Production plant, production device and production method
AssigneeKUKA Systems GmbH
InventorPaul Thorwarth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A production plant for vehicle body components includes a production area with a plurality of automatic program-controlled production devices and a provision for workpieces. The production plant further includes a provision for various application-specific tools and a conveying device that flexibly connects the production devices to one another and to the external provisions.
Claims25
A manufacturing facility for workpieces, the manufacturing facility comprising:
- a manufacturing zone comprising a plurality of automatic, program-controlled manufacturing systems;
- a workpiece supply;
- a tool supply configured to supply a plurality of application-specific tools;
- a conveying mechanism flexibly linking the plurality of manufacturing systems to each other and to the workpiece supply and the tool supply;
- wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a plurality of individually controllable conveying means and a network of conveying paths;
- wherein the conveying means travel in the network of the conveying paths on freely programmable conveyor tracks;
- the conveying means comprising autonomous, floor-bound driverless transport vehicles;
- and
- at least one of the manufacturing systems comprising a plurality of application-flexible manufacturing devices distributed around a work station;
- wherein at least one conveying path extends into the at least one manufacturing system and through the work station.
A program-controlled automatic manufacturing system for workpieces, comprising:
- a plurality of manufacturing devices distributed around a work station;
- wherein the manufacturing system is configured to be applied flexibly across manufacturing applications and the manufacturing devices comprise automatic exchange couplings and application-specific tools;
- the manufacturing system being configurable to different production processes by automatic changeable equipping of the manufacturing devices with different application-specific tools and by modification of operating programs;
- and
- a plurality of storage areas for application-specific tools located in a working zone of at least one manufacturing device;
- the manufacturing system operatively communicating with a conveying mechanism that flexibly links the manufacturing system to a plurality of other manufacturing systems and to a workpiece supply and a tool supply, the conveying mechanism comprising a plurality of individually controllable conveying means and a network of conveying paths, the conveying means comprising autonomous, floor-bound driverless transport vehicles;
- wherein at least one conveying path extends into the at least one manufacturing system and through the work station.
A method for manufacturing workpieces in a manufacturing facility having a manufacturing zone with a plurality of automatic, program-controlled manufacturing systems and a supply for providing the workpieces, the method comprising:
- providing various application-specific tools in a tool supply of the manufacturing facility;
- and
- flexibly linking the manufacturing systems to each other and to the workpiece supply and the tool supply by a conveying mechanism comprising a plurality of individually controllable conveying means and a network of conveying paths;
- the conveying means comprising autonomous, floor-bound driverless transport vehicles;
- wherein at least one of the manufacturing systems comprises a plurality of application-flexible manufacturing devices distributed around a work station;
- and
- wherein at least one conveying path extends into the at least one manufacturing system and through the work station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.