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1、 ABSTRACT A workstation and method for processing a plurality of workpieces includes at least one material handling robot movable along a processing path for supporting a workpiece to be moved along the processing path. At least one station can be defined by at least one processing position adjacent
2、 the processing path for receiving workpieces to be processed when delivered and positioned by the at least one material handling robot. Interchangeable end effecters can be con-nected to the material handling robot for holding and sup-porting different configurations of workpieces. The material han
3、dling robot can disengage from the end effecter at the processing position, to allow engagement with a processing tool for performing additional processing operations on the workpiece. A flexible body workstation for assembling workpieces can use multiple robots and/or multiple fixtures for processi
4、ng different workpiece configurations in any sequential order along two processing paths. RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of pro-visional application Ser. No. 60/548,129 filed on Feb. 26, 2004 and Ser. No. 60/618,422 filed on Oct. 13, 2004.FIELD OF THE INVENTION The p
5、resent invention relates to a flexible body workstation for assembling workpieces using multiple robots and multiple fixtures, and more specifically, the present invention provides welding workstations for auto-motive assembly lines having multiple independently work-ing welding robots and multiple
6、fixtures for holding work-pieces.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The efficiency of a welding workstation can be defined by the amount of time, normally a percentage, that a welding robot spends welding compared to the total time required for a particular repetitive cycle. The efficiency of the workstati
7、on relates to the amount of time that a welding robot takes to perform various welding operations compared to the total amount of time that the welding robot requires for a particular repetitive cycle. Idle time for a welding robot can occur when a new workpiece is loaded and prepared in a fixture.
8、If the workstation has one welding robot and one fixture, the welding robot will stand idle as a completed part is unloaded from the fixture and a new workpiece is loaded onto the fixture. In the prior art, this problem was addressed by adding a second fixture at the workstation within reach of a si
9、ngle welding robot. In a workstation with two fixtures, the welding robot can complete welding operations at one fixture while workpieces are being loaded and unloaded at the second fixture. When the welding process is complete at the first fixture, the welding robot can move to the second fixture a
10、nd immediately commence welding. The amount of time that a workpiece is positioned in a fixture while work is being performed compared to the total amount of time that a workpiece is positioned in a fixture corresponds to workpiece efficiency. The amount of time that a workpiece sits idle in a fixtu
11、re reduces the overall operating capacity of the workstation by reducing through-put, normally reported in parts per hour or similar units for the overall assembly process. In a workstation having one fixture and one welding robot, the amount of time that a workpiece sits idle in the fixture is mini
12、mized because the welding robot immediately commences welding operations as soon as a workpiece is loaded and any other setup procedures are completed. However, in a workstation that has two fixtures and one welding robot, a workpiece is loaded onto one fixture, is setup, and then sits idle until th
13、e welding robot completes welding operations at the second fixture. Therefore, in a workstation having one fixture and one welding robot, the workpiece efficiency is maximized while in a workstation having two fixtures and one welding robot the welding efficiency is maximized. It is desirable to pro
14、vide a workstation wherein the welding efficiency and the workpiece efficiency are both enhanced.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention can include a single or a plurality of similar workstations positioned in sequence along an assembly line. A movable material handling transportation or tra
15、nsfer robot can be located in between adjacent workstations for moving workpieces from one workstation to the next. The present invention can also include a robot for processing the workpieces while held by the material handling transfer robot in between the adjacent workstations. The present invent
16、ion includes a flexible body shop for assembling workpieces using a single or multiple robots and a single or multiple fixtures. The present invention includes movable material handling robots, and stationary material processing robots in combination at the flexible body workstation. The workstation
17、 can perform processing operations on multiple workpieces sequentially, and performs different processing operations through the workstation simultaneously. The material processing robots performing processing operations on the workpieces can be located adjacent the at least one processing path, or
18、in between first and second processing paths and are independently movable relative to each other. The workpiece fixtures can be provided in the form of interchangeable end effecters connectable to the at least one material handling robot for holding and supporting different workpiece configurations
19、 by exchanging one interchangeable end effecter configuration for a different interchangeable end effecter workpiece configuration. The interchangeable end effecters can be geometry fixtures for different workpiece configurations to allow processing different workpiece configurations in any desired
20、sequence by changing end effecters automatically to correspond to the next workpiece configuration to be processed. The present invention can include a plurality of similar workstations positioned in sequence along an assembly line. The at least one material handling robot can hand off a workpiece f
21、rom a transfer position at one end of the processing path to another material handling robot for movement along another processing path for moving workpieces from one workstation to the next and/or can position a workpiece at multiple workstations before transfer. The present invention can also incl
22、ude a material processing robot for processing the workpiece while being held by the material handling robot at the transfer position in between adjacent workstations. The present invention can provide an electronic control means for coordinating the movement of the material handling robots and/or t
23、he material processing robots. The electronic control means can be programmable for processing any mix of workpieces of different configurations in any sequential order. The electronic control means can present the appropriate interchangeable end effecter for connection to a material handling robot
24、in order to move the workpiece along a corresponding processing path to a processing position adj acent the processing path for interaction with the material processing robot or robots located at the processing position. The electronic control means can signal each material handling robot when an ex
25、change of interchangeable end effecters is necessary in order to process a different workpiece configuration during the next cycle of movement along the processing path. The material processing robot can be controlled with different programmable sequences for the various workpiece configurations to
26、be processed in order to perform the necessary processing operations, by way of example and not limitation such as welding, in an efficient manner for the particular workpiece configuration being processed. Other objects, advantages and applications of the present invention will become apparent to t
27、hose skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numera
28、ls refer to like workpieces throughout the several views, and wherein: FIG. 1 is an overhead view of a workstation according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view of the workstation according to the present invention with a first material handling robot at a loading posit
29、ion, a second material handling robot at a processing position, and material processing robots located adj acent the processing position in between the first and second processing paths followed by the first and second material handling robots; And FIG. 3 is a simplified perspective view of the work
30、station according to the present invention with the first material handling robot moved into the processing position, the second material handling robot moved to the unloading position, and the material processing robot located adjacent the processing position in between the first and second process
31、ing paths. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the present invention includes a flexible body workstation 10 for assembling workpieces 12. The workstation 10 can include at least one material handling robot 14a, 14b movable along a processing path 16a, 16b for support
32、ing a workpiece 12 to be moved along the processing path 16a, 16b. The workstation can include at least one station defined by at least one processing position adjacent the processing path 16a, 16b for receiving workpieces 12 to be processed when delivered and positioned by the at least one material
33、 handling robot 14a, 14b. A stationary monument 18 can be provided if desired, for large workpieces to be processed. By way of example and not limitation, at least one material handling robot can include a first material handling robot 14a movable along a first processing path 16a for supporting a f
34、irst workpiece 12a to be moved along the first processing path 16a, and a second material handling robot 14b movable along a second processing path 16b for supporting a second workpiece 12b to be moved along the second processing path 16b. At least one stationary monument 18 can be provided, if desi
35、red for large workpieces, and can include a first stationary monument defining the processing position located between the first and second processing paths 16a, 16b. The at least one material handling robot 16a, 16b can be supported for movement along at least one overhead rail location and/or at l
36、east one floor supported rail location. At least one material processing robot 20a, 20b, 20e, 20d can be located adjacent the processing position for processing workpieces 12a, 12b to be processed after being delivered by the at least one material handling robot 14a, 14b traveling along the correspo
37、nding processing paths 16a, 16b. Each material handling robot 14a, 14b can include an interchangeable end effecter 22 connectable to the material handling robot 14a, 14b for holding and supporting different configurations of workpieces 12a, 12b. The interchangeable end effecter 22 can be provided fo
38、r holding, supporting, locating and/or geometry fixturing the corresponding workpiece 12a, 12b to be processed with the corresponding material handling robot 14a, 14b at the processing position 18. The interchangeable end effecter 22 can be floor mountable by the corresponding material handling robo
39、t 14a, 14b at the processing position. The interchangeable end effecter can define a geometry fixture tool 24 for accurately positioning the workpiece 12a, 12b to be processed with respect to the end effecter 22 thereby allowing the corresponding material handling robot 14a, 14b to accurately positi
40、on the workpiece 12a, 12b and end effecter 22 in combination at the processing position in a predetermined location so that the material processing robots 20a, 20b, 20e, 20d can perform the processing operations with precise accurate positioning with respect to the workpiece. By way of example and n
41、ot limitation, the material processing robots 20a, 20b, 20e, 20d can include welding robots for processing workpieces 12a, 12b of different configurations or body styles of automobiles to be assembled along the assembly line. The material processing robot 20a, 20b, 20e, 20d, can be supported from at
42、 least one overhead position and/or supported from at least one floor position. The present invention can include a method for processing a plurality of workpieces 12a, 12b. The method can include the steps of supporting a workpiece 12a, 12b to be moved along a processing path 16a, 16b with at least
43、 one material handling robot 14a, 14b movable along the processing path 16a, 16b. The method can include the step of receiving workpieces 12a, 12b to be processed that are delivered by the at least one material handling robot 14a, 14b at at least one station defined by at least one processing positi
44、on adjacent the processing path 16a, 16b. A stationary monument 18 can be provided, if desired, for example to support a large workpiece for processing. By way of example and not limitation, the method according to the present invention can include the step of supporting a first workpiece movable al
45、ong the first processing path 16a with a first material handling robot 14a, and supporting a second workpiece 12b to be moved along a second processing path 16b with a second material handling robot 14b movable along the second processing path 16b. The first workpiece 12a or second workpiece 12b can
46、 be supported for processing after being delivered by one of either the first and second material handling robots 14a, 14b at at least one station located between the first and second processing paths 16a, 16b. The method according to the present invention can include the step of processing the firs
47、t and second workpieces 12a, 12b to be processed after being delivered by one of either the first and second material handling robots 14a, 14b with at least one material processing robot 20, 20b, 20e, 20d located adjacent the processing position. By way of example and not limitation, the at least on
48、e material processing robot 20a, 20b, 20e, 20d can include a welding robot. The method according to the present invention can include the step of holding and supporting different con-figurations of workpieces 12a, 12b with interchangeable end effecters 22 connectable to the first and second material
49、 handling robots 14a, 14b. Different workpiece configurations can be held, supported, transported, and accurately located with the interchangeable end effecters 22 and the corresponding material handling robots 14a, 14b at the processing position. The method according to the present invention can include the step of mounting one of the inter