Conveyance system

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a conveyance system that can shorten the time required for picking and piling, even when nesting results are different each time. [Solution] This conveyance system is configured such that during a step for processing a material into products with a plurality of shapes, the operation of a sorting conveyance means that performs picking and piling of the processed products is subjected to teaching-less command control on the basis of information regarding the two-dimensional shape of each product, whereby the processed products can be conveyed to a stand that is outside of a processing surface plate for the material.

Description

Transport System

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyance system for picking and piling processed products in a process of processing materials into products of a plurality of shapes.

[0002] An example of a process that involves processing a material into products of a plurality of shapes is cutting a steel plate using a laser cutting machine.

[0003] In cutting steel plates with a laser cutting machine, the material is placed on a processing table and then cut by the laser cutting machine.

[0004] In the cutting of steel plates using laser cutting machines, automation of nesting is progressing, which can improve material yield rates.

[0005] If multiple orders for processing the same steel plate can be consolidated, they can be nested into as large a number of steel plates as possible, which will simultaneously reduce processing costs, shorten processing time, and improve material yield.

[0006] On the other hand, after cutting is performed based on the nesting, the processed products are picked and piled.

[0007] The larger the steel plate, the greater the number and variety of processed products, and the greater the number of combined orders, the longer the time required to pick and pile the processed products.

[0008] The time required to pick and pile processed products is an obstacle to shortening the lead time from order to delivery.

[0009] If steel plates that have already been processed occupy space on the processing table until picking is complete, the operating rate of the laser processing machine will decrease. By quickly shortening the time required for picking and piling, the operating rate of the laser processing machine can be improved.

[0010] Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, automation has been achieved by utilizing picking and piling sorting robots and the like.

[0011] JP 2019-188408 A

[0012] However, when picking and piling are performed by a sorting robot or the like, it is necessary to teach the sorting robot or the like how to operate.

[0013] Even if the nesting results are different each time, due to delivery deadlines, there is no time to teach the sorting robot or other equipment how to operate each time.

[0014] Even if picking and piling are automated using a sorting robot or the like, there is a problem in that it is difficult to reduce the time required for picking and piling if teaching is required.

[0015] Therefore, if the nesting results are different each time, the worker may have to stand on the processing surface plate and manually pick and pile the products.

[0016] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a conveyance system that can reduce the time required for picking and piling even when the nesting results vary each time.

[0017] The conveying system of claim 1 is capable of transporting processed products to a platform outside the material processing table by command-controlling the operation of the sorting and conveying means that picks and piles the processed products in a process of processing materials into products of multiple shapes without teaching, based on information about the two-dimensional shape of each product.

[0018] According to the conveyance system of claim 1, the time required for picking and piling can be reduced, and the start time of processing can be brought as close as possible to the delivery date in the lead time from request to delivery date. This increases the degree of freedom in combining multiple requests, and further improves the yield rate of materials in nesting.

[0019] The conveying system of claim 2 of the present invention is the conveying system of claim 1, in which the information on the two-dimensional shape of each product is information used to classify each product by setting an arbitrary two-dimensional reference geometric shape in the command control of the operation of the sorting conveying means and comparing the two-dimensional shape of each product with the two-dimensional reference geometric shape, and the processed products are conveyed to a predetermined position on the platform based on this information used to classify each product.

[0020] According to the conveying system of claim 2, in addition to the same effects as those of claim 1, each product can be sorted and the processed products can be conveyed efficiently.

[0021] The conveying system of claim 3 of the present invention is the conveying system of claim 2, in which, in command control of the operation of the sorting conveying means, each product classified by shape can be stacked in order of weight at a predetermined position on the platform based on information on the weight of each product within the same classification.

[0022] According to the conveying system of claim 3, in addition to the same advantageous effects as those of claim 2, products can be stacked on the table.

[0023] A conveying system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the conveying system according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein in the command control of the operation of the sorting conveying means, each product is sorted by order request and conveyed to a predetermined position on the table.

[0024] According to the conveying system of claim 4, in addition to the same effects as any one of claims 1 to 3, it is possible to convey products so that they are grouped together on the table by orderer.

[0025] The conveying system of claim 5 of the present invention is a conveying system of any of claims 1 to 3, in which the operation of the sorting conveying means is command-controlled based on material placement correction information on the processing table, and coordinate correction is performed for the picking position of the product after processing by the sorting conveying means.

[0026] According to the conveyance system of claim 5, in addition to the same effects as any of claims 1 to 3, accurate picking is possible.

[0027] The conveying system of claim 6 of the present invention is the conveying system of claim 4, in which, in command control of the operation of the sorting conveying means, coordinate correction of the picking position of the product after processing by the sorting conveying means is performed based on material placement correction information on the processing table.

[0028] According to the conveyance system of claim 6, in addition to the same effects as those of claim 4, accurate picking is possible.

[0029] The conveyance system of the present invention can shorten the time required for picking and piling even when the nesting results are different each time. Furthermore, by minimizing the total work time that workers spend standing on the processing table, it is possible to improve work safety and reduce the number of workers required.

[0030] The present invention relates to a conveying system for cutting a material into a plurality of shapes, a plan view showing an outline of a configuration for performing laser cutting, and a front view showing an outline of a configuration for performing laser cutting.

[0031] As an example of a process for processing materials into products of a plurality of shapes using the conveyance system of one embodiment of the present invention, cutting of steel plate by a laser cutting machine will be described.

[0032] The laser cutting system comprises a processing table 1 on which the steel plate 100, which is the material, is placed, cutting machine rails 2 and 3 which are provided on both sides of the width of the processing table 1 and extend in the longitudinal direction of the processing table 1, a laser cutting machine 4 which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the processing table 1 on the cutting machine rails 2 and 3 and which laser cuts the steel plate 100 placed on the processing table, a placement table 5 on which picked products are placed, a sorting and conveying means 6 which picks up the products from the processing table 1 after laser cutting and conveys them to the placement table 5, and a sorting and conveying means rail 7 which is provided on the outside of one of the cutting machine rails 2 when viewed from the processing table 1.

[0033] The sorting and conveying means 6 has a main body 61 that is movable in the longitudinal direction of the processing table 1 on the sorting and conveying means rail 7, a beam portion 62 whose base end is supported by the main body 61 and whose tip extends out in the width direction of the processing table 1, and an suction unit 63 that is movable in the width direction of the processing table 1 between the tip side and base end side of the beam portion 62.

[0034] The suction unit 63 itself is also movable in the vertical direction in the front view of FIG. 3, that is, in the direction in which the lower end of the suction unit 63 approaches and moves away from the steel plate 10 .

[0035] The laser cutting machine 4 and the sorting and conveying means 6 are able to pass each other when the processing surface plate 1 moves in the longitudinal direction.

[0036] Since the laser cutting machine 4 and the sorting and conveying means 6 can pass each other, the cutting by the laser cutting machine 4 and the picking and piling by the sorting and conveying means 6 can be performed simultaneously on different steel plates 10 .

[0037] This can improve the efficiency of cutting, sorting and transporting.

[0038] When cutting steel plates with a laser cutting machine, nesting is first performed in S1. In order to improve the material yield rate, multiple orders are grouped together and nested. In some cases, nesting is performed to cut more than 100 products from a single steel plate measuring 1524 mm x 6096 mm.

[0039] Next, in S2, operation data for the sorting and conveying means is created automatically based on the nesting data.

[0040] The nesting data provides information about the two-dimensional shape of each product. In the conveyance system of this embodiment, a two-dimensional reference geometric shape is set in advance.

[0041] Each product is classified by comparing its two-dimensional shape with a two-dimensional reference geometric shape.

[0042] The classification of each product is carried out, for example, as follows:

[0043] Rectangles of two sizes, "large" and "small," are set as two-dimensional reference geometric shapes.

[0044] The two-dimensional shape of each product is compared to a "large" and a "small" rectangle.

[0045] Each product can be classified into three types: smaller than the "small" rectangle, larger than the "small" rectangle but smaller than the "large" rectangle, or larger than the "large" rectangle.

[0046] Based on the classification data for each product, operation data is created for the sorting and transporting means for picking the product from the materials, which will be described later, and for transporting the processed product to a predetermined position on the table by piling.

[0047] The operation data of the sorting and conveying means also allows a plurality of products to be stacked in descending order of weight at a predetermined position on the table based on the weight of each product in the same category.

[0048] The operation data for the sorting and transporting means allows the products to be sorted by order request on the table and transported together to a predetermined position on the table.

[0049] Next, in S3, the position of the steel plate on the processing surface plate is measured, for example, by an imaging means, and information on correction of the position of the steel plate is obtained from the measured data.

[0050] Next, in S4, the coordinates of the product picking positions in the sorting and conveying means, which will be described later, are corrected based on this arrangement correction information.

[0051] Next, in S5, the steel plate is cut by a laser cutting machine based on the nesting.

[0052] Next, in S6, the sorting and conveying means operates under instruction control without teaching, and automatically conveys each cut product from the steel plate to a table outside the material processing surface plate in order.

[0053] In the above embodiment, cutting using a laser cutting machine was described as an example of a process for processing materials into products of multiple shapes, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the conveying system of the present invention may be used in metal processing that changes shape, such as machining other than laser processing, plastic processing, casting, and powder metallurgy.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the material is a steel plate, but this is not limiting. The material may be a metal material other than steel, or a non-metal material, and the shape of the material may be a bar material other than a plate material.

[0055] In the above embodiment, a rectangle is set as the two-dimensional reference geometric shape, but this is not limiting. The two-dimensional reference geometric shape may be a polygon other than a rectangle, a circle, or the like.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the two-dimensional shape of each product is compared with the two-dimensional reference geometric shape in terms of size, but this is not limiting. For example, the two-dimensional shape of each product may be compared with the two-dimensional reference geometric shape in terms of other aspects such as weight, number of vertices, etc.

[0057] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the case where the stand 5 is between the cutting machine rails 2 and 3 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The position of the stand can be freely changed, for example, to the outside of the cutting machine rails as viewed from the processing surface plate.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the table 5 is described as being as shown in Figures 2 and 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the table may have a belt conveyor, and the products placed on the table may be successively discharged by the belt conveyor to the next cutting process.

[0059] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Processing surface plate 2 Cutting machine rail 3 Cutting machine rail 4 Laser cutting machine 5 Stand 6 Sorting and conveying means 7 Sorting and conveying means rail 10 Steel plate 61 Main body 62 Beam 63 Suction unit

Claims

1. A conveying system characterized by the fact that in a process of processing materials into products of multiple shapes, the operation of a sorting and conveying means that picks and piles the processed products is command-controlled without teaching based on information on the two-dimensional shape of each product, thereby being able to transport the processed products to a table located outside the material processing table.

2. The conveying system described in claim 1 is characterized in that the information on the two-dimensional shape of each product is information on classification of each product by setting an arbitrary two-dimensional reference geometric shape in the command control of the operation of the sorting and conveying means and comparing the two-dimensional shape of each product with the two-dimensional reference geometric shape, and the processed product is conveyed to a predetermined position on the table based on this information on classification of each product.

3. A conveying system as described in claim 2, characterized in that in the command control of the operation of the sorting and conveying means, each product classified by shape can be stacked in order of weight at a predetermined position on the platform based on information on the weight of each product within the same classification.

4. A conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in the command control of the operation of the sorting and conveying means, each product is sorted by order request and conveyed to a predetermined position on the table.

5. A conveying system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the command control of the operation of the sorting and conveying means, coordinate correction of the picking position of the product after processing by the sorting and conveying means is performed based on material placement correction information on the processing table.

6. A conveying system as described in claim 4, characterized in that in the command control of the operation of the sorting and conveying means, coordinate correction of the picking position of the product after processing by the sorting and conveying means is performed based on material placement correction information on the processing table.

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