IP Library Granted Patent US 8,056,200
Granted Patent B2
US 8,056,200 · App. 11/814,741 · Granted Nov 15, 2011

Manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for components

Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbH
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,056,200
App. No.
11/814,741
Granted
Nov 15, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A manufacturing apparatus ( 2 ) for components ( 3 ), which has at least one movable loading station ( 20 ) designed as a tool magazine ( 13 ) and having reception points ( 39 ) with different tools ( 4, 5, 6, 7 ) for different component types A-I. The loading station ( 20 ) is connected to one or more machining stations ( 20, 22 ′) at which at least one machining device ( 23 ) and at least one handling device ( 24 ) for handling and releasing the components ( 3 ) from the tool ( 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ) are arranged. The selected Figure is FIG. 5.

Claims (26)

1. A manufacturing apparatus for components, the apparatus comprising:

one or more machining stations;

a moveable loading station comprising a turntable tool magazine rotatable about an axis and having a plurality of reception points, wherein a linear guide is arranged at least one of said reception points, said linear guide being oriented tangentially with respect to the axis of rotation;

a plurality of tools comprising different tools for clamping different component types, the tools and the components clamped thereby being rotatable about the axis, said different tools being in respective reception points, the loading station being connected to said one or more machining stations such that one of the tools and the components clamped thereby are transported along said linear guide of the tool magazine to a stationary linear guide temporarily aligned therewith, whereby the one tool and the components clamped thereby are transported to one of the one or more machining stations.

2. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said one or more machining stations comprise at least one machining device and at least one handling device for handling and releasing the components from the respective one of said tools.

3. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the axis of rotation of the turntable is vertical.

4. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the tools comprise a pallet and a clamping device for the components.

5. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each of the clamping devices include a plurality of driven members.

6. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a tool conveyor wherein at least one machining station of said one or more machining stations is arranged next to the loading station and is connected to the loading station by said tool conveyor.

7. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the tool conveyor is designed as a drag conveyor and has a movable driver which comes into engagement with corresponding receivers on the tools.

8. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the drag conveyor is designed as a toothed-belt drive.

9. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the tool conveyor is floor-bound and is arranged below the turntable.

10. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one tool service station, wherein the loading station is connected to said at least one tool service station.

11. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more additional tool magazines, wherein the loading station is connected to said one or more additional tool magazines.

12. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the loading station has three or four different tools.

13. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tools each have a tool carrier with a clamping device for the components.

14. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the tools have uniform tool carriers and different component-type-related clamping devices.

15. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the tool carriers are designed as slides.

16. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said linear guide is in the form of a rail guide.

17. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said loading station comprises another linear guide at another one of said reception points, said turntable being rotatable about the axis such that said another linear guide is temporarily aligned with the stationary linear guide.

18. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the linear guides of the turntable are arranged uniformly in a circle about the turntable axis.

19. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the linear guide is in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

20. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one supply device for components and at least one loading device, said at least one supply device and said at least one loading device being arranged at the loading station.

21. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 20 , wherein at least one of the loading device, the machining device, and the handling device are designed as a multiaxial industrial robot with robot tools.

22. The manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one or more machining stations is/are designed as a welding station, in which the initially loose parts of the components are connected to one another.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 25, 2007
From: KUKA SCHWEISSANLAGEN GMBH
To: KUKA SYSTEMS GMBH
Reel/Frame 020012/0210 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 25, 2007
From: HESSE, JOHANN; KOLLMAR, THOMAS; EMERICH, BRUNO; HECK, ROLAND; GEISTDOERFER, ELLA; ZIEGLER, THOMAS
To: KUKA SCHWEISSANLAGEN GMBH
Reel/Frame 019609/0119 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 20 2005 001 780 U · Feb 3, 2005 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20080220955A1 · Sep 11, 2008