Vehicle body bracket vision inspection system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle body bracket vision inspection system comprising: a steel coil supply unit (10) configured so that a steel coil in the form of a thin sheet wound around a rotary shaft is uncoiled under the control of a driving unit (a steel sheet wound in a coil is uncoiled); a steel sheet press unit (20) configured so that the steel coil inserted between an upper die and a lower die is cut into a quadrilateral steel sheet as the upper die presses down on the steel coil; a steel sheet transfer robot (30) configured to suction the quadrilateral steel sheet, loaded on a quadrilateral steel sheet-loading rack, by using a vacuum suction arm, and then transfer same to a vehicle body bracket press unit; a vehicle body bracket press unit (40) configured so that a vehicle body bracket is shaped as the quadrilateral steel sheet inserted between an upper die and a lower die is pressed downward by the upper die; a vehicle body bracket transfer robot (50) configured to suction and transfer the shaped vehicle body bracket to a vision inspection station after the upper die rises; a vision inspection unit (60) that includes a vision inspection station, a vision camera, a 3D scanner, and a main control unit (MCU), inspects whether shaped vehicle body bracket products are defective, and controls the transfer of products to a loading rack for finished products classified as qualified or unqualified products depending on whether the products pass or fail; and a loading robot (70) that suctions the inspected shaped vehicle body bracket products, receives the inspection results from the vision inspection unit, and transfers the products to the loading rack for finished products classified as qualified or unqualified products.

Description

Body bracket vision inspection system

[0001] The present invention relates to a body bracket vision inspection system, and more specifically, to a body bracket vision inspection system capable of accurately inspecting dimensional accuracy, shape suitability, and the presence or absence of holes through an inspection port (C / F) of a body bracket to determine whether there is a defect.

[0002] Conventional inspections of body brackets rely on the inspector's visual judgment, and there was a problem in that inspections determining defects based on the inspector's vision lacked reliability.

[0003] Furthermore, quality control can be influenced by the subjective judgment of inspectors, and in the absence of inspectors, body bracket manufacturers faced numerous problems, such as disruptions in the production process and the delivery of defective products.

[0004] Meanwhile, optical sensors are devices that use light to detect or measure objects, and they are one of the suitable methods for detecting the size and dimensions of items. Optical sensors can determine the location, distance, and size of an object through the reflection or blocking of light.

[0005] Therefore, examining the principles of optical sensors, laser displacement sensors measure distance by emitting a laser beam onto a specific surface of an object and detecting the reflected light. By measuring distances at multiple points as the laser moves across the object, the size and shape of the object can be determined; this enables high-precision measurement, making it useful for calculating the length, width, and height of an object. Optical scanners, on the other hand, measure object size primarily through 2D or 3D scanning. They utilize cameras, lasers, or structured light to scan the object's surface. By scanning each face of the object, the scanner generates data in the form of a point cloud, allowing for the analysis of the object's overall size and shape. Additionally, photosensor arrays detect the edges of an object by arranging multiple photosensors. When an object moves across the array, the length or width of the object can be measured by calculating the time each photosensor is blocked. This method is widely used in logistics and production lines because it can be implemented with a simple structure and allows for rapid, real-time measurements. Finally, the 3D ToF (Time of Flight) sensor calculates distance by measuring the time it takes for light to reflect off a box and return. This method allows for relatively accurate measurements as it can simultaneously recognize the position and shape of an object, as well as its size. It is particularly useful when the object has a complex shape.

[0006] Measurement methods utilizing optical sensors are being used in various fields such as logistics, manufacturing, and automation processes because they can measure size quickly and accurately in a non-contact manner.

[0007] The objective of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problem by providing a vehicle body bracket vision inspection system that improves inspection accuracy by arranging multiple vision cameras equipped with optical sensors separately to prevent interference with surrounding parts.

[0008] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle body bracket vision inspection system that can further improve inspection accuracy by performing inspection during a continuous transfer process.

[0009] The objective of the present invention described above is to provide: a steel plate supply unit (10) configured to flatten a steel coil of thin plate wound on a rotating shaft by the control of a driving unit; a steel plate press unit (20) configured to form a square steel plate (24) by cutting the steel coil inserted between an upper mold (21) and a lower mold (22) while the upper mold presses it downward; a steel plate transfer robot (30) configured to adsorb a square steel plate loaded on a square steel plate stacking stand (26) with a vacuum suction arm and then transfer it to a vehicle body bracket press unit; a vehicle body bracket press unit (40) configured to form a vehicle body bracket while the upper mold presses the square steel plate inserted between the upper mold and the lower mold downward; and a vehicle body bracket transfer robot (50) configured to raise the upper mold and adsorb the formed vehicle body bracket to a vision inspection unit. The system is characterized by including: a vision inspection unit (69) composed of a vision inspection table, a vision camera, and a main control unit (MCU) that inspects whether a body bracket molded product is defective and controls the transfer of finished products to a loading platform classified as either acceptable or unacceptable based on whether it passes or fails; and a loading robot (70) that adsorbs the body bracket molded product after inspection is complete, receives the inspection result from the vision inspection unit, and transfers it to a loading platform classified as either acceptable or unacceptable.

[0010] Here, the vision camera (61) is characterized by being composed of a body inspection camera (65) that photographs the upper and side surfaces of a body bracket molded product to inspect for foreign substances on the body surface, and a dimension measuring camera (66) that measures the number and dimensions of holes in the body bracket molded product.

[0011] And, the above vision camera is characterized by having a mirror (68) and a magnifying lens (67) added.

[0012]

[0013] The body bracket vision inspection system according to the present invention comprises: a steel plate supply unit (10) configured to flatten a steel coil of thin plate wound on a rotating shaft by the control of a driving unit; a steel plate press unit (20) configured to form a square steel plate (24) by cutting the steel coil inserted between an upper mold (21) and a lower mold (22) while the upper mold presses the steel coil downward; a steel plate transfer robot (30) configured to adsorb a square steel plate loaded on a square steel plate stacking stand (26) with a vacuum suction arm and then transfer it to a body bracket press unit; a body bracket press unit (40) configured to form a body bracket while the upper mold presses the square steel plate inserted between the upper mold and the lower mold downward; and a body bracket transfer robot (50) configured to raise the upper mold and adsorb the formed body bracket to a vision inspection table. The system is configured to include a vision inspection unit (69) composed of a vision inspection table, a vision camera, and a main control unit (MCU) to inspect whether a body bracket molded product is defective and to control the transfer of finished products classified as acceptable or unacceptable based on whether they pass or fail; and a loading robot (70) that adsorbs the body bracket molded product after inspection is completed, receives the inspection result from the vision inspection unit, and transfers it to the finished products classified as acceptable or unacceptable. This configuration improves the precision of hole dimension measurement and inspection by photographing the body bracket without light interference, and further has the effect of precisely sorting acceptable and unacceptable products.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a steel plate supply unit according to the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a steel plate press section according to the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a steel plate transfer robot according to the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a body bracket press part according to the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 5 shows the configuration of a vision inspection table and a loading robot according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 6 shows the configuration of a vision inspection table, a vision camera, etc., according to the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 7 shows a side configuration of a vision inspection camera according to the present invention.

[0021] To fully understand the present invention, preferred embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described in detail below. These embodiments are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those with average knowledge in the art. Accordingly, the shapes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated to emphasize clearer explanations. It should be noted that in each drawing, identical components may be depicted with the same reference numeral. Detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations that are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present invention are omitted.

[0022]

[0023] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, the specific configuration and operational relationship of the body bracket vision inspection system are explained as follows.

[0024] As described above, the body bracket vision inspection system according to the present invention comprises: a steel plate supply unit (10) configured to flatten a steel coil of thin plate wound on a rotating shaft by the control of a driving unit; a steel plate press unit (20) configured to cut a steel coil inserted between an upper mold and a lower mold while the upper mold presses downward to form a square steel plate; a steel plate transfer robot (30) configured to adsorb a square steel plate loaded on a square steel plate stacking platform using a vacuum suction arm and then transfer it to a body bracket press unit; a body bracket press unit (40) configured to form a body bracket while the upper mold presses downward to form a square steel plate inserted between an upper mold and a lower mold; and a body bracket transfer robot (50) configured to raise the upper mold and adsorb the formed body bracket to a vision inspection table. It includes a vision inspection unit (69) composed of a vision inspection table, a vision camera, a main control unit (MCU), etc., which inspects whether a body bracket molded product is defective and controls the transfer of finished products to a loading platform classified as acceptable or unacceptable depending on whether it passes or fails; and a loading robot (70) that adsorbs the body bracket molded product after inspection is completed, receives the inspection result from the vision inspection unit, and transfers it to a loading platform classified as acceptable or unacceptable.

[0025]

[0026] Figure 1 shows a steel plate supply unit (10), and is configured so that a thin steel coil wound on a rotating shaft is flattened by the control of a driving unit.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a steel plate press unit (20) that cuts a steel plate supplied from a steel plate supply unit into a square shape. It is configured to form a square steel plate (24) by cutting a steel coil inserted between an upper mold (21) and a lower mold (22) as the upper mold presses downward, and the cut square steel plate is guided by a steel plate guide and loaded onto a square steel plate stack.

[0028] FIG. 3 is configured such that a square steel plate loaded on a square steel plate loading platform is adsorbed by a steel plate transfer robot (30), and then the square steel plate is inserted between the upper mold (41) and the lower mold (42) of a vehicle body bracket press unit (40), and the inserted square steel plate is formed so that the vehicle body bracket is formed as the upper mold (41) is pressed downward.

[0029] FIG. 4 is configured so that when the upper mold (41) rises in the body bracket press part (40), the molded body bracket is adsorbed by the body bracket transfer robot (50) and transferred to the vision inspection table.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a vision inspection unit (69), which is composed of a vision inspection table (60), a vision camera (61), a main control unit (MCU), etc., and the body bracket is inspected by the body bracket transfer robot (50) which adsorbs the body bracket and transfers it to the vision inspection table.

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a loading robot (70) adsorbing a vehicle body bracket that has been inspected, and the loading robot (70) is configured to receive inspection results from a vision inspection unit and transfer the vehicle body bracket that has been inspected to a finished product loading platform classified as a passable or failable product.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a vision inspection unit (69) composed of a vision inspection table (60), a vision camera (61), and a main control unit (MCU), which is configured to inspect whether a body bracket molded product transferred to the vision inspection table is defective and to determine whether it passes or fails.

[0033] At this time, the vision camera (61) is composed of a body inspection camera (65) that photographs the upper and side surfaces of the body bracket molded product to inspect for foreign substances on the body surface, and a dimension inspection camera (66) that measures the number and dimensions of the holes in the body bracket molded product.

[0034] In addition, the vision camera is configured with a mirror (68) so that the vision camera captures the reflection of the body bracket molded product mounted on the vision inspection table in the mirror (68), thereby preventing the problem of the light for the building's space lighting being reflected from the body bracket molded product and reducing the dimensional accuracy of the hole due to light interference.

[0035] In addition, by adding a magnifying lens (67) to the vision camera, the size of the hole in the body bracket molded product can be clearly captured, thereby increasing accuracy.

[0036] The vision inspection table (60) is formed as a table having a certain height, and a product support is formed on the upper surface of the table, and a main control unit (MCU, 64), a display unit, etc. are configured on one side of the table.

[0037] Vision cameras are formed on the top and sides to photograph and inspect the top and sides of the body bracket molded product.

[0038] Also, the dimension inspection camera (66) may be configured with two cameras each on the top and the side, and this is to correct the dimensions of the hole measured on the top and the side.

[0039] In addition, the dimension inspection camera (66) is configured with two units each on the top and the side so that if one of the dimension inspection cameras fails to operate due to a malfunction, the product inspection process can be carried out without interruption by the normal operating dimension inspection camera in addition to the malfunctioning dimension inspection camera.

[0040] In addition, the faulty dimensional inspection camera is indicated by a warning light on the display unit, so that the faulty dimensional inspection camera can be repaired and reinstalled without interrupting the inspection process.

[0041] The loading robot (70) shown in FIG. 5 sequentially transports body bracket products for which inspection of the body bracket molded products has been completed. The body bracket products transported by the loading robot are inspected for defects in hole dimension measurement, and the accepted products are loaded onto the accepted products loading rack and the defective products are loaded onto the defective products loading rack.

[0042] And the vision inspection table (60) can be composed of a rotating block, and the rotating block can rotate the vehicle body bracket product to be inspected so that the side configuration (hole formed on the side) that is not captured by the dimension inspection camera can be imaged by the dimension inspection camera.

[0043] The rotating block of the vision inspection table is configured to rotate horizontally or vertically. This allows the vehicle body bracket product to rotate left and right or forward and backward along the rotating block, positioning it in a straight line parallel to the mirror located on the left or upper side of the vehicle body bracket product.

[0044] This configuration is designed to prevent light interference during the imaging of body bracket products caused by reflection from LED lights located on the ceiling or other surfaces of the body bracket manufacturing facility. The goal is to prevent the reflection of LED light on the top or side surface of the body bracket and to capture a clear image reflected in a mirror using a dimensional inspection camera.

[0045] In other words, the purpose is to prevent noise phenomena (such as blurry images due to light interference) in images of vehicle body bracket products caused by reflections from LED lights located on the top or side to illuminate the interior space of the facility, thereby clearly photographing and extracting the holes of the vehicle body bracket products to accurately measure the dimensions of the holes and identify defective products.

[0046] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotating block rotates vertically, and the vehicle body bracket product rotates vertically and is positioned in a straight line parallel to the mirror located on the upper side.

[0047] This is intended to prevent noise in images captured when the light from the LED lights located above is reflected off the vehicle body bracket product. By blocking the light from above with a mirror positioned above, the dimension inspection camera captures the reflection of the upper surface of the vehicle body bracket that is not reflected by the light, thereby ultimately capturing a clear image free of noise.

[0048] Therefore, it is possible to prevent noise in the image of the body bracket product caused by light reflection from LED lights intended to illuminate the surrounding space, and to clearly photograph the holes of the body bracket product to accurately measure the dimensions of the holes.

[0049] The dimensional inspection camera is vertically mounted inside the camera support casing and captures an image of the vehicle body bracket product reflected from the mirror, transmitting it to the defect determination unit.

[0050] The upper or side dimension inspection camera is positioned inside the camera support casing to capture an upper or side image of the vehicle body bracket product reflected from a mirror and transmit it to the defect determination unit.

[0051] The defect determination unit determines whether the image captured and transmitted by the dimension inspection camera has been manufactured to meet the standard dimensions of the body bracket product hole.

[0052] The mirror reflects the image of the body bracket product so that the dimension inspection camera can capture an image of the body bracket product positioned at a distance.

[0053] Therefore, the mirror is positioned at an angle between the dimensional inspection camera and the vision inspection table of the body bracket product to reflect the image of the body bracket product to the dimensional inspection camera.

[0054] A magnifying lens is provided between the mirror and the body bracket product to magnify the image of the body bracket product reflected from the mirror. Therefore, the dimension inspection camera (340) is able to capture a magnified and clear image of the body bracket product.

[0055] The camera support casing houses a mirror, a magnifying lens, and a dimension inspection camera. The inner wall of the camera support casing is blacked out to enable the dimension inspection camera to clearly capture images reflected from the mirror.

[0056] An illumination plate formed on one side of the camera support casing provides light so that the numerical inspection camera can clearly photograph the vehicle body bracket product. A light source, such as an LED, is provided inside the front illumination plate to illuminate the upper or side front of the vehicle body bracket product.

[0057] The front lighting panel diffuses light over an area larger than the size of the vehicle body bracket product and illuminates the front.

[0058] The front illumination plate is positioned in front of the body bracket product, allowing the numerical inspection camera to photograph only the body bracket product without interference from other components.

[0059] The defect determination unit determines whether multiple body bracket products being sequentially transported are defective based on images received from the dimensional inspection camera.

[0060] The body bracket products transported to the loading platform for body bracket products by the loading robot (70) are assigned a unique number according to the transport order, and the defect determination unit receives images corresponding to each body bracket product with a unique number from a plurality of numerical inspection cameras.

[0061] The defect determination unit determines whether the passing numerical image (A) and the failing numerical image (B) received from the numerical inspection camera are defective based on the standard numerical image (C).

[0062] The defect determination unit compares the reference dimension (L) and the dimension (L1) in the image of the rejected numerical value (B), and if there is a difference, determines that the dimension of the hole in the body bracket product is defective.

[0063] The embodiments of the body bracket vision inspection system of the present invention described above are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will readily understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, it will be well understood that the present invention is not limited only to the forms mentioned in the detailed description above. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims. Furthermore, the present invention should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0064] 10: Sheet metal supply unit 11: Rotating shaft

[0065] 12 : Steel plate 13 : Control unit

[0066] 20 : Sheet metal press section 21 : Upper mold

[0067] 22 : Lower mold 23 : Mold guide

[0068] 24: Square steel plate 25: Steel plate guide

[0069] 26 : Square steel plate stacking rack

[0070] 30 : Steel plate transfer robot 31 : Vacuum suction arm

[0071] 40: Body bracket press section 41: Upper mold

[0072] 42 : Lower mold

[0073] 50 : Vehicle body bracket transfer robot 51 : Vehicle body bracket

[0074] 60 : Vision Inspection Station 61 : Vision Camera

[0075] 64 : Main Object Unit (MCU) 65 : Body Inspection Camera

[0076] 66 : Dimensional inspection camera 67 : Magnifying lens

[0077] 68 : Mirror 69 : Vision Inspection Department

[0078] 70 : Loading robot 71 : Loading rack

Claims

1. A steel plate supply unit (10) configured to flatten a steel coil of thin sheet metal wound on a rotating shaft by the control of a drive unit; a steel plate press unit (20) configured to form a square steel plate (24) by cutting the steel coil inserted between an upper mold (21) and a lower mold (22) as the upper mold presses downward; a steel plate transfer robot (30) configured to adsorb a square steel plate loaded on a square steel plate stacking stand (26) with a vacuum suction arm and then transfer it to a body bracket press unit; a body bracket press unit (40) configured to form a body bracket by pressing the square steel plate inserted between an upper mold and a lower mold downward as the upper mold presses downward; a body bracket transfer robot (50) configured to raise the upper mold and adsorb the formed body bracket to a vision inspection table. A body bracket vision inspection system characterized by comprising: a vision inspection unit (69) composed of a vision inspection table, a vision camera, and a main control unit (MCU) to inspect whether a body bracket molded product is defective and to control the transfer of finished products to a loading platform classified as acceptable or unacceptable depending on whether it passes or fails; and a loading robot (70) that adsorbs the body bracket molded product after inspection is completed, receives the inspection result from the vision inspection unit, and transfers it to a loading platform classified as acceptable or unacceptable.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above vision camera (61) is characterized by being composed of a body inspection camera (65) that photographs the upper and side surfaces of a body bracket molded product to inspect for foreign substances on the body surface, and a dimension measuring camera (66) that measures the number and dimensions of holes in the body bracket molded product.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above vision camera is a body bracket vision inspection system characterized by having a mirror (68) and a magnifying lens (67) added thereto.

Images