JP7577006B2 - Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a processing device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that uses a frame structure to arrange welding machines in multiple stages in the vertical direction.

JP 2002-36071 A

In recent years, technology has been developed that uses a cart to transport the material to be transported to the processing machine. In this case, the transfer between the processing machine and the cart is sometimes automated.

It is therefore conceivable to use the frame structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 to arrange processing machines in multiple stages in the vertical direction. However, the frame structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not support the automation of the transfer between the processing machines and the cart.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a processing device that can automatically transfer materials between the processing machines of each stage, which are arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and a self-propelled cart.

The processing device according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of processing machines for processing materials, and a frame structure in which the plurality of processing machines are stacked and connected in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and the frame members of the frame structure that extend in the vertical direction serve as rail members for raising and lowering a self-propelled carriage that can carry the materials and move.

According to the present disclosure, materials can be automatically transferred between each of the processing machines arranged in multiple vertical stages and the self-propelled carriage.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a transport system including a processing device according to a first embodiment; 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a transport system including a plurality of processing devices according to a second embodiment. FIG.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
A processing device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a transport system including the processing device 1 according to the first embodiment.

The transport system shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a processing device 1, a self-propelled cart 30, and an arm-type robot 40. In addition, although details will be described later, the processing device 1 has multiple stages of processing machines 10 in the vertical direction. FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a processing device 1 in which processing machines 10 are provided across two stages, one above the other.

The conveying system is a system that conveys unprocessed materials 50 to the processing machines 10 at each stage in the processing device 1 using a self-propelled carriage 30. The conveying system is also a system that conveys processed materials 50 from the processing machines 10 at each stage in the processing device 1 using a self-propelled carriage 30.

Specifically, the self-propelled cart 30 transports unprocessed material 50 from a predetermined unprocessed product storage area to a predetermined processing machine 10. The self-propelled cart 30 also transports processed material 50 from the processing machine 10 to a predetermined processed product storage area or to another processing machine 10. At this time, the transport system is capable of automatically transferring the material 50 between the processing machine 10 and the self-propelled cart 30 using the arm-type robot 40.

The self-propelled cart 30 moves on the floor surface F by itself. The self-propelled cart 30 is, for example, an autonomous mobile robot (AMR). The self-propelled cart 30 has a cart section 31 and a sliding section 32.

The cart section 31 is plate-shaped. A number of wheels (not shown) for moving on the floor surface F are rotatably supported on the cart section 31. The upper surface of the cart section 31 forms a mounting surface 31a on which the material 50 is placed. Of the four side surfaces of the cart section 31, one side surface 31b is provided with a pair of sliding portions 32. The sliding portions 32 are formed so as to protrude outward from the side surface 31b.

The arm-type robot 40 is capable of grasping the material 50. The arm-type robot 40 is supported on the mounting surface 31a of the carriage portion 31 of the self-propelled carriage 30. Therefore, the arm-type robot 40 can transfer the material 50 between the processing machine 10 (described later) and the self-propelled carriage 30 that has been raised and lowered to a predetermined height by the processing machine 10. The arm-type robot 40 may be provided in the processing machine 10.

The processing device 1 is installed on a floor surface F. The processing device 1 processes a material 50. Such a processing device 1 includes a plurality of processing machines 10 and a frame structure 20.

The processing machine 10 includes a base 11, a processing section 12, and a processing tank 13.

The base 11 is disposed at the bottom of the processing machine 10. The base 11 has a mounting surface 11a. The mounting surface 11a is a surface for mounting the processing tank 13 or the material 50. The mounting surface 11a is a surface that is approximately parallel to the floor surface F.

Figure 1 shows an example in which a processing tank 13 is attached to the mounting surface 11a of the processing machine 10. The processing tank 13 contains a liquid, such as water or oil. When it is necessary to process the material 50 in liquid, a specified liquid is poured into the processing tank 13 attached to the mounting surface 11a, and the material 50 is submerged in the processing tank 13 with the liquid poured in.

The processing unit 12 performs a predetermined processing on the material 50 in the processing tank 13 attached to the mounting surface 11a, or on the material 50 attached to the mounting surface 11a. This processing unit 12 is disposed above the mounting surface 11a and is supported by the base 11. A tool (not shown) for processing the material 50 is detachably supported on such processing unit 12.

The frame structure 20 stacks multiple processing machines 10 vertically and connects them to each other. At this time, the multiple processing machines 10 are all arranged facing the same direction. In this way, by stacking multiple processing machines 10 vertically, the processing device 1 can install multiple processing machines 10 in the installation space for one processing machine, thereby saving space.

Such a frame structure 20 is composed of, for example, an intermediate panel 21, a top panel 22, a front frame member 23, and a rear frame member 24.

The intermediate panel 21 is disposed between adjacent processing machines 10 vertically. This intermediate panel 21 is disposed between the base 11 of the upper processing machine 10 and the base 11 of the lower processing machine 10. The top panel 22 is disposed so as to cover the processing machine 10 located at the top from above.

The front frame member 23 and the rear frame member 24 are frame members that extend in the vertical direction. These front frame members 23 and rear frame members 24 connect the processing machines 10 of each stage, and also connect the intermediate panel 21 and the top panel 22. The front frame members 23 and rear frame members 24 are also disposed at the four corners of the processing machines 10 of each stage.

That is, the front frame members 23 are located at the front corners of the processing machine 10 of each stage and face the front surface of the processing machine 10. The rear frame members 24 are located at the rear corners of the processing machine 10 of each stage and face the rear surface of the processing machine 10.

Of the frame structure 20, the front frame member 23 extending in the vertical direction is used as a rail member. This front frame member 23 has a groove 23a. The groove 23a is formed to extend in the vertical direction. The sliding parts 32 of the self-propelled carriage 30 can be inserted into such grooves 23a. The sliding parts 32 inserted into the grooves 23a can slide within the grooves 23a.

Here, the processing device 1 has a lifting drive source (not shown). When the sliding part 32 of the self-propelled carriage 30 is inserted into the groove 23a of the front frame member 23, this lifting drive source can raise and lower the sliding part 32 inserted into the groove 23a along the groove 23a. That is, the self-propelled carriage 30 is raised and lowered relative to the processing machine 10 by the sliding part 32 sliding along the front frame member 23. At this time, the front frame member 23 raises the self-propelled carriage 30 until the height of the mounting surface 31a of the self-propelled carriage 30 matches the height of the mounting surface 11a of the processing machine 10 on each stage.

Therefore, when the processing machine 10 at each stage of the processing device 1 receives the unprocessed material 50 placed on the self-propelled carriage 30 from the self-propelled carriage 30, the self-propelled carriage 30 first places the unprocessed material 50 on the placement surface 31a and moves across the floor surface F to the front of the processing device 1.

Next, the self-propelled carriage 30 moves so that the sliding portion 32 is inserted into the groove 23a of the front frame member 23.

Then, the processing device 1 raises the self-propelled carriage 30 along the groove 23a of the front frame member 23. That is, the processing device 1 raises the self-propelled carriage 30 so that the height of the placement surface 31a matches the height of the mounting surface 11a of each stage. Therefore, the mounting surface 11a of each stage and the placement surface 31a are flush with each other.

Then, the arm-type robot 40 grasps the unprocessed material 50 placed on the placement surface 31a and transfers it to the inside of the processing tank 13 or to the mounting surface 11a. After that, the unprocessed material 50 is fixed to the inner surface or mounting surface 11a of the processing tank 13.

In contrast, when the processing machine 10 of each stage in the processing device 1 transfers the processed material 50 from the processing machine 10 to the self-propelled carriage 30, the arm-type robot 40 first grasps the processed material 50 placed in the processing tank 13 or the mounting surface 11a and transfers it to the mounting surface 31a of the self-propelled carriage 30. At this time, the height of the mounting surface 11a of each stage and the height of the mounting surface 31a are the same.

Next, the processing device 1 lowers the self-propelled carriage 30 along the groove 23a of the front frame member 23. As a result, the self-propelled carriage 30 arrives at the floor surface F.

Next, the self-propelled carriage 30 moves so that the sliding portion 32 comes out of the groove 23a of the front frame member 23.

Then, the self-propelled carriage 30 places the processed material 50 on the loading surface 31a and transports it to a designated storage location or to another processing machine 10.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conveying system equipped with multiple processing devices 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, in the conveying system, it is also possible to provide multiple processing devices 1 in the width direction. Therefore, even if there is a restriction on the installation height of the processing devices 1 equipped with multiple processing machines 10 in the vertical direction, the conveying system can increase the number of processing machines 10 by providing multiple processing devices 1 in the width direction.

As described above, the processing device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of processing machines 10 that process the material 50, and a frame structure 20 that stacks and connects the plurality of processing machines 10 in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and the front frame member 23 of the frame structure 20 that extends in the vertical direction is a rail member for raising and lowering the self-propelled carriage 30 that can move with the material 50 placed on it. Therefore, the processing device 1 can automatically transfer the material 50 between the processing machines 10 and the self-propelled carriage 30 of each stage that is provided in multiple stages in the vertical direction.

The processing device 1 also includes an arm-type robot 40 that transfers the material 50 between the processing machine 10 and the self-propelled carriage 30. This arm-type robot 40 is provided on each stage of the processing machine 10. Therefore, the processing device 1 can easily transfer the material 50 between the processing machine 10 and the self-propelled carriage 30.

The processing device 1 further includes an arm-type robot 40 that transfers the material 50 between the processing machine 10 and the self-propelled carriage 30. The arm-type robot 40 is provided on the self-propelled carriage 30. Therefore, the processing device 1 can easily transfer the material 50 between the processing machine 10 and the self-propelled carriage 30.

Within the scope of this disclosure, it is possible to freely combine the arm-type Roboro with each of the embodiments, modify any of the components in each of the embodiments, or omit any of the components in each of the embodiments.

1 Processing device, 10 Processing machine, 11 Base, 11a Mounting surface, 12 Processing section, 13 Processing tank, 20 Frame structure, 21 Intermediate panel, 22 Top panel, 23 Front frame member, 23a Groove, 24 Rear frame member, 30 Self-propelled cart, 31 Cart section, 31a Mounting surface, 31b Side surface, 32 Sliding section, 40 Arm-type robot, 50 Material, F Floor surface.

Claims (3)

A plurality of processing machines for processing materials;
a frame structure for stacking and connecting the plurality of processing machines in multiple stages in the vertical direction,
A processing device characterized in that a frame member extending in a vertical direction among the frame structure is used as a rail member for raising and lowering a self-propelled carriage capable of moving with the material placed thereon. a robot that transfers the material between the processing machine and the self-propelled carriage,
2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the robot is provided in each processing machine. a robot that transfers the material between the processing machine and the self-propelled carriage,
The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the robot is provided on the self-propelled carriage.

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