JP7689897B2 - Edge folding device and edge folding method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an edge folding device and edge folding method.

The metal strip rolled by the rolling mill is wound by a winding machine and transported in the form of a coil, but this metal strip coil is usually packed in packing paper to prevent scratches, etc. Packing paper that is wider than the width of the metal strip coil is used. The packing paper covers the side (curved surface) of the cylindrical metal strip coil, and is placed over the metal strip coil so that the end surface covering portion, which covers the axial end surface of the metal strip coil, protrudes from the metal strip coil in the coil axial direction. Numerous folds (folded portions) are formed in this end surface covering portion by folding the edges, and the end surface covering portion covers the axial end surface of the metal strip coil in a manner that makes close contact with the metal strip coil.

Patent document 1 discloses a device that automates the edge folding process.

Special Publication No. 7-94244

However, the device in Patent Document 1 requires that the metal strip coil be placed in a fixed position, and once installed, it is difficult to change the position of the device, reducing the degree of freedom in facility layout.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide an edge folding device and edge folding method that allows for greater freedom in facility layout.

The edge folding device according to one aspect of the present invention is an edge folding device that folds the edge of an end surface covering portion, which is a part of the packing paper that packs a metal strip coil and covers the axial end surface of the metal strip coil, and is equipped with a robot unit that folds the edge of the end surface covering portion, a relative position detection unit that detects relative position information regarding the relative position between the robot unit and the metal strip coil, and a control unit that controls the robot unit based on the relative position information detected by the relative position detection unit.

The edge folding method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for folding the edge of an end surface covering part, which is a part of the packing paper that packs a metal strip coil and covers the axial end surface of the metal strip coil, and includes a robot unit folding the edge of the end surface covering part, a relative position detection unit detecting relative position information regarding the relative position between the robot unit and the metal strip coil, and a control unit controlling the robot unit based on the detected relative position information.

According to the present invention, there is no need to place the metal strip coil in a predetermined position, which increases the freedom of equipment layout.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an edge folding device. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an example of a configuration of a first end effector. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of a second end effector. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of a gripping portion. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a gripper structure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state of the metal strip coil up to the coil packaging stage. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a first example of alignment of a first articulated robot and a second articulated robot. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a second example of alignment of the first articulated robot and the second articulated robot. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first operation of the first articulated robot and the second articulated robot. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second operation of the first articulated robot and the second articulated robot. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a third operation of the first articulated robot and the second articulated robot. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a fourth operation of the first articulated robot and the second articulated robot. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a fifth operation of the first articulated robot and the second articulated robot. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a sixth operation of the first articulated robot and the second articulated robot. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a seventh operation of the first articulated robot and the second articulated robot. A diagram showing the processing procedure of the edge folding device.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an edge folding device 100. The edge folding device 100 is a device that automatically performs the edge folding operation of the end face covering portion, which is part of the packing paper that packs a cylindrical metal strip coil (see Figure 6 described below) and covers the axial end face of the metal strip coil. The details of the edge folding operation will be described later. As shown in Figure 1, the edge folding device 100 includes a relative position detection unit 10, a control unit 20, and a robot unit 90. The relative position detection unit 10, the control unit 20, and the robot unit 90 can each transmit and receive information to each other using wired or wireless communication.

The relative position detection unit 10 can detect relative position information regarding the relative position between the robot unit 90 and the metal strip coil. The robot unit 90 can perform the edge folding work of the end surface covering part of the packing paper that covers the side surface (curved surface) of the metal strip coil. The control unit 20 can control the robot unit 90 based on the relative position information detected by the relative position detection unit 10. With this configuration, even if the metal strip coil to be edge folded (packaged) is not placed in a predetermined position, the relative position detection unit 10 can detect the relative position information regarding the relative position between the robot unit 90 and the metal strip coil, and can control the robot unit 90 based on the detected relative position information. Therefore, it is not necessary to place the metal strip coil in a fixed position, and the position can be changed, so the degree of freedom of the equipment layout can be increased. Details of each part are explained below.

The relative position detection unit 10 includes a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensor 11 that functions as a three-dimensional measuring device, a calculation unit 12, and an output unit 13. The LiDAR sensor 11 irradiates laser light and detects reflected light and scattered light, which can be used to measure the distance to the metal strip coil and calculate the shape. By including a camera, the LiDAR sensor 11 can also generate a high-resolution 3D image of the metal strip coil. The LiDAR sensor 11 can detect three-dimensional position information of the metal strip coil.

The calculation unit 12 can calculate relative position information regarding the relative positions of the robot unit 90 and the metal band coil based on the position information of the robot unit 90 and the three-dimensional information of the metal band coil detected by the LiDAR sensor 11. The position information of the robot unit 90 may be stored in the memory unit 24 of the control unit 20, for example, and may be acquired from the memory unit 24.

The output unit 13 outputs the relative position information calculated (detected) by the calculation unit 12 to the control unit 20. This allows the control unit 20 to obtain relative position information between the robot unit 90 and the metal strip coil according to the position of the metal strip coil, regardless of the placement position of the metal strip coil. Details of the relative position information will be described later.

The robot section 90 includes a first articulated robot 70 and a second articulated robot 80 as selvedge folding robots, and a moving section 60. The first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 are attached to the moving section 60, and the moving section 60 enables the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 to move in parallel and rotate. In this embodiment, a collaborative robot that can work with humans is used as the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. The control section 20 can control the moving section 60 to move the selvedge folding robot to a position where the metal strip coil and the selvedge folding robot are arranged in a predetermined manner based on the relative position information. This eliminates the need to arrange the metal strip coil in a fixed position, and the arrangement can be changed, thereby increasing the freedom of facility layout.

The moving unit 60 includes a rotating table 30, a lifting unit 40, and a moving cart 50. The rotating table 30 is fixed to the lifting unit 40 and includes a driving unit 31 and a robot table 32. The lifting unit 40 is installed on the moving cart 50 and includes a driving unit 41. The moving cart 50 includes a driving unit 51. The first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 are attached to the robot table 32 (rotating table 30). The driving unit 31 is composed of, for example, a servo motor, and when it receives a control signal from the control unit 20, it can rotate the robot table 32 (rotating table 30) around the rotation axis based on the received control signal. The central axis of rotation of the robot table 32 is oriented in the horizontal direction. Note that the central axis of rotation of the robot table 32 is not limited to the horizontal direction, and may be oriented in a direction tilted by a predetermined angle from the horizontal direction according to the installation state of the metal strip coil. By setting the central axis of rotation of the robot table 32 in a predetermined direction, a reference direction for the manipulation of packaging paper by the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 can be set. The relative position detection unit 10 may be provided at a predetermined position on the turntable 30 (e.g., a portion other than the robot table 32). The positional relationship between the mounting position of the relative position detection unit 10, a predetermined position on the central axis of rotation of the robot table 32, and the direction of the central axis can be determined in advance.

The drive unit 51 is, for example, a combination of a servo motor and a transmission mechanism, and when it receives a control signal from the control unit 20, it can move the moving cart 50 two-dimensionally horizontally on the floor surface based on the received control signal. The drive unit 41 is, for example, a combination of a servo motor and a transmission mechanism, and when it receives a control signal from the control unit 20, it can raise and lower the rotating table 30 based on the received control signal. In this way, the control unit 20 can move the lifting unit 40 horizontally by sending a control signal to the drive unit 51 to move the moving cart 50 horizontally. The control unit 20 can also raise and lower the rotating table 30 by sending a control signal to the drive unit 41 to move the lifting unit 40 vertically. The control unit 20 can also rotate the robot table 32 by sending a control signal to the drive unit 31.

The first articulated robot 70 can be configured, for example, as a six-axis robot. A six-axis robot has six degrees of freedom in total in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, Z-axis direction, around the X-axis, around the Y-axis, and around the Z-axis in a three-dimensional space (XYZ-axis coordinate system). The first articulated robot 70 has a plurality of joints (joints) having a rotation axis, a plurality of links connecting the joints, and a first end effector 71 at the tip. The second articulated robot 80 is also configured as a six-axis robot, and has a second end effector 81 at the tip. Note that an operating program is created for the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 so that they can perform a predetermined task in a predetermined procedure, and the operating program can be stored, for example, in the memory unit 24.

When the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 receive a control signal from the control unit 20, they can perform a predetermined task in a predetermined procedure based on the received control signal. In this case, the control signal may be a signal to start or stop the operation of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80, and a device that stores specific procedures and operations may be built into the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80.

By using an articulated robot, the position and orientation of the first end effector 71 and the second end effector 81 can be controlled, and work can be performed in three-dimensional space, reproducing the packaging work (edge folding work) that is performed manually by humans. In addition, by reproducing delicate work such as accurate folding of packaging paper and removing wrinkles, high-quality paper folding (e.g., without misalignment or wrinkles) is possible.

The control unit 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 22, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 23, a storage unit 24, and an interface unit 25. The control unit 20 can be configured, for example, as an information processing device such as a personal computer. The storage unit 24 can be configured as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk, and can store the operation program of the ear folding device 100, processing results, and other required information. The interface unit 25 includes a communication module and can transmit and receive information between the relative position detection unit 10 and the robot unit 90.

2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first end effector 71. The first end effector 71 includes a substantially rectangular pressing member 711, a rectangular hole 712 formed in the pressing member 711, a roll portion 714 in which an adhesive tape functioning as an adhesive member is wound in a roll, and an attachment portion 713 for cutting the adhesive tape wound on the roll portion 714 to a required size and attaching the cut adhesive tape. The pressing member 711 is for pressing the end surface covering portion of the packing paper against the axial end surface of the metal strip coil. The attachment portion 713 is for fixing the folded edge portion of the packing paper by attaching the adhesive tape cut to a required size to the packing paper exposed from the hole portion 712. The first end effector 71 can be rotated along the direction indicated by the symbol A in FIG. 2 and can be moved along the direction indicated by the symbol B. The attachment portion 713 can be moved along the direction indicated by the symbol B while maintaining the position of the pressing member 711.

This prevents the folded edge of the end covering of the packaging paper from shifting or returning.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the second end effector 81. The second end effector 81 has grippers 811 and 812 as a gripping section. The grippers 811 and 812 are collectively referred to as the gripping section 81. The grippers 811 and 812 can be configured as flat plates of a required shape. The grippers 811 and 812 can be rotated around a specified axis. The gripping section can grip the end of the end surface covering section of the packing paper. Specifically, the grippers 811 and 812 can pinch and grip the end of the end surface covering section of the packing paper from both sides. The second end effector 81 can be rotated along the direction indicated by the symbol A in Figure 3, and can be moved along the direction indicated by the symbol B. The gripping section 81 has a gripping detection function that applies force control.

This allows the end of the end surface covering portion of the packaging paper to be grasped, moved or rotated in the required direction, and the position of the end to be maintained while being grasped.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the gripping unit. Figure 4A shows a state in which the grippers 811, 812 are open (a state in which the movable gripper 811 is separated from the fixed gripper 812). This shows the state before the gripper grips the end of the end face covering portion. Figure 4B shows a state in which the grippers 811, 812 are closed (a state in which the fixed gripper 812 and the movable gripper 811 are in contact), and shows the state in which the gripper grips the end of the end face covering portion. Note that packaging paper is not shown.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of grippers 811 and 812. Figure 5 shows a case where the length of the two grippers is made equal. Since the packing paper is wound around the metal strip coil, the packing paper may have a curled shape. In the example of Figure 5A, the end of the end surface covering portion may be curved due to the curled shape of the packing paper, which may result in a gripping error in which the end surface covering portion cannot be clamped when the gripping portion operates. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5B, of the two grippers 811 and 812, the gripper 812 closer to the metal strip coil may be made longer than the gripper 811. This allows the end of the end surface covering portion of the packing paper to be securely clamped and gripped even if the packing paper has a curled shape.

Figure 6 shows the state of the metal strip coil 200 up to coil packaging. Figure 6A shows the state of the metal strip coil 200 without wrapping it in packing paper. Reference numeral 201 denotes the axial end face. In this specification, "coil packaging" means packaging a metal strip coil such as a steel sheet coil in packing paper (putting the coil in a packaged metal strip coil state) in order to maintain the quality of the product in a factory or warehouse, prevent damage during transportation, etc., before the product is shipped.

Figure 6B shows a state in which a strip-shaped packing paper is wound around the outer circumference of the metal strip coil 200. Reference numeral 301 denotes the end surface covering portion of the packing paper 300. In the state shown in Figure 6B, (1) the mountain folds ("pleats") of the end surface covering portion 301 are folded along the circumferential direction of the metal strip coil 200, and the mountain folds are fixed with adhesive tape each time, and the same operation is performed on the entire end surface covering portion of the packing paper 300. The edge folding device of this embodiment automatically performs the operation (1). Then, (2) the mountain folds protruding from the inner diameter side of the metal strip coil 200 are pushed into the inside of the coil hole and fixed, resulting in the "coil packaging" state shown in Figure 6C.

As shown in Figure 6C, in the packaged metal strip coil state, the metal strip coil is wrapped in strip-shaped packing paper (packaging material) and the start and end are fixed. The axial end face of the metal strip coil has multiple pleats woven into it to form a "chrysanthemum fold," and the pleats that protrude toward the inner diameter side of the metal strip coil are stored inside the metal strip coil hole.

Next, we will explain how to align the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 with respect to the metal strip coil.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing a first example of the alignment of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. The alignment of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 can be performed by aligning the robot table 32 to which the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 are attached. The XYZ coordinate values of a predetermined position on the central axis of rotation of the robot table 32 and the direction of the central axis can be stored in the memory unit 24 one by one in accordance with the movement and rotation of the moving unit 60. As explained in the example of Figure 6B, the metal strip coil has a strip-shaped packing paper wound around its outer periphery, and is in a state before the end surface covering portion 301 of the packing paper is folded.

The relative position detection unit 10 can calculate the deviation between the central axis of the inner diameter of the metal strip coil and the central axis of rotation of the robot table 32 based on the three-dimensional position information of the metal strip coil and information on a specific position on the central axis of rotation of the robot table 32 and the direction of the central axis. Figure 7A shows a state in which the central axis of the inner diameter of the metal strip coil is misaligned with the central axis of rotation of the robot table 32.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the control unit 20 moves the movable carriage 50 and raises and lowers the lifting unit to align the robot table 32 so that the central axis of the inner diameter of the metal strip coil coincides with the central axis of rotation of the robot table 32.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing a second example of the alignment of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. In the second example, instead of directly aligning the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80, the relative position detection unit 10 measures the three-dimensional position information of the metal strip coil in 3D, and the measurement results are reflected in the operation programs of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 to correct the operation of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. As the three-dimensional position information, for example, as shown in Figure 8A, the angle between the central axis of the metal strip coil and the central axis of rotation of the robot table 32 when viewed from above the equipment can be measured as the inclination α of the side of the metal strip coil. Also, as shown in Figure 8B, the angle between the direction of the straight line (or curve) indicating the end of the packing paper and the horizontal direction can be measured as the angle β of the packing material.

Next, the operation procedures of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 will be described. The control unit 20 can control the operation of each of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 by executing a predetermined operation program. Below, the first to seventh operations of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 15.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing the first operation of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. The control unit 20 controls the first articulated robot 70 so that the pressing member 711 presses the folded portion of the end surface covering portion 301 of the packing paper against the axial end surface 201 of the metal strip coil. In this case, the pressing member 711 moves along the direction indicated by the symbol C1 in Figure 9. In this embodiment, the pressing operation against the packing paper is performed by force control to prevent overloading of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80, damage to the packing paper, and scratches on the side of the metal strip coil. For example, the torque value at a specified joint of the robot is controlled so as not to exceed an upper limit value. The first operation allows the folding portion to be pressed against the side of the metal strip coil.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing the second operation of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. The control unit 20 controls the second articulated robot 80 to grip the end of the folded portion of the packing paper with the gripping units 811, 812 (81). In this case, the folded portion is pressed against the axial end surface 201 of the metal strip coil by the pressing member 711. The end of the packing paper is gripped by the second operation.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing the third operation of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. The control unit 20 controls the first articulated robot 70 to move the pressing member 711 to the position of the valley fold line of the folded portion of the packing paper (moving along the direction indicated by symbol C2 in Figure 11) so that one edge 711a of the pressing member 711 is aligned with the valley fold line, and press the packing paper against the axial end face 201 of the metal strip coil at the position of the valley fold line by the pressing member 711. The third operation makes it possible to position the valley fold line of the packing paper and maintain the position of the valley fold line.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing the fourth operation of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. The control unit 20 controls the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 to move the gripper 81 (moving along the direction indicated by symbol C3 in Figure 12) to a position on the opposite side of the valley fold line while the end of the folded portion of the packing paper is gripped by the gripper 81, and fold the packing paper. In this embodiment, the folding operation is performed by grippers 811 and 812 equipped with force control and a spring mechanism to perform the paper folding operation with a constant tension regardless of the packing paper material and to prevent overloading of the robot. The fourth operation allows a mountain fold line to be formed in the folded portion as the folded portion gripped by the gripper 81 is folded.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing the fifth operation of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. The control unit 20 controls the first articulated robot 70 to move the pressing member 711 in line with the valley fold line of the packing paper (moving along the direction indicated by symbol C4 in Figure 13). At this time, the folded portion gripped by the gripping unit 81 is held in a state slightly away from the axial end face and axially outward than the pressing member 711. The fifth operation allows the folded portion to be folded along the valley fold line.

14 is a diagram showing the sixth operation of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. The control unit 20 controls the first articulated robot 70 to move (in the direction indicated by symbol C5 in FIG. 14) along the mountain fold (mountain fold line) while pressing the pressing member 711 against the mountain fold of the folding part. At this time, while the gripping unit 81 is gripping the end of the folding part of the packing paper, the pressing member 711 is once released from the axial end surface 201 of the metal strip coil, and the folding part is pressed again from above the mountain fold line of the folding part gripped by the gripping unit 81 against the axial end surface by the pressing member 711, while the pressing member 711 moves along the mountain fold line in the direction indicated by symbol C5. In addition, the wrinkles that occur when folding the packing paper can be removed by force control. The mountain fold can be folded along the mountain fold line by the sixth operation. In addition, the crease of the folding part can be emphasized.

15 is a diagram showing the seventh operation of the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80. The control unit 20 controls the first articulated robot 70 to apply an adhesive tape (adhesive member) across the edge of the mountain fold to fix the folded-in portion. In this case, the pressing member 711 holds down the folded mountain fold, and the attaching unit 713 applies the adhesive tape cut to a required size across the edge of the mountain fold exposed from the hole 712. Also, by applying the adhesive tape under tension during gripping, the overall bulge of the packaging paper can be suppressed. The seventh operation allows the mountain fold ("pleat") to be fixed.

The control unit 20 repeats a series of operations (edge folding operations) from the first operation to the seventh operation described above a predetermined number of times along the circumferential direction of the metal strip coil. As a result, when the edge folding work for half the circumference of the metal strip coil is completed, the robot table 32 is rotated 180 degrees to invert the positional relationship between the first articulated robot 70 and the second articulated robot 80 and the metal strip coil, and the edge folding operations from the first operation to the seventh operation are performed for the remaining half circumference, thereby performing the edge folding operation around the entire circumference of the metal strip coil. Note that instead of a configuration in which the robot table 32 is rotated 180 degrees, the metal strip coil itself may be rotated by a cradle roll.

As described above, the edge folding operation according to this embodiment can be achieved by a series of paper folding operations using the gripper and the pressing member. Furthermore, by performing force control, edge folding can be performed with a constant tension and pressing force at all times, preventing fold wrinkles. Furthermore, since the robot table can be rotated, additional equipment such as a cradle roll is not required, and there are fewer equipment constraints. Furthermore, since the adhesive tape is applied while gripping tension is being generated, misalignment of the paper fold can be eliminated.

Figure 16 is a diagram showing the processing procedure of the edge folding device 100. For convenience, the following description will be given with the control unit 20 as the main actor in the processing. The control unit 20 transports the metal strip coil to be packed to a predetermined position (S11). The metal strip coil to be packed is, for example, in the state illustrated in Figure 6B. In addition, there may be an error in the transport of the metal strip coil from the predetermined position.

The control unit 20 performs 3D measurement and alignment of the metal strip coil (S12). The 3D measurement includes detection of three-dimensional position information of the metal strip coil and generation of a 3D image. The alignment is performed, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. When the alignment is completed, the control unit 20 presses the folded portion of the packing paper against the axial end surface 201 of the metal strip coil with the pressing member 711 (S13). The process of step S13 is the first operation illustrated in FIG. 9.

Next, the control unit 20 grips the end of the folded portion of the packing paper with the gripping unit 81 (S14). The process of step S14 is the second operation illustrated in FIG. 10. After that, the control unit 20 moves the pressing member 711 to the position of the valley fold line of the folded portion of the packing paper, and presses the packing paper against the axial end surface 201 of the metal strip coil at the position of the valley fold line (S15). The process of step S15 is the third operation illustrated in FIG. 11.

Next, while the gripper 81 grips the end of the folded portion of the packing paper, the control unit 20 moves the gripper 81 to a position on the opposite side of the valley fold line, and folds the packing paper (S16). The process of step S16 is the fourth operation illustrated in FIG. 12. After that, the control unit 20 moves the pressing member 711 to align with the valley fold line of the packing paper (S17). The process of step S17 is the fifth operation illustrated in FIG. 13.

Next, the control unit 20 moves the pressing member 711 along the mountain fold while pressing it against the mountain fold (S18). The process of step S18 is the sixth operation illustrated in FIG. 14. After that, the control unit 20 applies an adhesive member (e.g., adhesive tape) across the edge of the mountain fold to fix the folded portion (S19). The process of step S19 is the seventh operation illustrated in FIG. 15.

Then, the control unit 20 determines whether the edge folding work has been completed around the entire circumference of the metal strip coil (S20), and if the edge folding work has not been completed around the entire circumference (NO in S20), it determines whether the edge folding work has been completed around half of the circumference of the metal strip coil (S21). If the edge folding work has not been completed around half the circumference (NO in S21), the control unit 20 continues the processing from step S13 onwards. If the edge folding work has been completed around half the circumference (YES in S21), the control unit 20 rotates the robot base (robot table 32) (S22) and continues the processing from step S13 onwards. If the edge folding work has been completed around the entire circumference (YES in S20), the control unit 20 ends the processing. The processing shown in FIG. 16 can be repeated each time the metal strip coil to be packed is transported.

A computer program that defines each processing procedure, such as that shown in FIG. 16, can be recorded on a recording medium, and the computer program recorded on the recording medium can be loaded into a RAM provided in the computer, and executed by a CPU, thereby realizing the control unit 20 on the computer. Note that the computer program that defines each processing procedure, such as that shown in FIG. 16, can also be downloaded via a network such as the Internet, instead of a recording medium.

By simply preparing a program that performs the general-purpose paper folding operation described above, edge folding can be performed regardless of various conditions, such as the coil diameter of the metal strip coil, the packaging paper material, and the number of edge folds.

Manual coil packaging requires poor working posture and places a heavy physical burden on the worker. In addition, the number of packaging workers is decreasing, raising concerns about a future labor shortage. However, according to this embodiment, the edge folding work, which is the most physically demanding part of coil packaging work, can be automated, significantly reducing the workload on workers. In addition, work can be shared between workers and robots at the packaging site, allowing for efficient personnel allocation.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the use of a collaborative robot in the robot section enables a safe design that allows collaboration with workers. For example, by conducting an appropriate risk assessment, collaborative work with humans can be performed without a safety fence. Because a safety fence is not required, any location within the facility premises can be used as a packaging work area as long as free space is secured.

The edge folding device of this embodiment is less expensive and takes up less space than large devices installed on automatic lines. In addition, by using a general-purpose articulated robot, there is almost no need for special, dedicated machinery, and the burden of having specialized technicians acquire the necessary knowledge for maintenance is reduced.

For example, in the above embodiment, a LiDAR sensor is used as a three-dimensional measuring device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a device that uses two cameras to capture images of a metal strip coil from two different directions and calculates three-dimensional position information based on these captured images and videos.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an adhesive tape is used as the adhesive member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an adhesive sticker that is cut to a predetermined length and prepared in advance may also be used.

The embodiments disclosed above should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the embodiments described above, and is intended to include all modifications and variations within the meaning and scope of the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Relative position detection unit 11 LiDAR sensor 12 Calculation unit 13 Output unit 20 Control unit 21 CPU
22 RAM
23 ROM
24 Memory section 25 Interface section 30 Rotating table 31 Driving section 32 Robot table 40 Lifting section 41 Driving section 50 Moving cart 51 Driving section 60 Moving section 70 First articulated robot 71 First end effector 711 Pressing member 712 Hole section 713 Pasting section 714 Roll section 80 Second articulated robot 81 Second end effector (gripping section)
811, 812 Gripper (gripping part)
90 Robot part 200 Metal strip coil 201 Axial end face 300 Packing paper 301 End face covering part

Claims (5)

A folding device for folding an edge of an end surface covering portion, which is a part of a packing paper for packaging a metal strip coil and covers an axial end surface of the metal strip coil,
a robot unit that folds the edge of the end surface covering portion;
a relative position detection unit that detects relative position information regarding a relative position between the robot unit and the metal strip coil;
a control unit that controls the robot unit based on the relative position information detected by the relative position detection unit ,
The robot unit includes:
The ear-folding robot,
a moving part to which the edge folding robot is attached and which enables translation and rotation of the edge folding robot;
Equipped with
The control unit is
Based on the relative position information, the moving unit is controlled to move the edge folding robot to a position where the metal strip coil and the edge folding robot are disposed in a predetermined position.
The ear folding robot comprises:
a first articulated robot having a pressing member attached to a tip end thereof for pressing the end surface covering portion against the axial end surface of the metal strip coil;
a second articulated robot having a gripping portion attached to a tip portion thereof for gripping an end portion of the end surface covering portion;
Equipped with
a sticking unit provided at the tip end of the first articulated robot for sticking an adhesive member to the packing paper for fixing the edge-folded portion of the packing paper ,
Ear folding device. The control unit is
Controlling the operation of each of the first articulated robot and the second articulated robot,
The operation includes:
(1) pressing the folded portion of the packing paper against the axial end surface of the metal strip coil with the pressing member;
(2) gripping an end of the folded portion of the packing paper with the gripping portion;
(3) moving the pressing member to a position of a valley fold line of the folded portion of the packing paper, and pressing the packing paper against the axial end surface of the metal strip coil at the position of the valley fold line;
(4) While the end of the folded portion of the packing paper is being gripped by the gripping portion, the gripping portion is moved to a position on the opposite side of the valley fold line, and the packing paper is folded.
(5) moving the pressing member in alignment with a valley fold line of the packing paper;
(6) moving the pressing member along the mountain fold while pressing the pressing member against the mountain fold of the folded-in portion; and
(7) attaching the adhesive member across an edge of the mountain fold to fix the folded-in portion after folding;
Including,
The edge folding device according to claim 1 . The moving unit is
A mobile cart and
A lifting unit provided on the movable carriage;
a rotating table that is raised and lowered by the lifting unit,
The edge folding robot is attached to the rotating table,
The central axis of rotation of the turntable is oriented horizontally.
The edge folding device according to claim 1 or 2 . The relative position detection unit
a three-dimensional measuring device for calculating three-dimensional position information of the metal strip coil;
a calculation unit that calculates the relative position information based on the three-dimensional position information and position information of the robot unit,
An edge folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . A method for folding an edge of an end surface covering portion, which is a part of a packing paper for packing a metal strip coil and covers an axial end surface of the metal strip coil, comprising:
an edge folding robot including a first articulated robot having a pressing member attached to its tip for pressing the end surface covering portion against the axial end surface of the metal strip coil, and a second articulated robot having a gripping portion attached to its tip for gripping the end of the end surface covering portion; and a robot section to which the edge folding robot is attached and which has a moving section that enables the edge folding robot to move in a translational direction and rotate, folding the edge of the end surface covering portion;
a relative position detection unit detects relative position information regarding a relative position between the robot unit and the metal strip coil;
a control unit controls the robot unit to move the edge folding robot to a position where the metal strip coil and the edge folding robot are disposed in a predetermined position based on the detected relative position information;
an attachment unit provided at the tip end of the first articulated robot attaches an adhesive member to the packing paper for fixing the edge-folded portion of the packing paper;
A method for folding ears comprising the steps of:

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