Manufacturing station and manufacturing process

An automated manufacturing plant comprising a plurality of manufacturing stations for workpieces, wherein each of the manufacturing stations comprises:

• a manufacturing area;
• a plurality of program-controlled manufacturing robots, wherein the manufacturing area is configured as a robot garden with the manufacturing robots distributed locally in the manufacturing area;
• production load carriers, which receive workpieces to form production load carriers carrying the workpieces, which carry the workpieces as a multipart workpiece comprising parts set in a positioned state, wherein the workpieces are fed to the manufacturing station on the production load carriers from outside the manufacturing station;
• a plurality of work stations, wherein a workpiece mount is at each of the work stations, which are distributed locally in the manufacturing area, and the manufacturing robots are associated with the workpiece mounts and configured to work on the workpieces in a region of the associated workpiece mounts;
• a station-bound transport means for transporting the production load carriers within the manufacturing station;
• and
• a loading device configured to at least one of load the production load carriers carrying the workpieces, from one or more external conveying device transporting production load carriers carrying the workpieces, onto the station-bound transport means and unload the production load carriers carrying the workpieces from the station-bound transport means to one or more external conveying device transporting production load carriers carrying the workpieces, wherein:
• one or more of the manufacturing robots is configured and programmed to load a workpiece, without the production load carriers, from one of the production load carriers carrying the workpieces on the station-bound transport means to one or more of the workpiece mounts of the work stations and to load workpieces, without the production load carriers, from the one or more of the workpiece mounts of the work stations onto one of the production load carriers on the station-bound transport means;
• and
• one or more of the manufacturing robots is configured and programmed to transport a workpiece between the work stations by picking up the workpiece, without the production load carriers, from the workpiece mount at one work station with a gripping tool and depositing the picked up workpiece, without the production load carriers, at the workpiece mount of another work station,
• whereby production load carriers carrying workpieces are moved by the loading device to the station-bound transport means, the production load carriers are moved by the station-bound transport means, at least one of the workpieces, without the production load carrier, is moved by one or more of the manufacturing robots from one of the production load carriers to one or more of the workpiece mounts, one or more of the workpieces is moved, without the production load carriers, by one or more of the manufacturing robots from one of the workpiece mounts to at least another of the workpiece mounts, and one or more of the workpieces is moved, without the production load carriers, from one of the workpiece mounts to one of the production load carriers that has been moved by the station-bound transport means and production load carriers carrying workpieces, that have been moved by the station-bound transport means, are moved by the loading device from the station-bound transport means to one or more external conveying device transporting production load carriers carrying the workpieces.

A manufacturing process for workpieces, the process comprising:

• providing an automated manufacturing plant comprising a plurality of manufacturing stations for workpieces, wherein each of the manufacturing stations comprises:
• a manufacturing area;
• a plurality of program-controlled manufacturing robots, wherein the manufacturing area is configured as a robot garden with the manufacturing robots distributed locally in the manufacturing area;
• production load carriers, wherein the workpieces are fed to the manufacturing station on the production load carriers from outside the manufacturing station and the production load carriers receive workpieces to form production load carriers carrying the workpieces, which carry the workpieces as a multipart workpiece comprising parts set in a positioned state;
• a plurality of work stations, wherein a workpiece mount is at each of the work stations, which are distributed locally in the manufacturing area, and the manufacturing robots are associated with the workpiece mounts;
• a station-bound transport means for transporting the production load carriers within the manufacturing station;
• and a loading device configured to at least one of load the production load carriers carrying the workpieces, from one or more external conveying device transporting production load carriers carrying the workpieces, onto the station-bound transport means and unload the production load carriers carrying the workpieces from the station-bound transport means to one or more external conveying device transporting production load carriers carrying the workpieces;
• configuring and programming one or more of the manufacturing robots to load a workpiece, without the production load carriers, from one of the production load carriers carrying the workpieces on the station-bound transport means to one or more of the workpiece mounts of the work stations and to load workpieces, without the production load carriers, from the one or more of the workpiece mounts of the work stations onto one of the production load carriers on the station-bound transport means;
• configuring and programming one or more of the manufacturing robots to transport a workpiece between the work stations by picking up the workpiece, without the production load carriers, from the workpiece mount at one work station with a gripping tool and depositing the picked up workpiece, without the production load carriers, at the workpiece mount of another work station;
• and
• performing a work process, which comprises a plurality of working steps carried out on the workpiece in the manufacturing station and in the manufacturing area, wherein production load carriers carrying workpieces are moved by the loading device to the station-bound transport means, the production load carriers are moved by the station-bound transport means, at least one of the workpieces, without the production load carrier, is moved by one or more of the manufacturing robots from one of the production load carriers to one or more of the workpiece mounts, one or more of the workpieces is moved, without the production load carriers, by one or more of the manufacturing robots from one of the workpiece mounts to at least another of the workpiece mounts and one or more of the workpieces is moved, without the production load carriers, from one of the workpiece mounts to one of the production load carriers that has been moved by the station-bound transport means and production load carriers carrying workpieces, that have been moved by the station-bound transport means, are moved by the loading device from the station-bound transport means to one or more external conveying device transporting production load carriers carrying the workpieces.