Material or article handling – Apparatus for charging a load holding or supporting element...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-12
2004-04-20
Underwood, Donald W. (Department: 3651)
Material or article handling
Apparatus for charging a load holding or supporting element...
C198S358000, C901S008000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722836
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a linked manufacturing system for processing parts, comprising at least a first processing station for performing a first processing operation, at least a second processing station for performing a second processing operation and further comprising at least a gantry for linking two of the processing stations.
Linked manufacturing systems are utilized in series production to allow reliable and cost-effective processing within a plurality of processing stations. Typical applications for linked manufacturing systems can for instance be found in the car industry, for instance for providing a highly efficient motor and gear parts manufacturing.
As a classic example for a linked manufacturing system the line production is known, wherein the parts flow between individual processing stations is controlled via a conveyor belt which is also utilized as a buffer. From the conveyor belt gantries depart sideways toward individual processing stations.
As a further example for a linked manufacturing system the coupling of a plurality of processing stations via gantries is known, wherein between single or several processing stations belt-buffers are provided for decoupling. Such belt-buffers are configured as transport conveyor belts which may transport individual parts or may buffer same. Such buffers usually can receive 10 to 20 parts and may absorb some variations which are caused by delays at the respective processing stations linked therewith.
However, a drawback is given by the fact that the belt-buffers are only designed for a small number of parts so that in case of larger disruptions at a single or several processing stations of the manufacturing system the whole system comes to a halt very soon. It is also detrimental in the case of breakdown of a conveyor belt or in the case of a transport jamming on a conveyor belt, that there is no substitute transport capacity, whereby the availability of the total system is impaired. Finally, the utilization of conveyor belts is expensive and does not allow a direct transport of individual parts. Also the accessibility of individual processing stations is effected adversely thereby.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,257, a lattice production line is known that includes a plurality of workstations, each connected to adjacent workstations by more than two conveyor belts. Each workstation includes a manufacturing robot, an outer turntable with workpiece storage, and an inner turntable aligned with the robot.
Although, such a system is very flexible, it suffers from the principal drawbacks of the conveyer belts, as outlined before.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide an improved linked manufacturing system for processing parts that allows a fast transportation of parts between the respective processing stations.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a linked manufacturing system that provides for a high availability and safety against breakdown.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a manufacturing system that allows short throughput times for the total system at low cost.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved linked manufacturing system of a space-saving design.
It is still another object of the invention to disclose an improved linked manufacturing system comprising a gantry of extremely simple and cost-saving design allowing particularly fast transportation of parts.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by a linked manufacturing system for processing parts, comprising at least a first processing station for performing a first processing operation, at least a second processing station for performing a second processing operation, further comprising at least a first gantry (logistics gantry) extending in a first direction (Y-direction) and coupling at least a first and a second processing station, further comprising at least a second gantry (handling gantry) extending transversely to the first direction and a second direction (X-direction) and coupling a plurality of first or second processing stations, wherein a storage device for receiving parts is assigned to at least each handling gantry, wherein slides are displaceable on the handling gantries, the slides comprising at least a gripping device displaceable at least in vertical direction (Z-direction) and allowing at least one additional handling operation, such as displacing in Y-direction or turning, and wherein slides are displaceable along the logistics gantries, the slides being adapted for lifting or placing of parts for moving the parts in Z-direction.
Sufficient buffer capacity is provided by storage devices that are, preferably, located at crossing points formed between the logistics gantries and the handling gantries.
Contrary to systems that are linked via conveyor belts, the linkage of the total system in the direction of the main parts flow as well as in transverse direction thereto via gantries, allows for a fast exchange of parts between different processing stations, so that in case of breakdown of individual processing stations the respective processing operations can be performed by other processing stations, without any noticeable influence on the efficiency of the total system. In this way parallel capacities can be provided in the direction of the parts flow as well as transversely thereto, thereby allowing an effective utilization. Also so-called linkage losses are avoided which emerge in prior art systems when different processing stations are linked by different devices. Due to the fact that the logistics gantries must have only slides which allow moving of parts in Z-direction and which allow a gripping operation for picking up or placing of parts, the total cost of the manufacturing system is reduced remarkably.
Necessary additional handling operations can be performed by the handling gantries in combination with the storage devices, since the handling gantries may carry slides with more complicated handling devices. The slides on the handling gantries allow at least a displacing in vertical direction and an additional handling operation, such as a displacing in Y-direction or a turning about one or more axes, as well as a gripping operation. Thereby more complex handling operations can be performed by the handling gantries, while simple transport of parts for loading and unloading individual processing stations and also buffering of parts in the storage devices can be performed by logistics gantries which are designed more simple and cost effective.
In an advantageous further development of the invention a plurality of handling gantries and logistics gantries are configured crossing each other at crossing points, wherein a storage device is assigned to each crossing point.
Due to this measure an additional redundancy is introduced into the manufacturing system, since in the direction of the main parts flow as well as transversely thereto a linked total system is achieved which is designed as a net-like structure having storage devices at the network crossing points, thereby providing very high flexibility.
Such a system provides for a very simple design while having a high flexibility and an extremely effective utilization of the total space covered by the manufacturing system at the same time.
According to a further advantageous development of the invention in the storage devices additional devices such as cleaning devices, positioning devices, blowing devices, washing devices, marking devices etc. are provided, which cooperate with the gripping devices on the slides of the handling gantries for performing handling operations.
In this way additional handling cells for performing such handling operations can be avoided. Supplementary transport devices within such handling devices, necessary in prior art systems, become superfluous, since the transport functions can be performed by the gripping devices provided on the slides of the handling gantries. The gripping devices provided on the slides of the handling gantries can
Felsomat GmbH & Co. KG
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Underwood Donald W.
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