintenance and management through a production management point-of-care system incorporating an ROS-based welding collaborative robot management system. Prior art literature

[0010] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2548502 (Smart Factory System, June 28, 2023) Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1469108 (Production and Welding Quality Control Device for Industrial Robots, Dec. 4, 2014) The problem to be solved

[0011] The technical objective of the present invention is to provide a production point management solution system based on a ROS-based manufacturing robot, which enables efficient execution of manufacturing processes, improved quality, and facilitated maintenance and management through a production point management system to which a ROS-based welding collaborative robot management system is applied. means of solving the problem

[0013] To achieve the aforementioned objective, a production time management solution system using a ROS-based manufacturing robot according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a plurality of welding collaborative robots connected via a welding machine interface and controlled by individual controllers to perform welding operations on a production line via welding machines coupled to actuators; a sensor unit coupled to the welding collaborative robots to collect welding data for a workpiece in parallel; and a control unit based on ROS (Robot Operating System) that receives the welding data, monitors the working status of the welding collaborative robots in real time to generate work execution information, and controls the welding collaborative robots via the welding machine interface. The system includes a management server that databases welding data transmitted from the plurality of welding collaborative robots in a POP DB and manages it in an integrated manner through a single channel, and manages the Point of Production (POP) in an integrated manner using the welding data stored in the POP DB, analyzes the operating rate, and manages process quality; wherein the ROS uses a distributed system architecture that communicates with the welding collaborative robots based on a Publish / Subscribe model using a TCP / IP-based message protocol, and the control unit controls the plurality of welding collaborative robots to cooperate by coordinating the work sequence and work processing method among them through the Master / Slave architecture of the ROS; and the management server is configured to detect through the sensor unit when some of the plurality of welding collaborative robots fail or consumables are depleted, and to minimize the downtime of the production line by deploying a replacement welding collaborative robot or transmitting an emergency stop command to the control unit. According to a preferred embodiment, the management server performs control, stability evaluation, safety evaluation, and error inspection of the collaborative robots by utilizing welding data, which is big data collected through the ROS. According to a preferred embodiment, the welding data includes production line status information, welding status information, product defect rate information, and production volume information.

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[0026] According to a preferred embodiment, the sensor unit includes a current sensor collecting a range of 0 to 500A, a voltage sensor detecting up to 100V, a shielding gas flow sensor detecting a flow rate up to 50LPM, a welding arc signal detection sensor, and a welding speed measurement sensor. Effects of the invention

[0027] According to the present invention, by using a distributed system architecture of ROS, it is possible to minimize network bottlenecks even in large-scale smart factories where multiple welding collaborative robots are deployed. Furthermore, by coordinating the work sequence and processing methods among welding collaborative robots to enable collaboration, manufacturing processes can be performed efficiently, thereby improving productivity and process efficiency and preventing conflicts. Additionally, by utilizing big data collected through ROS to perform control, stability evaluation, safety evaluation, and error checking of the collaborative robots, the overall reliability of the system is enhanced to improve quality. Moreover, maintenance and management are facilitated to reduce maintenance time and manufacturing costs. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0029] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic configuration diagram of a production time management solution system based on a ROS-based manufacturing robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 illustrates a conceptual diagram of a production point management solution system based on a ROS-based manufacturing robot of Figure 1. Figure 3 illustrates a ROS data flow diagram of a production point management solution system based on a ROS-based manufacturing robot of Figure 1. Figure 4 illustrates the screens of the POP software of the production point management solution system based on the ROS-based manufacturing robot of Figure 1. Figure 5 illustrates welding data of a production point management solution system based on a ROS-based manufacturing robot of Figure 1. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention having the aforementioned features will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0032] A production point management solution system based on a ROS-based manufacturing robot according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a plurality of welding cooperative robots (110) connected via a welding machine interface and controlled by an individual controller (111) to perform welding work on a production line via a welding machine (113) coupled to an actuator (112); a sensor unit (120) coupled to the welding cooperative robots (110) to collect welding data for a workpiece in parallel; a control unit (130) based on ROS (Robot Operating System) that receives welding data, monitors the work status of the welding cooperative robots (110) in real time to generate work execution information, and controls the welding cooperative robots (110) via a welding machine interface; and, through a single channel, databases welding data transmitted from the plurality of welding cooperative robots (110) into a POP DB (141) for integrated management, and uses the welding data stored in the POP DB (141) to manage the production point (POP; Point of Production) in an integrated manner, analyze the operating rate, and manage process quality. The main point is to efficiently perform the manufacturing process, improve quality, and facilitate maintenance and management, including the management server (140).

[0034] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a production point management solution system based on a ROS-based manufacturing robot with the aforementioned configuration will be described in detail as follows.

[0036] First, a plurality of welding cooperative robots (110), with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, are individually connected through a welding machine interface and controlled by an individual controller (111), and perform welding work on a workpiece on a production line of a robot-utilizing smart factory through a welding machine (113) coupled to an actuator (112).

[0038] Next, the sensor unit (120), with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, is coupled to each welding cooperative robot (110) to collect welding data for the workpiece in parallel and transmit the welding data to a control unit (130) connected to a TCP / IP network through a welding machine interface.

[0039] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the sensor unit (120) collects welding data of selected items for standardization required for application in a welding production plant, and may include, for example, a current sensor that detects arc current, a voltage sensor that detects arc voltage, a shielding gas flow sensor, a welding arc signal detection sensor, and a welding speed measurement sensor.

[0040] For example, the current sensor can be applied to welding from low-current GMAW to high-current SAW by using a sensor that collects from 0 to 500A, the voltage sensor can be applied to detect up to 100V OCV up to enable voltage detection in most arc welding processes, and the shielding gas flow sensor can be applied to detect flow up to 50LPM.

[0042] Next, the control unit (130), with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, is built based on ROS (Robot Operating System) and receives welding data from the sensor unit (120), monitors the working status of the welding collaborative robot (110) in real time, generates work execution information to accurately determine the status at each stage, transmits the work execution information to the management server (140), and controls the welding collaborative robot (110) individually through the welding machine interface.

[0043] Here, the control unit (130) can coordinate the work order and work processing method among multiple welding collaborative robots (110) to enable collaboration. That is, the aforementioned ROS uses a distributed system architecture, so that even if the number of welding collaborative robots (110) connected through the welding machine interface increases, the bottleneck of the TCP / IP network can be minimized, thereby enabling the implementation of a large-scale smart factory. Additionally, by coordinating the work order and work processing method among multiple welding collaborative robots (110) to enable collaboration, productivity and process efficiency can be improved and collisions can be prevented.

[0044] In addition, the control unit (130) enables parallel monitoring and integrated control of each welding cooperative robot (110) through a welding machine interface in which a general-purpose program is implemented, and can reduce costs by eliminating the need for a separate collection device.

[0045] Here, ROS can be configured to support communication with the welding collaborative robot (110) based on a Publish / Subscribe model using a TCP / IP-based message protocol. That is, ROS uses a distributed system architecture that communicates with the welding collaborative robot (110) based on a Publish / Subscribe model using a TCP / IP-based message protocol.

[0046] Meanwhile, FIG. 3 illustrates a ROS data flow diagram of a production time management solution system based on a ROS-based manufacturing robot of FIG. 1. By referring to FIG. 3, welding collaborative robots (110) can exchange status and work information with each other and perform collaborative work based on this. ROS can facilitate network connection management between welding collaborative robots (110) by using a Master / Slave architecture. That is, the control unit controls collaboration by coordinating the work order and work processing method among multiple welding collaborative robots through the Master / Slave architecture of ROS.

[0048] Next, the management server (140), referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, databases welding data transmitted from multiple welding collaborative robots (110) through a single channel into a POP DB (141) for integrated management, and uses the welding data stored in the POP DB (141) of the hosting server or cloud server to manage the Point of Production (POP) in an integrated manner, analyzes the welding collaborative robots (110), and manages the process quality of the production line.

[0049] That is, the management server (140) can communicate directly with a ROS-based general-purpose program via a single channel to enable integrated control and management of multiple welding collaborative robots (110) and equipment.

[0050] For example, the management server (140) can improve stability and reliability by analyzing welding data stored in the POP DB (141) to perform stability evaluation of the entire production line and error inspection of the welding collaborative robot (110). By utilizing the welding data of the welding collaborative robot (110), which is big data collected through ROS, the system can improve the overall reliability of the system by performing control, stability evaluation, safety evaluation, and error inspection of the welding collaborative robot (110), reduce maintenance time, reduce manufacturing costs, and transmit information regarding equipment abnormalities to an administrator terminal (not shown).

[0051] Here, welding data may include production line status information, welding status information, product defect rate information, and production volume information, and the management server (140) can utilize the welding data exemplified above to identify various factors affecting the production line and optimize the process efficiency of the production line.

[0052] Additionally, the management server (140) may further include a host PC (142) equipped with POP main software and a client PC (143) equipped with POP client software.

[0053] In addition, Figure 4 illustrates the screens of the POP software of the production point management solution system based on the ROS-based manufacturing robot of Figure 1. Through the POP software, welding data can be monitored in real time as in (a), detailed equipment information as in (b), daily statistical information as in (c), and weekly statistical information as in (d).

[0055] Additionally, the management server (140) can detect equipment malfunctions, such as failure of some of the multiple welding collaborative robots (110) or depletion of consumables, through the sensor unit (120) and urgently transmit an emergency stop command to the control unit (130) to deploy a replacement welding collaborative robot (110) to continuously operate the production line and reduce the downtime rate, or to perform an emergency stop to replace it, or to perform maintenance on the corresponding welding collaborative robot (110). That is, the management server detects failure or depletion of consumables of some of the multiple welding collaborative robots through the sensor unit and minimizes the downtime rate of the production line by deploying a replacement welding collaborative robot or transmitting an emergency stop command to the control unit.

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[0057] To add further details, the connection between the smart factory and the welding collaborative robot (110) is expected to contribute significantly to improving productivity and solving the problem of labor shortages. However, to efficiently manage such a large number of robots, it is essential to connect with an integrated production management system, as in this embodiment, rather than operating a single robot system. Among these, the application of a work performance-based POP system is required. As mentioned earlier, the POP system can collect and analyze data generated during the product production process and be used importantly for optimizing production plans. When used in conjunction with the ROS system, the production capacity of the robots can be maximized, production status can be checked in real time, and it can contribute to management decision-making, such as adjusting the timing of input of manpower and materials and production volume.

[0059] In addition, even if robots from various manufacturers are mixed, the management server (140) can perform simple controls such as robot home return and emergency stop using a general-purpose software program utilizing ROS-based advanced robots, and enable overall monitoring of the smart factory, and can achieve productivity improvement and cost reduction by efficiently allocating resources such as equipment and personnel through operation rate analysis.

[0061] Therefore, by configuring a production point management solution system based on ROS manufacturing robots as described above, it is possible to minimize network bottlenecks even in large-scale smart factories where multiple welding collaborative robots are deployed by utilizing the distributed system architecture of ROS. Furthermore, by coordinating the work sequence and processing methods among welding collaborative robots to enable collaboration, manufacturing processes can be performed efficiently, thereby improving productivity and process efficiency and preventing conflicts. Additionally, by utilizing big data collected through ROS to perform control, stability evaluation, safety evaluation, and error checking of the collaborative robots, the overall reliability of the system can be enhanced to improve quality, and maintenance and management can be facilitated to reduce maintenance time and manufacturing costs.

[0063] The embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all technical ideas of the present invention; therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application. Explanation of the symbols

[0065] 110: Welding collaborative robot 111: Controller 112 : Actuator 113 : Welder 120 : Sensor unit 130 : Control unit 140 : Management Server 141 : POP DB 142 : Host PC 143 : Client PC

Claims

Claim 1 A plurality of welding collaborative robots connected via a welding machine interface, controlled by individual controllers, and performing welding operations on a production line through welding machines coupled to actuators; a sensor unit coupled to the welding collaborative robots and collecting welding data for a workpiece in parallel; and a control unit based on ROS (Robot Operating System) that receives the welding data, monitors the working status of the welding collaborative robots in real time to generate work execution information, and controls the welding collaborative robots via the welding machine interface. A ROS-based production point management solution system for manufacturing robots, comprising: a management server that databases and manages welding data transmitted from a plurality of welding collaborative robots in a POP DB through a single channel, manages the production point (POP; Point of Production) in an integrated manner using the welding data stored in the POP DB, analyzes the operating rate, and manages process quality; wherein the ROS uses a distributed system architecture that communicates with welding collaborative robots based on a Publish / Subscribe model using a TCP / IP-based message protocol, and the control unit controls the plurality of welding collaborative robots to cooperate by coordinating the work sequence and work processing method among them through the Master / Slave architecture of the ROS, and the management server is configured to detect through the sensor unit when some of the plurality of welding collaborative robots fail or consumables are depleted, and to minimize the downtime of the production line by deploying a replacement welding collaborative robot or transmitting an emergency stop command to the control unit. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 A production point management solution system by a ROS-based manufacturing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the management server performs control, stability evaluation, safety evaluation, and error inspection of the collaborative robot by utilizing welding data, which is big data collected through the ROS. Claim 5 A production point management solution system by a ROS-based manufacturing robot, characterized in that, in claim 1, the welding data includes production line status information, welding status information, product defect rate information, and production volume information. Claim 6 delete Claim 7 A production time management solution system by an ROS-based manufacturing robot, wherein, in claim 1, the sensor unit comprises a current sensor collecting a range of 0 to 500A, a voltage sensor detecting up to 100V, a shielding gas flow sensor detecting a flow rate up to 50LPM, a welding arc signal detection sensor, and a welding speed measurement sensor.

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