JPH04326959A - Work liningup system in painting process - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically line up and transport works separately based on kinds and designated colors. CONSTITUTION:A color lining up storage 17 composed of a plurality of branched lanes is installed between an intermediate coating process and a top coating process, and hanger numbers are read by a hanger reader 5 set here, and the kind and designated color information of an automotive body W mounted on it are transfered to a color lining up computer, and the works are separated and lined up successively to the same kind and the same designated color, the same designated color, the same kind and avoiding the designated color, and non-avoiding designated color and at the same time in the resulting order, the works are successively transported to the top coating process site.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a workpiece alignment system in a painting process for arranging and transporting a plurality of workpieces in the order of painting based on the model of the machine and the specified paint color.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Car body painting departments generally use the same paint gun to paint workpieces in color. For this reason, for example, if a light-colored paint such as white is applied to the car body after it has been painted with a dark color such as red or black, dark-colored paint mist will adhere to the light-colored car body, causing paint defects. arise. For this reason, in the past, before the topcoating process, a color alignment storage consisting of multiple branch lines was set up, and the transport order of the car bodies was changed manually, or an empty space of one pitch was created, which caused the above-mentioned problems. However, this manual method could not completely eliminate problems such as dark-colored paint mist adhering to light-colored car bodies due to worker errors in judgment.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention aims to eliminate such problems, and its purpose is to carry in and out workpieces to color alignment storage without human intervention. The purpose of this invention is to provide a new work alignment system that can automatically perform the following.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] In other words, the present invention is a system for aligning works in a painting process to achieve the above-mentioned problems, and is a painting system in which each work is coated with a designated color using the same paint gun. In the process, a plurality of branched work alignment means, a means for reading information regarding at least the model and specified color of the work, and a work loading/unloading means to the work alignment means are provided in a part of the work transport path leading to the topcoating process. Based on the reading signal from the reading means, the workpieces are sorted and aligned in the order of the same model with the same specified color, the same specified color, the same model with the non-avoidance specified color, and the non-avoidance specified color. The workpieces are carried out from the workpiece alignment means to the overcoating process in the order of the same model, the same specified color, the same model, the non-avoidance specified color, and the non-avoidance specified color.

[0005]

[Embodiment] The embodiment shown in the drawings will be explained below. FIG. 1 shows the overall outline of a car body painting system to which a work alignment system according to the present invention is applied.

[0006] In this painting system, a transfer device 1 for transferring the car body W that has undergone the welding process to a hanger 2 (FIG. 2) is installed in the loading section of the car body W, and a is the hanger 2 based on the perforations made in the hanger plate 3.
An optical hanger reader 5 is installed to read the number of the hanger 2 sent to the painting department, and information on whether or not the vehicle body W is placed on the hanger 2 is sequentially transmitted via a tracking sequencer 6. computer 7
The hanger number / stored in memory after being transferred to
It is configured to be stored in a model information correspondence table.

[0007] A card reader 8 for reading the punch card 4 attached to the vehicle body W is also disposed here, and when the vehicle body W is placed on the hanger 2, the card reader 8 reads the punch card 4. Based on the information, machine information such as vehicle type, grade, designated paint color, destination, etc. is read and transferred to the computer 7, and the model information is stored in the hanger number/model information correspondence table stored in memory as shown in Figure 5. It is configured to be stored in correspondence with the hanger number.

By the way, the above-mentioned hanger leader 5 is installed together with the transfer device 1 at the entrance of each manual work department or each automated work department, and is used to handle the plates of each hanger 2 transferred. The hanger number is read from 3 and transferred to the computer 7, and this number is stored in the hanger number/model information correspondence table in accordance with the model information.

On the other hand, when the hanger number is sent from each hanger leader 5, the computer 7 pulls out the model information corresponding to this hanger number from the hanger number/model information correspondence table, and uses it to control the conveyor of each work department. The information is output to a circuit 9, and each work department performs various tasks such as tracking and painting the vehicle body W based on this model information.

FIG. 2 shows in detail the structure of the overcoating work department among the above-mentioned automated work departments. In this overcoating work department, the hanger number of the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W is placed is read by the hanger reader 5 installed at the entrance, and this hanger number is sent to the computer 7 via the conveyor control circuit 9 and the tracking sequencer 6. At the same time, the model information corresponding to the hanger number is transferred as a vehicle model code from the hanger number/model information correspondence table stored in the computer memory to the vehicle model conversion circuit 10 via the tracking sequencer 6 and the conveyor control panel circuit 9. It is configured as follows. Then, the model conversion circuit 10 refers to an internal table, converts it into a robot work number and a color number, sends these to the line master 12, and then sends these to the line master 12 via each stage master 13 to each painting robot 14 and the color board 1.
5, and the painting robot 14 is made to paint the vehicle body W in the specified color while performing operations according to the model.

By the way, FIG. 3 shows a color alignment storage placed between the intermediate coating work department and the top coating work department. This color alignment storage 17 is configured as a plurality of lanes branching from a car body transport route 18 that connects the intermediate coating work department and the top coating work department, and the car bodies W that have undergone the intermediate coating process are sorted and aligned there by a color alignment computer 20 (described later). It is configured to send the paper to the topcoating work department in a predetermined order.

That is, at the entrance of the color alignment storage 17, there is provided a hanger reader 5 that reads the number of the transferred hanger 2 and outputs it to the computer 7. Check the vehicle body W from the hanger number/model information table
The machine type information is transferred to the color alignment computer 20, and the vehicle bodies W are aligned and carried out according to the color alignment storage carry-in matrix, color alignment storage carry-out matrix, continuous carry-out avoidance color, and non-avoidance color matrix set in the memory here. is configured to perform the following.

As shown in FIG. 7, the above-mentioned color alignment storage loading matrix determines whether there is a hanger 2 on the branch lane, whether the vehicle body W is mounted on the hanger 2, and whether the branch lane is full. , whether a vehicle W of the same model and color as the incoming vehicle W is at the end of the branching lane, whether a vehicle W of the same color as the incoming vehicle W is at the end of the branching lane, and whether there is an empty lane in the branching lane. Whether there are two or more lanes, whether a vehicle W of the same model as the delivery vehicle W and a non-avoidance color is at the end of the branching lane, and whether a vehicle W of a non-avoidance color is at the end of the branching lane relative to the delivery vehicle W. It is designed to sequentially judge whether there is a hanger or not and control the delivery of hanger 2 to the branch lane.

[
[0014] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, the above-mentioned color alignment storage carry-out matrix determines whether the head of all branch lanes is empty and whether the car body W of the same model and color as the car body W that was previously instructed to carry out is Whether the car body W is in the branch lane, whether there is a car body W in the same color as the car body W that was instructed to be carried out last time, whether there is an empty lane in the branch lane, the car body W immediately before the color alignment storage 17.
whether it is the same model and color as the previous unloaded vehicle body W, whether the vehicle W immediately before the color alignment storage 17 is the same color as the previous unloaded vehicle W, the same model with non-avoidance color,
Whether there is a branch lane with four or more consecutive vehicles W of the same color, whether there is a branch lane with four or more consecutive vehicles W of the same color in a non-avoidance color, vehicles of the same model and same color in the avoidance color. It sequentially determines whether there is a branch lane in which there are four or more consecutive W vehicles, and whether there is a branch lane in which there are four or more consecutive vehicle bodies W of the same color in the avoidance color, and then controls the removal of the hanger 2 from the branch lane. It is supposed to be done,

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the continuous carry-out avoidance color and non-avoidance color matrix includes each unique color shown in the vertical and horizontal columns, for example, a is white, b is red, and c is gray. , d creates a matrix of avoidance colors and non-avoidance colors from black, etc., and based on this, for example, if the paint color of the relevant car body W in the vertical column is white a, the paint color of the next car body W is Anything is fine, and if the paint color of the car body W is red b, the paint color of the next car body W is a, c, g, h, i, n.
, p is an avoidance color, and the others are non-avoidance colors, and if the paint color of the next car body W is a non-avoidance color with respect to the paint color of the relevant car body W, the car body W is continuously sent to the top coating process. If the paint color of the next car body W is an avoidance color with respect to the paint color of the car body W in question, when the car body W is carried into the top coating process, there is a distance of one pitch between the car body W and the previous car body W. The program is such that the next car body W is controlled to be carried in after the paint mist of the previous color has flowed downward.

Next, the operation of the coating system configured as described above will be explained. First, when the hanger 2 for transporting the vehicle body reaches the entrance of the painting department, the hanger reader 5 disposed here reads the hanger number from the hanger plate 3 attached to the hanger 2 and transfers it to the computer 7. It is stored in the hanger number/model information correspondence table stored in the memory.

Next, when the vehicle body W that has undergone the welding process is placed on the hanger 2 by the transfer device 1, the card reader 8 disposed here reads from the punch card 4 attached to the vehicle body W. Reads model information such as car model, grade, paint color, destination, etc., and transfers this to computer 7.
The model information of the vehicle body W and the number of the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W is mounted are stored in association with a hanger number/model information correspondence table. Then, in the subsequent manual processes and each automated process, the model information of the corresponding car body W from the number of the hanger 2 read at each entrance is transferred to the conveyor control circuit 9, line master 13, etc., and sent to the painting robot 14 etc. To perform operations according to the car model and paint the required color.

After completing the intermediate coating process and the subsequent inspection process in this way, the hanger 2 is then transported to the color alignment storage 17 placed between the top coating process and the color alignment storage 17. The installed hanger reader 5 reads the number of the hanger 2 and transfers it to the computer 7, and transfers the model information read from the hanger number/model information correspondence table stored in the memory to the color alignment computer 20. .

On the other hand, when the color alignment computer 20 inputs the model information from the computer 7, the color alignment computer 20, based on the color alignment storage import matrix (FIG. 7) set in the memory and the continuous discharge avoidance color and non-avoidance color matrices, The carry-in lane is determined by the following procedure. That is, i.
The presence or absence of the carry-in hanger 2 is determined, and if there is no control operation, no control operation is performed, and if there is, ii. It is determined whether or not a vehicle body W is placed on the carry-in hanger 2, and if it is not placed, the hanger 2 is forwarded without being carried into the color alignment storage 17. And if it is placed, iii. It is determined whether the branch lane in the color alignment storage 17 is full or not, and if the branch lane is full, a warning is issued indicating that import is impossible and the countermeasure is taken manually. Also, if it is not full, iv. The same model as the vehicle W placed on the carry-in hanger 2.
It is determined whether the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W of the same color is placed is at the end of the branch lane in the color alignment storage 17, and if it is, an instruction is issued to carry it into the branch lane (the corresponding branch If there are multiple lanes, priority is given to the lane with the lowest number), and the number of vehicles registered in that branch lane is increased by 1. and if not, v. It is determined whether the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W of the same color as the vehicle body W placed on the carry-in hanger 2 is located at the end of the branch lane in the color alignment storage 17, and if so, the An instruction is issued to carry the vehicle into the branch lane (if there are multiple applicable branch lanes, the lane with the lowest number is given priority for carry-in), and the number of vehicles registered in that branch lane is increased by 1. and if not, vi. It is determined whether or not there are two or more vacant branch lanes in the sorting storage 17, and if there is, an instruction is issued to carry the cargo to the vacant lane (if there are multiple corresponding vacant lanes, the lane with the lowest number is ), the number of vehicles registered in that branch lane is increased by 1. and if not, vii. It is determined whether the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W of the same model and non-avoidance color as the vehicle body W placed on the carry-in hanger 17 is located at the end of the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17, and if issues an instruction to carry vehicles into that branch lane (if there are multiple applicable branch lanes, priority is given to carrying vehicles into the lane with the lowest number), and adds 1 to the number of vehicles registered in that branch lane. and if not, viii.
Determining whether or not the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W of the non-avoidance color is placed is at the end of the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17 with respect to the paint color of the vehicle body W placed on the carry-in hanger 2;
If so, issue an instruction to carry vehicles into that branch lane (if there are multiple branch lanes, priority will be given to the lane with the lower number), and increase the number of cars registered in that branch lane.
Do 1. and if not, ix. An alarm is issued and the problem is dealt with manually. Once the carry-in lane is determined in accordance with the above procedure, this information is transferred to the conveyor control circuit 9 via the computer 7 and the tracking sequencer 6, as shown in FIG. 4, and conveyor control such as branching devices is performed.

Additionally, the color alignment computer 2
0 determines the order in which the hangers 2 are delivered to the overcoating work area based on the color alignment storage delivery matrix (FIG. 7) set in the memory and the continuous discharge avoidance color and non-avoidance color matrices. This includes, in the beginning, i. It is determined whether the head of all branch lanes in the color alignment storage 17 is an empty position or an unregistered lane, and if the head is an empty position or an unregistered lane, no control operation is performed; ii. It is determined whether or not the hanger 2 on which the vehicle body W of the same model and color as the vehicle body W that was instructed to be carried out last time is on the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17, and if it is, it is instructed to carry it out from that lane. (If there are multiple applicable lanes, the lane with the lowest number is given priority for unloading), and the enrollment of that branch lane is decreased by 1. and if not, iii. A vehicle body W of the same color as the vehicle body W that was instructed to be carried out last time is placed, and it is determined whether or not the hanger 2 is in the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17, and if it is, an instruction to carry it out from that lane is issued. (If there are multiple applicable lanes, priority will be given to the lane with the lowest number.)
Subtract 1 from the presence of that branch lane. and if not, iv. It is determined whether or not there is an empty lane in the branch lane of the color alignment storage 17, and if there is, the number of the branch lane is held, and if there is not, v. It is determined whether the car body W immediately before the color alignment storage 17 is the same model and the same color as the previous car body W to be carried out, and if there is, an instruction is given to carry out the car body W in front of the color alignment storage 17; vi. It is determined whether the car body W immediately before the color alignment storage 17 has the same color as the car body W carried out last time, and if there is, an instruction is given to carry out the car body W in front of the color alignment storage 17, and if not, vii. As in the case where there is no empty lane when determining whether there is an empty lane in the branch lane of color alignment storage 17 in step iv above, there are four or more consecutive vehicles W of the same model and color in the non-avoidance color at the front. Search the branch lane for a lane that can be carried out, and if there is one, issue an instruction to carry out from that lane (if there are multiple applicable lanes, the lane with the lowest number will be given priority for carrying out), and then select the branch lane. -
Do 1. and if not, viii. The branch lane is searched for a lane in which four or more vehicles with the same non-avoidance color can be unloaded in a row, and if there is one, an instruction is given to unload from that lane (if there are multiple lanes, the young Priority is given to unloading from the numbered lane), and the number of branch lanes is decreased by 1. and if not, ix. The branch lane is searched for a lane where four or more vehicles of the same model and color can be unloaded in succession using the avoidance color, and if there is one, one pitch is left open, and then
Issue an unloading instruction from that lane (if there are multiple applicable lanes, priority will be given to unloading from the lane with the lowest number)
, decrease the enrollment of that branch lane by 1. and if not, x. The branch lane is searched for a lane in which four or more vehicles of the same color can be carried out consecutively in the avoidance color, and if there is one, a one-pitch space is created and instructions are given to carry out the next vehicle from that lane ( If there are multiple corresponding lanes, the lane with the lowest number is given priority for carrying out), and the registration of that branch lane is decreased by 1. and if not, xi. A warning will be issued if the item cannot be removed, and this will be dealt with manually. Once the unloading vehicle body is determined according to the above procedure, this information is transferred from the computer 7 to the conveyor control circuit 9 via the tracking sequencer 6, as shown in FIG. 4, and the conveyor etc. are controlled. be exposed.

[0021] As a result, in the topcoating work department, while making the painting robot 14 perform the same operations as much as possible, paint of the same color as the previous car body W or a color that has a non-avoidance color relationship with the color of the previous car body W is applied. Using paint, the car bodies W brought in are automatically painted in the specified color one after another, and the car body W in front is painted with the specified color.
However, only when a car body W that does not have the same color or a non-avoidance color specified follows, a space of one pitch is automatically created between it and the previous car body W. ,
To effectively perform predetermined color painting without adhering dark color paint mist to a light color workpiece.

Although the present invention has been explained above using an automatic painting system for painting automobile bodies, the present invention can also be applied to automatic painting systems for painting other large workpieces. Can be applied. Also,
In devices that directly hold and transport workpieces,
The machine information is read from a card attached to the workpiece, and based on this information, the workpieces are aligned, transported, or the paint is supplied.
It is also possible to control the operation of the painting robot.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, a means for aligning a plurality of branched workpieces is provided in the workpiece delivery route leading to the topcoating process, so that the workpieces can be aligned based on the model of the workpiece and the specified coating color. In addition, the same model, the same specified color, the same specified color, and the non-avoidance specified color are sorted and lined up in the order, and the work is delivered to the topcoating process in this order, so even in automatic painting using the same paint gun, light-colored workpieces can be easily painted. To efficiently apply a specified color coating to various workpieces without adhering dark color paint mist and by having a coating robot perform as many of the same operations as possible.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an automatic painting system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of topcoating work departments.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a color alignment storage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one circuit for color alignment control.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the contents of a hanger number/model information correspondence table stored in the memory of the computer.

FIG. 6 is a program configuration diagram that defines the operation of a computer to realize the distribution of non-avoidance colors and avoidance colors.

FIG. 7 is a program configuration diagram that defines the operation of a computer that controls color alignment storage import.

FIG. 8 is a program configuration diagram that defines the operation of a computer responsible for color alignment storage export control.

[Explanation of symbols]

1　Transfer device 2 Hanger 3 Hanger plate 4 Punch card 5 Hanger leader 8 Card reader 14 Painting robot 17 Color alignment storage

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: In a painting process in which each workpiece is coated with a specified color using the same paint gun, a plurality of branched workpiece alignment means are provided in a part of the workpiece conveyance path leading to the topcoating process, and at least Means for reading information regarding the model and designated color of the workpiece, and means for loading and unloading the workpieces to the workpiece arranging means are provided, and based on the read signal from the reading means, the same model, the same designated color, the same designated color,
While sorting and arranging the workpieces in the work alignment means in the order of same model non-avoidance specified color, non-avoidance specified color, same model same specified color, same specified color, same model non-avoidance specified color, A workpiece alignment system in a painting process, wherein the workpieces are carried out from the workpiece alignment means to the topcoating process in the order of non-avoidance designated colors.