JP2013003693A - Design support method and design support system of component manufacturing line - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve productivity by effectively utilizing conveyance ability of a robot while evading interference with peripheral equipment or the like of a component manufacturing device, in a component manufacturing line including the component manufacturing device and the robot for carrying in and/or carrying away works to/from the component manufacturing device.SOLUTION: A control point setting step of setting absolute minimum control points for defining a moving route of a reference point set at an arm distal end part of a robot, an SPM curve preparing step of preparing an SPM curve for defining an arrangement area of the work inside the component manufacturing device not causing the interference with the peripheral equipment of the component manufacturing device when the work is carried in and/or carried away to/from the component manufacturing device, and a conveyance motion determining step of determining a conveyance motion of the robot when conveying the work, on the basis of the control point set in the control point setting step, the SPM curve prepared in the SPM curve preparing step, and a work shape of a molding object, are executed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a design support method and a design support system for a part production line such as a press line for molding a vehicle body component of an automobile, for example.

  In a tandem press line that sequentially supplies workpieces to a plurality of press devices to form a part having a predetermined shape, a workpiece transfer device is disposed between adjacent press devices. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an upper end as a transfer device. Is disclosed in which a workpiece is conveyed from an upstream press device to a downstream press device by swinging an arm having a fulcrum at the lower portion and having a suction means at the lower portion between adjacent press devices. However, this has a problem that the apparatus becomes large and the degree of freedom of the transfer position and the transfer path is small.

  On the other hand, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example, a robot is arranged as a workpiece transfer device between adjacent press devices, and the robot transfers the workpiece from the upstream press device to the downstream press device. What has been configured is known, and according to this, a high degree of freedom of the workpiece transfer path, etc. can be obtained. It will be further improved.

JP 2008-114249 A JP 2010-221271 A

  However, in the press line using a multi-axis robot, the current situation is that the transfer capability of the robot is not fully utilized.

  In other words, at present, at the time of setup change, after the mold is installed in each press device, the transfer motion of the robot is determined by teaching while considering the workpiece shape. In this case, peripheral equipment such as uprights in the press device is determined. There is a dislike that the robot's transfer capability is not fully considered, only focusing on avoiding interference with molds and molds.

  Also, when defining the movement path of the arm tip that grips the workpiece of the robot, a plurality of control points constituting the path are set, and the movement amount of each movable part of the robot is preset at each control point. However, there is a request that the moving speed of the arm tip must be reduced when passing the control point in order to adjust the moving amount of each movable part. is there.

  Therefore, in order to suppress the decrease in productivity due to the deceleration, it is desirable that the number of control points is as small as possible. Conventionally, however, the control points are set in the same manner as in the transfer motion setting. Therefore, it depends on the experience and skills of the teaching worker, and the actual situation is not necessarily set to the minimum necessary number.

  Furthermore, at the time of teaching, it may be found that interference with the upright or mold of the press device cannot be avoided, and in this case, it is necessary to set the movement path of the arm tip so as to make a detour. Alternatively, it is necessary to remodel the mold, which is a factor that significantly reduces productivity.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a transfer motion in which a robot can transfer each workpiece in a short time in the initial stage of designing a part manufacturing facility such as a die in a part manufacturing line such as a tandem press line using a multi-axis robot. It is another object of the present invention to provide a design support method and a design support system for a part manufacturing line that can avoid interference with peripheral equipment in the part manufacturing apparatus such as the upright.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured as follows.

  First, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is a design support method for a part manufacturing line provided with a part manufacturing apparatus and a multi-axis robot that carries a workpiece into and / or out of the part manufacturing apparatus. A control point setting step for setting a plurality of control points for defining a movement path of a reference point set at an arm tip of the robot, and loading and / or unloading a workpiece to and from the component manufacturing apparatus The SPM curve creating step for creating the SPM curve for defining the work placement area in the apparatus that does not interfere with the peripheral equipment of the component manufacturing apparatus, and the control points set in the control point setting step And a transport motion determining step for determining a transport motion of the robot when transporting the workpiece based on the SPM curve created in the SPM curve creating step and the workpiece shape to be formed. And wherein the door.

  Next, according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the design support method for the part manufacturing line according to the first aspect, each of the unit rotation angles about the first axis that is the center of the basic motion in the horizontal direction of the robot. It has an appropriate movement amount setting step for setting the range of the appropriate movement amount of the movable part. In the transfer motion determination step, the transfer motion of the robot is determined based on the range of the appropriate movement amount set in the appropriate movement amount setting step. It is characterized by doing.

  Next, the invention according to claim 3 is the design support method for the part manufacturing line according to claim 2, wherein the SPM curve creating step is performed within the range of the appropriate movement amount set in the appropriate movement amount setting step. A plurality of SPM curves are created for each cycle time including an SPM curve for moving each movable part of the robot. In the transfer motion determination step, a workpiece shape is superimposed on the plurality of SPM curves, Among them, an SPM curve having the shortest cycle time is selected under the condition that the workpiece does not interfere with peripheral equipment of the component manufacturing apparatus, and the robot transport motion is determined using the SPM curve.

  Next, the invention according to claim 4 is the design support method for a part manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the workpiece is moved by the transfer motion determined in the transfer motion determination step. The presence or absence of these interferences is verified using the three-dimensional data of the sweep shape of the workpiece when transported and the tip of the arm of the robot that grips the workpiece, and the three-dimensional data of the component manufacturing equipment in the component manufacturing apparatus. The method further includes an interference verification step, and a shape changing step for changing the shape of the component manufacturing facility so as to avoid the interference when the presence of interference is confirmed in the interference verification step.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the design support method for a part manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the part manufacturing apparatus is a gold as a part manufacturing facility. An upstream press machine and a downstream press machine provided with a mold, wherein the robot carries a work unloaded from the upstream press machine into the downstream press machine.

  On the other hand, the invention described in claim 6 is a design support system for a part production line provided with a part production apparatus and a multi-axis robot that carries a workpiece into and / or out of the part production apparatus. A control point setting means for setting a plurality of control points for defining a movement path of a reference point set at the arm tip of the robot, and when a work is carried in and / or out of the component manufacturing apparatus In addition, an SPM curve creating means for creating an SPM curve for defining a work placement area in the apparatus that does not cause interference with peripheral equipment of the component manufacturing apparatus, a control point set by the control point setting means, A transport motion determining means for determining a transport motion of the robot when transporting the workpiece based on the SPM curve created in the SPM curve creating step and the workpiece shape to be formed; The features.

  With the configuration described above, according to the invention of each claim, the following effects can be obtained.

  First, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in a parts production line such as a tandem press line, a workpiece transfer motion of a multi-axis robot that loads and / or unloads a workpiece to and from a parts manufacturing apparatus such as a press device. Before the determination, the control point for defining the movement path of the reference point set at the tip of the arm of the robot is determined by the shape of the workpiece, the structure of the part manufacturing equipment such as a mold in the part manufacturing apparatus, etc. Therefore, after the shape of the workpiece and the structure of the parts manufacturing equipment are determined, the control points can be set appropriately compared to the case where the control points are set by teaching based on the experience of the workers on the site. Thus, a reduction loss in production speed due to providing control points more than necessary is reduced, and conveyance in a short time becomes possible.

  Further, an SPM curve that defines a work placement area in the apparatus that does not cause interference with peripheral equipment of the component manufacturing apparatus, for example, an upright in a press apparatus, is set, and the SPM curve, the control point, Since the transfer motion of the robot when transferring the workpiece is determined in advance based on the shape of the workpiece to be molded, the transfer motion is appropriately set as compared with the case of teaching on site, Combined with a reduction in deceleration loss, productivity in this type of component production line is improved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, a range of an appropriate amount of movement of each movable unit with respect to a unit rotation angle around the first axis that is the center of the basic motion in the horizontal direction of the robot is set, and the appropriate range Specifically, the movement amount of each movable part is set so that the movement amount of each movable part is within the appropriate range or as close as possible to the appropriate range. As a result, the delay in movement is suppressed, and the cycle time can be shortened.

  According to the invention of claim 3, a plurality of SPM curves are created for each production speed including the SPM curve when moving each movable part of the robot within the range of the appropriate movement amount as the SPM curve. Among them, the SPM curve with the shortest cycle time is selected under conditions that do not cause interference with the peripheral equipment of the component manufacturing apparatus, and the robot transport motion is determined using this SPM curve. Will be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 4, the three-dimensional sweep shape of the workpiece and the tip of the arm of the robot that grips the workpiece when the workpiece is conveyed by the workpiece conveyance motion determined as described above. The presence of these interferences is verified using the data and three-dimensional data of parts manufacturing equipment such as molds in the part manufacturing apparatus, and when the interference is confirmed, the parts are avoided. Since the shape of the manufacturing facility is changed, it is possible to determine the shape of the component manufacturing facility that does not cause interference at the design stage of the component manufacturing facility, and when the interference is detected by on-site teaching. Such deterioration of productivity is avoided.

  Further, according to the invention described in claim 5, the above-described effect can be achieved by a tandem press line in which the robot takes out the work taken out from the die of the upstream press device to the die of the downstream press device. Will be realized.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the method according to the first aspect of the present invention is implemented in a system that is configured with a computer at the center, and the same effect as the first aspect of the present invention is realized.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a press line to which the present invention is applied. It is a block diagram of a robot. It is a block diagram of the computer which comprises the system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the information memorize | stored in the memory | storage device of the computer. It is a flowchart which shows the conveyance motion determination operation | movement in the same system. It is explanatory drawing of the control point setting process in the operation | movement. It is a figure which shows an example of the control point setting by a conventional method. It is a figure (plan view) showing an example of correction of a control point. It is a figure which shows the movement amount appropriate ratio range of each movable member. It is explanatory drawing 1 of the preparation method of a SPM curve. It is explanatory drawing 2 similarly. It is the created SPM curve figure. It is explanatory drawing of the relationship between a SPM curve and the movement amount of a movable member. It is a flowchart which shows interference verification operation | movement with a metal mold | die structure. It is a figure which shows the interference state displayed on a three-dimensional CAD screen.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a tandem press line according to an embodiment of the present invention. This line is arranged between upper and downstream press devices 10 and 20 and an upstream press device. 10 is provided with a multi-axis type robot 30 for unloading the workpiece from 10 and loading it into the downstream press device 20.

  The pressing devices 10 and 20 include beds 11 and 21, uprights 12, 12, 22, and 22 erected from four corners of the beds 11 and 21, and slides 13 and 23 that are moved up and down by a hydraulic device (not shown). Lower mold structures 15 and 25 mounted on the bolsters 14 and 24 on the upper surfaces of the beds 11 and 12, and upper mold structures 16 mounted on the lower surfaces of the slides 13 and 23, 26, and the upstream mold structures 15 and 16 and the downstream mold structures 25 and 26 are respectively formed into a predetermined shape for the workpiece supplied therebetween. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 30 has, as a movable member on the base 31, a turning member 32 that turns around a first axis A that extends in the vertical direction on the base 31, and the turning member 32. A first arm 33 member that swings about a second axis B extending in the horizontal direction and connected to the tip of the first arm member 33, and a third axis C that extends in the horizontal direction. A second arm member 34 that swings as a first rotating member that rotates around a fourth axis D that is provided at the tip of the second arm member 34 and extends in the axial direction of the second arm member 34. 35, a second rotating member 36 that is provided on the first rotating member 35 and rotates around a fifth axis E that is orthogonal to the fourth axis D, and is provided on the second rotating member 36. , A third rotation that rotates around a sixth axis F perpendicular to the fourth axis D and the fifth axis E A material 37 and a slide member 38 supported on the lower surface of the third rotating member 37 so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction of the drawing (this direction is defined as a seventh axis G) with respect to the member 37 are provided. A plurality of suction cups 39... 39 for sucking workpieces are attached to the slide member 38.

  Then, by moving (rotating or sliding) each of the movable members 32 to 38, the work formed by the upstream press device 10 is taken out from the lower die structure 15 of the press device 10 and is taken downstream. It is conveyed to the press device 20 and placed on the mold structure 25 on the lower side of the press device 20.

  On the other hand, in this press line, the optimal work transfer motion of the robot 30 is set, the work when the work is transferred by the transfer motion, and the mold structures 15 and 25 below the press devices 10 and 20, And a support system for avoiding interference between the upper surface portion of the third rotating member 37 of the robot 30 and the upper mold structure 16, 26. An embodiment of a design support system and a design support method for a parts production line according to the present invention is configured.

  The support system includes a computer 40 shown in FIG. 3 and a program running on the computer 40.

  The computer 40 displays an input device 42 used for inputting various data and a control command with a central processing unit 41 as a center, a data input screen using the input device 42, a processing result screen, and the like. A display device 43 for outputting, an output device 44 for outputting processing results and the like, and a storage device 45 for storing the program and various data.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the program storage unit 45 a of the storage device 45 stores a press line design support program, three-dimensional CAD software, and the like, and the data storage unit 45 b stores the press device 10. , Data related to pressing devices such as dimensions and installation positions of 20, surrounding environment related data related to the arrangement and wall surface of other equipment including the robot on the periphery and downstream of the press line, structure and function of the robot 30, Robot-related data such as dimensions and installation position, proper movement amount data relating to the range of proper movement amounts of the movable members 32 to 38 of the robot 30, workpiece shape data indicating the shape of the workpiece to be formed, lower die Mold structure data relating to the shapes of the structures 15 and 25 and the upper mold structures 16 and 26 are stored.

  Next, the design support operation by the above system will be described with reference to FIG. In the following, avoidance of interference between the work and the lower die structures 15 and 25 of the press devices 10 and 20 will be mainly described.

  The flowchart of FIG. 5 shows the flow of the process of determining the optimum transfer motion of the robot 30. First, in the control point setting process of step S1, the initial position passes through the upstream press device 10 and the downstream press device 20. A control point for defining the movement path of the arm tip of the robot 30 that returns to the initial position is set. At this time, in this control point setting step, the minimum necessary control points are set so that the deceleration loss is minimized.

  That is, a plurality of control points for controlling the operation of the robot 30 and for avoiding interlock with other robots, the press devices 10 and 20, etc. are set in the movement path. The amount of movement of the members 32 to 38 from the initial state (the slide amount for the slide member 38 and the rotation angle for the other members 32 to 37) is set. Therefore, it is necessary to decelerate the moving speeds of the movable members 32 to 38 before and after passing through the control point. Therefore, to increase the production speed, it is necessary to avoid setting this control point more than necessary.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the position where the sixth axis F intersects the slide member 38 constituting the arm tip is defined as a reference point O (see FIGS. 1 and 2), and the reference point O is as shown in FIG. The 13 control points from # 1 to # 13 are set in the work range of the robot 30.

  Among these, the # 1 control point is a control point for controlling the robot 30 to the initial state, and the # 2 control point is the slide 13 of the press device 10 immediately before the robot 30 enters the upstream press device 10. Is a control point for confirming the ascent of the upper side robot and the retreat of the upstream robot (not shown), and the # 3 control point is immediately before the work on the lower mold structure 15 in the upstream press device 10 is taken out. It is a control point for controlling the state, and the # 4 control point is a control point for controlling the state when the workpiece is attracted.

  The # 5 control point is a control point for controlling the state of completion of lifting the workpiece, and the # 6 control point allows the upstream robot to carry the workpiece into the upstream press device 10. The control point # 7 is a control point for completely outputting from the upstream press device 10 and outputting a signal for allowing the slide 13 of the press device 10 to move downward. Is a point.

  The # 8 control point is a control point for confirming that the slide 23 of the press apparatus 20 is lifted or the downstream robot (not shown) is retracted immediately before the robot 30 enters the downstream press apparatus 20. The # 9 control point is a control point for waiting for a signal permitting entry to the downstream press device 20 from a downstream robot (not shown) that carries the workpiece from the downstream press device 20, and # The 10 control point is a control point for controlling the state at the start of the operation of placing the work on the lower die structure 25 of the downstream press device 20.

  Further, the # 11 control point is a control point for controlling a state when the workpiece is released from suction on the lower mold structure 25, and the # 12 control point is the lower mold structure. The control point for controlling the state when the workpiece placement operation on the body 25 is completed. The # 13 control point is the position of the slide 13 of the press device 20 after the robot 30 escapes from the downstream press device 20. This is a control point for permitting downward movement.

  In this way, in the control point setting step in step S1, control points for properly operating the robot 30 in relation to the press devices 10, 20 and other robots are set. In this case, the control points can be set to the minimum necessary number while referring to various types of information including information about the robot on the downstream side (not shown) on the computer. FIG. 7 shows an example. It is possible to reduce the number of control points compared to the case where control points are set by conventional teaching, and an increase in deceleration loss or a decrease in productivity due to setting control points more than necessary is suppressed. .

  Next, in the control point correction step of step S2 in the flowchart of FIG. 5, the position of the control point set as described above is corrected as necessary. For example, the distance between the control points is long, such as the # 7 control point to the # 8 control point. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the robot 30 is held at the arm tip (slide member 38) or the tip. When the overrun amount of the workpiece W becomes large and there is a possibility of interference with obstacles X such as other peripheral equipment and walls, the positions of the # 7 control point and the # 8 control point are # 7 ′, The position indicated by # 8 ′ is corrected toward the installation position of the robot 30 by the amount of overrun.

  This control point correction can be performed in advance on a computer based on robot-related data, surrounding environment-related data, etc., so it can be performed more efficiently and appropriately than in the case of teaching on site. It becomes possible.

  Further, in the movement amount appropriate ratio setting step of step S3, the movement amounts (second axis B to sixth axis F) of the other movable members 33 to 38 with respect to the rotation angle 1 ° of the turning member 32 around the first axis A are set. The range of the appropriate ratio of the rotation angle around and the slide amount in the seventh axis G direction is set. In this embodiment, it is set as shown in FIG.

  When the amount of movement of the other movable members 33 to 38 exceeds this appropriate ratio range, the turning member 32 is put on standby at the control point until the movement is completed, or the control is performed from the control point before the turning member 32. It is necessary to deliberately reduce the moving speed to the point, and in any case, the transfer capacity of the robot 30 is sacrificed, and the cycle until the reference point O starts from the # 1 control point and returns to the # 1 control point. The time becomes longer.

  In other words, if the amount of movement of the other movable members 33 to 38 can be set within the appropriate ratio range, the transfer capability of the robot 30 will be maximized, and the above-mentioned # will be maintained while maintaining this condition. The transfer motion of the robot 30 when moving via the control points 1 to # 13 is the fastest transfer motion of the robot 30 in the press line.

  Next, in the SPM curve setting step in step S4 of the flowchart, as shown in FIG. 10, the robot 30 moves the upright 12 at the lower right on the drawing of the upstream pressing device 10 and the lower left at the upper drawing of the downstream pressing device 20. It is verified whether or not the workpiece can be carried out and carried into the press devices 10 and 20 without interfering with the upright 22.

  Specifically, for the upper and downstream press devices 10 and 20, the movement amount of each movable member 32-38 of the robot 30 is set within the range of the optimum ratio, that is, in the fastest transfer motion of the robot 30, Suction cups 39... 39 at the tip of the arm (slide member 38) hold the bolsters 14, 24 of the downstream press devices 10, 20, and carry them out of the press devices 10, 20 by turning the swivel member 32. Assuming that

  And about the upstream press apparatus 10, the locus | trajectory L 'which the interference target corner | angular part 12a of the upright 12 draws relatively on the bolster 14 is calculated | required, and about the downstream press apparatus 20, the interference target corner | angular part of the upright 22 is obtained. A locus L ″ that 22a draws relatively on the bolster 24 is obtained.

  Next, by overlapping the bolsters 14 and 24 of both the press devices 10 and 20, a curve L formed by synthesizing the trajectories L ′ and L ″ in the bolster region Y is obtained as shown in FIG. The curve L is referred to as an SPM (shot per minute) curve. In the area Z shaded inside the SPM curve L, specifically, on the actual bolsters 14 and 24 corresponding to the area Z When the work W is arranged in the region, the work W can be carried into and out of the press devices 10 and 20 without causing the work W to interfere with the corner portions 12a and 22a of the uprights 12 and 22. .

  In this case, the SPM curve L is obtained when the robot 30 is operated with the above-mentioned fastest transfer motion. In practice, however, the workpiece is moved to a region corresponding to the region Z on the bolsters 14 and 24. In this SPM curve creating step, a plurality of SPM curves L1, L2,... Corresponding to a transport motion having a cycle time longer than the fastest transport motion are also created in this SPM curve creating step.

  That is, as shown by a chain line in FIG. 12, when the workpiece W ′ protrudes from the SPM curve L of the fastest transfer motion, the movable member moves so as to bring the workpiece W ′ or the arm tip to the installation position side of the robot 30. In this case, in FIG. 10, the trajectory drawn by the interference target corners 12a and 22a of the uprights 12 and 22 on the bolsters 14 and 24 in FIG. The SPM curve L1 obtained by synthesizing this is provided outside the SPM curve L corresponding to the fastest transfer motion in the bolster region Y as shown in FIG. is there.

  Therefore, in this SPM curve setting step, as shown in FIG. 12, a plurality of SPM curves are preliminarily set in the bolster region Y so as to be compatible with various works having different sizes, positions on the bolsters 14 and 24, postures, and the like. L, L1, L2,... Are created in advance. In that case, the cycle time becomes longer as the curve is on the outer side (lower side in the figure).

  Next, in the interference verification process in step S5 of the flowchart, when the workpiece to be formed this time is placed on the bolsters 14 and 24, the bolster region Y in which a plurality of SPM curves created as described above are drawn. In FIG. 5, it is verified which curve the workpiece is placed inside, and the innermost SPM curve (with the shortest cycle time) that does not interfere with the workpiece is selected. In such a case, even if there is interference with a certain SPM curve, if the work installation position or posture on the bolsters 14 and 24 is changed, the interference may be avoided. Select the SPM curve with the shortest time.

  Here, a specific example of this process will be described with respect to the first press device 10. It is assumed that the current workpiece W can be placed in the SPM curve L corresponding to the fastest transfer motion in the bolster region Y of FIG. In this case, the operation between the # 4 control point and the # 6 control point in the first press device 10 of the slide member 38 constituting the arm tip of the robot 30 is set as shown in FIG. 13A, for example. Is done.

  That is, it is assumed that the position from the reference point O of the slide member 38 at the # 4 control point that defines the workpiece suction position is x, and the slide member 38 and the workpiece are in the reference position while moving to the # 5 control point in this state. It moves 50 mm to the point O side, and further moves 100 mm to the reference point O side while moving to the # 6 control point. In this case, the rotation angle around the first axis A of the turning member 32 from the # 4 control point to the # 5 control point and from the # 5 control point to the # 6 control point is assumed to be 10 °. For example, the movement amounts of 50 mm and 100 mm of the slide member 38 are within an appropriate ratio range of the movement amount of the slide member 38, and as a result, the SPM curve L corresponding to the fastest transfer motion in FIG. 12 can be selected.

  On the other hand, when the target workpiece of this time is arranged in the bolster region Y as shown by the chain line in FIG. 12, the SPM curve with the shortest cycle time that protrudes from the SPM curve L and is positioned inside is the SPM curve. Let L1. In this case, the operation between the # 4 control point and the # 6 control point of the slide member 38 constituting the arm tip of the robot 30 is as shown in FIG. 13B, for example.

  That is, the position from the reference point O of the slide member 38 at the # 4 control point that defines the workpiece suction position is assumed to be x as in the case of FIG. 13A, and in this state, moves to the # 5 control point. In the meantime, the slide member 38 and the workpiece move to the 150 mm reference point O side, and further move 100 mm to the reference point O side while moving to the # 6 control point.

  In this case, since the rotation angle around the first axis A of the turning member 32 from the # 4 control point to the # 5 control point and from the # 5 control point to the # 6 control point is 10 °, The amount of movement of the slide member 38 from the 4th control point to the # 5 control point exceeds the appropriate ratio with respect to the rotation angle of the swiveling member 32 around the first axis A. Therefore, in this case, it corresponds to the fastest transfer motion. The SPM curve L to be selected cannot be selected, and the outer SPM curve L1 is selected.

  As described above, after passing through the steps S1 to S5 in the flowchart, the transport motion determination step in step S6 is performed. In this process, based on the position of the control point set in steps S1 and S2 and the SPM curve with the shortest cycle time that does not cause interference with the uprights 12 and 22 obtained in the verification process of step S5, The amount of movement of each movable member 32 to 38 in the entire movement path of the robot passing through each control point is determined, and the transfer motion for the workpiece is determined.

  Next, in this support system, when the workpiece to be molded this time is conveyed to the press devices 10 and 20 by the conveyance motion determined as described above, it is designed in advance for molding the workpiece. It is verified whether the mold structures 15 and 25 interfere with each other. In this verification, the data relating to the transfer motion, the workpiece shape, the shape of the tip of the robot that grips the workpiece, and the lower mold structures 15 and 25 are applied to the three-dimensional CAD software, as shown in FIG. Implemented according to the flowchart. Note that the interference between the upper mold structures 16 and 26 and the third rotating member 37 of the robot 30 is similarly performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  First, in step S11, based on the data, a sweep shape of the workpiece and the tip of the robot when the workpiece is carried out from the upstream press device 10 and carried into the downstream press device 20 by the transfer motion is created. To do. As shown in FIG. 15 by taking the lower mold structure 15 of the upstream press device 10 as an example, the sweep shape is such that the workpiece W and the tip of the robot (sliding member 38) holding the workpiece W are molds. This is the shape of the space through which the structure 15 passes while moving from the predetermined position a to the predetermined position b.

  Next, in step S12, the three-dimensional shape of the sweep shape and the three-dimensional shape of the lower mold structure are synthesized and displayed on the display device 43 of the computer 40. In step 13, it is determined whether the sweep shape and the mold structure interfere with each other.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 15, the lower mold structure 15 is provided with a shape portion 15b that forms a workpiece at the center of the upper portion of the holder 15a, and a cam forming structure portion 15c and a guide structure around the shape portion 15b. The portion 15d and a workpiece positioning gauge (not shown) are provided. The cam forming structure portion 15c, the guide structure portion 15d, and the workpiece positioning gauge are provided so as to protrude upward from the shape portion 15b. Therefore, interference with the workpiece W or the like often occurs with respect to the cam forming structure portion 15c, the guide structure portion 15d, the workpiece positioning gauge, or the like.

  The determination of whether or not to interfere may be determined by the operator by looking at the display device 43, but can also be determined by arithmetic processing of the computer 40.

  If it is determined that there is interference, the shape of the interference part of the mold structure is changed in step S14, and the design of the mold structure is changed so that the interference is eliminated.

  As described above, the transfer motion of the robot that shortens the cycle time as much as possible is determined, and the presence or absence of interference with the lower mold structures 15 and 25 when the workpiece is transferred by the transfer motion is also confirmed in advance. The lower mold structures 15 and 25 from which this interference is avoided are installed in the press devices 10 and 20 of the press line. In addition, the presence or absence of interference between the upper mold structures 16 and 26 and the third rotating member 37 of the robot 30 is confirmed in advance, and the upper mold structures 16 and 26 in which this interference is avoided are pressed lines. Are installed in the press devices 10 and 20.

  Therefore, the robot transfer capability is more effectively used than when setting the robot transfer motion by teaching after setting the mold structure in each press device by setup change etc., considering the workpiece shape. As a result, the cycle time can be shortened, and as a result of teaching, it is necessary to set a remarkably long conveyance path, or it is possible to avoid the need to remodel the mold structure, thereby improving the productivity of the press line. It will be.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively support the design of a part production line such as a tandem press line, which is suitable in the field of manufacturing various products having this kind of part production line. May be used.

10, 20 Parts manufacturing equipment (press equipment)
15, 25, 16, 26 Equipment for manufacturing parts (mold structure)
30 Robot # 1 to # 13 Control point

Claims (6)

A method for supporting the design of a part manufacturing line comprising a part manufacturing apparatus and a multi-axis robot that loads and / or unloads workpieces from the part manufacturing apparatus,
A control point setting step for setting a plurality of control points for defining a movement path of a reference point set at the arm tip of the robot;
An SPM curve that creates an SPM curve that defines a work placement area in the apparatus that does not interfere with peripheral equipment of the component manufacturing apparatus when the work is carried into and / or out of the part manufacturing apparatus. Creation process,
Based on the control point set in the control point setting step, the SPM curve created in the SPM curve creation step, and the workpiece shape to be formed, the transfer motion determination for determining the transfer motion of the robot when transferring the workpiece A process for supporting the design of a part production line, comprising: a process. An appropriate movement amount setting step of setting a range of an appropriate movement amount of each movable part with respect to a unit rotation angle around the first axis that is the center of the horizontal basic motion of the robot;
2. The design support method for a parts production line according to claim 1, wherein in the transfer motion determination step, the transfer motion of the robot is determined based on a range of the appropriate movement amount set in the appropriate movement amount setting step. In the SPM curve creation step, a plurality of SPM curves are created for each cycle time, including an SMP curve when moving each movable part of the robot within the range of the appropriate movement amount set in the appropriate movement amount setting step.
In the transport motion determination step, a workpiece shape is superimposed on the plurality of SPM curves, and among these SPM curves, the SPM curve having the shortest cycle time is provided under the condition that the workpiece does not interfere with the peripheral equipment of the component manufacturing apparatus. The design support method for a parts production line according to claim 2, wherein the robot motion is determined using the SPM curve. The three-dimensional data of the sweep shape of the tip of the arm of the robot that grips the workpiece and the robot when the workpiece is conveyed by the conveyance motion determined in the conveyance motion determination step, and the three-dimensional of the part manufacturing equipment in the component manufacturing apparatus An interference verification process for verifying the presence or absence of these interferences using data,
2. A shape changing step of changing the shape of the component manufacturing equipment so as to avoid the interference when the presence of interference is confirmed in the interference verifying step. 4. A design support method for a part production line according to any one of 3 above.   The component manufacturing apparatus is an upstream and downstream press device provided with a mold as the component manufacturing facility, and the robot carries a workpiece unloaded from the upstream press device into the downstream press device. The method for supporting the design of a part manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: A design support system for a part production line comprising a part production apparatus and a multi-axis robot for carrying in and / or carrying out a workpiece to / from the part production apparatus,
Control point setting means for setting a plurality of control points for defining a movement path of a reference point set at the arm tip of the robot;
An SPM curve that creates an SPM curve that defines a work placement area in the apparatus that does not interfere with peripheral equipment of the component manufacturing apparatus when the work is carried into and / or out of the part manufacturing apparatus. Creating means;
Based on the control point set by the control point setting means, the SPM curve created in the SPM curve creation step, and the workpiece shape to be formed, the transfer motion determination for determining the transfer motion of the robot when transferring the workpiece And a design support system for a part production line.

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