Hemming Device ATC Integration for Productivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional roller hemming devices face interference issues between the ATC device and the roller, leading to complex processing paths and increased production time, and require high-capacity robots for vehicle type switching, resulting in higher facility costs and longer replacement times.
Innovation Solution
A hemming device with an anvil and presser material handling portion that integrates a robot-side ATC device, allowing for efficient hemming without external fastening means, enabling a simpler processing path and reducing the weight and size of the anvil, while also allowing the conveyance robot to replace both the anvil and presser material handling portion, utilizing a steerable roller head for improved processing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ATC device is provided outside the anvil to enable integral fastening of presser hand and anvil, then the fastening function is improved, but the roller and fastening means interfere with each other during hemming, requiring complex processing paths and increasing processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ATC device from the conventional external position and relocates it to the robot arm, separating the fastening function from the anvil structure. This allows the roller to access the workpiece from all directions without interference from external fastening means, eliminating complex processing paths and reducing processing time while maintaining reliable fastening capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a robot with high conveyance capacity is used to move the whole device including anvil and presser hand during vehicle type switching, then the replacement operation is enabled, but facility costs increase and replacement operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the device into separable components (anvil, presser hand, robot arm with ATC) that can be independently handled. The robot arm with integrated ATC can quickly attach and detach from different anvils configured for various vehicle types, enabling versatile vehicle type switching without requiring a single high-capacity robot to move the entire assembly, thus reducing robot capacity requirements and facility costs.
3Reliability
If the ATC device and supporting fastening means are provided on the periphery of the anvil, then the presser hand and anvil can be integrally fastened, but the processing path becomes complex and production cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the robot arm as an intermediary carrier for the ATC device, mediating between the presser hand and anvil fastening requirements. This intermediary approach allows fastening to occur through the robot's controlled movements rather than through complex peripheral mechanisms, simplifying the processing path and reducing production cycle time while maintaining integral fastening reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A hemming device includes an anvil for placing a work, a presser material handling portion, a conveyance robot, and a roller hemming robot. The anvil includes an anvil main body portion, a positioning device, a gripping device, and a device-side ATC device to be attached to and detached from a conveyance-robot side ATC device. The presser material handling portion includes a frame portion having a shape corresponding to a shape of the work, a positioning device, a gripping device, a presser provided to press the inner panel at a position at which the presser does not interfere with a final shape, and a device-side ATC device to be attached to and detached from the conveyance-robot side ATC device. With this configuration, processing time is reduced and replacement operation of the anvil is simplified, and therefore productivity is improved.