Rotating Carousel Assembly Workstation for Compact Component Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing assembly workstations face inefficiencies as the number of components increases, leading to longer removal routes and times due to voluminous container arrangements, which are not suitable for manual removal.
Innovation Solution
The use of a carousel system with drive units and programmable logic control, where containers are arranged concentrically on axially offset plate-shaped arms, allowing for efficient component placement in a compact gripping space and optimized access, supported by an optical signaling unit for accurate component retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If containers are arranged in an arc on the work surface, then components are accessible to the assembler, but the container arrangement becomes bulky and requires long removal distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar arrangement of containers on the work surface to a three-dimensional carousel structure with containers distributed on multiple plate-shaped arms at different radial distances and angular positions. This spatial transformation allows components to be stored compactly while maintaining accessibility through rotational movement, resolving the contradiction between space efficiency and component access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a drive unit that rotates the carousel structure, transforming the static container arrangement into a dynamic system. The carousel can be rotated to bring any container to the removal position, enabling compact storage of many components while maintaining easy access through controlled rotation, thus resolving the contradiction between compactness and accessibility.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of containers is increased to accommodate more components, then component variety increases, but the container arrangement becomes more bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a three-dimensional carousel structure with containers distributed on multiple plate-shaped arms at different radial distances and angular positions, allowing a large number of containers to be arranged in a compact vertical and radial configuration rather than spreading them out horizontally, thus increasing component quantity without proportionally increasing volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The carousel structure with multiple plate-shaped arms arranged concentrically creates a nested configuration where containers on inner arms are surrounded by containers on outer arms, maximizing the use of three-dimensional space and accommodating more components within a smaller overall volume.
3Volume of stationary object
If containers are arranged in multiple horizontal planes, then space utilization improves, but component retrieval complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive unit rotates the entire carousel structure, bringing containers from different horizontal planes to the same removal position sequentially. This dynamic rotation simplifies component retrieval by providing a single access point, eliminating the need for the assembler to reach into multiple horizontal planes, thus improving space utilization without significantly increasing retrieval complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating carousel structure acts as an intermediary mechanism that translates the three-dimensional distribution of containers across multiple horizontal planes into a single two-dimensional removal position, allowing compact vertical arrangement while maintaining simple access through rotational movement.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an assembly workstation for the manual assembly of subassemblies consisting of a plurality of components, comprising a work surface (3) on which the components can be mounted, and a plurality of containers (8) each holding a number of components, which are arranged one above the other and/or next to the other in a reach area, wherein the containers (8) are arranged in at least one carousel (4) rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation (5), wherein a drive unit (6) is provided for rotating the carousel (4), and wherein a control unit (17) is provided for controlling the drive unit (6), wherein the control unit (17) acts on the drive unit (6) in such a way that in each assembly step the container (8) provided with the component required for assembly is accessible to an assembler standing at the work surface (3).